4yr old and air travel?

[RMulieri]

Do I need to have any special seat or belt for a 4 yr old on a plane? Last time I flew she was only a baby so I held her.Hope I don't have to buy a travel seat, anybody out there know?

 

[karajeboo]

No, technically, a child over 2 can sit in a regular seat (in fact, must purchase a seat) alone. If your car seat is FAA approved, you can use it in the seat for the child.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

On a related note, I wanted to look up the Florida seatbelt laws when I found out that rental car places charge $10 a day for car seats. In New Jersey, DD 5 would HAVE to be in a child seat. In Florida, a seatbelt is fine.

Here it is, straight from the Florida Dept of Transportation website:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/HighwaySafetyGrantProgram/hsgp/HSGPareas_OccupantFAQ.htm#Florida's%20Child

 

[ilisao]

She can sit on the plane in a regular seat with the regular seatbelt.

 

[RMulieri]

Thanks alot guys!!!!

 

[all4fun]

On a related note, I wanted to look up the Florida seatbelt laws when I found out that rental car places charge $10 a day for car seats. In New Jersey, DD 5 would HAVE to be in a child seat. In Florida, a seatbelt is fine.

Here it is, straight from the Florida Dept of Transportation website:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/HighwaySafetyGrantProgram/hsgp/HSGPareas_OccupantFAQ.htm#Florida's%20Child

Actually, while this is technically true, no 5-yr old would be protected in an accident in just a seatbelt. I would still recommend bringing a booster seat, even if it's just a backless one.

OP, your 4yr old will be fine on the plane w/out a car seat although if you will driving at all while in Florida, you should bring the car seat or a booster to use. As the pp said it isn't required by law but oftentimes laws are just bare minimums and are not always promoting what is the safest, which is definitely the case with Florida seatbelt laws.


5 step test for graduating to just a seatbelt


hth

 

[JeremyGNJ]

New Jersey goes the other way:
New Jersey child restraint law

Yes it's true, you can have an 8 year old son who weights 75 lbs and he would STILL be required to be on a booster seat.

I cant help but think of all the times growing up that my sister and I would be in the back seat with NO seatbelts on at all.....especially on vacation when we'd move back and forth through the back seat to see stuff out the windows. Was the common practice.

I can't imagine that from Airport to hotel, and then from hotel to parks, that i'd ever get over 40 MPH.

I'm thinking that just putting a couple towels down on the seat would allow the seatbelt to go over the shoulder.

 

[all4fun]

I really don't want to debate...but a couple of towels is not the same as a booster. I know we survived our youth, but when I was a kid, people weren't texting while they drove either.

There is a lot of hwy driving between the airport and WDW, you will go over 40mph, and even at 40mph an accident can be catastrophic to an improperly restrained child (just go to you tube and search out some crash test videos, those are all done at 35mph).

Keep in mind car accidents are the leading cause of accidental death for kids under 14yrs of age (per the CDC, & NHTSA). That is why I personally take it so seriously. Yeah, I survived my youth too, but I count myself as lucky.