another car seat/plane question...window seat?

[Lollipop Mom]

I was just reading the other threads about carseats on planes and saw several people mention that it had to go in a window seat. According to the faa's tips site someone posted this is so as not to block anyone's escape path to an aisle. Does anyone know if they will allow it in the middle seat of the center row on a plane with 2 seats an aisle, 3 seats, an aisle and 2 more seats? I will be flying by myself with both of my DSs in October (they are 4 and 2). We are meeting friends there but I'm on my own with them for the flight. I had planned on bringing DS2's car seat for him b/c he understands when he is buckled in it he has to stay put but I may not be able to do that if it absolutely MUST be a window seat. I don't think my 4 year old would be comfortable sitting across the aisle from me and I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the 2 of them alone in a row while I sat across the aisle! I know how quickly they can work together to cause trouble!

I called Delta but the person I spoke with had no clue on anything.

 

[all4fun]

Hi, I'm the one who posted the faa tips link! As a matter of fact on our last trip we flew Delta and one of our legs we were on a 757 or 767 with the center aisle. We were seated in the center aisle as was a family of three (with toddler and CSR) in the row directly in front of us. We put our CSR in the center seat and dh and I sat on either side of it. I think in that scenario, whichever seat we would have put him in would have been ok, however we really didn't want him sitting in the aisle seat.

HTH!
Cheryl

 

[NotUrsula]

Infants in carseats will not be allowed to be in aisle seats; their little hands/feet could easily be crushed by a beverage cart if they stick them out sideways.

On a widebody, it is permissible to put a carseat in the center seat of the center section. This is b/c the evacuation guide directs people to exit toward the aisle they are closest to. What counts is that it not block anyone's designated exit route.

 

[all4fun]

NotUrsula, that's a very good point. What would we do without you? You have all the good answers!

 

[luvthatduke]

We flew w/DS and as there was no center
aisle we were required to put him & carseat
at window (but you've already covered that).

However, friends of mine traveled recently w/twins
and no carseat & were separated - apparently
there is a rule/law(?) that no more
than ONE young child per row is allowed...

Both they & I were warned by the
reservationists we made our arrangements
with that no matter what we'd
been instructed/promised over the phone,
the Flight Attendants and Pilot of our
respective flights had the FINAL say.
There would be no arguments allowed,
if they said move from center aisle
to a window seat then we would have
had no choice, as well as being separated
if we weren't expecting it.
(They make other passengers give up
their seats to keep adult/child together).

I only share this so that you won't be
surprised if the seating arrangements
aren't as expected - I truly don't want
to worry you!
Just go with the flow...

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Thanks for all the info. I had read that the reason for the window seat thing was to prevent blocking someone's escape path to an aisle so I was hoping the middle seat of that center row would be OK since both aisle seats could get out. My 4 year old won't be thrilled about not sitting next to me but he will survive especially with a promise of some sort of extra special treat -- Mickey bar will do -- upon arrival at WDW (he's a big chicken and this will be the first flight he remembers -- he's been on 10 but all were before his 1st birthday -- and I'm predicting he'll be nervous at takeoff and landing).

I can't imagine they would make us split up! It is just me with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. I would certiainly hope they would not expect kids that young to sit on a row on their own! If they did I can assure them that whichever child was made to move would spend the ENTIRE flight in tears. My 4 year old would FLIP OUT at being asked to sit away from me, my reaction to that request would not help the situation either. He'd be fine if he had someone familiar to sit with OR if he had another kid to sit with but alone with strange adults in a situation that he isn't familiar with (flying), he wouldn't handle that well at all! I would have no problem with a request to separate if it was DH and I with the kids and they put one of us with each kid but I will have a BIG problem with it if they want my PRESCHOOL or TODDLER aged kids to move and sit alone!

Our arrival day makes me nervous. The flying alone thing makes me nervous, I'm nervous about it being just me and them for a day at WDW too. The firends I'm meeting arrive the next day so we are on our own from our lunchtime arrival till around lunch time the next day. I have a cousin who lives in Orlando with his family so we will likely be meeting them for dinner but I know his DDs have after school activities that they won't want to miss so we'll still have a few hours alone. I'm a SAHM so I'm alone with them all the time and take them out for stuff around here alone...but we're always close to home! I keep reminding myself they are well behaved in general and have been well behaved in the parks during our 2 previous trips this year so I have no reason to expect any different. I will just have to lay down the law that if you can't behave and sit nicely in the stroller between attractions (with seatbelt securely fastened on DS2 ) then you will be spending the day in our room at the Poly watching the Disney channel on tv!

 

[2dogmom]

You will do just fine!. Just tell DS1 that my DD1 will make him go on all the scary rides if he isn't good (and she will too

 

[Barbday62]

I completly forgot about the one chld per row thing. We were told the same thing. Also a car seat and child cannot be in the Exit row and a car seat cannot be in the row in front of the exit row. We had a problem because we was booked that row and the people they traded us with objected. It was a real hassle. I now remmeber bring told we had to keep both kids in different rows now. We had 5 adults so for us this wasnt a problem. We had one in a car seat and one lap child (Not recomended either!! I wish I would have had a seat for the baby)

 

[NotUrsula]

Two children in carseats ARE allowed in the same row. Two children not using carseats but each sitting alone in a single aircraft seat are allowed in the same row.

The prohibition against multiple children in a single row applies only to LAP CHILDREN. The reason for this is the oxygen masks. Aircraft are set up with one oxygen mask per seat, plus *one* extra in each row that is there in case one of the others malfunctions. That extra can also be used for a lap child, but as there is only one extra, there can only be one lap child in the row.

Except on SWA, you should always call and tell the booking agent that you will be using a carseat, and that you need to be sure that the seats you are assigned are acceptable seats for a carseat. They may try to tell you that it doesn't matter, and if that happens, ask to speak to a supervisor.

If you are on a US airline that normally assigns seats but are told that no seats can be assigned for you prior to boarding, understand that if you have purchased a seat for your child and that child weighs less than 40 lbs., you have a RIGHT to have the carseat accomodated in a legal seat, even if the airline has to move another passenger to get your child such a seat. No US carrier can refuse to let you use the carseat if you have paid for a seat for it. (For instance, when the only seats left unassigned are middle seats.)

 

[Lollipop Mom]

You will do just fine!. Just tell DS1 that my DD1 will make him go on all the scary rides if he isn't good (and she will too

OK, I had to read this 3 times before I understood it. I kept thinking "I don't have a DD and neither of my DSs are 1." I didn't think to look at who wrote it!

(2dogmom is one of the friends I'm meeting there )

 

[lovesdumbo]

You'll be fine! The airline not seperate you. Why couldn't you sit between the boys?

You will all LOVE the Poly!

 

[Barbday62]

We had one in a car seat and one not and they said no way could they sit in the same row. Maybe it was juts an Alaska Airline rule?

 

[MATTERHORN]

Does anyone know the answer? What if I take my two girls who both still need carseats. DD3 and DD1, with just me. Are we saying that they wouldn't let us sit together. If so, we fly on the 3/3 airplanes. How would that work with two carseats? Thanks


Andrea

 

[luvthatduke]

Sorry if this adds to the confusion,
it's not intended to:

As you can see, there are several differing
views of the rules/laws regarding 2 children
in the same aisle.
Obviously, we are all telling the truth, and simply
reflecting our individual experiences.
Because of all these different experiences
I'm leaning towards the rules being
the airlines' preference, not a federal law,
that pertains to who can sit where.

While reading the other posts, I remembered
someone I knew a couple of years ago,
flying alone with her children.
One child (the older, maybe about 4 years old
at that time) was given someone's seat
directly in front of his mom, and she sat
next to the infant in the car seat, behind her son.
This way, they weren't truly separated,
although it still bothered them of course
because they weren't right next to each other.
I'm thinking that it's mainly the carseat
that causes the airline to separate young children,
even if only one is in a carseat...

The flight attendants will certainly do all
they can to ensure the safety of everyone,
while also looking out for the children,
but safety will take priority.
I would think their Reservationist could
try to answer these questions,
but remember that if the attendants
say otherwise it will be their ruling that counts.

Try not to worry, as everyone said
you WILL do fine

 

[Barbday62]

I have an idea. Is there an email contact address on the airline site? I would email them to see what they say about 2 car seats when you travel alone? I too wonder how much is at stewardess discretion? But at least you can get pointed to better information in the email address?

 

[NotUrsula]

US Federal law regarding the seating of children in planes is :
Code of Federal Regulations, 14CFR121.

While seating two children in one row is not prohibited by federal law, it might be prohibited by airline policy. When I said it wasn't prohibited, I was speaking of federal law. Since airline policies are usually not published in the public domain (except for the contract of carriage, which must be), you do need to check with your airline about any exceptional situation.

 

[ahutton]

I have traveled alone, with 2 children (15 months and 3 1/2 years old) and had purchased both kids seats, and used car seats for both. It was a 3/3 configuration, pretty sure it was America West Airlines. I put one in the car seat by the window, the second in the middle.

I was very thankful the FAs were very helpful and patient while I got both into their respective seats, they helped me with my bag, and the pilot actually carried one of the seats to our row for me. Same coming out, I wasn't first off the plane, but they were willing to help me.

For simplicity, I had one stroller, put the little one in it, the older one knew this was a special deal and stayed very close and attentive about keeping one hand on the stroller. I had a small carry on in the stroller basket and a backpack diaper bag with the kids stuff. I put my arms through the seat straps like a knight's shield to carry them. We got to my Dad just fine, and could have gotten to a town car if we had been going to WDW. I just left a lot of extra time for doing everything, and because we weren't rushing around, short fused and frazzled I found most people were very kind at holding doors and such for us.

 

[MATTERHORN]

Ahutton, Thanks it's good to know that as we usually fly America West. Sounds like they were really friendly and helpful. We are flying first just me and the girls in October to Seattle, so wanted to be prepared. Thanks again ladies for all the info.


Andrea