I've done it both ways when it comes to flying with baby: with and without her own ticket. The ticketed flight was a breeze. My daughter slept secure in her car seat. It was so uneventful, when we landed a man a seat up from us was startled to see a baby was even behind him. Then, I gave in to the temptation of a free seat. After hours of having an antsy toddler tethered to me (and worrying anxiously about her safety), I came to this conclusion: a free baby flight gets you just what you pay for. Get the pros and cons of flying with baby (ticket versus no ticket).