Young Children May Need Plane Tickets

Federal transportation safety officials are reviving the long-standing debate about whether young kids should be allowed to ride on adults' laps on airplanes.

In 2009 a plane crashed in Butee, Montana, killing all 14 people on board including seven children. Investigators say several of those kids were found far from the plane, suggesting they were not properly restrained.

Now, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board want all passengers to have their own seats, including young kids.

Mom of two, Katy Smith, just returned from a trip with her 4-year-old and 10-month-old.

"We held him and he did a lot better than I expected," she says about 10-month-old Owen.

Like many parents, she believes that is the way her infant should travel.

"I think it works a lot better with the parent holding a child under 2 because I don't think we could travel anywhere having to pay for an extra ticket and I think he might get too fussy and other travelers might get irritated."

RIght now, kids under age 2 fly free on most airlines, and they're allowed to sit on an adult's lap.

The NTSB is asking aviation regulators to require all passengers to have their own seats and seat belts, including children under age 2.

"I think 2 is a good age, the way it is now. It would be a lot more money," says mom Kelley Janes.

Money is the reason the Federal Aviation Administration has not made the change. The agency believes many families with young children wouldn't want to pay the cost of another ticket.

Courtney Frazier told FOX 7, "If I had her and we're going to have another one, I mean that would be 4 tickets for an easy trip somewhere."

"Kind of astounding having to buy a 4-year-old a ticket too, so definitely the babies shouldn't have to pay," says Smith.

Some parents we spoke with say that cost is no issue when it comes to keeping your most precious cargo as safe as possible.

"I'd much rather spend the extra money and be safe, or safer," says Teresa Shields

"People are hard pressed to save their money as it is so that's a fair statement, but at the same time you're talking about safety of the child," dad Mauricio Suescun says.

The FAA has considered changing the rule in the past, but cited statistics from 2004 that showed nearly 43,000 people died on U.S. highways, compared to 13 on commercial flights. The agency estimates the number of traffic fatalities would only increase if few people could afford to fly.

Still some parents agree with the NTSB, that a seatbelt should be required no matter how you travel.

"If they have to have a seatbelt in a car, then they should have a seatbelt on a flight."