Do You Need a Car Seat on a Plane?

The short answer

You are not required to use one. The FAA does not mandate child restraint systems on commercial flights — and it publishes, in the same breath, that the safest place for a child under two is in an approved restraint rather than an adult’s lap, and that buying the child a ticket is the only way to guarantee you can use one.

This is one of the few genuinely uncomfortable questions in baby travel, because the regulator says both things at once. Below is what is actually published, with the sources, so you can make the call on the facts rather than on someone’s opinion.

What the FAA publishes

The FAA does not require the use of child restraint systems on commercial airplanes; it strongly recommends the use of a CRS or an alternative FAA-approved device based on the child’s weight. Its published position on children under two is direct: the safest place is in an approved CRS or device, not in your lap, and although children who have not reached their second birthday may travel as lap children, the FAA strongly discourages the practice (faa.gov, read 2026-09-27).

It also states the practical consequence plainly: buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a CRS for a child under two.

What counts as approved

FAA-approved restraint options
Device	Who it is for	Notes
Hard-backed child safety seat	Forward- or rear-facing, per the seat's own limits	Must bear the FAA approval label
AmSafe CARES harness	22-44 lb, up to 40 in tall, able to sit upright unaided	The only FAA-approved harness-type device; 11 oz
Booster seat	Not approved	Cannot be used for taxi, takeoff or landing
Baby carrier or wrap	Not approved	Cannot be used for taxi, takeoff or landing

From faa.gov and amsafe.com, read 2026-09-27.

What the airlines publish

Delta: infants and children under 2 can travel on an adult’s lap free within the United States, and 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. Delta also publishes seating restrictions, including bulkhead seats when the safety seat is a combination car seat and stroller (delta.com, read 2026-09-27).

Southwest: one child over 14 days and under 2, not occupying a seat, may be carried as a lap child with an accompanying adult, and a lap child may not check or carry on any baggage. Car seats cannot be placed in an aisle seat (southwest.com, read 2026-09-27).

American: one infant under 2 may travel in your lap, and you are not required to pay for a separate seat unless you have an FAA-approved car seat you plan to use on board. If your infant is under 7 days old you must contact reservations (aa.com, read 2026-09-27).

How to decide

Buy the seat if you can. That is what the FAA recommends and it is the end of the argument on safety. It is also, on many routes, less expensive than people assume for an infant fare.

If you buy the seat, bring the lightest approved seat you own. About 7 lb for a Cosco Scenera NEXT against 20 lb for a carrier-plus-base infant system is the difference between a manageable terminal and a miserable one. Our travel car seat roundup compares them.

If the child is 22-44 lb, consider the CARES harness instead. Eleven ounces, FAA approved, installs in under a minute per the manufacturer — but it does not work in a car, so you need a seat at the destination anyway.

Know where the approval label is. On the Cosco Scenera NEXT it is on the left side near the rear-facing belt path. Being able to point at it settles any conversation with a crew member in five seconds.

For everything else about the flight itself, start at our flying with a baby hub.

Questions parents actually ask

Does the FAA require a car seat on a plane?

No. The FAA does not require child restraint systems on commercial airplanes, but it strongly recommends them and publishes that the safest place for a child under two is in an approved CRS or device rather than an adult's lap. It also states that buying a ticket for the child is the only way to guarantee you can use one.

What car seats are FAA approved?

A forward- or rear-facing hard-backed child safety seat bearing the FAA approval label, plus the AmSafe CARES harness, which the FAA certifies for children up to 40 in tall weighing 22 to 44 lb who can sit upright unaided. Booster seats and other belt-positioning devices are not approved for taxi, takeoff and landing.

Can I use a car seat if I did not buy the baby a ticket?

Only if there happens to be an empty seat, and you cannot count on one. The FAA is explicit that buying a ticket is the only way to guarantee you can use a CRS. Some airlines will move you to an empty adjacent seat if the flight is light — as a courtesy, not a right.

Where must the car seat go?

Not in an exit row and generally not where it blocks another passenger's path. Delta publishes restrictions including bulkhead seats when the safety seat is a combination car seat and stroller. Southwest publishes that car seats cannot be placed in an aisle seat. Window seats are the usual answer.

Is a lap infant safe?

The FAA's published position is that it strongly discourages lap-holding and that the safest place is an approved restraint. It remains legal for children under two on US carriers. That is the honest state of the rules, and the decision is yours.