Car seat in window seat only?

[crazywig]

You'd think common sense would say it's okay for the carseat to be in the middle and not next to the window if the person in the window seat is a PARENT of said child! As if that parent would really take off without the child in the first place!
Meaning if it's me, baby and DH... if I'm by the window- I wouldn't leave without baby anyway! So I'm not "trapped" by baby... so it would make no difference if I was sitting in middle next to baby sitting at window or if I was sitting by window and baby in the middle. Mom ain't going if baby ain't going. Period. I would think the same would be for all parents??? So who cares if the PARENT is "trapped" by the window by their own child in a carseat?

i take 'trapped' to mean you cannot climb over it in an emergency, no matter if the child is actually in or not (say dh takes the child out). if my child's carseat is hindering my exit in an emergency then yes, as their mother i'm trapped.

having flown numerous times with my kids in seats, i can't even imagine trying to climb over the seat to go to the bathroom! nevermind in the dark in a plane emergency!

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

And what's with all the lazy, good for nothing, sleeping in comfort while poor Mom is forced to care for the baby during the entire flight anti-Dad comments?!? As a stay at home/work at home Dad, I must object!! Welcome to the 21st Century, ladies, where at least in our household and all of our baby having friend's households, Dad takes on half the responsiblity! Rock on, Dads!!

 

[GoofyGirlnPrincessV]

LOL Easy solution to that...go to the bathroom and hubby moves over to be by baby... when you return- plop yourself down in hubby's seat and have yourself a snooze too. LOL

hee hee hee, I do that all the time..LOL

 

[TheRustyScupper]

You'd think common sense would say it's okay for the carseat to be in the middle and not next to the window if the person in the window seat is a PARENT of said child!

1) OK.
2) A child in the center seat IS a safety hazard.

3) Let's go through a crisis scenario.
. . . plane has an accident on the tarmack or taxiway
. . . everyone must quickly get off board during a fire or smoke-filled cabin
. . . person in aisle seat is injured due to the accident
. . . person in aisle seat barely gets out of seat
. . . baby seat in center seat
. . . parent in window seat must now extracate baby and self
. . . picks up baby seat (too tough for parent to crawl over empty babyseat)
. . . must now carry baby seat and baby across seat
. . . with narrow clearance in Coach, try carrying both while QUICKLY EXITING
. . . try carrying this with everyone screaming and yelling
. . . try carrying this with everyone trying to get down the aisle at once

3) Exiting would be a lot easier by grabbing and pulling baby from window seat
4) Easier than lifting and pushing.
5) You may think you will be calm.
6) But not always, especially in this type of situation.
7) I have seen "trained" cabin crew personnel panic and NOT help passengers!

 

[k_k_100]

I have to agree w/ The Rusty Scrupper in the fact that a protruding car seat is not as safe during an emergency. For parents who travel a lot w/ their toddler/young child it is probably worth it to find a seat that has a short enough base to not protrude over the edge of the plane seat. This will not work for an infant or any child who is still facing backwards. I think all “convertible” seats (the type that go from backward to forward facing) will protrude over the edge of the plane seat.

I like our Graco. We chose it for travel based solely on the fact that it is lightweight & simple. The only problem is the seatbelt buckle hits smack in the middle of the back. It never has bothered dd (which surprises me - it would bother me) I think almost any seat would have that problem.

If it's important to you to have your child in the center (as it is for us) - then check the length of the base of your seat & look into buying a "transitional" one for your child.