Carseat on the plane for 3.5 year old?

[WisconsinDisneyGirl]

Just wondering if we should use the car seat for our DD on the plane or check it? The last time she was on a plane she was a baby. She is little for her age also. I was thinking the carseat would make her feel more comfortable on the plane as she is used to it.

 

[Calla]

I'm not bringing mine on for my 3.5 year old. She is going to want to color, play with stickers, torment her little sister etc. Being in the full carseat harness would drive her crazy.

 

[tzolkin]

Is this a regular carseat? I think my kids were in booster seats at 3.5. Maybe they were big, but they were definitely over the weight limit for the harness of the carseat. The carseat has to have a sticker that says it can be used on a plane or they won't let your child sit in it. Booster seats can't be used on the plane.

Do you need the seat while you're there or were you just bringing it for the plane? If you're going to need it than you might as well use it on the plane, but if not I would just leave it at home.

 

[lutherlovr]

Bring it! You said she would feel comfortable in it, so definitely bring it. There tend to be more "rules" with a seat, kids know that once they're in the carseat, they won't be able to keep getting up and down, etc. as opposed to a normal plane seatbelt.

But, more importantly, have you ever seen the baggage handlers with checked luggage? If you check the seat and it gets slammed around, you might end up with a broken or unusable seat at your destination. I would bring it on just for peace of mind.

 

[labdogs42]

My 3.5 year old rode in his carseat on our last trip. We have a Radian 65 and it works great on the plane! I think the carseats are more comfy for the kiddos and they are much safer.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Our cut off for using a car seat on the plane is over 40lbs for our house. Dd didn't hit that until she was FIVE! (And she just moved to a booster last month at 7.5yo!)

I agree w/ the previous poster... I think that a car seat is much more comfortable for a child than an adult sized seat. My dd always slept during the flight in her car seats but the two flights since then (at 6.5yo and 7yo) she didn't sleep all that much.

You know your child best and if you think she will be more comfy in the car seat...by all means bring it!

Oh..and both my kids colored and played w/ their toys while in their car seats on the plane...no problem!

 

[Mrs D]

I really wished I had both kids in their carseats on the plane. It does eliminate the whole "getting up/picking up a dropped item" business. However since we did ME and didn't rent a car, the only place we would have used it was on the plane. Kind of a hassle to deal carrying everywhere else.
But overall I think they are FAR more comfortable in their own seats.

 

[5 for WDW]

Our daughter was just a few weeks shy of turning 4 on our trip last September and she sat in her car seat on the plane. I am not a huge fan of flying so, I was happy to know she was safe and sound in her seat. She was very comfy and only asked once to get out to use the restroom. She either colored, watched the portable DVD player or I read to her. On the flight home she slept almost the whole way.
In the airport I put it in her stroller until we got to the gate. She just walked with us. We also use ME but, we feel better using her car seat, even if its only on the plane.

I am actually stressed she is over the weight limit for her car seat now. We are leaving in 9 days for WDW and she is going to be sitting in the plane seat without a car seat for the first time. She is 5 and she is excited about it.

I wish her Britax Regent didn't weigh as much as my 11 year old.

 

[northriver]

Yes, FAA recommends children under 4 be in carseats on the plane. Young kids are safer in carseats, many children are injured due to turbulance - concussions from hitting their head most often but also bumps burises and broken bones. If you don't have a carseat, make absolutely certain your child is buckled up at all times. I've read the data, people do NOT realize how many children are needlessly injured on planes - while taking a carseat maybe a hassle, buckling the seatbelt really isn't that hard!

If it is a major inconvenience, I might consider leaving the carseat at home. But if it is easy to take OR if you need it for any reason when you get there - taxi or rental car - take it along.

 

[MegaDisney]

I would bring it. It is definately safer (as far as turbulance) and yes, she will be more comfortable in it for sleeping. For my kids, also, they knew that just like in the car, you stay in your car seat on the plane. No getting up to just wander around, etc. And they always did just fine. I don't think you'll regret it if you bring it, but you might if you don't.

Also, I'm guessing you'll need the car seat at your destination? If you don't take on the plane, you'll have to check it and there is always the risk of damage when you do that. A small risk, yes, but that would stink to get off the plane and find out something happened to your seat, KWIM? Not a great way to start off a trip.

Good luck!

 

[mom2princessj]

Our daughter was just a few weeks shy of turning 4 on our trip last September and she sat in her car seat on the plane. I am not a huge fan of flying so, I was happy to know she was safe and sound in her seat. She was very comfy and only asked once to get out to use the restroom. She either colored, watched the portable DVD player or I read to her. On the flight home she slept almost the whole way.
In the airport I put it in her stroller until we got to the gate. She just walked with us. We also use ME but, we feel better using her car seat, even if its only on the plane.

I am actually stressed she is over the weight limit for her car seat now. We are leaving in 9 days for WDW and she is going to be sitting in the plane seat without a car seat for the first time. She is 5 and she is excited about it.

I wish her Britax Regent didn't weigh as much as my 11 year old.

We have two regents so we aren't bringing them either They are just so big and HEAVY! Both kids will be going without them. DS will be just shy of 4on our trip and dd is 5. I'm hoping its all good. More worried about ds sitting than dd. My dd is also excited about going on a plane and being a big girl in the seat without her carseat. Here's hoping I can entertain them for 3 hours and all goes smooth...

 

[AndyMcV]

First and foremost think of the safety of your little one. We are big fans of carseats in airplanes not only for safety but for comfort as well. Our kids liked having their carseat in the plane. It made them fell a little more in control and was much more comfortable.

Just some food for thought in this other thread...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1651662

 

[AuroraBeauty]

Just make sure your car seat is FAA approved.

Fly safe!

 

[tnd]

We always use a car seat on the plane for our son, who is nearly 3.5. I have no doubt he'd be out of the standard airplane seatbelt in about 6 seconds. The carseat is easier to contain. It's a pain to bring through the airport, and on the trip, but it's worth it, I think.

 

[iu95psu04]

We're going to use the CARES harness from Kidsflysafe. We've heard good things about it, it's FAA approved, and a lot less bulky than a carseat

 

[northriver]

Yes, your seat has to be FAA approved. Know where to find the Faa approved language on the seat, they often ask you to show it to them as you board the plane.

Regent is a great seat but is NOT FAA approved probably because it is so big it would not fit in some plane seats.

The CARES harness has a 40" height restriction. They market this product for older kids but do be aware of the height and weight limits because many kids are over the limits. I planned to buy one and was shocked that my 3 yr old is already too tall for CARES.

 

[jessica52877]

We always take our carseat for DS, almost 6 and we just flew last month. I specifically bought a graco nautilus for 2 cross country flights this year as he weighs about 45 lbs. I cannot imagine NOT taking it. He goes right to sleep and loves how comfy it is. He can do whatever in his seat that he could in the airplane seat but is much safer.


Like a previous poster said, put it in the stroller and have the child walk. I have taken a stroller on a couple of trips just for the carseat.

And, oh how I miss our fisher price safe embrace! That was the best car seat ever!

 

[all4fun]

I'm quoting myself from the thread that AndyMcV posted:

Just to clarify, the sticker actually doesn't say anything about the FAA. It should say "this seat certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft". It's usually a white sticker with black and red lettering. You can see a picture of it here on the FAA site: http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
This site also shows the CARES harness the pp was talking about.

Also, another reason to not check your car seat is that airlines consider them "fragile" and if it is damaged in trasit, you will have a big fight on your hands getting them to replace it. That gate check tag is also a limited liability waiver, which is why they make you sign it. If you bring the seat on board, you won't have to worry at all about that. We used the car seat on board the plane until ds was four. Now he rides in a Regent which is not airline approved so we travel w/out the car seat. I actually just bought a Ride Safer Travel Vest last spring which he has been using in MIL's vehicle and we will be traveling with that. It's not airline approved either but it's safer than a booster and easier to travel with too. It's rated from 35lbs so it's not a good solution for younger kids imo.

 

[2cutekidz]

You can also "rent" a CARES harness from ebay.