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Original poster

Would you buy an extra seat for dd (12/18 months)

24 replies

SHHHH · 26/04/2006 13:10

We are thinking of travelling to Dubai for hols and dd will be either 1year or 18 months (depends on when we go) When she's 18months she is to big for a sky cot...

So...would you buy an extra seat for dd.? Sounds silly as she can't really sit in it alone but then again a 6 hour flight holding baby could be a bit much...what would you do.? Cost of seat is £195 return so not mega..Would you buy it to give US extra room or would you actually use it for dd.?? I'm clueless..

Anyone got experience of this?

We travelled with dd when 6 months old and she was brilliant but then again wasn't mobile.

Advice needed..!!!

OP posts:

starlover · 26/04/2006 13:11

if I had the money i'd definitely buy the seat. DS is one and would never sit on my lap for that long and so it would be worth it!

Earlybird · 26/04/2006 13:21

I bought an airplane seat for dd when she was this age. I lugged her carseat with me, strapped her into it on the plane, and then used it when I rented a car at my destination.

If she's sitting on her own (rather than being held), she's more likely to nap. Also, giving dd her own seat means you can eat/drink without juggling her.

harrogatemum · 26/04/2006 13:24

DH, myself and the DTs are going to Malaysia in 3 weeks time. The DTs will be 18 months. We have bought one extra seat so that we do not have to have two wriggling toddlers on our laps for 14 hours (aaaaaggggghhhhhhh). I insisted on it - I think it is the only way we will be able to keep our sanity on the flight. I know there are two of them but I figure on an aeroplane seat they can sit in the middle of us and each lean on a parent when they want to go to sleep!

cacaboo · 26/04/2006 13:39

I probably wouldn't bother at 12 months, but would think about it at 18 months for that price, especially given you usually have to pay to have them on your lap anyway...

We took DS on our laps within Europe at 13 months, he wasn't walking at that age, he fell asleep easily, and it was all fine. However ut would have been a much shorter journey than to Dubai, I guess.

When he was 18 months we went to Canada, although we didn't actually buy him an extra seat, the plane was half empty both ways, so we got the extra space anyway. (Scheduled flight, not charter.) Depends whether it is worth taking that kind of a chance...

Original poster

SHHHH · 26/04/2006 13:41

sounds like everyone agrees to getting the extra seat..

Don't think we can use the car seat as dd is now in a forward facing carseat and isn't she to big for it now..? I did want to take it for use there like we did when she was 6 months old but is it dangerous to use it if they are over the given weight.? If not we will defo consider it!!

So if we get a seat for dd does i she it in as normal.? will she not be to small for it iykwim.? Sorry to sound vacant.!

OP posts:

Original poster

SHHHH · 26/04/2006 13:42

yeah the airline will allow dd to use a skycot aged upto 12/13 months but 18 months she would pull it off the wall .!!

OP posts:

starlover · 26/04/2006 13:43

i think she will have to sit on your lap for take off and landing, but she can sit on the seat the rest of the time

milward · 26/04/2006 13:46

Are you travelling with anyone else? - could chance it that the airline would give you a window & end seat leaving the middle one free. I wouldn't take the extra seat as anyone next to you would want to move if there was space - or be upgraded!! - have found that just getting the sick bag ready can make others ask to move!!! :)

Skribble · 26/04/2006 13:47

Its handy to have an extra seat even if it somewhere to put a bag with all your essentials/toys. Its immpossible to reach a bag under the seat with a child on your knee and equally as hard trying to get it from the over head locker everytime you need a wipe.

Skribble · 26/04/2006 13:49

We fly with Ryanair and there was a Dad using the bag of wotsits trick, open bag spread over childs face and watch everyone walk past. As soon as everyone is on you clean them up and get rid of the smelly crisps.

Bozza · 26/04/2006 13:54

I assume people were talking about the second stage seat rather than the baby seat.

I would be tempted by the extra seat so that you have the 3 together and you are not worrying about DD poking the person sitting next to her etc. As well as all the other reasons stated.

Earlybird · 26/04/2006 13:55

Yes, I was suggesting taking/using the second stage car seat....

Original poster

SHHHH · 26/04/2006 15:07

ah right eb and bozza..just bulky..?

Ha some of you have such scheming ideas when it some to travelling with children..Such good ideas though!!! You are all obviously experienced!

OP posts:

schneebly · 26/04/2006 15:14

I wouldnt because I am skint but if I had enough money I definitely would!

lazycow · 26/04/2006 15:29

Definitely - if you can afford it buy the extra set. We had an extra seat to fly 9 hrs to Atlanta when when ds was 10 weeks old and back when he was 8 months. We put his car seat on the spare seat but tbh the car seat go in the way a bit as ds hated sitting in it for any length of time. The spare seat though gave us more room to put things on and made our hand luggage more easily accessible. It just made a very packed flight more comfortable. Obviously if the flight is not very full you may get a spare seat anyway but in our case the flights were packed so we were grateful for the extra space.

Flum · 26/04/2006 15:34

Nah , I wouldn't. They always want to sit on your knee anyway.

Put the 200quid in their trust fund

HandbagAddiction · 26/04/2006 15:57

For anything longer than an hour, I would definitely book an extra seat if you can afford to. We did for dd, who was 12 monhths when we went to Turkey - 4 hour flight. There is no way I could have survived the trip with her on my knee for that long...and she's not a particularly wriggly baby. Even if she doesn't sit in it, it still means that you and your dh have more space between you, aren't hemmed in/ disturbed by or disturbing by a complete stranger.

Bozza · 26/04/2006 16:00

That's what I was thinking handbagaddiction. DD will be able to sit on your knee legs sideways and have more room to stretch out.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 26/04/2006 16:03

Not sure ds would sit still on my lap or on a seat! He is on the go 24/7. Personally I wouldnt buy the seat, I would pass him between us and take turns!

moondog · 26/04/2006 16:07

I didn't-for either of mine.
Dd is 5 and ds is 21 mths.
Have just completed 4 hour flight to Turkey (and will be doing it back without dh in 2 weeks)
Taken kids all over-Dubai,Malaysia,Sri Lanka,Russia and it is rare we haven't managed to find a spare seat somewhere.
Really resent that we will have to start paying in 3 mths.
We are going to Martinique at Christmas (as well as coming back and forth form Turkey) and annoyed at how much it will cost already!

lazycow · 26/04/2006 16:28

Not sure an extra seat will stop the lap sitting thing. Ds was on my lap for the whole flight back. At 8 months he was too long for the American Airlines cot/basinette thing and he couldn't sit on the seat - as he wasn't sitting well yet. Also he would not sleep in his car seat. Not that he's difficult or anything.

He screamed for 30 min before falling asleep (usual for him in those days) then slept for 3 hrs. I moved to go to the loo and woke him so after an hour of him playing and breastfeeding we were treated to another 30 mins of screaming before he could get to sleep again followed by another 4 hrs of sleep. All in all quite a good flight actually. Much better than the one at 10 weeks when I was told he would sleep the whole way - some chance. Luckily it was a night flight .

However the spare seat meant I could get what I needed without having to keep getting up.

Moondog is right that if there are spare seats you will be fine, however I just didn't want to take the chance and as it turned out there were absolutely no spare seats on the flight back and only a couple on the flight out.

jenkel · 27/04/2006 00:19

We went to Florida last year with a 3 year old and an 18 month old and bought a seat for the 18 month old and so glad we did.

When the 18 month old was 7 months we went to Australia and had her on our lap and it was a nightmare, so said that if we ever fly again before she was 2 we would buy a seat.

Also handy as we had no worries about baggage allowences. We had a row of 4, so had plenty of room and nobody else sitting next to us to worry about.

I wouldnt worry about buying an extra seat for a short hop to the med, but a long flight for us it is essential.

eidsvold · 27/04/2006 12:06

we booked a seat for dd1 when we flew to Aus - she was under the 2 but it meant she had luggage allocation - great for carrying extra stuff with us. We also used her car seat - Britax eclipse I think and as it reclines she was fine to sit in it on take off and landing and then we let her have snuggles but she was happy just to sit in the seat, sleep and look out the window. Also meant we were able to eat without too much hassle and had some space ourselves.

We were very lucky as the plane was empty and so we essentially had an entire row of a 747 to ourselves....10 seats to 3 people.

moondog · 27/04/2006 15:18

Eidsvold,that would have really p*ssed me off though,paying for a seat and finding the plane empty anyway!

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