Airlines Allow Pre-Boarding For Families With Carseats?

[Disneylvr]

We are flying on American in May, 2 adults, 1 infant seat and we plan to bring Madelyn's carseat for the plane. I know Southwest allows families with very young children to pre-board but I have a sinking feeling that American does not.

 

[NotUrsula]

Your sinking feeling is correct, they don't. However, I have had some luck with going up to the gate agent [when there is no one else in line and it's calm] and very politely asking if the carseat can be placed in the child's seat before boarding, by an airline employee. Make it clear that you are NOT asking for the carseat to be installed, just set down in the seat. (They are not allowed to install it for you.) You'll still have to install it, but this way it's one less thing to wrestle with while boarding.

I always tell them that I have a problem seeing around it and I am afraid of hitting someone on my way past. You might be told that it can't be done, or you might get "OK", it just kind of depends on the who you ask.

I find it's actually better NOT to preboard if you have assigned seats; let the little one run around and burn energy to the very last minute. (However, be aware that if you board late, the overhead compartments near your seat may already be full.)

 

[Stimpy]

We actually find it easier to send DH on board first to give him time to install the car seat while I stayed to the end off the plane with DS. He gets all the carry-on's and the seat, boards when he supposed to and gets everything set up. By the time we get on, we would just stick DS in his seat and he's ready to go. Otherwise, if we go on board with him, we wind up blocking part of the aisle or other people's seats while waiting for him to install it. Besides, I have to protect my little guy's ears from some of the words Daddy might be uttering under his breath while installing it....if you know what I mean

 

[tjmw2727]

When flying AA from Boston to Orlando they do not allow pre-boarding. The reasoning is that allowing families with children to pre-board to Orlando would result in 3/4 of the passengers pre-boarding!!

We always wait until the last minute to board with kiddos anyway. I wait with the girls and one carryon and DH boards with the carseat (when we used one) and the other carryon to get it in place. This way we are not standing in the aisle waiting for DH and the kids don't have to sit longer than necessary. We just board with the last group and settle right in.

TJ

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I agree that it's best to have one parent board with the carseat and the other one follow with the child or children at the last minute. Of course if this is an infant we are talking about I suppose she doesn't need time to run around. lol

It seems that the times I've gone to Orlando there haven't been many children on the plane. Of course I was expecting everyone to be going with children, but the planes seemed to be filled with business people. Of course then the noise that my children can be heard easier...

T&B

 

[NotUrsula]

Just a tip if you're going to split the parents for boarding: have Mom install the carseat.

Nine out of ten times, the avg. woman will be able to install a carseat on an aircraft MUCH more easily than a man can. The quarters are tight at the window seat, and being a shorter person w/ smaller hands is a definite advantage.

If you want the best method for installing it, here's a link to a thread where I gave the steps in detail: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=492156

 

[Barb D]

NotUrsula, you have me laughing out loud! In our house, DH is CLUELESS about installing carseats under the BEST of circumstances! I've always had to do it.

 

[NotUrsula]

Well, actually, I'm the installer here, too. The only seat DH could ever figure out was the infant seat; since then, I've always done it. However, I think we're in the minority; I've met an awful lot of women who believe that they they don't have the upper-body strength to properly secure a carseat. I think most of them don't realize that the trick to getting a carseat in tight is to kneel inside it.

(BTW, kneeling in the seat is not necessary when securing the seat in an aircraft; moving the seatback will accomplish the same thing.)

 

[Stimpy]

DH had to go to "school" for 3 days to learn how to install car seats (He's a police officer). So he gets that job. And you are absolutely right that there isn't much room to move around trying to get it installed right.

It never fails, he spends so much time trying to get our own DS's seat in, cursing quietly under his breath and as soon as he finishes, someone else asks him for help. I think it's funny but I can't believe other people would WANT him to help them after seeing him do it!

 

[Disneylvr]

Originally posted by tjmw2727
When flying AA from Boston to Orlando they do not allow pre-boarding. The reasoning is that allowing families with children to pre-board to Orlando would result in 3/4 of the passengers pre-boarding!!
TJ

I meant families with VERY young (0-18 months) children that would be sitting in carseats. If American doesn't mind us possibly bumping other passengers with a big bulky car seat then so be it. I think either DH or I will board with the carseat when our number comes up and the other person will hang back with dd and board near the end.

 

[tjmw2727]

Originally posted by Disneylvr
I meant families with VERY young (0-18 months) children that would be sitting in carseats. If American doesn't mind us possibly bumping other passengers with a big bulky car seat then so be it. I think either DH or I will board with the carseat when our number comes up and the other person will hang back with dd and board near the end.

Ok - calm down I didn't make the rule I just related what was explained to us. Many children over 18months often are still using a carseat on an airplane. You won't be the only family with a carseat.

We always sent one parent on board with the seats (we needed two for a few years!) and the other stayed behind with the girls. Worked fine for us.

I am sorry you feel inconvenienced but I certainly hope you don't bump anyone with your carseat.

TJ

 

[Disneylvr]

Originally posted by tjmw2727
Ok - calm down I didn't make the rule I just related what was explained to us. Many children over 18months often are still using a carseat on an airplane. You won't be the only family with a carseat.

We always sent one parent on board with the seats (we needed two for a few years!) and the other stayed behind with the girls. Worked fine for us.

I am sorry you feel inconvenienced but I certainly hope you don't bump anyone with your carseat.

TJ

First of all I am calm. I didn't use similies to convey my tone of voice. But I assure you I am completely calm about this. Second, I know that children over 18 months use car seats. I should of said over 2 years since most children of that age are simply belted into a regular seat. I am a frequent flyer (on American) and can count on one hand how many times I have seen parents bring a carseat on the aircraft, even to a popular kid destination like Orlando. I couldn't remember if they were given the option of pre-boarding or not since I was then childless and didn't pay as much attention. That is why I asked the original question Thirdly, I do not plan on purposely bumping anyone with the car seat. But we all know how narrow the aisles are and how some passengers stampede to get on and off the aircraft. I don't want to accidently bump anyone either with a carry on as large as a car seat.

My true feelings are more apprehension than anything. DH really wanted to fly while I wanted to drive. I wasn't worried about my own inconvenience as much as another passengers. I should just stop worrying and enjoy our trip planning!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

There seems to have been a misunderstanding here somewhere, though for the life of me I can't follow what it was, exactly, nor does it matter that I can't.

However, I can tell you that AA changed their preboard policy several years ago, and their current policy is that they no longer pre-board families with young children on *any* route, carseat or no carseat. The business of whacking another passenger with the seat on the way by tends to be a non-issue for AA on a policy basis, but I find that if I tell a gate agent ahead of time that have difficulty avoiding hitting people with it, there is a fairly good chance that an AA employee will put the seat on the plane for me before anyone boards (usually the ramp agent, that person you see going in and out of the jetway door between flights.)

SWA normally preboards families with young children even if they don't have a carseat to install. The MCO routes are sometimes the exception to that general policy, because there usually are a LOT of young children on those flights. However, regardless of the route, if you need to install a carseat, SWA *will* let at least one person preboard to install it.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Will the airlines allow you to use a car seat for a 3 year old? I am not really concerned about boarding early, but it would be great to have the car seat for the airplane ride and the car rental!

 

[Snurk71]

We use our carseat for flying, and our little one is 3. I'm sure someone here has a link to the official guidelines on when it is safe to not use the carseat anymore.

 

[tjmw2727]

Originally posted by AspiringCindy
Will the airlines allow you to use a car seat for a 3 year old? I am not really concerned about boarding early, but it would be great to have the car seat for the airplane ride and the car rental!

Generally speaking Yes, if your carseat uses its own harness and has the FAA approved sticker on the back. If your carseat has the sticker then I would probably make a quick call to the airline to check. We used a carseat for our youngest until she was a bit over 3 as she was very small.

TJ

 

[AspiringCindy]

Thanks for the advice!

Originally posted by tjmw2727
Generally speaking Yes, if your carseat uses its own harness and has the FAA approved sticker on the back. If your carseat has the sticker then I would probably make a quick call to the airline to check. We used a carseat for our youngest until she was a bit over 3 as she was very small.

TJ

 

[justhat]

Besides SWA, do any airlines allow preboarding for kids now? I remember one of our last flights returning from Orlando, I think it was on Delta, the gate agent announced to all those asking to preboard that it would be more than half the plane getting on early so they no longer do it.

Also, if the FAA regulation for carseats that the child be under 40 pounds, regardless of age? My 6 year old cousin is 38.5 pounds and though she would be fine on the plane without her seat, her parents are bringing it for the ride to and from MCO-WDW so they thought it would be easier if she could sit in it on the plane. Is there an age limit?

 

[tjmw2727]

I don't think there is an age limit but the seat must have an integrated harness system. Even if your neice is under the weight limit for a traditional carseat, at 6 years she may be over the height limit for the harness. IIRC ours was 42" in addition to the 40lbs. I know there are some seats made now that will hold a larger child in a harness.

My guess is that at 6 your neice is "probably" in a booster type seat, it that is the case she would not be allowed to use it in the aircraft.

Once my girls were 3 1/2 to 4yo, we checked the carseats through with the luggage. Most of the local baby stores sell a duffle or backpack that works well for this purpose.

Personally speaking my youngest just turned 7 and she just hit the 40lb mark, she is about 46" tall. I can't imagine with the size of the airplaine seats that she would be at all comfortable in a carseat even though she is a peanut! My rule for the car of course is very different!!

If they are using a rental car I highly recommending bringing the carseat along. If they are using a towncar service, most will provide a nice one free of charge for the trip to and from the airport.

TJ

 

[justhat]

She has a Britax Marathon that I think holds kids to 60 lbs. and 48 inches, and I believe she's about 44 inches right now. So it does have the 5 point harness and is aircraft approved, but given that your daughter is around the same size and you think she'd be uncomfortable in the carseat on the plane, I'll let them know that they won't need it. They are using a towncar service, but thought they would bring the carseat in case the towncar forgot it or had a bad seat. Have you used the rental seats before? Are they decent seats? It would save them a lot of hassle to avoid bringing it if they can, but if the rental seats are sketchy they'd probably just bring their own.