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Full disclosure I have not flown with my LO. If it was me & my chill 4 month old I would lap baby all the way.

I'd bring a bucket seat to the gate and see if there's an extra seat. That age was really easy to fly with.

In terms of other advice - have DH change baby's diaper if needed on board. People make a huge fuss over men changing babies and practically throw them a parade. It totally beats the death stares moms get for bringing babies on a plane.

We always book and window and aisle seat in the hopes that the middle won't get booked. If someone shows up for the middle we just trade them for the aisle.

I'm lap seating my 15 month old in April because I thought threats what people did. And I'm cheap.. Is that a horrible idea?? Sorry to threadjack!

I would buy a seat and did for my nearly six month old on a 6.5 hour international flight. We had talked about not doing it and I'm so glad we did. I breastfed before take off and she slept the whole way there because it was a night flight and then for a few hours on the way home because it was around a nap time. I would have been way stressed out without the baby seat that I could cover with a blanket (so it was nice and dark) and keep her secure in.

We're about to take two short flights next week, one is under an hour and the other is 2.5 and she will be a lap passenger at just under 14 months. Personally, I wish they just made everyone buy a seat for their baby and it wasn't even a choice because it makes me feel a bit stressed out that they have no seatbelt. Probably next time we'll fly and she'll be 2 hopefully and I won't have to think about it because there will be no choice.

I know the extra cost sucks...but for a longer flight it was worth it in my opinion.

Looks like I am the odd one out, but I would totally get the extra seat! We always do - planes are cramped and unless you are in the bulkhead, I think it is very uncomfortable to hold a baby in your lap the whole time. I also love having the extra room and the option to strap them into their seat to sleep so I can be hands free. On our last flight, I actually read a book and had a drink while LO2 slept in her car seat next to me.

Having baby in her infant seat is by far the safest option if you run into any turbulence on the flight, it also gives you a safe and secure space to place baby if / when you need a break. Something else to consider is that car seats don't always survive being checked (either as luggage or at the gate) and you don't want to arrive at your destination with a seat that is damaged and no longer useable.

@pachamama: I did lap infant till the end! With my 99 percentile 23 month old. I know it's less safe but my son absolutely hates the car seat. We were lucky to have a middle seat empty just for more space.

That is a tricky one! I flew with LO at that age as a lap baby and the flight was twice as long. It was horrible-definitely the hardest I've had in the 20+ flights I've taken with LO! I was nursing too so doing it next to another passenger was a little uncomfortable. If it is during the day and baby is rested when you go, you should be ok! I don't know if more space would have made a difference for me. It was just soooooo long. Your flight is only 5 hrs so not so bad! I would (and did) chance it and go for free.

At that exact age we took my (not that chill) daughter as a lap baby. She was in my arms and nursed/fell asleep the entire trip from East Coast to California (made sense as we had an evening flight so it was during her normal sleep hours). We were able to get an open seat and had her in car seat on the way back east. She was more awake then but stayed pretty happy.

@thepicklemonster: lap for sure.. they are soo easy at that age. Take a breastfeeding pillow for them to fall asleep on that way you can easily move them between you.

After they are mobile, I find a seat essential. But at that age I think holding them is actually easier.

I've done lap. My first was a super high needs fussbucket so I was walking and soothing him anyway. Bring a Boppy or in a pinch those neck pillows work too. A soft baby carrier or wrap will also be good - you just have to take the baby out at take off and landing but they can sit in the wrap otherwise. I always brought a washcloth folded into quarters as a small pillow on my chest/clavicle so the baby's face would be comfy.

We always brought the car seat in case there was an open seat. Go straight to the counter at the gate and ask if it's a full flight and whether you can grab a seat for the baby. We said the magic words "we can totally sit in the last row" and our gate agents have many times called to the flight attendants in the plane to give them a heads up and someone had saved the last row for us. It was nice to have the option but again my son usually needed to be soothed a lot so we didn't use it very much.

@thepicklemonster: with my first at that age we got a seat which was nice to have. With my second he was a lap baby and it was not as convenient especially when he wouldn't nap but it was doable and worth saving the money!

If he is good in the car seat (mine wasn't) I'd bring it to the gate and hope for an empty seat. Otherwise I'd lap it. My LO had to be held all. The. Time. So it didn't make sense for us to spend the extra money.

Open seat on a plane...what's that, lol? I can't tell you the last time there was an open seat on a flight I've been on, so I never plan for that.

The one thing tried, though, is to get the extra legroom seats, specifically the bulkead. You can't keep stuff in the aisle, but you can reserve the bassinet in that row (usually) and it helps a little...although my son hated it and was too big for it at 6 months.