Car Seat or Not??

[SamanthaL]

I will be traveling on American Airlines with my 2 1/2 yo. She has her own seat. When we flew to Portugal a few months ago I brought the seat, but during take-off, landing, and turbulance I was told she needed to be belted in on my lap. The bottom line is the car seat was a waste of time and energy. I should have left it home. I called AA and was told I didnt't need to bring it for the WDW trip, but a friend of mine who is a flight attendant said I should bring it. I just want to do the right thing, but not lug an extra piece for equipment for nothing. Does anyone know?? thanks in advance.

 

[seashoreCM]

Belting the child on your lap is definitely wrong for landing. If the airplane stopped suddenly you will bend over crushing the child. It is also wrong for turbulence unless there are two belts, one for the child and the second underneath to keep from crusing the child between you and the first belt. So wrong you should refuse to do it. Write to the airline and let them know all this.

Get an "FAA Approved" child seat, preferably one also usable in the car.

More Disney tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

9/65 Disneyland
3/75 (World Inn* off I4 near DD)
4/85 (Kon-Tiki* on 192)
'80s Disneyland once or twice
7/94 PORiv
9/97 ASMu
11/98 ASMu
12/98 (Knights Inn on 192)
9/99 ASMo
12/00 ASSp
9/01 ASSp
11/01 ASSp planned
*no longer exists

 

[flyingcircus]

SamanthaL-

Did you fly a US carrier to Portugal????
The reason I ask this, is that foreign carries have different policies and quite frequently are more lax on safety issues.

As a flight attendant, I must tell you it is ALWAYS safer for a child to be in a car seat. There is lobbying going on to make it mandatory for children to be in car seats. Frankly, I don't understand why it isn't yet. It is mandatory in a car. It is also proven that in crashes, the rate of survivability is virtually 0 when a child is not in a car seat.

Your child is used to a car seat. It confuses them when they are on a plane not in one. Bring it with you. It is the only safe way to go!!!! You will also have peace of mind.

Make sure that your car seat is FAA approved by the label on the back. Many booster type seats are NOT FAA approved, and CANNOT be used on the plane!

 

[aprincessmom]

I've always purchased the seat for my DD and brought her car seat or booster seat with us... even on this last trip when she just turned 5. I feel she is safer in it than just in that seat belt, especially since she's long and lanky and I can just picture her slipping out of the seat belt.

FYI she still uses her booster seat even though she is almost 6 because she doesn't meet the federally recommended guidelines for height and weight to ride without one. Many of her friends are no longer in a seat -- were allowed to give it up on their 5th birthdays. She can not and will not for some time to come and it's not a negotiable point in our house.

Her safety is my primary responsibility and certainly my focus as a mom. I'd rather "lug" a car seat with me through the airport and use it on the plane and in rental cars for peace of mind and heightened safety and security.

 

[SamanthaL]

aprincessmom- Let me clarify about the "lugging" issue. I put my daughter's safety first as well as you. My problem was that I was towing this seat along and they would't let me use it. They MADE me keep her in my lap. What is the point of bringing safe equipment along if they FORBID you to use it?!

flyingccircus- yes it was a foreign carrier. I brought the seat without even checking their polies because I know it was the safest way for her to travel. They WOULD NOT allow me to put her in it. I couldn't believe it.

seashore CM- I did have 2 belts. The second one was put through the first and this second belt rapped around her.

The AA agent I spoke to on the phone told me I shouldn't bring the seat. So even though it's almost a law some domestic airlines still don't seem to have the same policy. How can one AA employee tell you one thing and a second employee say another.

 

[stacy6552]

I cannot believe an airline employee would tell you such an outragious lie in this day and age! A child is never safe in your lap, especially during turbulence and take off and landings!

i never fly american and this is a perfect example of why!

a child should fly in a carseat until shes too big for the seat. always!

go to the rightstart.com and order a carseat totebag. they are priceless for lugging the seat through the airport.

 

[flyingcircus]

SIT N' STROLL-

This is the BEST invention since sliced bread!!! Being a F/A and traveling around, this is the best purchase I ever made!!! This is a carseat/stroller. It is not the infant carseat/stroller contraption, but a carseat that is also a stroller. You use it as a stroller until you get on the plane, and then it folds up into the car seat. It looks a little like a lounger seat. IT IS GREAT! If anyone is interested, I'll try to find the website for you. it saves you the trouble of lugging the carseat around, and it has the stroller convenience. I believe the company is based in Denver, and it costs around $180. I used it for both my kids , and am still using it for my almost 4 year old now!!

 

[B3LM]

When we flew to WDW with our DS who was 2 at the time, we brought his car seat. Yes, it was a pain to lug around in the airport, but I was so glad we brought it. He fell asleep on both flights almost immediately!

We're leaving in 24 days and now we have 3 kids - DS8, DD5, and DD2. We checked into bringing a booster-seat instead of the carseat, but found that it isn't FAA approved. So, we'll be bringing that carseat this time, too.

 

[jel0511]

I actually have to lug 2 car seats for dd 3 and ds 6 months. What we do is put the car seats on a portable luggage carrier, the one that folds up. It's much easier to move them around the airport that way. One of us pull the car seats, the other is in charge of the double stroller. I use a booster seat for dd, when I bought it, I made sure it was FAA approved. An easy wayto tell is if your booster seat has arm rests, it's definately NOT FAA approved. Also, we don't carry on any thing else except for the diaper bag. It would just be too much!!!

 

[SamanthaL]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I did just want to clarify one thing. The airline we took to Portugal was not American. We are taking American to Florida. In case anyone happens to be traveling to Portugal, the airline that made me keep my daughter on my lap was Azores Express. The woman on the phone at AA did however tell me I didn't need the seat. I guess the moral of the story is bring your seat regardless of what you are told. If they won't let you use it keep insisting!!