What is a bassinet seat?

How does a bassinet seat work on a plane?

A bassinet seat is not an extra seat. It is an ordinary passenger seat that happens to sit beside a built-in mounting point, usually on a fixed partition or bulkhead, to which a cot can be attached once the aircraft is in the air. The baby travels in the cot while the adult who booked the position sits next to it, which is why the position is normally described in terms of the seat rather than in terms of the cot.

Two consequences follow from that design. First, the number of bassinet positions in a cabin is fixed by the aircraft layout, so they cannot be created on request. Second, a bassinet position is a piece of cabin geography rather than a fare product: it is drawn on the seat plan like any other seat, but with its own symbol so that passengers travelling with an infant can see where the cot can be fitted. [5]

Weight limits for the cot, the age range it is intended for and the way an airline allocates the position are conditions attached to the booking and to the aircraft concerned, not information that a seat plan carries. They are set by the operating airline for the type being flown.

Where do airlines mark bassinet positions?

Singapore Airlines publishes a seat plan for the Airbus A350-900 in its three-class long-haul configuration, listing 42 Business Class seats, 24 Premium Economy Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats. Each of the three cabin diagrams carries a legend that includes a “Bassinet” entry, so the positions appear in every cabin rather than in economy alone. [5]

Qantas takes a different route to the same subject: its travel information gathers infant and child travel into a “Flying with children” section, described as information for parents flying with infants and children, alongside seat selection, baggage and special-needs pages. [2]

The practical point is that the marking is published by the airline operating the flight, in the documentation for that aircraft, and is best read in the seat map attached to the booking rather than in a generic seat guide. The glossary entries behind this page explain the surrounding terms. Frequent Flyer Encyclopedia glossary

Why does the aircraft layout matter more than the seat number?

A bassinet marking belongs to one aircraft and one configuration. The Singapore Airlines plan is drawn for the A350-900 in its long-haul three-class arrangement, and it says so in its own notes: the seat plan is not to scale, and the number of extra-legroom seats may vary from flight to flight, with readers directed to the actual seat map during booking for the most up-to-date information. [5]

For a traveller, that means the row number alone says little. Two flights on the same route can be operated with different cabins, and a position marked for a bassinet on one layout will not necessarily exist on another. The marking to look for is the symbol in the legend of the seat map for the specific flight, not a row quoted from an older plan.

Limits and exceptions

• Position, not equipment. The symbol on a seat plan identifies the place where a cot can be fitted; the cot itself is separate equipment. A bassinet seat therefore does not add a seat to the booking.
• One layout at a time. The published positions on the Airbus A350-900 plan apply to that aircraft in its three-class long-haul configuration. [5]
• Conditions sit outside the plan. Weight limits, the age of infant accepted and how the position is allocated are set by the operating airline for the aircraft type, and a seat plan does not record them.
• Seat maps can be corrected. The plan itself warns that the number of extra-legroom seats may vary and directs passengers to the seat map at booking. [5]

Frequently asked questions

What is a bassinet seat on a plane?

It is a passenger seat position beside a mounting point for an infant cot, so that a baby can lie flat during the flight while the adult sits alongside. Airlines show the position on their seat plans with a dedicated symbol. [5]

Where are the bassinet positions on the Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900?

The carrier's seat plan for the three-class long-haul A350-900 includes a bassinet entry in the legend of the Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class diagrams. [5]

Can the seat map differ from the plan I looked at?

Yes. The published plan is not to scale and notes that the number of extra-legroom seats may vary between flights, advising passengers to refer to the actual seat map during booking. [5]

Where does Qantas cover travel with an infant?

Qantas groups infant and child travel under a “Flying with children” section of its travel information, described as guidance for parents flying with infants and children. [2]

Related pages

Browse the glossary of frequent flyer terms for the vocabulary used across seat selection, infant travel and cabin layouts; the full term index lists every entry published so far.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Bassinet rules for other airlines and aircraft types, including cot weight limits and how a position is allocated, are not covered here; see the glossary.

1. Qantas travel information — flying with children and infants, checked 18 October 2026
2. Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 seat plan, three-class long-haul configuration, checked 18 October 2026