Car Seats on Air Flights

[justhat]

We have gotten help to the gate like NotUrsula mentioned before so it is possible. I have flown a lot by myself with my daughter and there were times when I simply had too much to carry along with a non-mobile baby so we asked for a pass for my husband/mom to help me to the gate. One time they couldn't issue a gate pass (they said they already gave out their allottment or something like that) but they said they could get someone to help me in one of those electric carts and that worked out fine.

We flew to WDW last week without a carseat for my 2yo cause I was flying alone with her and I'm pregnant and didn't want to carry her seat on my back and I will admit that though it was easier for me to get through the airport without the seat, flying is much more pleasurable when she's strapped into her carseat.

 

[NotUrsula]

BTW, this strategy is for emergency situations ONLY (the allotment is gone, the agent is in a really snarky mood, etc.), but if you have a high credit limit and don't mind the possibility of floating some interest for a month, there is another, foolproof, way to get to the gate when you are not flying yourself.

Buy a ticket. Walk to any airline counter (SWA is easiest) and buy any refundable ticket that any airline has for sale for a flight that day, one that is later than the flight that the person who is flying will be on. You buy a FULLY REFUNDABLE walk-up price ticket, use it to get through security, see your party off on the plane, then take the paperwork back to the counter and ask for a refund. It will take a while for the CC charge to come off your card, and the ticket will be very expensive, so this only works if you have a really nice high credit limit.

Obviously, do not ask for the cheapest flight, or they will sell you a non-refundable ticket and you will be up the creek -- for this to work, the ticket has to be full-price and FULLY REFUNDABLE FOR ANY REASON WITH NO LIMITS.

 

[grlpwrd]

ITA! The car seat nazis are always pushing, pushing for you to take the seats on the plane without any regard to the reality of your situation (i.e. traveling alone with one or more small children....)

I had to travel with DS, who had just turned 3, by myself. Between lugging the car seat and stroller and diapers and juice, etc., then making sure he didn't wander if, it was HIGHLY stressful.

And nobody helped me...but I got lots of nasty looks from the passengers lugging the car seat, back pack and purse on the plane, all the while trying to wrangle my son, too.

Tell her to do what she feels comfortable with. It also depends on the temperment of the children...will they stay with you, or do you have a runner?

Why must you always argue safety issues, call people carseat nazis, and who cares about what other people think when it comes to the safety of a child?

I have traveled with 5 kids - sometimes by myself . Yes, it's a drag to bring a carseat, but you just do it. You teach the child how to behave and how to accept that we prioritize safety and you make accomodations no matter how inconvenient. That's the price of having a child and you do what you have to do.

Why dissuade people, though? Why insult those who place carseat safety as paramount? I can understand unusual circumstances like justthat's situation, but why are you so bent on dissuading people overall?

There are items on the market now which make taking a carseat easier, like backpack contraptions or a wheeled apparatus. There's even the Sit n Stroll which is a carseat which morphs into a stroller that is sold for around $190 now. You can always use a harness for your child to keep him/her close or just teach them to behave in general.

I just don't get how you can argue about safety and be so adamant about dissuading people. Surely, the benefits outweigh the bad (inconvenience, public scorn, etc.).

 

[jodifla]

Why must you always argue safety issues, call people carseat nazis, and who cares about what other people think when it comes to the safety of a child?

I have traveled with 5 kids - sometimes by myself . Yes, it's a drag to bring a carseat, but you just do it. You teach the child how to behave and how to accept that we prioritize safety and you make accomodations no matter how inconvenient. That's the price of having a child and you do what you have to do.

Why dissuade people, though? Why insult those who place carseat safety as paramount? I can understand unusual circumstances like justthat's situation, but why are you so bent on dissuading people overall?

There are items on the market now which make taking a carseat easier, like backpack contraptions or a wheeled apparatus. There's even the Sit n Stroll which is a carseat which morphs into a stroller that is sold for around $190 now. You can always use a harness for your child to keep him/her close or just teach them to behave in general.

I just don't get how you can argue about safety and be so adamant about dissuading people. Surely, the benefits outweigh the bad (inconvenience, public scorn, etc.).

My concerns were also safety related. I was worried about keep track of all our stuff, and keeping track of my son, who would sometimes take off at that age. I'm not going to buy a $200 contraption for the few times I would use it. It's ludicrous. I'm also not going to harness my son because it makes YOU happy.

I think there are posters who blow the car seat issue completely out of proportion (both on planes and in cars), and I'm not afraid to say it.

I have used car seats on flights, and I have not, based on the situation. The OP was concerned about the situation of lugging the car seat alone. I had a similar experience, and shared it.

I've never said you shouldn't use a car seat. What I've said is, don't be bullied into it if you don't want to.

 

[hopesmommy]

I have to agree with grlpwrd. Yes you are entitled to your opinions, but why did you have to call people "car seat nxxxs". It was uncalled for and noone was insisting anyone must use a car seat anywhere. That word is SOOO negative and is SOOO cruel.

Why can't people just state their situations without calling people names or be cruel to others. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

 

[jodifla]

If anyone cares to note the truth, I didn't call anyone in particular a car seat nazi....it's the folks with guilty consciences who are feeling like I called them that.

 

[jodifla]

BTW, this strategy is for emergency situations ONLY (the allotment is gone, the agent is in a really snarky mood, etc.), but if you have a high credit limit and don't mind the possibility of floating some interest for a month, there is another, foolproof, way to get to the gate when you are not flying yourself.

Buy a ticket. Walk to any airline counter (SWA is easiest) and buy any refundable ticket that any airline has for sale for a flight that day, one that is later than the flight that the person who is flying will be on. You buy a FULLY REFUNDABLE walk-up price ticket, use it to get through security, see your party off on the plane, then take the paperwork back to the counter and ask for a refund. It will take a while for the CC charge to come off your card, and the ticket will be very expensive, so this only works if you have a really nice high credit limit.

Obviously, do not ask for the cheapest flight, or they will sell you a non-refundable ticket and you will be up the creek -- for this to work, the ticket has to be full-price and FULLY REFUNDABLE FOR ANY REASON WITH NO LIMITS.

This is extreme to the max, in my view. Who does this? How practical is it?

 

[LonghornFan]

Without getting into the "car seat nazi" argument, can I give you my two cents? My sister is a flight attendant with American Airlines and she basically threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't put my sons in car seats on our last trip. She watched a 150 pound man get thrown in the air and break his nose just a few months ago. You should also see the bruises she gets when walking up and down the aisles during turbulence. I know these are extreme examples, but I always believe better safe than sorry.

My boys were 1 and 2 1/2 when we last traveled and it was a major hassle lugging those car seats around, but boy was it worth it. We hit some pretty awful turbulence and everyone was bouncing around. On our next trip, our oldest will be 5, so we won't take a car seat for him, but we probably will for our youngest.We just traveled as lightly as possible.

BTW, you can also use a stroller to carry the car seat - just roll it right up to the plane. The flight attendant will then stow the stroller in a special closet and return it to you when you disembark.

Like I said, just my two cents....

 

[NotUrsula]

This is extreme to the max, in my view. Who does this? How practical is it?

[In reference to buying a refundable ticket to escort someone to the gate...]
I did say it was a last-resort solution, but the situation I've most often seen it used for is one where an elderly person is travelling alone and is afraid that they will get mixed up and get on the wrong plane. If the person is not disabled, it is unlikely that the airline will issue a regular gate pass for an escort. Now we know that it is very difficult to get on the wrong plane by accident, but it does happen occasionally, and who would want to have an elderly relative sitting at the gate worried sick about it if there was a way to calm their fears?

The times that I have seen it used for kids mostly involves international travel where a woman is travelling alone with multiple young children on an overseas flight. While you can get past security with a courtesy gate pass, you cannot get past passport control without a ticket, and you need to check in at the gate quite early for intl. flights.

 

[mommytomy3]

Is that true for all airlines? I hadn't heard that one. I'll be traveling with a 1 and 4 yr. old and I was going to put myself in the middle with the car seat on the aisle and my 4 yr old at the window.

Can this be done?

Thanks,
Linda

You may be able to do this.... when we flew 2 years ago, dd was 7 and ds was 5 months in his carseat, the stewardess (Delta Song) first said the seat had to be next to the window, and dd was saying how she wanted the window, and she let her, saying that she was small enough to get by the carseat

 

[justhat]

You may be able to do this.... when we flew 2 years ago, dd was 7 and ds was 5 months in his carseat, the stewardess (Delta Song) first said the seat had to be next to the window, and dd was saying how she wanted the window, and she let her, saying that she was small enough to get by the carseat

Also, I think I forgot to mention this, but when I flew with Madison on Ted last September, we were booked in a middle and aisle seat. The FA told us that if the carseat did not stick out past the edge of the seat then it could go in the middle or aisle seat. I wasn't sure how it would fit in that particular airline's seat so I just asked the man we were sitting with if he'd mind switching, which was fine with him. But she did say as long as it doesn't go over the edge of the seat, so there's still a clear escape path, then it's fine. Not sure if this is all airlines, or even all FAs though.

 

[ptslp]

Is that true for all airlines? I hadn't heard that one. I'll be traveling with a 1 and 4 yr. old and I was going to put myself in the middle with the car seat on the aisle and my 4 yr old at the window.

Can this be done?

Thanks,
Linda

I think if you have only one car seat, you need to put it by the window. I travelled with my 2 kids in car seats- one rear facing and the other forward facing. The rear facing seat was by the window and I put the forward facing one in the aisle. The flight attendant asked me to move it, but I explained I was alone and I couldn't see how I could place my 2 1/2 year old next to my 6 month old with me being two seats away from the baby. Because you could get past my son, since he was forward facing and his seat was not protruding into the middle aisle, they allowed it.

 

[ptslp]

My sister is flying for the first time with her two children. Someone told her that airlines are requiring car seats. She will be flying Southwest and was going to bring the car seats but check them so they could be used when we pick her up at the airport. Anyone know if they are required? Her children are 2 and 4. If they aren't required, do you have to put them in a bag of somekind inorder to check them as baggage?

Thanks!

I would put the 2 year old in a car seat too. I think it helps them to know they have to sit still and gives the comfort of something familiar. Depending on the carseat, she may be able to "hook" it over the handle of the stroller- just be careful if it is heavy so it doesn't tip. We have a Graco Cargo that turns into a booster and has indentations for when the child transitions to a booster (We are still using it with a harness). If you turn that seat over, it will hook over the handle of a stroller if the stroller has a straight bar (not an umbrella stroller). Just a thought- not sure what your sister has.
Good luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

Because you could get past my son, since he was forward facing and his seat was not protruding into the middle aisle, they allowed it.

This was a bit unusual in more than one way. Not only that they allowed you to sit between the seats, but that they allowed a carseat on an aisle. FA's tend to really dislike having small children seated on aisles because of the possibility of injuring them with the service carts. The clearance is quite narrow, but it is wide enough to trap a little arm between the seat and the cart, which fully loaded can weigh somewhere around 300 lbs

As to the rule itself, the way that the FAA has worded it is that the airline is responsible for ensuring that seats do "not interfere with rapid egress in the event of an emergency." Most of the carriers have interpreted that as "where no one will have to climb over it", which normally means the window. However, some leave it more up to the FA's discretion; Delta is known to be the most flexible about this. SWA is one of the more strict, as they usually are about almost all of their safety-related policies.

 

[susancl]

I know about the car seat having to be in the window seat but a question just popped up for me... what would an adult flying on their own with two children in car seats do? Surely they would not make the adult put one of their children in a window seat next to strangers somewhere else on the plane, would they?

No, they always let us put a car seat in the window seat and the middle seat, with the adult sitting in the isle.

 

[idreamofdisney24/7]

We plan to fly on JetBlue in June. I have a 2 year old, 8 year old, 11 year old and will have an 8 week old newborn in a carseat or have her be a lap child. I had sent an email to Jetblue a few weeks ago and this is their reply. Hope it helps anyone..


Thank you for your email regarding if you need to have a car seat for your 2 year old or if she may
sit directly in a seat and if you can buy a ticket for the baby and have her sit in a car seat or
infant bucket.

Infants and children may occupy a seat with or without a child restraint system. If the infant is
not in a child restraint system, they must be able to sit upright.

Booster seats, harness and vest restraints will not be allowed during the movement on surface,
takeoff or landing.

An FAA approved infant safety seat should be placed in a window seat and may not be placed in an
exit row or aisle seat. It may be placed in a middle seat, as long as the window seat remains open
or occupied by another safety seat.

Safety seats may not be placed between two individuals. Any safety seat used during flight must
remain secured to the seat at all times, even when unoccupied.

If checking the safety seat, it will not count as one of your checked bags and there is no fee
assessed.

You may buy a ticket for your infant if you desire to do so.

 

[camouseketeer]

I've flown with a three year old and two year old by myself. I had a carseat for my two year old, and my three year old sat in the regular seat. I used a pac back. Here's a website for it: http://www.pacback.com/index.php?page=main

It was a lifesaver. Basically it's a backpack device where you strap the carseat to it and carry it on your back. I also had my double stroller. As I moved through the airport, the kids were in the stroller and my carry ons were in the stroller basket. As I boarded the plane, I wore the carseat and put my purse on the carseat (so it was on my back too). I carried one carry on and my two year old. My three year pulled her roller board with her toys in it.

Yes, it was a bit stressful, but it worked and it had to be done. I didn't care if I held up traffic or got dirty looks from anyone. If no one bothers to lend a hand (which people did, BTW) then they have no right to complain (outloud or not) about my situation.

I've used the pac back several times and have answered questions about it in the airport to frazzled parents who want to know where I got it!

FYI, Southwest can send give a "Helper" pass to someone to help you through security and to the gate. My mom has helped me to the gate at least twice (meaning she's gone through security with just this "helper" pass, no plane ticket). It's worth asking your airline if they have that kind of service. It certainly made food and bathroom runs prior to the flight much easier!

In terms of whether or not to use a carseat, obviously the carseat is safer. For me it depends on the length of the flight and whether or not my child will sleep. If I plan on having her sleep, I'll use the carseat because she's used to sleeping in it and it will facilitate the sleeping process so much.

 

[KimberlyC]

Car seats are cumbersome. i'm going to puchase the pac back from One step Ahead and wear the car seat like a back pack http://www.onestepahead.com/product/86211/363756/117.html

Edit: Oops, didn't finish reading this thread and see this link was already posted. But I second a vote for this product!