Flying to Europe
with an infant or lap child.
We never actually flew a baby as a true lap infant. We always bought the seat instead, and it is the one call we would make again on every single trip.
Buy the seat, bring the car seat.
Buying a seat for a baby instead of holding them as a free lap infant is a real added cost, and we made that trade every time. The reason: it let us bring the car seat right onto the plane and buckle a baby into something familiar and secure, rather than holding them for six or seven hours. On our long-haul routes out of Boston, that difference mattered more than the money.
Stroller to the gate, car seat onto the plane.
We drive the stroller all the way to the gate, keeping hands free through security and the terminal, then gate-check the stroller right before boarding and carry the car seat on with us to buckle into the seat we bought. It is especially worth it on a red-eye, which already lines up with a baby's bedtime: a familiar car seat makes it much easier for them to actually settle and sleep through the flight instead of fighting being held.
What families ask us.
Should we buy a seat for an infant on an international flight?
We always did, rather than holding a baby as a lap infant. Buying the seat let us bring the car seat onto the plane, which we consider the single biggest comfort upgrade for a long-haul flight with a baby, especially a red-eye.
How do you get a car seat to the gate and onto the plane?
We drive the stroller all the way to the gate, gate-check the stroller there, and carry the car seat onto the plane to buckle into the purchased seat. It keeps hands free through security and the terminal, and the car seat only comes out right before boarding.
Is a car seat worth it on a red-eye flight specifically?
Yes, more than on a daytime flight. A red-eye already lines up with a baby's bedtime, and a familiar, secure car seat makes it easier for them to actually settle and sleep through the flight rather than fight being held for hours.
Is buying an extra seat for a baby expensive?
It is a real added cost over flying as a lap infant for free, and worth weighing against the trip budget. For us, the tradeoff was worth it every time: a genuinely easier flight for the baby and for us.