Flying the friendly skies

I gotta buy some plane tix for this summer and my over-analyzing, sleep-deprived brain is making this simple task an enormous project. I'm flying with the Punkin, alone, across the country. This is not something I look forward to, but since I've done it already I know there's not much to worry about (besides a crap-filled diaper at the beginning of take-off, but Punkin usually shows respectful restraint in the untimely poop category).

Stressor #1 = Price: With the outrageous price of jet-fuel and the pending major airline mergers, ticket prices look astronomical to my budget-minded brain. Despite that, I really want to get the little monster his own seat this time. At +/- 24 lbs and a body 95% larger than most 1 year olds, he literally swallows up my lap, kicks neighboring passengers in his sleep, and comes dangerously close to losing a few toes when the drink cart comes by. And he's not getting any smaller.


Stressor #2 = baby friendly airlines (aka flight attendants that don't scowl at a +1 year old breastfeeding without cover-up). I gotta admit, the Delta airlines scandal of 2006 makes me wary, not to mention their pending merger with Northwest and all the potential for royally screwing up something as a result.

Stressor #3 = sleep sleep sleep. Red-eyes are not a practical solution for me. I do not sleep on planes unless drugged (not an option when flying with a toddler) or sacked out in a fully reclining business-class seat (a one-time luxurious experience that may never be repeated...sniff). And flying from Seattle to Texas to New York to Boston is, like, dumb.

So what would you do? What's your favorite, kid-friendly airline? Is one stop and a break from the airplane better than flying 5 hours straight with a cranky toddler? Please help. Please. Pretty please?