carseat on airplane question

[my2minnies]

Hey there! I am traveling with 2 year old twins and plan on bringing their carseats on the plane. Now my carseats are about 5 or 6 years old now and their stickers have peeled off so there is not one saying it is aircraft approved. Will I be able to use these carseats on the plane? I have used at least one of them before with my older dd because I see a Disney sticker on it.
TIA

 

[Minniemouse07]

You are going to have a difficult time trying to use these seats. I've known people that have gotten letters from the manufacturer to cover themselves in lieu of the stickers (that had also fallen off) and they didn't work.

You might be better off picking up a couple of combination seats (they have a 5pt harness to a specific weight and then switch to a booster) for your twins.

Car seats have a lifespan of 6yrs (from the manufacture date) so you are approaching the time frame that they need to be replaced anyway. Most seats sold in the last few years actually have expiration dates on them, although your current seats may not (my older dd is 6yo and her convertible seats didn't).

Here is a great link that talks about options for combination seats for you. If you have any questions give a yell, I'm a certified child passenger technician in my spare time!

 

[dylanlogan]

We flew a few different times when our twins had to be in carseats and no one ever checked our seats. I don't recall anyone even glancing at them in all of the years we have traveled with little ones.
The one thing I would suggest if you have the man power is for one adult to board early and get the carseats placed and then wait until the last minute to board with the children- or at least the youngest ones. We have found that putting carseats in BEFORE they load the plane is much easier and loading the kids AFTER everyone else is less stressful. You may have to mention to them at the gate that you have seats and would like to board first. I have noticed that not all airlines are doing the "anyone travelling with small children" boarding first anymore. You would think it would be common sense to do this rather than smack all of the first class passengers in the head with your seats but not everyone sees it that way! The airlines have always allowed us to do so when we have made the request.
So, there is more info than you ever needed! Have a great trip!

 

[boettj]

I fly all the time for work. If you are talking about the combination seats that have a back, but no belt, they are not airplane approved. I have watched flight attendants on SouthWest and United tell passangers that they cannot use those seats with their children.

This change to child safety only seemed to become an issue over the last 2 years or so. Prior to that, my wife and I had used the booster seats on the plane for my son.

According to the SouthWest flight attendant I spoke with, the issue is that a booster seat could slip off the seat. If it did that, then the child could become trapped with the extra tension that would be applied to the lap belt.


Sorry to be a bearer of bad news.

 

[thepeach80]

What seats do you have? How big are your kids? Like someone mentioned, if your seats are that old they are probably expired and not safe anyways. I've never been asked to see the stickers on my carseat though for flying.

 

[thepeach80]

According to the SouthWest flight attendant I spoke with, the issue is that a booster seat could slip off the seat. If it did that, then the child could become trapped with the extra tension that would be applied to the lap belt.

First I'm hoping her 2yos aren't in boosters. 2nd you can't use boosters on a plane b/c you cannot use a boosteer w/ just a lap belt. You have to have a lap/shoulder belt which a plane doesn't have.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I fly all the time for work. If you are talking about the combination seats that have a back, but no belt, they are not airplane approved. I have watched flight attendants on SouthWest and United tell passangers that they cannot use those seats with their children.

This change to child safety only seemed to become an issue over the last 2 years or so. Prior to that, my wife and I had used the booster seats on the plane for my son.

According to the SouthWest flight attendant I spoke with, the issue is that a booster seat could slip off the seat. If it did that, then the child could become trapped with the extra tension that would be applied to the lap belt.

Sorry to be a bearer of bad news.

A combination seat has a 5pt harness which is then removed and the seat is used as a booster seat after the child has outgrown the harness by height or weight.

At 2+ years old, these children should still be using the harness...and this is allowed on the plane. You are correct, you cannot use a belt positioning booster on a plane.

We flew 5 round trips w/ dd between 17mo and 3.5yrs (she's now 6yo)...and were asked at least once each trip by an FA for us to show him/her the FAA sticker on the seat. So I wouldn't chance it.

 

[rrobin3051]

just came back from disney and chicago. Flew southwest to chicago and they never checked my carseat and flew continental and they never checked either. All my years of flying i have never had them check my carseat.

 

[2forMe]

OK fromwhat I can deduce OP did not say anything about it being a booster for her 2 year olds.. she said car seats. To me I am assuming that she has the car seats that were used for her older children. I would call the airline and ask.
Plus it is only in the last few years that car seats have had expiry dates for 6 yrs or so.. many oder car seats are good for 10 yrs!

 

[my2minnies]

Thanks! My seats both expire in Dec 2007, so I have a bit more time with them. They are both the 5 pt harness seats that are good until 40 lbs. I dont want to have to buy new ones at this point because I do have some of those 5pt convertible booster seats as well, but I dont think they are aircraft approved. I should double check that. I plan on using those when my others expire. I own 12 carseats right now (no lie) and do not want to buy anymore. I have 4 kids in carseats so you would think I would have at least one with the sticker!

Thank you so much for the advice and information!!!

 

[Minniemouse07]

OK fromwhat I can deduce OP did not say anything about it being a booster for her 2 year olds.. she said car seats. To me I am assuming that she has the car seats that were used for her older children. I would call the airline and ask.
Plus it is only in the last few years that car seats have had expiry dates for 6 yrs or so.. many oder car seats are good for 10 yrs!

As of 7yrs ago (when I was pregnant w/ dd and started my research) most car seats had an "expiration" of 6yrs with the exception of one manufacturer that had an expiration of 8yrs (it was Fisher Price and they stopped making seats soon after... they now sell them again and their expiration is now 6yrs as well).

And no the OP did NOT say she was using boosters, she did say that her children's seats were 5 and 6yrs old and "I" recommended that she might want to purchase new seats, possibly combination seats.

 

[Tinkerbell2002]

We have flown a couple times with carseats and never once been asked to see the sticker on the carseat. Maybe they could tell by the carseat though since both seats we have flown with were popular carseats?

 

[Minniemouse07]

Thanks! My seats both expire in Dec 2007, so I have a bit more time with them. They are both the 5 pt harness seats that are good until 40 lbs. I dont want to have to buy new ones at this point because I do have some of those 5pt convertible booster seats as well, but I dont think they are aircraft approved. I should double check that. I plan on using those when my others expire. I own 12 carseats right now (no lie) and do not want to buy anymore. I have 4 kids in carseats so you would think I would have at least one with the sticker!

Thank you so much for the advice and information!!!

Chances are your combo seats are probably FAA approved. There aren't many harnessed seats sold in the US that aren't. It may be easier to pull out the combo seats than taking the chance that an FA will ask to see the non existant stickers on your convertible seats.

 

[jodifla]

Thanks! My seats both expire in Dec 2007, so I have a bit more time with them. They are both the 5 pt harness seats that are good until 40 lbs. I dont want to have to buy new ones at this point because I do have some of those 5pt convertible booster seats as well, but I dont think they are aircraft approved. I should double check that. I plan on using those when my others expire. I own 12 carseats right now (no lie) and do not want to buy anymore. I have 4 kids in carseats so you would think I would have at least one with the sticker!

Thank you so much for the advice and information!!!

No one EVER checked the stickers when we flew with our car seat.

And I hear you about not wanting to buy ANOTHER car seat. Some folks here spend the equivalent to a small country's GNP on Britax car seats.

 

[2forMe]

As of 7yrs ago (when I was pregnant w/ dd and started my research) most car seats had an "expiration" of 6yrs with the exception of one manufacturer that had an expiration of 8yrs (it was Fisher Price and they stopped making seats soon after... they now sell them again and their expiration is now 6yrs as well).

Yes I am just saying for others.. not spefically in regards to OP seats that some people could have seats that do not expire in 6 yrs as they may still have older models....

 

[Minniemouse07]

Yes I am just saying for others.. not spefically in regards to OP seats that some people could have seats that do not expire in 6 yrs as they may still have older models....

If you brought a seat that was 6yrs or older into a car seat check, they would take your seat and in most cases give you a new one. Even if the seat didn't originally state that it expires in 6yrs, "best practice" is to destroy any seat older than this as most seats older than that do not comply w/ current car seat standards and/or have been recalled in the meantime.

My son is currently riding in a seat that turns 6yrs in February and it will be replaced.

 

[thepeach80]

The only harnessed seats that I can think of that aren't FAA approved are the Regent, the Safeguard GO, and I think that's it.

If you brought a seat that was 6yrs or older into a car seat check, they would take your seat and in most cases give you a new one. Even if the seat didn't originally state that it expires in 6yrs, "best practice" is to destroy any seat older than this as most seats older than that do not comply w/ current car seat standards and/or have been recalled in the meantime.

My son is currently riding in a seat that turns 6yrs in February and it will be replaced.

If someone checks into a check I'm doing w/ a Fisher Price seat that is 6yrs old and still has 2 yrs left, I wouldn't take it. My Radian is good for 7yrs, the newer ones are good for 8yrs, as are the new Cosco seats. I would educate them on when it expired and why, but if there were no recalls and no stickers missing (yes, I would try and take a seat w/ missing stickers) then there's no reason to take it.

 

[Minniemouse07]

The only harnessed seats that I can think of that aren't FAA approved are the Regent, the Safeguard GO, and I think that's it.



If someone checks into a check I'm doing w/ a Fisher Price seat that is 6yrs old and still has 2 yrs left, I wouldn't take it. My Radian is good for 7yrs, the newer ones are good for 8yrs, as are the new Cosco seats. I would educate them on when it expired and why, but if there were no recalls and no stickers missing (yes, I would try and take a seat w/ missing stickers) then there's no reason to take it.

Those are new seats though...the car seats that are CURRENTLY over 6yrs old (and the FP seats are all about to expire now too since I have two of the last ones made in mid 2000)...are rarely going to be "okay" for a parent to continue to use. Seats that we see that were manufactured 6 or more years ago generally either state 6yr "expirations" or say nothing...so yes at our checks they are taken. This isn't "my" rule but one that our local SK coalition practices at checks and stations.

As the current generation of seats that carry longer expirations mature, then yes the 6yr rule doesn't apply and specific manufacturer's instructions would be followed.

 

[thepeach80]

I think I'll post it on the other board so we can hash it out, lol.

 

[candlemakerw/twins]

Here is a great link that talks about options for combination seats for you. If you have any questions give a yell, I'm a certified child passenger technician in my spare time! [/QUOTE]

Christine
I have a car seat question. Most boosters say 40 lbs and up but I have seen 1 that says 30 lbs and up. It scares me but I would love to take that one to WDW when we go since it is so much smaller than a high backed one. My girls are 4 and 33 lbs.