Any experience with family boarding and oxygen concentrator?

[bookgirl]

Tips for Parents

• Make sure your CRS or device is approved for use on airplanes.
• Measure the width of your CRS. It should fit in most airplane seats if it is no wider than 16 inches.
• Ask your airline for a discounted fare. Buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a CRS.
• Reserve adjoining seats. A CRS should be placed in a window seat so it will not block the escape path in an emergency. Do not place a CRS in an exit row.
• If you do not buy a ticket for your child, ask if your airline will allow you to use an empty seat. If your airline's policy allows this, avoid the busiest days and times to increase the likelihood of finding an empty seat next to you.
• Arrange for your airline to help you if you need help making a connecting flight. Carrying a CRS, a child, and luggage through a busy airport can be challenging.
• Pack a bag of toys and snacks to keep your child occupied during the flight.
• Always use a CRS when driving to and from the airport.
• Wear your seat belt at all times.

From the FFA website

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/

 

[goofy4tink]

Ok, before we all go off on a tangent....Yes, SW gate attendants can decide to limit the family boarding. They seldom do away with it completely though. If they see a ton of families, with just one child 4 or under, with multiple adults in the same group, in addition to other kids, they may very well say that one child under 4 gets to board with one parent...everyone else needs to board with in their boarding slot. I have never seen a pair of parents and one child be split up. Yes, Gram will probably have to board by herself, probably with the medical preboards. Then, mom and dad should be able to board with the car seat and child.....in the family boarding group.

 

[jayhawk74]

I've been a pilot with Southwest for over 20 years and have talked with many of our Operation Agents, the people who do the boarding. Everyone of them has told me that Family Boarding is a requirement from the Company and if it isn't done they can get in trouble with management. They have also told me that when they enforce the rule that Family Boarding is for those families with a child four and younger they get families who have no children four and younger complain that they aren't allowing Family Boarding. So again Family a Boarding is a requirement but it only includes parents with a child four and younger, and the siblings of that child. It doesn't include that child's Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.

 

[tinkpower]

SW Flight Attendant here. You will need two window seats. One for your mom , one for the carseat. She can pre board w/ one other adult. Just have the carseat carrier board with her.

Thanks for that insight, most helpful! I've flown regularly for work but not that often with family. Having a baby in a seat instead of a lap and grandma's medical stuff has been a new process for us.

 

[tinkpower]

Thanks for the feedback. Most of you have been helpful.

 

[NotUrsula]

Can you provide a source for this law/regulation?

Sure. 14 CFR 121.311

The relevant section is [emphasis mine]

(2) Except as required in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, no certificate holder may prohibit a child, if requested by the child's parent, guardian, or designated attendant, from occupying a child restraint system furnished by the child's parent, guardian, or designated attendant provided—

(i) The child holds a ticket for an approved seat or berth or such seat or berth is otherwise made available by the certificate holder for the child's use;

(ii) The requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section are met;

(iii) The requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section are met; and

(iv) The child restraint system has one or more of the labels described in paragraphs (b)(2)(ii)(A) through (b)(2)(ii)(C) of this section.

The FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations) created by this law are further clarified in FAA Circular 120-87B, most recently revised in 2010.
http://kidsflysafe.com/wp-content/u...rcular_Child-Restraint-Systems_09-17-2010.pdf
The key section is Paragraph 10(f) [again, emphasis mine]:

f.
Operators Prohibiting CRS Use.
No aircraft operator may prohibit a child from using an approved CRS when the parent/guardian purchases a seat for the child. If an approved CRS, for which a ticket has been purchased, does not fit in a particular seat on the aircraft, the aircraft operator has the responsibility to accommodate the CRS in another seat in the same class of service. The regulations also permit an aircraft operator to use its discretion in identifying the most appropriate forward-facing passenger seat location, considering safe operating practices.
For example:
(1)
A CRS with a base that is too wide to fit properly in a seat with rigid armrests can be
moved to a seat with moveable armrests that can be raised to accommodate the CRS.
(2)
An aft-facing CRS that can not be installed properly, because of minimal pitch (distance between seats) between rows, can be moved to a bulkhead seat or a seat in a row with additional pitch.
(3)
A harness type CRS (approved under § 21.305(d)) with an upper strap unable to encircle some sleeper seats, or very large first class seats, can be moved to another seat that can accommodate the strap.

NOTE: An aircraft operator may have policies, based on safe operating practices, that establish certain seat locations for passengers who use a CRS on a specific aircraft. However, prohibiting the use of a CRS (if a ticket has been purchased), when there are seats on the aircraft where the CRS could be used safely, is not consistent with the requirements in parts 121, 125, and 135.

What that means in practice is, if the ticket agent and/or gate agent fails to ensure that the child and his/her accompanying adult are assigned to (or in the case of SWA, has sufficient opportunity to claim) a "legal" seat position, then it is the FA's responsibility to move the kid and one accompanying adult to a "legal" location for the carseat before the aircraft can start rolling. If it turns out that they are the last 2 passengers to board and the only seats left are two middles, someone in a window seat will be made to move. Naturally, SWA doesn't want to have to do that to a passenger who is already seated, so they have adopted a policy that makes such measures unnecessary: that policy being family boarding. (Some FA's will also block off the middle and window in the final row if the flight is full and they know a carseat is incoming from a late connection.)

Even if family boarding is generally suspended for a particular flight, anyone intending to use a carseat in a paid-for seat will still be allowed to jump in front of the B group with 1 adult and the child who will be using the seat; all one has to do is approach the gate agent to make him/her aware of the situation. If it turns out that the party in question consists of one adult, a 2 yo, a 5 yo and a 7 yo, they are all going to get to board; SWA won't make a child under age 12 wait back at the gate while their only accompanying adult boards in a previous group.

(When my kids were little I kept a copy of that FAA Circular in an envelope taped to the back of my travel carseat; it made life easier when legacy carriers' personnel tried to tell me that I could not use the carseat on board. FTR, no SWA FA or gate agent ever did; SWA is really good about making sure that staff are aware of current policy re: carseats.)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Sure. 14 CFR 121.311

The relevant section is [emphasis mine]


The FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations) created by this law are further clarified in FAA Circular 120-87B, most recently revised in 2010.
http://kidsflysafe.com/wp-content/u...rcular_Child-Restraint-Systems_09-17-2010.pdf
The key section is Paragraph 10(f) [again, emphasis mine]:


.....

Thanks, but this is just the regulation requiring airlines to allow car seats. I was asking to see a specific regulation requiring airlines to allow family boarding, which doesn't exist. Southwest is not legally required to offer family boarding; they just have to allow car seats and are obligated to make passengers move if no window seats are available for car seats.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Can you provide a source for this law/regulation?

I don't have a source but I've been told that in the past when ds14 was very young. The car seat must be in the window seat. If it were in the middle seat or aisle seat, it could obstruct/delay exiting for the window seat passenger in case of emergency.

This is also why a small carry on bag that fits beneath the seat in front of you can't project into one's floor space.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Right, but the car seat needing to be in the window seat still doesn't translate into a legal regulation to allow family boarding.

 

[SirDuff]

Right, but the car seat needing to be in the window seat still doesn't translate into a legal regulation to allow family boarding.

No - and that is what the PP was asking about. Although, I can certainly see that allowing family boarding helps SW follow the law (with less chance of having to re-seat people).

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I don't have a source but I've been told that in the past when ds14 was very young. The car seat must be in the window seat. If it were in the middle seat or aisle seat, it could obstruct/delay exiting for the window seat passenger in case of emergency.

This is also why a small carry on bag that fits beneath the seat in front of you can't project into one's floor space.

Okay, but what does this have to do with a "legal" requirement to have family boarding?

By the way, a car seat doesn't have to be by the window. On a two aisle plane, a car seat can be in the middle seat in the center section. Some airlines don't require all car seats to be at the window either.

 

[kamik86]

Okay, but what does this have to do with a "legal" requirement to have family boarding?

By the way, a car seat doesn't have to be by the window. On a two aisle plane, a car seat can be in the middle seat in the center section. Some airlines don't require all car seats to be at the window either.

Southwest doesn't have two aisle planes so that is probably why those are being ignored.

Also SW doesn't have to legally have family boarding but as above they do legally have to allow car seats to be at the window. They also don't want to appear too unfriendly for families so this helps with that. I have seen them have to move people when a car seat comes on late due to a connection, its a PITA, it takes MUCH longer because people have to move... They wouldn't want to have to do that all the time.