The Best Plane Seat To Book If You’re Flying With A Baby

Choosing an airplane seat can already feel like a crapshoot. Add a baby to the mix, and the stakes are even higher.

“With a young baby, there’s no one perfect spot to sit, but some seats are better than others,” Summer Hull, director of content at The Points Guy, told HuffPost.

To help parents and caregivers make a more informed choice, HuffPost asked Hull and other travel experts with kids to share which seat they would opt for when flying with a baby. Keep scrolling for their best practices.

“When traveling with a baby, you have to decide whether to book a separate seat for them in the first place,” said Jurga Rubinovaite, creator of the travel blog Full Suitcase.

Rubinovaite noted that most airlines allow infants aged 0-2 years to fly for free on domestic or short-haul flights. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) all strongly recommend purchasing an airplane seat for babies and toddlers and using a proper child restraint system to keep them safe from the dangers of turbulence and other in-flight risks.

There are also comfort and logistics-related reasons why parents opt to buy a separate seat for their baby.

“Unless you are flying with a very young baby ― 0-8 months ― and the flight is just a few hours, I highly recommend booking a separate seat for each child,” Rubinovaite said. “It’s more expensive, but don’t underestimate what it means to hold an active 18-month-old on your lap for hours.”

If you’re not buying an separate seat for your baby, she suggested booking a window seat for one parent and an aisle seat for the other one.

“With a bit of luck, the middle seat between you will be empty, and if not, you can still decide to change ― everyone will be happy to not have to sit in the middle,” Rubinovaite said.

“The aisle seat has a big advantage in that you don’t have to disturb other passengers when you want to get up and walk around a bit or when you have to use the bathroom,” Rubinovaite said. “However, if you are breastfeeding or if your baby is sleeping, you may feel more comfortable in the window seat.”

The window seat can provide a little more privacy for nursing parents and might be a bit quieter as well.

“It feels like with the window seat, you have a little more room,” said Stephanie Claytor, founder of the travel…