booking extra seat for baby on flight

[moonbeamrider]

We are travelling to Spain in May. Our DS will be 6 months old & we will be flying with BMI Baby. I am confused by the online booking form. Their website says that you can take a fwd facing car seat; but if I select a seat, then it registers the infant as 2 yrs old. Will this cause problems when they compare with his passport etc.
I may just book a seat for the extra space.
I'm a complete novice-mum! All helpful comments really welcome.

I would phone the airline and see what they suggest.

I've never bothered with booking a seat for any of mine when they were younger. Your baby is going to have to be on your lap anyway for take off and landing and realistically how likely is it going to be that he's going to be in a car seat during the flight?

You can still take a car seat if you need it where you're going but pack it well as it has to go in the hold.

Most airlines won't allow you to book an extra seat for an infant. You need to ring them and ask, or check their FAQs.

I always wanted to do it for the luggage allowance, but you aren't usually allowed. Being allowed to take the car seat I imagine is just a courtesy (as in you don't have to pay the weightage) rather than having anything to do with the seating inside the plane)

You don't need and won't be allowed an extra set. Why would you want one? There are quite likely to be spare seats anyway.
They are allowing to take car seat in the hold - usually you would have to pay extra for this.
You can take a pushchair too.

Ring them. Often - for example, with BA - a child between 6 months and 2 yrs can occupy their own seat as long as you have an acceptable 5 point harness car seat that fits in the seat. You'll need to check your seat fits.

Do you need that carseat specifically when you get there? If not, I wouldn't take it. Car hire places generally let you hire car seats too, don't they?

Normally with a baby under 2 years, you don't get a seat for them unless you need the room, but I'd imagine for a short haul flight with two adults, you'd manage fine without it.

(I say this as someone who did longhaul/connecting flights with an 8 month old)

We booked a seat for 14 month old Ds to Australia. We did this because it was a long haul flight and we could take the car seat on.

We booked with Expedia but had to email Etihad regarding taking the car seat. Nightmare I must say as it is not common to do this.

As the car seat will be attached to the plane seat they are allowed to sit in it for take off and landing. Having a car seat in board WILL take up ALOT of room. Trust me is it annoying.

Going to Spain is not a long flight and I wouldn't bother with buying an extra seat to take a car seat on ime. We went to Spain when Ds was 3 month and he just sat/slept on my lap.

Sorry bit long reply

Actually thinking about it you may need a car seat that is for older toddlers. The car seat you use may not be safe for on board. It needs to be a front facing one.

We booked a seat for our daughter twice when she was under 2 - easyjet and Thomas Cook. Both times it was cheaper to buy her a seat than to pay for extra baggage! Would not have bothered with a car seat though - she sat on my knee whenever seatbelt sign was on!

At 6 mths she will surely still be too little for a forward facing car seat anyway, and on a lot of the budget airlines the seats are not wide enough to fit most car seats.

Frankly at 6m unless it is cheaper on the luggage front then you will be fine with her for 2 hrs on your knees!

For both airlines we were told to book her as a 2 yr old (ie just alter her DOB on the web booking to make her seem older). They don't care that she's younger as they have still sold a full seat (no reduction in seat price for a child which is fair enough really).

Some cheap airlines like Ryanair will not let you book a seat for an under two. Not sure if BMI have the same policy, so you might need to check that.