Car seat (Evenflo Chase) not certified for use on plane?

[Tiger926]

I have a brand new (just manufactured) Evenflo Chase child restraint/booster cushion - it is a second stage, harnessed until 47lb. seat - purchased in Canada. Imagine my surprise as I just pulled it out of the box to use on our flight to WDW on Friday, and it doesn't have FAA certified sticker on it - what? My hubby and I are freaking out as we can't imagine why this could be. Thank goodness my daughter still fits in her Graco Comfort Sport as we will use that (worked well last year on plane) on plane and then in rental SUV.

Does anyone have this seat, if so, does your seat (mine is actually manufactured in U.S.) have the FAA approved sticker on it? I can't imagine what the deal is since the FAA recommends car seats on planes for children up to 4, and since they don't allow unharnessed boosters, what in the world are parents to use for this age group? I am totally perplexed as this is a harnessed seat.

Any ideas? Thanks, Tiger

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

We flew Southwest and were told that we couldn't have the kids sit in booster seats on the plane. We just checked them in instead. I didnt ask why, maybe if was because they weren't certified. I am glad though because i have lugged 2 car seats down the plane aisle before and it was not easy.

 

[Tiger926]

You bring up a good point about the word 'booster.' I totally understand why using an unharnessed seat, which is classified as a 'booster' seat is unsafe, but the Evenflo Chase/Traditions/Visions are combination seats - use as a harnessed car seat until 47lbs. I think the problem is because it can turn into a booster seat after 47lbs. This is problematic as the FAA recommends using car seats on planes until age 4, yet convertible car seats only go up to 40lbs, and since mine isn't certified, and a booster isn't FAA certified, that means no car seat can be used for 3-4 year olds. The FAA is recommending something that they then have decertified for use on planes - doesn't make much sense!

Tiger

 

[Jenn Lynn]

My Britax seats don't have a specific FAA sticker on it. But on the sticker that is on there it says it is certified for air travel (along witha bunch of other stuff). Does that make sense?

 

[Tiger926]

I got the answer from one of my Canadian Parent boards from a car seat tech. My country does both car and air inversion tests, whereas the U.S. does not, so that is why your country must place the certified for aircraft sticker on car seats as not all seats are certified for use in air. All car seats here in Canada are certified for both car and air under CMVSS 213 as it's the law to do the inversion for all seats, and so no sticker is necessary. Since it's a harnessed seat (I can't remove straps as that is not allowed in air at all), it is certified, but I will print off transport regs to show FA just in case there is an issue.

Thanks, Tiger