Up in the Air 2

As promised in the first Up in the Air post, a few more useful travel tips from Larkin.  This time she weighs the pros and cons of buying a separate seat for your infant.  I definitely learned some things!

First Scenario – Buying your child a seat

Pros:

·         Your child has the comfort of the car seat (assuming your child likes the car seat).  Your child can just sit in the car seat and play or nap, but either way your hands are free.

·         If you are on a small plane that only has two seats on each side of the aisle, you do not need to sit by a stranger. It is just you and your child.

Cons:

·         Security takes a lot longer, because you have to disassemble all of your gear to get through security and then put it all back in place to get to your gate.

·         You might accidentally take someone or something out while getting on the plane while trying to lug a car seat and your carry-on bags.

·         The price of a child’s ticket is the same as an adult ticket.

One thing to remember if choosing this scenario is that you should be sure you have a stroller that is a Snap N' Go style when going through the airport.  This type of stroller means you won’t have to carry the heavy car seat plus your bags all by yourself.

Second Scenario – Infant in Lap

Pros:

·         It is easy to get on the plane.

·         Saves you money.

Cons:

·         If your child is fussy or sleepy, there is nowhere for them to go other than your lap.

·         Your arms and hands are never free.

·         You might have a wiggly child that could cause you or your child to constantly bump the person next to you.

·         Not all airlines have the option for booking a child-in-lap ticket on their websites so you may have to call the airline to reserve the ticket.  The catch is that some airlines (ahem, American Airlines) charge you $20 when you call the reservations agent to make the reservations, even though there is no other way to do it.

If you choose this scenario, I would suggest using a Baby Bjorn.  This allows you to have your hands free for whatever you need and you are not constantly repositioning your child.  You do have to take your child out of the BABYBJÖRN to go through security. 

***Keeping it Simple side note*** - I had some friends that forbid me from buying one of these.  They told me, "You will not wear your baby."  My answer to them, "I do not rule anything out if it makes it more convienient."  Someone else recommended the Bjorn to me when you have multiple children saying it was much easier to be handsfree around the house.  Like my friends say, if you don't want to wear your baby out and about, no problem.  However, do allow exemptions for around the house and going through secutiy at the airport.  I think this is such a fantastic suggestion from Larkin.

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