Car Seat on the Plane........

[1tufgt]

What are the rules on which seat the car seat can be placed in on a plane? Is the window seat where the car seat should be placed when boarding?

 

[sam_gordon]

I don't know if there's a seat where the car seat SHOULD be placed. I'm 99% sure it can't be in an exit row. When we've brought car seats on the plane, they go in the window seat just so the kids can see outside.

 

[1tufgt]

I don't know if there's a seat where the car seat SHOULD be placed. I'm 99% sure it can't be in an exit row. When we've brought car seats on the plane, they go in the window seat just so the kids can see outside.

Ok, I remember reading about the exit row but wasn't sure if there was any rules on where the car seat had to be placed in a row.

 

[Wiloughby1]

It MUST be in a window seat to not obstruct passengers during evacuation.

 

[1tufgt]

It MUST be in a window seat to not obstruct passengers during evacuation.

Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[gifchick]

Most airlines will store them for you while you travel so that could be an option if you like

And yes you and the kidos can't be at the exit row, the people there have to be able to open the doors if needed.

 

[crashbb]

It MUST be in a window seat to not obstruct passengers during evacuation.

Not entirely true.

It is true on a single aisle plane. However, on a wide body plane (i.e. plane with two aisle), the car seat can be in the middle of the centre section since it is not impeding anyone's access to an aisle.

Admittedly, on a flight with my nephew the airline didn't seem to car where the car seat was put at all. It was a 2x2 plane (one aisle) and they allowed the car seat to be in an aisle seat (not that we put him there).

 

[Tara]

You can't be in the rows directly in front of or behind the exit row, either.

 

[lyonking3]

Window Seat, no exit rows.

 

[r&kmommy]

You can't be in the rows directly in front of or behind the exit row, either.

/\ this.

Window seat (if one aisle plane, if two aisle plane seat can be in any seat in the middle 3-seat section)
No exit row
No row behind or in front of exit row

For your own comfort you may want to avoid sitting over the wings, as those seats are VERY loud and your kids may talk even louder to make themselves heard. <----- speaks from experience

We are leaving Saturday and I am going to try and put dd's seat in the middle so that ds can sit in the window. I don't think this will be a problem, but if they ask me to move it over I will... he's small enough that he can get by the car seat to get out of his seat.

 

[NotUrsula]

We are leaving Saturday and I am going to try and put dd's seat in the middle so that ds can sit in the window. I don't think this will be a problem, but if they ask me to move it over I will... he's small enough that he can get by the car seat to get out of his seat.

IME, the only US carrier that might allow you to do this is Delta. All of the others tend to interpret the "may not block egress" rule very strictly to mean window-position-only if you are not on a widebody.

 

[r&kmommy]

IME, the only US carrier that might allow you to do this is Delta. All of the others tend to interpret the "may not block egress" rule very strictly to mean window-position-only if you are not on a widebody.

Hmmm... we're on SW. Maybe I'll ask the FA before I install. I'll have to talk to her anyway to get a seatbelt extender.

 

[1tufgt]

Hmmm... we're on SW. Maybe I'll ask the FA before I install. I'll have to talk to her anyway to get a seatbelt extender.

Do you need seat belt extenders to buckle a car seat into the seat?

 

[r&kmommy]

Do you need seat belt extenders to buckle a car seat into the seat?

I ask for one just in case. One time I needed it, another time I didn't. The time I did I think it was because I was stressing becuase we were almost late for the flight and I was hurrying to get it buckled in and wasn't doing it right. LOL! But I'd rather ask for one right away than have to track down a FA to get one. As a rule, you should be able to just use the seatbelt.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Hmmm... we're on SW. Maybe I'll ask the FA before I install. I'll have to talk to her anyway to get a seatbelt extender.

I have only flown SWA with a car seat and they will tell you specifically to put the car seat in the window seat.

Do you need seat belt extenders to buckle a car seat into the seat?

No, you do not need an extender for a car seat, the existing belt works just fine.

Make sure that you car seats are FAA approved. They will have a label specifying so.

 

[1tufgt]

I have only flown SWA with a car seat and they will tell you specifically to put the car seat in the window seat.

No, you do not need an extender for a car seat, the existing belt works just fine.

Make sure that you car seats are FAA approved. They will have a label specifying so.

That's good to know, we will be flying SWA too.

Looks like our Safety 1st Air is FAA approved.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

That's good to know, we will be flying SWA too.

Looks like our Safety 1st Air is FAA approved.

Looks like you are all set. Enjoy your flight!

 

[NotUrsula]

The only time that your really HAVE to have an extender for a carseat is if you have the sort of carseat where the seatbelt routes on top of the shell and beneath the seat's upholstery.

Because airline seatbelts are designed to latch in the center rather than on the side, without an extender the buckle will end up causing an uncomfortable lump in that situation.

One thing you should be sure to do when buckling in the seat is to flip the seatbelt buckle 1/2 turn before latching it. This keeps the pull-latch facing AWAY from the seat shell rather than toward it. If you don't do this you can have real difficulty getting the seat removed when you are ready to leave the plane. (And if that happens, KNEEL in it. Your weight should give the belt enough slack to allow you to squeeze your fingers in to release the latch.)

 

[1tufgt]

The only time that your really HAVE to have an extender for a carseat is if you have the sort of carseat where the seatbelt routes on top of the shell and beneath the seat's upholstery.

Because airline seatbelts are designed to latch in the center rather than on the side, without an extender the buckle will end up causing an uncomfortable lump in that situation.

One thing you should be sure to do when buckling in the seat is to flip the seatbelt buckle 1/2 turn before latching it. This keeps the pull-latch facing AWAY from the seat shell rather than toward it. If you don't do this you can have real difficulty getting the seat removed when you are ready to leave the plane. (And if that happens, KNEEL in it. Your weight should give the belt enough slack to allow you to squeeze your fingers in to release the latch.)

Hmmmmmmm, I'll have to look at it again and see how it tether's down but it might be how you describe it.

What do you mean by flip the seat buckle half turn???

 

[kaytieeldr]

/\ this.

Window seat (if one aisle plane, if two aisle plane seat can be in any seat in the middle 3-seat section)
No exit row
No row behind or in front of exit row

For your own comfort you may want to avoid sitting over the wings, as those seats are VERY loud and your kids may talk even louder to make themselves heard. <----- speaks from experience

We are leaving Saturday and I am going to try and put dd's seat in the middle so that ds can sit in the window. I don't think this will be a problem, but if they ask me to move it over I will... he's small enough that he can get by the car seat to get out of his seat.

Please don't try to skirt even more rules. You first acknowledge that the car seat must be in the window seat, then state that you're going to attempt to ignore this and place the carseat in the middle and your son in the window seat. This, along with the TSA's liquid restrictions for example, aren't among the infamous 'rules which were meant to be broken'.