Car Seats and travelling! HELP!

[NJDisneyFan]

Hi,

My dd (2) and ds (3) are both in carseats. My ds is actually in the booster type and perhaps by October dd could be as well.

Anyway, what do you do when flying? Can you ask for one on plane to borrow?

Also, what about in the limo?

I know the buses on Disney Property don't have anything like this (I'll try not dwell on it or I'll get nervous).

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Pam

 

[Goofyswife]

My 3 year old is also in a car seat. We bought a cover at Babie R Us. We used it in the limo and gate checked it at the airport. We picked it at the gate on the way out and off we went. As for the buses, she either sat next to one of us or on one of our laps with no problem.

 

[Lucky'sMom]

We went in Feb 2000 with 18 mo. old DD and 3.5 yr old DS. We used our car seats on the plane. My kids felt very comfortable in them, and slept better than I think they would have just in the seat. As far as I know, planes do not have car seats you can use. We rented a car, but for our next trip we were thinking of using Tiffany Town Car. If you decide not to bring your car seats, Tiffany will provide them for you. Or I'm sure you can use your own. I don't think car seats can be used in a limo, but you can use them in a town car or Tiffany also has vans. Just make sure you request that you would need 2 car seats and the ages of your children. I know what you mean about the buses at Disney. I think about that, too---yikes. On our last trip we used the rental car for all but the last day. It is tougher getting the kids into and out of the car seats all the time... it was so nice to use the buses. But, it's safer with the car. Oh, decisions, decisions. Good luck!

 

[Kermit]

You should get an FAA approved car seat for each child and carry them on the plane. Most of the time it's not neccessary, but if you hit turbulence, it's very important. A regular seat belt will not hold a small child firmly in the seat.

I would probably call the company that you're going to use to get from the airport to the hotel to find out if the car seats will go in their cars.

 

[jel0511]

If your son is in a booster seat the only ones that are FAA approved are ones that you are using with a five point harness and DON'T have arm rests. If you're using a booster seat with a regular seat belt, you can't take them on the plane with you. The airlines don't have car seats for use, so you either have to bring your own or just put them in the seat. I always travel with my carseats (DD3 in a 5 point booster and DS 4months in his carseat). I'd be afraid of letting my DD just sit in a regular airplane seat, she would DEFINATELY unbuckle the seatbelt. Also, when you make your reservations, you'll have to remember that carseats are only allowed in the window seats. So you and Dh will have to sit in different aisles, one with each child. IF you have any other questions, please let me know.

 

[Lucky'sMom]

We fly USAirways, and we've never been told that car seats are only allowed in the window seats. We've used them in the middle seats, as well. FYI...

 

[Kermit]

Just extra information. . . The reason most airlines don't provide child seats is because they think that in a crisis situation, parents would be able to free their children faster from a seat they were used to than an unfamiliar one. There is one airline that does provide the seats, but I don't think it's an American-based company. I think it's Virgin.

 

[jel0511]

I'm suprised that you've been able to use a car seat in a middle seat, because it's an FAA regulation that car seats MUST be in a window seat, since they block the person sitting in the window from exiting the aircraft. We've been told many times by different airlines when we've tried to place our car seat in anything other than a window seat.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I used my car seat in the middle on Delta. According to their website carseats can't be used in aisle seats and can't be used in middle seat if window seat is empty.

 

[skeezixspud]

I find that I usually have to ask them to check the FAA regs to prove that the carseat MUST be in the window. Not long ago at Gatwick, I had six Continental gate agents all calling each other over to a terminal to look at the rule; none of them had previously been aware of it. Most flight attendants do know, and they understandably can get testy if you show up with a seat but don't have the right place to put it. It is really bad form to just show up on an aircraft with a carseat, without checking ahead of time to be sure that there is a proper space for it.

The FAA rule is window only, so that egress is not blocked in an emergency. Here is the FAA public webpage that shows the rule: http://www.faa.gov/apa/turb/CRSTips/FRCRS.htm
Carseats also cannot be placed in an emergency exit row -or- in the row in front of the emergency exit row (because those seats are supposed to fold forward to allow people to get out through the emergency row. If there is a CRS in the seat, it cannot fold forward.)

My best advice is to buy a carseat satchel at BRUS, or somewhere similar. I have a Prince Lionheart that was $20 at BRUS. You can nest the carseats inside it and wear it like a backpack to get through the airport. Having the satchel makes ALL the difference.

 

[disneydebi]

I would highly recommend bringing your car seats on the plane. We strapped our 2 year old in. Not only does it help them stay put (she is used to it, and didn't even attempt to get out), but we had a very bad flight on the way home (plane dropped down a few times - and we were lifted off our seats - it was like being on tower of terror, but not as much fun!). I was glad my DD was safely strapped into her car seat.

fyi, they did have us put her in a window seat.

 

[cruzwiththemouse]

For everyone's info, there is no faa reg that states that a CRS MUST be installed in a window seat. Here you go, word for word-- Order 8400.10
E. Child restraint systems should be installed in forward facing aircraft seats, and in accordance with instructions on the label. This includes placing the child restraint in either a forward or aft facing direction in the passenger seat. The CRS should not be installed in the same row of an emergency exit nor in the row forward or aft of an emergency exit. A window seat is the preferred location; however, other locations may be acceptable, provided the CRS is not installed between other passengers and the aisle used to evacuate the aircraft. A responsible adult should occupy a seat next to the child.

 

[jel0511]

The way I Interperet this regulation is as long as one person is traveling with a child in a CRS, and the window seat is unoccupied the CRS can be placed in the middle seat. If you find yourself traveling with both parents, then the CRS MUST be placed in thw window seat, sincew it would block the exit of one of the parents.

 

[Gillian]

I flew USAir in March with my 6 month old. I had purchased a seat for him, had been assigned the middle & window by a telephone agent who said the baby had to go on the window. Somehow we lost these assigneded seats & the gate agent had to give us new seats. I didn't realize that she gave me an aisle & middle. I preboarded & put the car seat in the window. Then the person who had the window seat got on the plane! I was surprised to find that he really, really wanted to sit in the window seat, but there was nothing we could do about it. With the seat installed rear-facing he would not have been able to get out! He was very nice, and let us stay without making a fuss.

 

[B3LM]

We took our DS's car seat with us on the plane. On both trips (there and back), he fell asleep as the plane took off and woke up as we were landing!

 

[lindaso]

It's my understanding that if a CRS is rear-facing, it must be in a window seat so as not to block access to the aisle in an emergency. If a CRS is forward facing, it can be in any seat (of course not an exit row) since it won't block anyone. I've used our booster seat in an aisle seat a few times.

We've flown many times with our carseats. I would never bag check my carseats as they could easily crack the plastic and the safety of the seat would be compromised -- and you might not even know it!

Linda