Airplane Tickets - Two or Three or Four?

I have read several threads about traveling with twins, but would still like to get advice on this one. We will be traveling to Maui with our 6.5 month old twins. The flight will be about 5 hours. Would you hold them on your laps or get one extra seat, or two extra seats? Also, do you have to bring a carseat on the plane if you have an extra seat, right? Getting nervous about this!
Amy

 

I have read several threads about traveling with twins, but would still like to get advice on this one. We will be traveling to Maui with our 6.5 month old twins. The flight will be about 5 hours. Would you hold them on your laps or get one extra seat, or two extra seats? Also, do you have to bring a carseat on the plane if you have an extra seat, right? Getting nervous about this!
Amy

 

I would buy one extra seat and rotate them between it!

 

You can do them on your laps but if you don't get at least one like the pp said. My only advice is this and we were told this when we went to bring our boys home (by adoption from another state) by a flight attendant. You sit with one twin and then your husband sits with the other twin in another row or across the aisle. The reason for this is because there are not enough oxygen masks if they are needed for 5 people in one row. You can do this but it is suggested otherwise. We just sat across from each other. Good luck!

 

We flew to Florida last month with our twins and 6 year old DD. We did not buy a ticket for the twins, but it was only a 2 hour flight. If you can swing it I would probably buy one ticket and like PP said rotate them. Mine did not like to be still for even 2 hours and that was with them sleeping about an hour of it too. And yes, like PP said, you will not be able to all sit in the same row. You can, however, sit across the aisle from each other. DH sat with DS on the aisle seat and then right across the aisle I sat in the aisle seat with DD and DD #1 sat beside me. There are only 1 extra oxygen masks per row, so you can't have 2 lap babies per row, but if you bought one extra seat you could all sit in the same row.

 

Hi Amy, I am going in a week with ours on our laps (22 mos. olds). We really didn't want to spend the $$ or the miles to do it while they can fly free on our laps (last trip like that!) so we are just going to be exhausted!!

If mine were 6.5 mos. I would absolutely fly with them on my lap....

 

We just returned 2 days ago from a 12 hour flight to Florida. They considered "across the aisle" the same row, she we had to sit one row ahead of them and just pass the babies back and forth.

 

We are planning on buying 1 seat. This way we can all sit in the same row and if they both cooperate only one of us will have to hold a baby at a time. Our girls will be 7 months when we fly.

 

If you can afford the extra seat...by all means go for it! We just got back from Puerto Rico. We sat the girls on our laps and I don't know if it was beginners luck or what but they were fantastic both coming and going. No crying or screaming or anything! The flight attendants even warmed our bottles for us (we flew on Jet Blue). The only thing I have to warn is that most airlines will not let you sit in the same row of seats. The best thing to do is to book the aile seats across from each other. The reason I found out they won't allow it is that there are only 4 oxygen masks for each 3 seats in the row. Good luck and have fun! HTH

 

I would get two extra seats. It's so much easier to travel with them in their carseats than it is on laps. We traveled with lap babies once and that was the last time. I've been able to travel with them by myself a few times without problem with them in their own seats. Depending on what airline you use, you can often get seats for 1/2 price if it is for a child under 2. We always sit in the window and center seat with one of us behind the other so that we can pass things back and forth easily.

 

We are flying this weekend with our 7 month olds on Jet Blue. (6 hr flights)We did the same thing when they were three months. On the way going we had the whole row to ourselves. And even though we were told we could not sit together we were able to on the return. It often depends on the flight attendents, if they aren't paying attention then they won't switch you. Plus, if you don't buy a seat, check in early, and if there is a seat available they often will hold the seat for you to bring the car seat on. I only bought two tickets again, but the back of the plane is pretty empty so I plan on asking to bring the car seat on when I get there, even if it means we are on differnt rows. But, they are usually pretty helpful with twins. Good luck. Oh, and we brought our boppies, it just made holding them so much easier when they were ready to lay down, no tired arms. A lot to travel with, but since you can just wheel everything right to plane, in the stroller, it was still worth it. Might as well save money now, soon enough you'll be paying for everyone.

 

at 7 months we had 2 back to back flights to visit my folks and the girls were so easy to manage. once they get to walking, they are more difficult to manage and entertain in a confined area. Don't waste the money. just put them on the lap and save your money for when they are older....

I scheduled flights around nap times so they could nap a little bit during the flight . it worked wonderfully for us.