Which Are Best Seats On A Plane With A Toddler?

Taking a flight with a toddler sounds scarier than it is. Although you’ll spend weeks worrying about how your child will behave on the flight, the likelihood is it will all be okay.

Sure, sometimes people get unlucky and their toddler has a tantrum mid-flight but, even then, it’s worth it once you reach your destination.

Whether you’re heading for your first beach vacation, taking your toddler on his first ski trip or visiting family members you haven’t seen in years, the flight will be worth it, so choosing the best seats on a plane is critical.

Whether you’re flying for a vacation or visiting family, you probably feel nervous about your first flight with a toddler.

If your toddler is a whirlwind of energy and noise, you might worry about how he’ll cope in the confined space of a plane seat.

For helpful tips for a smooth flight, look at Flying With A Toddler – 15 Sanity Saving Tips And Ideas.

You might be wondering whether all airplane seats are created equal. Of course, you’re hoping for a smooth, stress-free journey and if a particular seating arrangement can make that more likely, you’ll want to snap it up before anybody else does.

Keep reading to find out what are the best seats on a plane for those traveling with toddlers and young children.

Do toddlers get their own seats on airplanes?

Whether your toddler has a seat of his own will depend on his age and whether you want to pay for an additional seat. Toddlers aged two years and above will require their own seat on the plane. Before their second birthday, toddlers can sit on your lap for free. However, some parents buy an extra seat for their toddler if money allows – especially for longer flights.

Can toddlers sit in bulkhead seats on airplanes?

Each airline will have its rules about who can sit where, but a bulkhead seat is generally considered an excellent option for families traveling with young children. The bulkhead is at the front of the cabin and sitting in those seats usually guarantees you some extra leg room.

Some airlines reserve bulkhead seats for families with babies in carrycots or toddlers sitting on laps. If you want a bassinet seat for your baby to sleep in during the flight, you’ll need to arrange this with the airline in advance.

One downside to the bulkhead position is that there are no seats in front of you, so you can’t store your hand luggage under them. Some airlines might let you keep a bag at your feet but others will want everything stowed away in an overhead locker, which can be difficult to access when travelling with younger children.

It’s worth calling customer services in advance to find out the rules on your flight.

Aisle or window seat with toddler?

The aisle seat and the window seat each have pros and cons, so how do you choose which will best suit your toddler? Firstly, consider how many people are traveling with you. If there are enough of you to fill a block of seats, you’ll have both an aisle and a window seat during the journey, which means your toddler can pick and choose.

However, if it’s just you and your toddler traveling, you’ll need to decide in advance. If you’re traveling with your toddler on your knee, the middle seats aren’t a great option as you’ll have strangers on either side.

The primary benefit of the window seat is that it provides entertainment, especially during take off and landing. Sitting by the window also means your toddler will be more penned in than he would otherwise be.

Alternatively, sitting by the aisle gives you easier access to the bathroom, which might be handy in emergencies. If you have a toddler who will want to walk up and down the aisle, an aisle seat will allow this without disturbing fellow passengers on your row. Consider your toddler’s temperament and decide which seat option will be best.

Do I need to book plane seats in advance with kids?

The easy answer is yes. It’s worth booking seats in advance if you’re traveling with children. If you don’t, you risk being separated from your children during the flight. Obviously, younger children will probably end up seated with you, but pre-booking takes the stress out of your journey.

Taking a loud toddler on a flight

Some toddlers are louder than others. If you think your toddler is likely to cry, yell and be noisy on the plane, you might want to book seats near the back of the aircraft. This section of the plane, behind the wings, is generally noisier, thanks to the engine, and the background hum might cover the sound of your child.

Although you don’t have to spend the flight worrying about the other passengers, if you know reducing your impact on them will help you relax, it might be worth booking seats in the noisy section of the plane.

Another positive about the back of the plane is that the engine noise can be soothing to young children, and you might find it lulls them to sleep.

Airplane seat extender for toddlers

Airplane seat extenders are devices that lengthen the seat and effectively prevent your toddler from climbing down into the footwell. They are privately sold and aren’t supplied by airlines, so you’ll need to buy one in advance if you are hoping to use one. They will give your toddler more space to sit, and even lie down, without disrupting other people. However, they will only work if your toddler has a seat of his own.

If you buy a plane seat extender, you’ll need to check in advance how it fits onto the seat. If it relies on the tray from the seat in front, you won’t be able to use it in the bulkhead seats. You’ll also need to pack it away during landing and take off.

Best seats on a plane for a family of 4

If you’re traveling as a family, you might wonder which is the best seating arrangement for a family of four. Often, airplane seats are in rows of three, so you’ll need to think carefully about where to position yourselves on the plane. For example, if two adults and two kids are traveling, you could split up into adult-child pairs and sit one in front of the other. This means both kids can enjoy a window view, which might help to avoid arguments.

Alternatively, you can seat one adult with two kids, with the remaining parent sitting across the aisle – although this might feel unfair to the adult who’s stuck parenting both kids during landing and take off. Or perhaps one adult can sit in the middle seat and have a child on either side, allowing the adult across the aisle to help with the child who’s closest.

Best plane seats for a family of 5

One great thing about traveling in a bigger group is you can worry less about other passengers. For example, if you have a toddler who is likely to kick the back of the seat in front, you can book a cluster of chairs, so the toddler is stationed behind another party member.

If you are traveling with three children, it’s worth considering seating arrangements in advance. Study the seat map before booking and imagine where your family might like to sit on a plane. How many window seats will you need, and who will get them? While younger children won’t argue about who sits by the window, older children will.

Which seat configuration works best for you will depend upon various things, including the ages of your children.