Bring car seat for flight?

[tjmw2727]

I wanted to add that if you are concerned about people in front of you not being able to recline, maybe you can get some one from your own party to sit in front? Since our DD is also front facing now, we don't worry about that. We did and still do split up. I take DS and sit in the row behind DH and DD. This way is DS-5 1/2 starts kicking seats or playing with the tray table, he's doing it to his sister in the car seat in front of him. When she was rear facing, we sat in front of them so DS was the only one who couldn't lean back.

We did this when we traveled as a family of 4 - two and two most of the time. This was also helpful when my youngest was front facing and her feet came very close to the seat in front of her. We always took her shoes off and either dh or myself sat in front of her just in case.

Unfortunately when I was traveling with them as the solo adult this wasn't an option. Honestly though I never had anyone complain that they could not recline.

TJ

 

[tlbwriter]

I think it would help alot if the airlines were held more responsible for our safety. They should provide regulation crs for people who request them.

I agree!

 

[blizzard]

Personally, I'd be pretty angry if I couldn't recline my seat for hours upon end because someone had installed a rear-facing carseat behind me.

Yeah, the guy in front of us was complaining to the FA's. He was being kind of greedy though, as he was in a row with no seat in front of him, so he wanted to be able to stretch out his legs AND recline his seat. The FA's said they would move him, but couldn't give him a seat with the same leg room, so he stayed where he was.

The next trip we take, my son will be 11 months, and he's already 20 lbs, so I think I will install the seat front facing on the airplane only. I realize that this doesn't mesh with the manufacturer's instructions (1 yr and 20 lbs), but considering the chances of a front collision (as opposed to turbulence, etc.) I am comfortable with that decision. It will make the person ahead of me happy anyway.

 

[jodifla]

Actually, as I reread my now oft-posted message, I realize how ungenerous it sounds. I wouldn't say anything on the plane, but planes are so jammed today, I feel claustrophic enough without a car seat up against the back of my seat. However, my husband would flip if he couldn't recline his seat.

When we traveled with DS when he was under 1, we took our convertible seat on planes when they had an extra seat, but we faced it forward. I don't think our infant seat would have fit in a Spirit airline seat. It's such a narrow space.

But I'll say it again, almost none of my friends bought seats for their kids before they turned 2. And there were no problems.

 

[all4fun]

I feel claustrophic when someone in front me on a plane reclines, LOL. I hardly find the need to recline my seat on an airplane, even on a long 4+hr flight, so I don't really understand what the big deal is.

It is true that you're supposed to use the car seat on a plane the same way you would in a car. This site does a really good job explaining why it's even safer to keep the seat rear-facing in the plane past 1 year if anyone is interested...http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplaneRF.aspx

 

[Suzanne74]

I just wanted to add that we brought a roundabout on a Southwest flight when dd was 3 and was so happy we did. Now obviously since she was over 2 we would have had to pay for a seat anyway but she buckled right in the carseat and didn't say a word the whole flight as she knew she could not move for safety just like in the car.

Well the row in front of us had a family of 4 and it was a totally different story. Parents, an 8 month old and a 3 yr old. 8 month old was a lap baby and 3 yr old did not have a carseat. What a nightmare for that poor mom. baby screamed the ENTIRE time she had to be in lap for takeoff and landing and all the time inbetween just squirmed and whined and was past back and forth between the parents who of course argued most of the flight due to tension. The 3 yr old basically stared at us the entire flight as she constantly stood (yes stood) up in her seat and faced us talking and laughing, the dad pulling her down and yelling at her - she would then do it again and laugh and ugh... let's just say, I was VERY happy to have had the carseat Don't start your vacation off with stress like that family did.

 

[Melrosgirl]

We flew with ds last month (six months old) and held him on our lap. It worked out okay, but for our upcoming trip when ds will be 12 months old, we bought him a seat.