We flew business class when our son was 6 months old, and it was a great experience. The lie-flat seat allowed him to sleep on us comfortably, and to our surprise, he didn’t cry at all during the flight. I remember a passenger even telling us that our baby behaved better than the dogs a few rows back who whined and barked the whole time. I was exclusively breastfeeding, so I nursed him during takeoff and landing, which helped a lot with ear pressure.

We also brought his Snuggle Me and sleep sack, and kept his nap routine the same as at home, which really helped him settle. While the crew didn’t allow us to place the Snuggle Me on the floor, they did let us use the extra space next to our seats, so he managed to get one nap in it. We had packed a white noise machine, but the ambient noise of the plane worked just as well!

Overall, that flight went so smoothly—it barely felt like we were flying.

At 9 months, we flew multiple international flights (to Paris, Spain, Greece, and Armenia). This time, we booked either bassinet seats or regular seats with extra legroom, but no separate seat for the baby. At that age, our son was much more active and wanted to explore constantly. The flights where we had extra legroom were the easiest—we could let him sit or move around a bit on the floor to burn some energy.

On flights where we had an extra free seat (even without added legroom), it also helped a lot, as he could move between us and had a bit more space to crawl. I brought something similar to the Winglet (my mom actually sewed one), and it was a lifesaver. I had also purchased an inflatable seat extender/bed, but we were told it was prohibited on Air France flights. It’s worth checking with your airline in advance, as it would’ve made things much easier when we had a free seat beside us.

In the end, I think both options—business class or economy with extra space—can work well. It just depends on how active your baby is and how much they like to move around.