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We flew with DS when he was 8.5 months on a 2 hour flight. He slept/nursed the entire way both times in my arms. At that age, I think lap infant is totally fine, but I know it's personal preference!

Nope. I would go with the lap for that flight/age. When he turns 1.5? Extra seat, for sure if you can afford it.

For that length of flight, I'd just do lap infant. We flew with DD when she was about that age and got her a seat, but we had a 10-hour flight followed by a 3.5-hour flight and there's no way we could have held her all that time.

ETA @Ree723: you are superwoman! I can't even imagine.

I won't opine on what you should do, but I do love this blog post about flying with children, has more information than you ever wanted to know!

http://www.flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com/

No way...lap infant for sure!

Until my son was 2, he always flew as a lap child, even for long haul flights.

Lap for sure! Let's be real; you know unless you have them strapped down in a car seat, they will be in your lap anyway.

Those are 2 short flights; they will be over before you know it. $500 buys a lot of beach drinks!

I'd buy him a seat. Even the coffee pot gets strapped down on a plane. It's worth the money for me to get the same treatment for my LO. If you're only worried about ease of travel though, that's a great, relatively immobile age for traveling!

Lap infant! LO was on a plane at 9 months (SD to DC) and 12 months (SD to CHI) and both times he was a lap infant. I just brought the Ergo baby carrier so that I could wear him in there while he slept, thereby leaving my hands free!

We learned a trick when we recently flew cross country w lo! If you can pick your seat, and the rows have 3 seats in each, choose aisle and window. If the plane is crowded, someone will switch w you so you and dh are together but if it isn't crowded the middle seat might not get taken and you can get a whole row wo paying for itt! Worked for both our flights!

@nana87: We do this, too!

Glad to see the older babes as lap children. We're taking a 3 hour flight round trip when LO will be 23.5 months old. We didn't buy her a seat due to the cost (mostly) and our general belief that she'll implode if we try to make her sit, strapped in, for 3 hours on a plane.

Another vote for lap, especially because the flights are so short.

@BadgerMom: if money were no object, I would be buying LO. A seat of her own, she doesn't love being held for long periods of time and the last time I flew with her (she was 11 months) on a 2 hr flight, she wriggled and pushed the seat in front of us with her feet and was difficult in general.

As an aside, we are also going to Mexico in February! Cancun!

I didn't vote, because I'm torn. I am studying to become a car seat tech, and the safest answer is that all children should be in their own seat with proper restraint systems. The issue isn't a plane crash (as we all know that's likely catastrophic), but more a runway accident, turbulence, or other rapid movement. Literally, everything in the plane is secured down, except for little kids on laps. They can be thrown up into the ceiling or several rows away.

BUT, we are flying in 3 weeks, and did not buy our 10 month old a seat. My husband really didn't want to spend the extra money ($600), and he said we can just hope the flight isn't sold out, and we can bring her seat on. It sucks, but it is what it is.

So yeah, the safest way is kid in own seat, with proper restraint, but you've gotta do what works best for you. FWIW, I think our 10 month old will do just fine. She loves being close to us, and they are easy enough to distract with toys/paper/people at that age.

Sending vibes for a super-easy flight and a happy (sleepy) baby!

We always do seats, for safety and because it's really nice to have a place to put DS (and he naps better in his seat - I don't think he'd nap sitting on my lap), but I completely see why people don't.

No way!! Save the money.