3 year old on airplane

[Dizzy4Dizney]

We are flying in May to Disney with our 3 year old DD. Is she too little to sit in an airplane seat with out her car seat? Are there air line regulations on how old or how much a child should weigh?
She's about 36 inches tall and weighs 30 pounds.

 

[atigeg]

I'm not sure about the seat, but just a tip (which you might know already): Be sure to bring something for her to suck! It will help so much with her comfort on the takeoff and landing. We are frequent flyers, and although we do not have children ourselves, there are always lots of kids on the Orlando flights. We've seen some who were miserable because their parents didn't do that.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[hockey mom 94]

I am curious about that too, our 4 year old is in a booster seat which says not approved for airline regulations. We went a few years ago and to help avoid the ear pain friends recommended Benadryl and I think gum. I did the Benadryl and I can't remember if we did gum or not but the kids ended up being fine. I am not an advocate for giving children medicine when not needed by I think the Benadryl also helped them nap a bit since sitting still for more than 20min for young kids can be very hard, never mind knowing they are going to see MICKEY soon.

 

[flyingcircus]

Consider the airplane like a car. If you use a carseat ( which I am sure you do ), use it on the plane as well. Reasons being:
1) It is ALWAYS safer for a child to be in a carseat on the plane.
2) You will probably need a carseat when you get off the plane to get to your final destination.
3) Your child is used to their carseat ( a comfort factor).
4) MUCH easier to have your child in a carseat on the plane then trying to seat belt them in, and watch them trying to slide out from under the seatbelt any chance they get!! LOL!
You will probably need to make sure the carseat is located next to the window, so that it doesn't inhibit the egress of surrounding passengers.
There is legislation right now on making car seats mandatory on planes, but anyway you cut it, your child will be safer in a car seat!!

 

[sgtdisney]

Bear in mind that if you DO take your carseat there are somethings to consider. Some carseats cannot be used on airplanes. Make sure you check your owners manual. Also, on most airlines the carseat has to be placed in a window seat so as to not block exit from the seats.. It really is up to you. Some feel it is safer to have one, others don't. That being said, we have never brought our car seat on the plane. We always pack it in it's original box and check it as luggage. Others have brought them to the gate and gate checked them. You know what is best for your child and what you feel comfortable with. Some kids will stay in the airplane seat, buckled up, for the duration of the flight. Others are more comfortable being more buckled up in a carseat that they can't wiggle out of.

 

[buzz5985]

My 4 yo sat in his booster seat on the plane. It was a Century Next step High back booster. AS long as he used the 5 point harness, it could be used on the plane. If he hadn't been in that car seat, he would have been screaming crying, to run around the plane. But since he was in the carseat he knew he had to stay put. He is 6 now and still using the booster seat in the car.

 

[Gillian]

that's it exactly! Kids know they have to stay in their car seats! Any other kind of chair and they want out after a while. And those buckles are not going to hold in a toddler.

My 2 year old doesn't chew gum, but we brought those chewy fruit snacks for him for takeoff & landing, plus a drink (water). They worked great, but be careful if your child is sugar sensitive, as that's all they are. We limited it to one little packet of the gerber ones.

 

[TreeOfLife]

At that age, the kid is old enough to learn to "equalize" or pinch their little noses and blow until they hear their ears pop.

By all means, teach this to the kid. Some are naturals and yawn during the flight. Others will suck on a lollipop, pacifier or chew gum. But my oldest son got terrible ear pain during our descent and I had to scream into him the concept of pinching his nose and blowing!

He was in pain, screaming and that got me nervous and edgy too, as the plane kept going down... Fortunately, once he did it, he calmed down. He was 5 yrs old then.

 

[seashoreCM]

You have to be careful about telling kids to equalize by holding their nose etc.

You can blow out your eardrums or cause other injury that way, especially if you do the wrong thing at the wrong time such as blow when the plane is going up.

If a child must fly with a cold, get advice from a doctor about antihistamines and decongestants to take several hours in advance of the flight, and possibly during the flight if the overall trip including changing planes is long.

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[TreeOfLife]

I taught my little one when he was 2 1/2, seashore, and worked out well for us.

I can't picture a peanut that age blowing so hard to pop his ears that he'll injure himself. But in the end, the parents have the instinct and will follow what they feel works best for their child...

I personally do that both times, during ascent and descent and have never had any difficulties. We aren't talking about blowing your eardrums out, just a little puff will do!

Nobody should fly with colds or congested, definitely. But instead of using over-the-counter meds I'd get the OK from a physician.

 

[flyingcircus]

Check your carseat to make sure it is approved for aircraft use ( should say so on the back). If you find the car seat doesn't fit so well, put the heel of your hand in the carseat, and push back into the seat. Also, sometimes the armrest will come up, if your carseat is a little wide. I have never seen a carseat NOT fit in 17 yrs of flying.
BOOSTER seats:- check for the label for these as well. Anything that DOES NOT have a 5 point harness, or a hard shell entirely surrounding it on the sides is NOT FAA approved, and is NOT allowed on the plane.

 

[Jen D]

When our daughter turned about three, we quit bringing our high back booster on the plane (we check it so we can use it in the car when we arrive.) Reason is, yes, the booster sort of fits in the airplane seat, but her legs were mashed right up against the seat in front of her, also, she could not use the tray table because it would not come down with the seat in place. So, not only was eating difficult, but so was drawing and coloring, and she had no leg room. It made the flight pretty miserable for her. So we switched to the regular seat belt, which she always wore and never tried to remove. YMMV...

 

[sgtdisney]

Every parent knows what is best for their child. In our case, and maybe we were lucky, my son knew he couldn't get out of his seat even at the age of 2 or 3. Of course he had flown numerous times since he was 1. My daughters first flight was when she was 6 months old, we are breaking her in young.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by flyingcircus
Consider the airplane like a car. If you use a carseat ( which I am sure you do ), use it on the plane as well. Reasons being:
1) It is ALWAYS safer for a child to be in a carseat on the plane.
2) You will probably need a carseat when you get off the plane to get to your final destination.
3) Your child is used to their carseat ( a comfort factor).
4) MUCH easier to have your child in a carseat on the plane then trying to seat belt them in, and watch them trying to slide out from under the seatbelt any chance they get!! LOL!
You will probably need to make sure the carseat is located next to the window, so that it doesn't inhibit the egress of surrounding passengers.
There is legislation right now on making car seats mandatory on planes, but anyway you cut it, your child will be safer in a car seat!!

Flyingcircus the problem is that you cannot put a child in a booster seat on the plane. That is the dilemma of the OP. I wish it were that simple to just put the kid in a carseat if they use one in a car but booster seats are NOT FAA approved. Do you recommend cramming the child into a regular carseat because my DD cannot fit in a carseat. That is why she is in a booster. So we are putting her directly in the airplane seat and buckling her in. That is our only option unless the FAA approves boosters.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by buzz5985
My 4 yo sat in his booster seat on the plane. It was a Century Next step High back booster. AS long as he used the 5 point harness, it could be used on the plane. If he hadn't been in that car seat, he would have been screaming crying, to run around the plane. But since he was in the carseat he knew he had to stay put. He is 6 now and still using the booster seat in the car.

I have the Graco Cherished Cargo booster. I didn't see anywhere where it is FAA approved. Does your booster resemble a carseat or does it look like one of the strange ones I've seen? Did they check to see if it was FAA approved? Every time we've traveled the airline has always looked for that FAA sticker so I'm afraid they would this time! LOL!

 

[Barb D]

My 3yo is about 41" tall and weighs about 35 pounds, and we just recently turned her 5-point-harness-style FAA approved Cosco high back booster into a belt-adjusting booster. Now it's no longer FAA approved, since we're no longer using the harness. But in any case, Dizzy4Dizney, if you're interested in buying a new booster the Cosco might be one to consider. Your child will still fit in it with the 5-point harness for quite a while. Then you'll be able to use it on the plane and in the car when you're down there. Also, the tray table did fit down over it on the plane (SW).

 

[flyingcircus]

I apolgize for any wrong info I might have given What I was referring to was the 5 point harness:

Unapproved Chikd Restraint System FAR 121.311
" The FAA does not allow booster seats, vest-type restraing devices, or lap-held child restraints to be used onboard during taxi, takeoff, or landing. The FAA has ruled that when these devices are used during taxi, takeoff, or landing, they do not provide adequate protection for a child's torso due to the "breakover" feature of the airplane seat."

Child seats manufactured after February 26,1985 shall bear the following two labels:

-This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

-This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.

Hope this clarifies this topic. People sometimes call car seats booster seats as well, so there is confusion.

skiwee- I am not sure about your Graco- check online and see if it is approved. I actually had a weird car seat called "Sit and Stroll", that looked like a barka lounger LOL!! It turned into a car seat from a stroller. Many times I was told it was not approved- had to show the flight attendants the sticker. So if it looks strange, it will be checked for the tag!

 

[abeyst]

The airline does not require you to put a 3 year old in a car seat. It is up to the parents. As long as you don't mind hauling that big thing through the airport and down those narrow airplane aisles, go for it. You can always get a seat from the rental place taking you to the airport.

As I see it, a car seat is only as good as it is installed. And if you can't get it good and tight on the plane, you might as well not have it.

My son has ridden on our laps for 2 years and now will be in his seat without his car seat. We've had no problems. He actually likes having the extra room in the seat (minus the car seat) for his bag of "keep him quiet" things to do!

Ultimately, it's your choice.

 

[jiminyfan]

comfortably in the seat with out crushing their legs I would use it. So, you have to lug it through the airport. I do this every trip, if you never experienced an air pocket you wouldn't think twice about having you child in a regular seat beat or for smaller child (god forbid) held on your lap.

If you are not sure if your car seat is FAA approved get the model number off of it and check out the official websire of the manufacturer.

For smaller infants/toddlers the Sit-n-Stroll is the greatest invention in the world, Stroller and Car seat rolled into one neat package and FAA approved. too bad they do not make a larger (booster) version!!!

 

[cindy_k]

My son's first flight was when he was three. We flew from NY to Aruba (4 hour flight).

We didn't bring a car seat at all but we really didn't think about it. He sat in the seat as good as can be. Midway through the flight he dropped his power ranger toy. I told him he could unbuckle his seat belt and get it.

He wouldn't do it. He was afraid to get off the seat. He told me that he would might fall through the floor if he did.
I wound up getting the toy for him.

On the return trip because he was so good, the stewardess gave him wings. He was really proud of himself.

In the end it really depends on your kid. Mine (now 10) always wears a seatbelt, whether in a car or plane, because that is how he has always traveled in a vehicle.
He will even put the seat belt on in the school bus if there is one.

Have a fun and safe trip.

Cindy in NY