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Original poster

Flight with a 2 year old - can she go on my lap?

19 replies

MustBeThursday · 18/05/2016 18:18

Going on holiday in a few weeks, DD will be 2y2m. She is booked and paid for as a child in her own seat, and obviously she can be moved about during the main part of the flight, but I'm concerned about the takeoff and landing bits. I'm worried she will get upset and scream the whole time if she has to sit in her own seat. We flew last year and used the infant belt attachment with her on my/DHs lap.

Can she sit on my lap with one of these this time? Or will she have to be in her own seat when seatbelts are on? There's nothing that says specifically either way on the website.

OP posts:
oldlaundbooth · 18/05/2016 18:26

No, she can't.

Now she's two she has her own seat and has to stay in with the belt on when the sign is on.

specialsubject · 18/05/2016 20:01

...and if she gets upset and screams...that is how it is. She needs to be in the seat and belted, it is safer.

perhaps a bit of pre-trip propaganda about being very grown up and having her very own seat?

PinkParsnips · 18/05/2016 20:03

Ask.if they have any child seats, it's a bit like a car seat which they fix to the aircraft seat and fastens with a 5 point harness. My DD who was just under 2 seemed quite content in it, possibly because they are used to being in a car seat...

EweAreHere · 18/05/2016 20:04

She will need to be in her own seat, buckled in.

Original poster
MustBeThursday · 18/05/2016 21:31

Oh no. I did think it might be the case. Special I'm not sure that she will understand the propaganda approach as she's not talking yet (awaiting HV review). I was hoping we'd be a little further along with speech by now when we booked. I'm packing assorted distractions, so will try employing them during seatbelt time.

PinkParsnips Do all airlines do child seats? I've not seen them before, although admittedly I've not flown all that much.

OP posts:
NotPennysBoat · 18/05/2016 21:33

I would take plenty of distractions, snacks, snickers, stories etc. I've flown extensively and have never known an airline to provide a child seat...

CuntingDMjournos · 18/05/2016 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nicnak2223 · 18/05/2016 21:53

If your DD kicks up a fuss(and looks little) you might find a crew member who is willing to over look the rules but this isn't in anyones best interests.

It is far safer for your daughter to be in her own seat, you both could be badly injured in an emergency if she were on your lap.

pink parsnips I've worked for numerous British airlines and never known any to carry their own car seats.

specialsubject · 19/05/2016 09:03

Distract and bribe ! And if she howls she's still safer in the seat.

MrsNuckyT · 19/05/2016 09:07

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think the older they get the more excited they are about plane travel. Try to let her sit at the window to look out, or if you are travelling as a couple put her in the middle between you and daddy.

As others have said, plenty of distractions also great. I've heard people say they wrapped up a few new toys or treats to have as 'presents' on the flight. You could do that and just at the moment you start ot accelerate on the runway, let her start opening one of them. I'm sure she'll be fine.

ipads are great on flights. Remember you can download tons of stuff from cbeebies for free and keep them on your ipad for a week (it might even be a month), so have some of her fave shows lined up as well as toddler friendly apps (we loved the Sago Mini apps). Lots of snacks and also a magazine (cbeebies, octonauts - one of those ones with tons of plastic crap on the front) are the way forward!!

TeaPleaseBob · 19/05/2016 09:10

We took a britax eclipse car seat last year and used it on Ryanair plane for daughter (she was just over 2 at the time). It was great, familiar seat for her and she was perfectly happy sitting strapped in, she could also fall asleep easily in it. We then had our own seat for hire car when we got there.

Bit of a pain carrying it through airport so is get a wee trolley next time

KP86 · 19/05/2016 09:27

I travel with DS's car seat (he would be the same as as your DD) and have a fold up dolly trolley which we strap it to using a regular men's belt through the seatbelt path and then around the back of the trolley. It doubles as a pram option for DS through the terminal as well.

He is much, much better on the plane in his car seat compared to sitting in the normal seat or even on my lap.

chemenger · 19/05/2016 09:32

We always took a car seat onboard, it does need to be the right size and possibly it needs to be approved. I seem to remember phoning the airline to get advice. Lots of people on here will tell you they have never heard of such a thing but it was definitely the best solution for us.

KP86 · 19/05/2016 09:35

same age**

MrsSparkles · 19/05/2016 09:52

She'll need to be in her seat for landing and take off. We fly with DD quite a lot (and have done since she was quite small) and usually she's fine. But I remember the first time she needed to be in her seat for take off (she was only just over 2), she was hysterical. I can't explain it - never happened before or again.

In the end we did get given an extendable seatbelt, but it is definitely not the norm, but we were having to try to physically hold her in the seat.

I wouldn't get on too early - then there's still hopefully new exciting things to look at, and bribery, something new that she loves - or chocolate!

PinkParsnips · 19/05/2016 11:36

Ah maybe they don't all carry them, sorry. This was a Virgin flight. I haven't flown anywhere else with her.

HeadDreamer · 19/05/2016 11:41

I've done this many times with my two. The flight attendants will force you to make your 2yo sit in her own seat, with the seat belt buckled in. Once we had a really nice flight attendant who gave us the infant belt for DC1 when she was just over 2yo. (Probably same age as yours). To be honest, there's nothing dramatically changed when they turn 2yo and that suddnely the lap belt isn't safe.

What we did, and I know others won't condone it, was once the flight attendants has done their flight checks, we moved DC1 back on our lap and hold on to her. She was hysterical, and forcing her in her own seat wasn't making her safe. (She was thrashing around in her seat, and the flight attendants actually said to us to pin her down in the seat)!

Both child were also barely in their infant belts when they were babies. Whoever think that a belt that goes around the fattest part of a baby's body will keep them there? They've always just wriggled out of the belt.

Original poster
MustBeThursday · 23/05/2016 20:04

Thank you for your responses. Have been gathering distractions, iPad is loaded with Topsy and Tim on the CBeebies thing - didn't realise they could be downloaded MrsNuckyT

Any recommendations for children's headphones that would fit a 2 year old? Browsing Amazon - these seem to be quite good? www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AXE9B6M/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

OP posts:
NotPennysBoat · 23/05/2016 21:58

My two (2 & 5) have these, they're great and this is a really good price!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00378KLQK/ref=mpssa115?qid=1464037048&sr=8-5&pi=ACSX2366SY340QL65&keywords=kids+headphones&dpPl=1&dpID=41ydjzI2T7L&ref=plSrch

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