Questions about a child under 1 flying on a plane

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I woul

Good point, it's a 2:15 or so flight. Maybe it's not worth it to bring?

Just my opinion here, but I think at 9 months you would want to bring a car seat if you choose to purchase a separate seat for you baby. If there is even minor turbulence, the airplane seat belt won't do much good for a baby that small. If the child is older, say 3 years and up maybe a different story. Also check FAA regs. car seats might be required for children under a certain age. Again, JMHO.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I woul

Just my opinion here, but I think at 9 months you would want to bring a car seat if you choose to purchase a separate seat for you baby. If there is even minor turbulence, the airplane seat belt won't do much good for a baby that small. If the child is older, say 3 years and up maybe a different story. Also check FAA regs. car seats might be required for children under a certain age. Again, JMHO.

OK thanks. If I bought a seat I would use a carseat for sure. If I did not buy, then the child would be held.

 

[meljean]

I have flown 3 times with a 1 year old and never had a separate seat. Actually, I don't know if I've seen anyone with a car seat. Of course it's your personal choice, but our flight is 2.5 hours and since we are a family of 5, it helped on cost.

 

[LilyWDW]

I, personally, would never fly with a lap child. In the rare cases where there may be severe turbulence, I would want my child safely strapped into a car seat. It really is the safest option and I would simply not be able to take that chance.

 

[DopeyDame]

This is my soapbox issue.

The FAA, NTSB, Flight Attendant and Pilots unions all recommend that *all* passengers, regardless of age, have their own seat and be appropriately restrained during take off, landing, and turbulence (and all other times when seated of course). For an infant, that means in their own seat in a car seat.
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/
http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-alerts/Documents/SA_015.pdf
http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/RecLetters/A-10-121-123.pdf


The vast vast majority of carseats are approved by the FAA, but you can easily check yours - there is a sticker on the side (probably under the fabric) that says its approved by the NHSA and the FAA. I've flown with my kids in car seats literally dozens of times, and only once was asked to show it, but I was glad I quickly knew where it was when asked.

For infant carrier carseats, you just use the seat, not the latch adapter, so be sure you know how to install it with a belt and not latch. Pro tip: do a half twist of the seat belt so that the opening/closing latch opens away from the carseat. It will make it so much easier to uninstall.

 

[emilyrachael]

We used a carseat when my son was 15 months old. I knew there was a better chance of him sleeping through the flight in his familiar carseat versus the airplane seat.

My husband boarded first and installed the car seat. Then I waited to bring my son on until boarding was almost complete to minimize his time waiting on the plane.

They also make rollers to attach your car seat to so it's easier to carry through the airport. Or there are straps to attach it to a suitcase. Look on amazon for options. Although it sounds like you're using an infant seat which is lighter and easier to carry than the convertible seat we used.

 

[Kaleea]

I have flown both with and without carseats for littles of all ages. Both options have their benefits and detriments. Carseat is safest and yes you may have to explain to the stewardesses what you are doing, show them the sticker etc. We use a small luggage trolly and just bungee cord the seat to it. Cheaper than the built in carseats with wheels etc, but works great.

If you know anything about your airline and how full the plane is, for some airlines you can get away without buying a seat. *Some* airlines, if there is empty seats at boarding, will allow you to install your carseat in the seat for free. I know this is a touchy subject, but wanted to point out may be an option if you research your airline. This requires hauling your carseat through the terminal, possibly gate checking if there isn't a seat, and being willing to lap sit your baby at that point.

 

[CaleCakes]

I debated this issue as well and after posting here on DISboards and on another website (where I was shamed for even contemplating not bringing a car seat) I did end up buying DS his own plane seat and getting a cheap car seat (the evenflo tribute lx). This is our first time flying with DS who will be 17 months when we go to Disney in December and I do feel so much better now that we got the extra seat and the spare car seat. We also ended up getting a rental car so our own car seat became essential (also after learning from these boards that rental car seats are nasty and not safe). Have you thought about how you will get from the airport to your hotel? Will you need the car seat for that?

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I debated this issue as well and after posting here on DISboards and on another website (where I was shamed for even contemplating not bringing a car seat) I did end up buying DS his own plane seat and getting a cheap car seat (the evenflo tribute lx). This is our first time flying with DS who will be 17 months when we go to Disney in December and I do feel so much better now that we got the extra seat and the spare car seat. We also ended up getting a rental car so our own car seat became essential (also after learning from these boards that rental car seats are nasty and not safe). Have you thought about how you will get from the airport to your hotel? Will you need the car seat for that?

Hi. That would the Magic Express so we won't have a car rental.

 

[HeatherL1985]

The cost of an extra seat is no small charge, but for us it was necessary because he was too wiggly without one. When we brought the seat, however, it was like any other trip in the car (i.e. - you buckle in and don't unbuckle until the vehicle stops). For us, not having to wrangle him was a life saver. We just wrap the quick latch straps around a carry on and hook the top tether to it to wheel it around the airport.

We have flown four times with our little guy and have yet to see anyone else bring on a car seat.

 

[DisneyElite4]

We always use car seats on the plane. We are always the only ones we see using them. It's a huge PITA lugging them through the airport, and my husband boards first with EBCI (we purchase it for our whole party, but only he boards first) and installs the car seats which is also a pain since we have three kids.

The upside is that our kids are very well behaved on flights because they are used to being strapped into the car. Also, we always rent vehicles on trips where we fly, so we don't have to deal with the added price of renting car seats for said vehicle that we don't know the history of.

 

[Kbendig]

I have always flown with a carseat, the extra cost is worth not risking my childs life. I used to work with a flight attendant and she once used the term "human torpedo" when talking about how she hated lap babies. Between that and a documentary I saw about severe turbulence and they discussed the risks of lap babies I could never not have one.

I have rarely seen anyone else with a carseat, and the last time they kept insisting my daughter didn't have a seat. But I personally would never fly with a lap baby.