Car Seats Approved For Flying

[scanne]

We have two carseats. A Britax Marathon (like the Roundabout) and a Graco Sportrider (I think that's what it's called). Do you know if either of these are approved for use in aircrafts? We're flying in August and I want my son in his car seat. Thank you for any tips.

 

[ducklite]

Thank you for putting your child in a car seat. I have a great deal of respect for parents who spend the extra money to buy a ticket for their child.

As far as your question, look at the tags. If they are approved they will say so. One thing to keep in mind is that if your child is older there might not be enough room between the seat and the seatback in front of them for their legs in some models. You should be able to get the "seat pitch" from the carrier and check it for yourself.

I was on a flight last week that was so turbulent they couldn't do beverage service during the entire flight. There were sooo many people screaming, crying and getting ill. There is no way that anyone would have been able to hold on to a child during the rougher spells.

Anne

 

[JKLLady]

You are wise to use the car seat. Our DS, age 6 has been flying in his car seat since he was 15 months old. It certainly keeps them safer, and it's much easier to keep them under control. Our son is used to car trips to MD to visit aunt & uncle, which takes us 3 hrs., so staying in his seat for a 2.5 hr plane ride is easy. He doesn't ask to get out unless he has to go to the bathroom, but then hops right back in without complaining.
Most new seats are FAA approved, and as Ducklite said, look for the sticker on the side or underside of your seat. My DS still fits into the 5-point harness on his booster seat & I'll be using it until he outgrows it!

 

[Nik's Mom]

We used a car seat for our then 20 month old. I just wanted to suggest that you buy something to support his/her neck while they sleep in their chair. It makes them a little more comfortable. We are also going in August with our now 4 year old and 1 year old. Can we still use our sons booster seat on the plane? I figure since he has to use a car seat in the car, he must have to use one on the plane.
We will be taking 2 car seats and 2 strollers. Our hands will be full!

 

[jel0511]

I don't know about the Graco, but the Marathon is FAA approved. I have that one!!! It's GREAT!!! Ij ust bought it to replace my Roundabout, since this one is bigger, and it will last my DS 2 until he is big enough for a booster. I've always bought seats for my kids, so kudos to you for doing this as well. I recommend you going to Babies R Us and buying a car seat carrier. It makes carrying the car seat to/from the plane a LOT easier!!

 

[Colexi's Mom]

We too are going in May to Disney with DD (4) and DS (15 mos). We will also be traveling on the plane with 2 car seats and 2 strollers (gate checked). I commend you on your decision to buy the little on a seat. It should be listed in your owner's manual and/or on a sticker on the seat itself if it is FAA approved.

For Nik's Mom, as far as booster seats go, it has to be a high back booster and you have to be using the 5 point harness for it to it to be FAA approved (not sure if the high back but definitely the 5-point harness) like JKLLady said. We just bought DD a new high back booster and I knew we would be going on this trip and specifically went thru all the owner's manuals of the ones that were at Babies R Us.

 

[jel0511]

Also, an addition about booster seats being FAA approved. You have to be using the 5 point harness, and MOST booster seats which have arm rests, cup holders, etc are not FAA approved. There are actually only a few booster seats on the market, which are FAA approved. I was looking at all of them in Babies R Us and was amazed at the number which weren't FAA approved. So, check with your owner manuals, or the sticker on the side. I have seen parents who have brought a booster seat on, and had them removed by the flight attendant because they weren't FAA approved. Almost all car seats which are FAA approved, have the sticker which state that. If yours doesn't, check the owners manual. If it states it in there, bring the manual.

 

[TiggerInNY]

I, too buy seats for my kids. My oldest son, now 7, has traveled on airplanes before and ALWAYS in a car seat. Our youngest son, now 3, will be traveling in a car seat this time. I don't know how people DON'T buy the extra seat for the kids. Don't you think it's more comfortable for the child, too?

Anyway, seems like we're all doing the right thing.

Hey ducklite, I hope we don't hit turbulence when we go in October. I hate them and I would be sick as a dog if we did. I would be thinking that we were going to crash. Where did you fly out of. I notice you live in NJ. We're flying out of Newark in October. First time for Newark.

TTFN,
Maria

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

I was flying home from Orlando Sept 2001 and we ended up being delayed because some guy in the back of the plane went balistic on the flight attendant because he couldn't use his non FAA approved car seat for his infant. He said he had used that seat numerous times and was never questioned before. He ended up not being able to use it and gave the attendants a hard time the whole flight. I think they should have kicked him off the plane! So, the moral of my story is make sure your seat is FAA approved before you leave, they do check.

 

[TiggerInNY]

What airline was that?

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by TiggerInNY
I, too buy seats for my kids. My oldest son, now 7, has traveled on airplanes before and ALWAYS in a car seat. Our youngest son, now 3, will be traveling in a car seat this time. I don't know how people DON'T buy the extra seat for the kids. Don't you think it's more comfortable for the child, too?

Anyway, seems like we're all doing the right thing.

Hey ducklite, I hope we don't hit turbulence when we go in October. I hate them and I would be sick as a dog if we did. I would be thinking that we were going to crash. Where did you fly out of. I notice you live in NJ. We're flying out of Newark in October. First time for Newark.

TTFN,
Maria

Hi Maria! We were flying out of Philly on that one. We are halfway between Newark and Philly, so I check each for the best rates on US and CO (the two carriers I am loyal to) and then decide which to use. I used to avoid Newark with the construction mess, but now that it's done the airport is really nice. (At least terminal C) Philly is still trying to get their act together for screening (it's gotten a LOT better, but still isn't the best) so we have to plan on an extra hour to get through the lines there (which there weren't any the last time).

I am very prone to motion sickness. I was supirised that I didn't get sick on that trip. I think I had just the right amount of food in my tummy, plus I slept through a lot of it. It was just rumbling turbulence as opposed to swooping turbulence, which makes a big difference for me. Once we got over Deleware theflight was smooth for the last 20 minutes or so.

Anne

 

[Mark P.]

We're flying in May, and I wasn't aware of the car seat requirements, so I just checked, and ds's seat is a 5 point harness, and has a sticker with FAA approval, so we're all set!

I wouldn't think of flying unless our 2yr. old is secured in his seat. For both safety and comfort, it's well worth the extra fare, IMO.

Thanks for the tips!!

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Nik's Mom
We used a car seat for our then 20 month old. I just wanted to suggest that you buy something to support his/her neck while they sleep in their chair. It makes them a little more comfortable. We are also going in August with our now 4 year old and 1 year old. Can we still use our sons booster seat on the plane? I figure since he has to use a car seat in the car, he must have to use one on the plane.
We will be taking 2 car seats and 2 strollers. Our hands will be full!

Actually a rolled up beach towel will do the trick, and can be used for the pools when you get there

Anne

 

[NotUrsula]

Just a caution on seat size: the FAA's page on this says that 16 inches wide at the base is avg, but I have seen FAA-approved seats that are wider than that. Do not ask for a bulkhead seat if you plan to use a carseat; they usually don't fit with those thick fixed armrests. Installing a carseat usually requires leaving the armrests up, or at least raising them while you strap it into position.

Except in wide-bodies, FAA evacuation rules state that the seat must be placed in a window-position aircraft seat. (On a wide-body you can also put it in the center seat of the middle section.) If you plan to use a seat, make sure that it is noted on your reservation, because there are some rows where they are not allowed, such as the row directly in front of the exit row. If your flights change, this could cause problems if you get reassigned to a forbidden row. (BTW, I've encountered gate agents who don't know the rules about carseat placement. The FA's really hate it when a gate agent unknowingly assigns a carseat-child in a forbidden spot. If a gate agent tells you that a carseat does not have to be in the window seat, ask him/her to double-check the rules.)

SWA will always let you preboard when using a carseat, because having people stand in the aisle while you install it will delay the boarding process for the entire flight. Other airlines may or may not let you preboard, but if not, some will allow ramp agents to *place* the carseat in your assigned seat (though not install it for you.) That is always something nice to ask for if you can't preboard, because the size of the seat means that you have to hold it higher than the seatbacks to carry it down the aisle. I've walked straight into a lot of people that way, because if I hold the seat that high to carry it, I can't see where I'm going.

Here is the FAA tips page on using a CRS onboard aircraft:
http://www1.faa.gov/fsdo/ord/tips.htm

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

TiggerInNY,

That was on Spirit Airlines, we flew home on September 8, 2001.

 

[Nik's Mom]

My son is tall for his age, so he no longer fits into the 5 point harness anymore. We raised the harness to the highest point, and he still won't fit. So does this mean that he just sits in the plane with no seat?
Someone mentioned that the car seat has to be on the window seat. This is true, but don't expect anyone to tell you this at first. We had already buckled in our son, flight attendants had already checked our seat belts, and just as we were taxiing, the head flight attendant made us move the seat to the window, while we were taking off! What made me mad is that we had asked another flight attendant when we walked in, what seat should we use for our car seat. We were told that it didn't matter. That was United airlines.

 

[ducklite]

At five he is probably tall enough to be buckled into the seat belt in the plane seat and stay put in all but the most extreme emergencies...and I won't elaborate on that. Just make sure the belt is snug and low around his hips.

Anne

 

[Gaiusrex]

My daughter is 2, and I wasn't going to put her in a car seat. I did buy her a ticket so she would have a seat, but I thought the carseat would be unnecessary and uncomfortable for such a long ride.

I think a sedative might work better.

 

[TiggerInNY]

Tay N Evie's Mom,

God bless you...I will be praying like crazy for a smooth trip. Plus, my husband and older son are one row behind us (me and my youngest (3). We're flying Continental. OMG.....

TTFN,
Maria

 

[dcfromva]

I was going to add one more suggestion. This advice might be a little dated, because DS is now 14 , but when we took flights when he was under the age of two, we always checked with the air carrier (in addtion to having the FAA approved sticker). We found that some individual air carrier may have additional restrictions in regards to the size of the car seat and their aircraft equipment..... There could also be differences in regional jets, so it doesn't hurt to ask so you don't end up with any last minute unpleasant surprises.
-DC