Best way to do SW with small kids?

[GoldenOwner]

My family (myself, DH, DD4, DD2) are likely flying SW for our Nov/Dec trip this fall. Both kids will have car seats that we will use on the plane. We'll probably only bring one backpack per person aboard and check the rest of our luggage. I am thinking there are 3 scenarios and wonder which makes the most sense:

Option 1: Buy EBCI for one adult. That adult boards with the A group (most likely, but of course NOT guaranteed) and installs the car seats. Then the other adult boards with the children during family boarding. I realize technically you can't "save" seats but I imagine we would not get much grief especially if we chose seats more towards the rear of the plane.

Option 2: Buy EBCI for everyone. Most likely we'd all be in the A group though I realize there is no guarantee.

Option 3: Just utilize family boarding for everyone. There would only be 60 or so people boarding ahead of us, so it's pretty likely we would not have trouble finding seats.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My family (myself, DH, DD4, DD2) are likely flying SW for our Nov/Dec trip this fall. Both kids will have car seats that we will use on the plane. We'll probably only bring one backpack per person aboard and check the rest of our luggage. I am thinking there are 3 scenarios and wonder which makes the most sense:

Option 1: Buy EBCI for one adult. That adult boards with the A group (most likely, but of course NOT guaranteed) and installs the car seats. Then the other adult boards with the children during family boarding. I realize technically you can't "save" seats but I imagine we would not get much grief especially if we chose seats more towards the rear of the plane.

Option 2: Buy EBCI for everyone. Most likely we'd all be in the A group though I realize there is no guarantee.

Option 3: Just utilize family boarding for everyone. There would only be 60 or so people boarding ahead of us, so it's pretty likely we would not have trouble finding seats.

one question does 4 year old use carseat or highback booster that uses seatbelts? boosters are not allowed on planes. also most likely you will have to install seats in different rows. you will not be allowed to sit an adult in between the kids in same row.one flight we were on mother had to sit in isle seat with toddler twins in middle and window she was not allowed to sit between. another flight dad had to sit in one row and mom in another as they would not allow both seats in same row. both seats had to be in window seat with parent in middle with someone not in family in isle seats. both flights were SW. also what time of day is your flight, if not an early morning where plane overnight at airport there will be people already on plane if before medical preboards. we were on time on a flight again SW where everyone getting on was in A group but when we boarded there were already 50 or more people already on plane. also plan on 4 year old not being able to use tray table with carseat

 

[quagmire0]

We've flown twice - once with 2 kids, once with 3. Didn't have a problem with family boarding and getting car seats installed either time. I don't think EBCI is really worth it. With us, we've usually split up. Real young kids go in a carseat by the window. If there are two kids with an adult, adult sits in middle and older child in the aisle. This allows the adult to help both kids and the older child can get out rather easily if they need to go to the bathroom. We'll be going with 4 kids this time, two will need seats.

 

[GoldenOwner]

one question does 4 year old use carseat or highback booster that uses seatbelts? boosters are not allowed on planes. also most likely you will have to install seats in different rows. you will not be allowed to sit an adult in between the kids in same row.one flight we were on mother had to sit in isle seat with toddler twins in middle and window she was not allowed to sit between. another flight dad had to sit in one row and mom in another as they would not allow both seats in same row. both seats had to be in window seat with parent in middle with someone not in family in isle seats. both flights were SW. also what time of day is your flight, if not an early morning where plane overnight at airport there will be people already on plane if before medical preboards. we were on time on a flight again SW where everyone getting on was in A group but when we boarded there were already 50 or more people already on plane. also plan on 4 year old not being able to use tray table with carseat

4yo will be in a combination seat using the shoulder harness. I was thinking we would have to split up, one child in the window with parent in the middle then the other set a row behind them. The first legs will be early morning flights. I have no idea if the second legs will already have people on board.

 

[wilkeliza]

Just know it is possible that if you get EBCI for only 1 adult it is possible that the flight attendants will not all DH to install the seats as they have a no seat saving policy. I have been on SW flights were they were pretty militant about it and others where they didn't care.

You could also try to request preboarding and just explain that you need the extra time to install the car seat. They may or may not let you on at that time though as it is usually for medical reasons only.

 

[tjmw2727]

I fly SWA often, my kids are older now but I have been flying with them since they were babies. Honestly I would purchase EBCI and just mentally add it to the cost of the flight, it actually cheaper than checked bags on other airlines! I also like to "control my own destiny" as much as I can when flying and boarding early with young kids would be important enough for me to pay $15.00.

Honestly I would also consider not using the car seat for the 4 year old, for me the benefits of using the seat on an aircraft are not as substantial after age 3 but that's a personal preference. Not only is it going to be difficult to install both seats but your going to have to hustle to un install them, carry them through the airport, line up and rush to install them again!

If you do bring both car seats; sit the younger child in front of the older child as he/she will have a hard time not kicking the seat in front while in a car seat.

 

[megster1123]

Will they even let a 4year old use a car seat on a plane? When we flew last (about 6 months ago) FAA recommendation was just the standard seat belt for any child over 40lbs or the CARES safety harness up to 44lbs.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

4yo will be in a combination seat using the shoulder harness. I was thinking we would have to split up, one child in the window with parent in the middle then the other set a row behind them. The first legs will be early morning flights. I have no idea if the second legs will already have people on board.

most likely will have others on board when you board on second leg and make sure each carseat has FAA sticker because if not will not be allowed. this is true even if child took off because if not there FA will not let you use

 

[GoldenOwner]

Honestly I would also consider not using the car seat for the 4 year old, for me the benefits of using the seat on an aircraft are not as substantial after age 3 but that's a personal preference. Not only is it going to be difficult to install both seats but your going to have to hustle to un install them, carry them through the airport, line up and rush to install them

We're renting a car so need carseats thete and it's not safe to check carseats.

Will they even let a 4year old use a car seat on a plane? When we flew last (about 6 months ago) FAA recommendation was just the standard seat belt for any child over 40lbs or the CARES safety harness up to 44lbs.

She's not 40# yet and will need a seat for the rental car. And yes, they will let a 4yo use a carseat!

Thank you all for the replies. We'll see what the prices are when the flights are released tomorrow and consider the options.

 

[megster1123]

We're renting a car so need carseats thete and it's not safe to check carseats.



She's not 40# yet and will need a seat for the rental car. And yes, they will let a 4yo use a carseat!

Thank you all for the replies. We'll see what the prices are when the flights are released tomorrow and consider the options.

That makes sense then, it goes by weight and not age, my bad about answering only for her age. Maybe just give the FAA recommendations a look though, I think car seat was recommended only to 20lbs.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Just know it is possible that if you get EBCI for only 1 adult it is possible that the flight attendants will not all DH to install the seats as they have a no seat saving policy. I have been on SW flights were they were pretty militant about it and others where they didn't care.

You could also try to request preboarding and just explain that you need the extra time to install the car seat. They may or may not let you on at that time though as it is usually for medical reasons only.

You are incorrect; Southwest doesn't have a seat saving policy and there is no way you can preboard to install car seats.

OP, don't waste your money on EBCI. You can board during Family Boarding and should be able to find seats together just fine. I do agree that I would not put a four year old in a car seat on the plane; I would gate check it.

 

[Corey127]

We are flying with a 4 YO a 10 Month old and DH and I. We bought EBCI for everyone. I will wear the baby through the airport and we will board together, and Ill wear the baby while DH installs our 2 carseats. We plan to sit in front of each other. Baby rearfacing in the window and I will be next to the baby. 4 YO in the seat in front of the baby with DH next to her.

 

[NotUrsula]

You absolutely do NOT need to buy EBCI if you are using carseats on board the aircraft, as long as you don't mind if your spouse isn't sitting right behind you.

Carseats are the one hard-and-fast guarantee that a parent will be seated with a child. That is because it is an FAA regulation that the adult accompanying the child be seated next to him in order to get that child out of the carseat in the event of an evacuation. (Note that SWA requires carseats to be placed in a window position, unless there are two carseats with only one adult, in which case the larger carseat is installed next to the window, the smaller in the middle seat, and the adult on the aisle. This is so that no one has to climb over a carseat in the dark if an evacuation is necessary.)

SWA does sometimes allow preboarding of carseats on full flights, especially if there are passengers already on board, because there are FAA restrictions on which seats and rows they may be placed in. (Must be in the window position, and cannot be in the rows directly in front of or behind the exit rows.) If you board between A/B and all of the legal spots are taken, then they would have to move passengers around in order to accommodate the legal placement of the carseat -- and SWA hates that more than anything, because it slows turnaround time. If you are using a carseat, check with the gate agent; they may allow you to preboard depending on the load factor. (If they do, only one adult will be allowed to preboard with the child using the seat; if you only have one child in a seat, then only one adult gets to preboard to install it and sit next to it.)

Regarding 4 yo's and carseats on aircraft: while the recommendation from the FAA is by weight, IME, height really is the defining factor on whether or not it is possible for the child to realistically use the seat. Because the carseat positions the child high and forward of the aircraft seat, the seat pitch is severely curtailed. In my experience, in a domestic coach seat, a child over 44 inches tall will normally not be able to fit his or her legs between the carseat's leading edge and the back of the seat in front, because they cannot bend their legs straight down at the knee. I've experienced a sleeping toddler having his legs crushed when the passenger in front of him tried to recline -- let me say that it wasn't pretty. (Happened in the middle of an overnight overseas flight; the frantic screaming woke the entire plane.)

PS, I hear so many people mention that Dad is going to be installing the carseat while Mom holds the baby. Bad move. In almost every case, a woman will have an easier time doing the installation in the cramped confines of an aircraft, because her hands are almost always smaller, and she's likely to be shorter. One other tip: before buckling in the seat, flip the seatbelt buckle 1/2 turn so that the lift latch faces AWAY from the back of the carseat shell; this will make it MUCH easier to remove the carseat when you land.

 

[quagmire0]

We've only used carseats on the plane for our kids when they were 2 or younger. On our first trip, DS was 18mo and he rode in a seat. DD was 4 and she just sat in the airplane seat. Our second trip, DD was 13mo and sat in a carseat while DS3 AND DD6 rode without. This year our oldest three (4/6/9) will likely ride without a carseat and DS (11mo) will have one. We've got Bubble bums for the older two for the van and we'll check the carseat for DD4 and just use that for the van.

 

[cruisingtwins]

We are flying with a 4 YO a 10 Month old and DH and I. We bought EBCI for everyone. I will wear the baby through the airport and we will board together, and Ill wear the baby while DH installs our 2 carseats. We plan to sit in front of each other. Baby rearfacing in the window and I will be next to the baby. 4 YO in the seat in front of the baby with DH next to her.

I would put the 4yo behind the baby since her carseat will put her closer to the sit in front of her and will most likely kick it all through the flight and the baby won't mind but strangers usually do.

 

[pooch]

Is the combination car seat FAA approved? So many of that type aren't because of there only being a lap belt on the plane. FWIW, when we flew with my 2 yr old DGS, I purchased EBCI for my husband & he installed the seat while DGS and I used family boarding. I suppose it isn't necessary but it was nice to have the car seat all ready when we got on.