Car seat & flying

[Savanah'sMom]

Ok, my dd will be 4.5 when we fly out to Disney, should I bring her car seat for the plane? or is she old enough that she shouldn't need one. I never really thought about it before. I'm pretty sure that she would sit still but i'm wondering which would be better. This will be the first time she flies and I guess I'm starting to get worried (I've been becoming more & more of a worry-wart )

TIA for any advice.

 

[CleveRocks]

It all depends what you mean by "car seat." Is it a seat usually used by younger children, the kind with a 5-point harness, or is it a booster which you use with the car's seat belt.

If it's a traditional car seat, you can use it as long as it has a sticker on it saying it is FAA-approved.

If it's a booster, then you can't use it, and moreover there's no safety advantage in using it. All a booster seat does is boost the child higher so the shoulder belt can be safely used. Since there's no shoulder belt on an airline seat, there's no need to boost the child any higher.

We've flown with my petite daughter since she was 2.5 (she.s 4.5 now) and never used a car seat. She's ben happy and comfy.

 

[pezpam]

Check with your airline to see if there is a weight limit or other restriction requiring her to have one. If not, then it's more about what makes you comfortable. Would DD prefer to have her carseat or will she fit and fuss over it? Are you going to need the carseat in FL anyway? Do you just feel better if she's in it?

At 5, my DD didn't use a carseat on the plane any more and hadn't for quite a while. She's a tall kid, though, and was comfortable and safe with the seat belt. Smaller kids might still be better off in a carseat. Unless there's a restriction, I think you should just do whatever will lower your stress level more. Neither decision is anything she's going to be discussing with a therapist 20 years from now.

Have a wonderful trip!

(Cleve has a great point about the different types of seats. Forgot that.)

 

[Savanah'sMom]

Wow, thanks for such quick replies . I really think that she'll sit fine with out it, I just wasn't sure if it were better or not. We'll probably leave it home then, I (meaning DH ) would hate lugging it around. Love you, sweatie (he reads the boards, too).

 

[jcc0621]

I had the very same question for my 3.5 yo (will be 1 week shy of 4 when we go. I contacted AirTran and this is their response. I hope it helps you

Thank you for contacting AirTran Airways. In order to use your child restraint seat, you must have purchased an additional ticket exclusively for your child and the seat must be FAA approved for use on board an aircraft. If there is not an FAA approval tag on the car seat it will also have to be gate checked. Upon arrival at your destination, your stroller and/or car seat will be returned directly to you via the aircraft door.

Booster-type child seats, vest and harness-type systems, and lap held child belts are not approved for use in the aircraft during movement on the surface, taxi, takeoff and landing. They may be used during cruise flight only.

It is not required for minor passengers to use a child restraint seat during air travel. If you use the items to the departure gate, and check them there, they are considered a mobility aid for your infant or child, and will not count against your free allowance of checked baggage. If you check the items with the rest of your baggage, at the ticket counter, they will count against your free allowance and any excess baggage fees will apply.

Please let me know if there is anything else I may help you with. Have a good day and thank you for choosing AirTran Airways.

 

[beattyfamily]

By age 4 I would only have brought the car seat if I needed it for a rental car as well and I believe I checked it with my luggage by that age too. She didn't need it on the plane by age 4. As a matter of fact, I think it might be a tight squeeze for a 4 year old to be in a carseat on the plane in regards to leg room. That would probably put the child in a position where they'd be constantly kicking the person in front of them's chair.

 

[all4fun]

Here's the FAA Child Safety on Airplanes site:
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

They recommend children under 40lbs use a CRS (or under 44lbs if using a CARES harness) - however I believe that recommendation was based on most airline approved car seats having 40lb limits. There are several that harness past 40lbs now that can also be used on airplanes. (i.e. Britax Marathon/Decathlon/Blvd (65lbs), Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe(55lbs), SK Radian(65 or 80lbs)

For what it's worth my ds will be just turned four on our next trip in May. We will be using DME and Disney Transport while there for a week so we have decided to forgo the car seat on the plane ride for the first time on this trip. If we were renting a car while there though, I would bring it.

Hth!

 

[Beth76]

My son was 2-1/2 on his first flight and did just fine without a carseat.

 

[NotUrsula]

... however I believe that recommendation was based on most airline approved car seats having 40lb limits.

Actually it was based on tests done in the CAMI study by the FAA's office of Aerospace Medicine, which showed that children over 40 lbs obtained the same level of protection using the lap belt only as an adult would, while a smaller child needed the upper-body harness to get the same level of protection.

Now if you want to argue that a child needs to be better-protected than an adult, then that's another discussion.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We've never brought carseats. Honestly at 4.5 she would be super uncomfortable as would the person in front of her. JMHO.

 

[jodifla]

I stopped taking the car seat at 3 years old....I agree, there would be son room for DS's feet. He was already jammed in there at 3.