Flying With a Baby on Delta
Delta publishes the clearest bassinet limits of any US carrier — and the qualifying-flight conditions are the part people miss.
By Ryder M. · Published September 27, 2026 · Last reviewed
The short answer
Delta carries infants under 2 free on an adult’s lap within the United States. You may buy a seat and use an FAA-approved child safety seat or a CARES harness. SkyCot bassinets are available for children under 25 lb and up to 26 in, on widebody international flights or widebody domestic flights over 1,500 miles, limited to two per aircraft.
The published rules
| Item | What Delta publishes |
|---|---|
| Lap infant | Infants or children under 2 can travel on the lap of an adult for free within the United States |
| Own seat | You may purchase a ticket and use the child's own seat as long as it meets FAA-approved child safety seat specifications, or use a CARES harness |
| Bassinet (SkyCot) limits | Children under 25 lb (11.3 kg) and up to 26 in (66 cm) long |
| Bassinet eligibility | Widebody (two-aisle) international flights, or widebody domestic flights over 1,500 miles only |
| Bassinet availability | Free of charge on qualifying flights, in select seats; two per aircraft |
| Car seat placement | Restrictions apply, including bulkhead seats when the safety seat is a combination car seat and stroller |
| Diaper bag allowance | Not stated on the infant travel page we read |
| Stroller / car seat check | Not stated on the infant travel page we read |
Quoted or closely paraphrased from delta.com's infant travel page, read 2026-09-27. Where a figure is absent we say so rather than inferring it.
The bassinet conditions are the important part
Delta publishes the most specific bassinet limits of the US carriers we read, and every clause narrows it: bassinet use is permitted for children under 25 lb and up to 26 in long, on widebody two-aisle international flights or widebody domestic flights over 1,500 miles only, and SkyCots are limited to two per aircraft (delta.com, read 2026-09-27).
Read those together and the practical picture is: a bassinet is a long-haul, widebody proposition, for a baby who is still small, and there are two on the aircraft. A domestic hop on a narrow-body does not qualify at all. Request it as early as possible and have a plan for not getting one. Our airplane bassinet guide compares the carriers.
Car seats and the CARES alternative
Delta names both options: an FAA-approved child safety seat in a purchased seat, or a CARES harness (delta.com, read 2026-09-27). The FAA certifies CARES for children up to 40 in tall weighing 22 to 44 lb who can sit upright unaided (faa.gov, read 2026-09-27), and AmSafe publishes an 11 oz weight — which for a child in that range is a dramatically lighter thing to carry than a car seat.
Note Delta’s placement restriction: a combination car seat and stroller is not permitted in a bulkhead seat. If you own a Doona, that is the sentence to plan around. Our car seat on a plane guide has the FAA position in full.
What Delta does not publish here
Delta’s infant travel page does not state a diaper bag allowance or a stroller and car seat check policy — it points to a separate infant and children’s items guideline. We are reporting that gap rather than borrowing another airline’s rule to fill it. If either matters to your trip, ask Delta directly and get the answer in writing.
Compare with Southwest, American and United, or start at the flying hub.
Questions parents actually ask
Do infants fly free on Delta?
Delta publishes that infants or children under 2 years of age can travel on the lap of an adult for free within the United States. International itineraries and taxes are a separate question — check your specific route.
Does Delta have bassinets?
Yes, called SkyCots. Delta publishes that bassinet use is permitted for children under 25 lb (11.3 kg) and up to 26 in (66 cm) long, on widebody two-aisle international flights or widebody domestic flights over 1,500 miles only, and that SkyCots are limited to two per aircraft.
Can I use a car seat on Delta?
Yes. Delta publishes that you may purchase a ticket and use the child's own seat on the aircraft as long as it meets FAA-approved child safety seat specifications, or use a CARES harness.
Where can the car seat go on Delta?
Delta publishes restrictions on car seat placement, including bulkhead seats when the safety seat is a combination car seat and stroller. Check your seat assignment against the restrictions before you fly rather than at boarding.
Does Delta publish a diaper bag allowance?
Not on the infant travel page we read — it points to a separate infant and children's items guideline. We are reporting that absence rather than assuming a rule. Plan the diaper bag as your personal item unless Delta confirms otherwise.
Sources
- Delta Air Lines — infant travel — read 2026-09-27
- FAA — does the FAA require children on commercial flights to be in child restraint systems? — read 2026-09-27
- FAA — which child restraint systems does the FAA approve for use on aircraft? — read 2026-09-27
- AmSafe — CARES Child Aviation Restraint System — read 2026-09-27
Every figure on this page traces to one of the sources above. Airline policies and manufacturer specs change without notice — check the primary source before you rely on a number.
Read next
- Flying With a Baby
Airline by airline: lap infants, bassinets, gate checks and what you are allowed to carry on.
- Airplane Bassinets
Published bassinet weight, length, aircraft and cabin limits in one table — plus why there are only two per aircraft.
- Flying With a Baby on Southwest
Lap child age and ID rules, the free stroller and car seat allowance, and the two rules that surprise people.
- Do You Need a Car Seat on a Plane?
Not required, strongly recommended: what the FAA publishes, what counts as approved, and what each airline states.
- Best Travel Car Seats
Five travel car seats compared on published weight, width, harness range and FAA approval.
More in Flying With a Baby, or start from the front page.