Car Seats and Airplanes

[akline]

Hello! Does anyone know the requirements with the airlines and toddlers traveling? We have a 26 month old, and when we flew this past summer, we struggled with her kicking the seat in front of her, because her car seat brought her just high enough to reach that seat. I'm thinking if we don't put her in a car seat, we won't have the same challenge (for 3.5 hours!). We're flying Frontier. Do we have to use the car seat? Or .. does anyone have any other opinions/advice? Thanks!

 

[shafke]

I would use the car seat. Your child is safer in the car seat. Also, do you plan on renting a car. If you do you'll need the seat.

DD will be 26 months for our April trip and we plan on taking the car seat on the plane.

 

[akline]

Yes.. we are renting a car .. we were thinking we'd check the seat. I agree, they are safer in the car seat ...

 

[Disney_1derland]

There is no requirement for a car seat on an airplane. As I understand it there is also no proof that a child is safer in a car seat on an airplane than in just the seat alone, which is why there is on requirement for usage. I don't have any research to back that up, someone once posted some, if you do a search you might find the info I'm talking about. But, I would think it will be easier to keep a child confined in the seat they are used to being confined in and would rather fight the kicking of the seat battle than the staying in the seat at all battle. Good Luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

"As I understand it there is also no proof that a child is safer in a car seat on an airplane than in just the seat alone, which is why there is on requirement for usage."

Incorrect, I'm afraid. There is plenty of proof that carseats are safer for turbulence and hard landings. The reason there is no requirement for usage is truly bizarre, and is based on the statistical probability of injury in commercial aircraft vs. private automobiles. The FAA does not require carseats because people who would otherwise get a free seat for a lap baby might choose to drive if they had to use a carseat. Since driving is statistically more dangerous than flying, they feel that making it easier to choose to fly best serves the interest of public safety. I've read transcripts of the hearing testimony; the logic just boggles the mind.

As to the rules, from the horse's mouth, go to the US code of Federal Regulations. The rules for carseats on US commercial airliners are in 14CFR121.311: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/....gpo.gov/cfr_2004/janqtr/pdf/14cfr121.311.pdf
In addition, if you are using a convertible-type seat, check for the FAA definition of "booster seat" at 49CFR571.213: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/....gpo.gov/cfr_2003/octqtr/pdf/49cfr571.213.pdf
(It is possible that a seat that the mfr. labeled as a "booster" is not the sort of "booster" forbidden by 14 CFR121.311; if it has an upper-body harness it probably *is* certified for aircraft use.) It's not a bad idea to carry copies of both of these sections of the law with you when travelling with a carseat.

Carseats must be positioned in a window seat or in the center seat of a center section row on a widebody. (This is so no one has to crawl over it in the event of an emergency evacuation.) Carseats may not be placed in exit rows (of course), or in the rows immediately in front of or behind the exit rows, either. Most carseats will be very difficult to install in a bulkhead seat, because the armrests do not lift.

BTW: if a child wants to kick seats, take his shoes off, and also get a pillow from the FA and put it in the seat back pocket.

 

[akline]

Oh ... I like the pillow tip in the pocket of the seat in front .. thanks for the tip!

 

[all4fun]

to the faa's site "tips for parents using a CRS on aircraft" Click here

This lists the weight requirments for car seat useage as well as some other tips.

HTH!
Cheryl

 

[stacy6552]

It really depends on how big your child is. Do you think she can sit with her legs bent over the front of the seat, while her back is all the way against the back of the seat? Or does she slouch down to get her knees bent?

Airline seats are usually shallower than those in cars, so children dont need them as long on planes.

 

[frstimer128]

I think people forget about turbulance and landings when thinking about the necessity of a car seat on a plane.....at least I did.
I have always ONLY thought about "what if the plane crashed, how useful would a car seat be".
Thanks for the info NotUrsula!

 

[Disney_1derland]

Originally posted by frstimer128
I think people forget about turbulance and landings when thinking about the necessity of a car seat on a plane.....at least I did.
I have always ONLY thought about "what if the plane crashed, how useful would a car seat be".
Thanks for the info NotUrsula!

I actually think that's what the conversation I was referring to was about. Can't find the posts now but I had copied and pasted the info into a word document to try and find out how true it was. The information said that during a crash a car seat on a plane would be of no more protection than not having a car seat. I guess even that would depend on the crash.

We are taking car seats for both kids (thank goodness my four year old is small and can still use the internal straps on her high backed booster!) although even the airline tried to convince us it isn't necessary with the 4 year old.

 

[NotUrsula]

Not only are aircraft seats shallower than automobile seats; they are also anchored and constructed differently. The "bent-knees" standard doesn't apply in aircraft the way that it does in cars.

The size recommendation for safe carseat use on an aircraft is based solely on weight. A child who weighs more than 40 lbs. will be adequately restrained by the lap belt alone. (Which is to say that the child will be as secure as an adult would be in the same seat; obviously, a lap belt only will never be as secure as a 5-pt harness.)

In my personal experience with my tall but skinny child, I can tell you that with the average carseat, a child who is over 4 ft. tall may have some difficulty sitting in a carseat in coach, simply because the carseat places his legs higher and further forward than the pitch of the seat is designed for. Seat pitch in coach is tight, but it varies by an inch or two; be aware that on some planes there might not be room for the child's legs between the front of one seat and the back of the one in front of it. If you have a child in a seat on a long night flight, be especially vigilant that the person in front of your child does not suddenly recline and trap the child's legs. I did have that happen to DS once on an overnight flight; the person woke the entire plane when he reclined onto DS' legs in the middle of the night. DS started screaming immediately from the pain, of course.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I did have that happen to DS once on an overnight flight; the person woke the entire plane when he reclined onto DS' legs in the middle of the night. DS started screaming immediately from the pain, of course.

Oh my! I can see that happening with my tall 4 year old. hmmm...well, it will be people from our party who are in front of her so I will just smack them if they try to recline. I would never have thought about this. Our flight to Orlando is a short one but we are traveling further in January, wonder if I ought not to put her in the car seat. She is nearing that 40 pound mark, but not quite there yet, maybe she will be by then.

 

[frstimer128]

Thank you guys for all the great info!! My DD is over 40lbs so I fell better knowing that she won't need a booster.

See you when we get back!