Car seats on SWA ........yes or no?

[jmsaj]

Traveling with a 2 & 4 year old. SWA site says for safety reasons children under 40 lbs should travel in a car seat. This seems like a pain, so how many of you check the car seat and let them just sit in their seats?

 

[Heidi K]

We traveled with our 8, 5, and 2 year olds in August, on Southwest. 5 & 2 are under 40 pounds. We did not use car seats. However, part of me thinks it would have been easier to have the 2-year-old's car seat. She's really "squirrely" and it was hard keeping her in her seat/assigned space for 2 hours. I considered renting a CARES harness on e-bay but never got around to it. But that would have been a good option for us, since we didn't need car seats once we arrived (no rental car).

 

[jmsaj]

I do need the car seats but will probably just check them to make it easier. Bringing along some electronics to keep them occupied. Thanks for your input.

 

[disney world dreamer]

if you are going to bring the car seats anyways then you should just use them (as long as they are not booster seats cuz you cannot use those in the plane).
its much more safe for the kids and for the car seats as they will literally be tossed around if you check them.

 

[ChicagoMom]

if you are going to bring the car seats anyways then you should just use them (as long as they are not booster seats cuz you cannot use those in the plane).
its much more safe for the kids and for the car seats as they will literally be tossed around if you check them.

There's a very good reason why the FAA recommends carseats for children under 40 pounds. It's much safer. I recommend using them on the plane. Are you traveling by yourself?

 

[jmsaj]

Traveling with another adult...if I decide to not check the seats and use them on the plane, does Southwest allow you on board first so you can get the car seats situated in the seats?

 

[Alesia]

There is absolutely no way I would ever check a car seat.

Don't trust an item that you may need to rely on to save your child's life be tossed around by these guys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tboEJvc-LBY

 

[disney world dreamer]

Traveling with another adult...if I decide to not check the seats and use them on the plane, does Southwest allow you on board first so you can get the car seats situated in the seats?

not first but if you don't already have an A boarding position you will be allowed to board between section A and B with "family boarding" since you have children ages 4 and under.
as much as you'd probably like to sit closer to the front i'd suggest sitting a bit farther back so you have a little more time to situate the car seats. if you sit closer to the front you're gonna be in everyone's way and the flight attendants are gonna have to ask you to hurry up.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Think of it this way. Its mandatory in a car that goes 35 mph to 70 mph. So wouldn't make sense to use one in an airplane that is going over 400 mph.

 

[goofy4tink]

My dd, now almost 21, started flying at the age of 3. Granted, she was tall for her age, but she never flew in a car seat. She was perfectly fine seat belted in her seat. But.....if she had been 2, I would have put her is a car seat. Little ones just seem to be more relaxed and happy in their car seats. And the parents are a less stressed.

 

[Gracie09]

When dd was 16 months we used a car seat. She flew a few times in one and it made life so much easier. I knew she was secure and couldn't get out. When she turned three (and if we didn't need the car seat at the other end) she moved to a cares harness. Again kept her secure. At five she moved to just a seat belt with strict instructions about touching the release.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I’ve done it twice when my son was 10 months and 21 months. I was traveling alone with him and my daughter (age 7 on the first trip , 8 on the 2nd one). We had an A boarding pass each time. I highly recommend going to the back of the plane.

On the first trip, I went to the back of the plane because at the beginning of boarding most people sit up front so I had more room. Plus back there we could wait out everyone and have more room once we landed. On the 2nd trip, my daughter didn't wait for me to fold the stroller at the end of the walk-way. When a lady saw her get on the plane alone she instructed dd to sit up front. It is much easier to install a car seat in the back.

Hardest part was getting the car seat back into the bag after the flight for me, especially when he was 10 months because I was doing it with him in the Ergo carrier (couldn’t carry the car seat and push a stroller).

Starting at age 2 he was big enough and we were just going to Magical Express so I rented him a CARES harness. We were all happier. He liked his car seat at 10 months on the plane. At 21 months not so much. With the CARES Harness, since his bottom was on the seat, I didn’t worry about him kicking the seat in front of him. Actually he sat on a piece of cloth the harness owner recommended to keep him from sliding. What I really liked too was that he could sit in the middle, which meant I didn’t have to. It also meant DD could sit by the window which made her happy. And of course my back was happy.

 

[PrincesCJM]

Not flying on SW but I will be putting my son in his car seat when we fly in April. We will be renting a car so we will need it anyways. He will be 2 year, 10 months when we go. I'm afraid that he won't sit in an airplane seat the whole time if he is not in his carseat. He knows proper behavior in a carseat and fingers crossed, I hope he'll fall asleep in it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Think of it this way. Its mandatory in a car that goes 35 mph to 70 mph. So wouldn't make sense to use one in an airplane that is going over 400 mph.

Faulty reasoning. Different dynamics, different construction, different speeds, much lower risk...

 

[pooch]

at 2 1/2, I bought my DH's ticket separately and paid for EBCI for him. He boarded early A's and installed the car seat. We were about 3 rows behind the wing. Then DGS and I boarded during family board. By the time we reached our seats, the car seat was ready to go. DGS jumped right in. He fell asleep 10 minutes after takeoff & slept all the way to the gate at MCO. Same on the way home altho he did watch a movie on his DVD player for a while.
I did buy a less bulky car seat (still FAA approved) for the plane. The one he used at home was the size of a small recliner!!! Also if you lift the armrest between the car seat & you, it fits much better.

 

[bumbershoot]

Think of it this way. Its mandatory in a car that goes 35 mph to 70 mph. So wouldn't make sense to use one in an airplane that is going over 400 mph.

If the plane has a collision you're in much bigger trouble than the car seat will protect from, speed wise.

Car seats on planes are for "staying put" purposes in general and in case of turbulence. So they aren't unbelted or too squirmy for the lap belt of the seat to protect them properly, and therefore don't hit the ceiling or someone else on the plane when thrown in the air by big turbulence.

If checking the seat, at least gate check it. Still might get tossed around but at least it avoids the inner workings of the airport baggage handling machinery.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Faulty reasoning. Different dynamics, different construction, different speeds, much lower risk...

Really?
After all you routinely bounce 20 ft or so up and down in your car? You routinely go from several hundred mph to stop pretty quickly?


The risk is high. The FAA is just gambling with your kid

 

[Gracie09]

Really?
After all you routinely bounce 20 ft or so up and down in your car? You routinely go from several hundred mph to stop pretty quickly?


The risk is high. The FAA is just gambling with your kid

Not to mention everything else on the plane, including the coffee pot, is strapped down, except lap babies. You can't hold a laptop during take off and landing, but can hold a child. It defies logic.

 

[Ladcassidy]

Another vote for a CARES harness. DD6 has used one since she was 10 months old, and still does on every flight. It turns the airplane seat into a harnessed seat. Two thumbs up.

 

[disney world dreamer]

Another vote for a CARES harness. DD6 has used one since she was 10 months old, and still does on every flight. It turns the airplane seat into a harnessed seat. Two thumbs up.

if OP was not in need of the car seats at the final destination then i'd vote for the cares harness as well but she did say she needed the car seats which is why my vote is to use them rather than potentially have them be damaged as checked luggage.