Carseat on the plane

[Peaseblossom36]

How do I measure my car seat to figure out if it will fit in the airplane seat? Do I just measure the base of the seat or the widest point? Can I raise the arms on the plane seat? I've tried googling this but just haven't found a clear answer.

We have a Graco extendtofit 3-1 and are flying on Southwest (Boeing 737-700). I've looked at all the measurements and I'm thinking it won't fit?

 

[dawnelda]

I apologize that I can't answer your specific question, but when I took my daughter's Britax on the airplane and installed it in the middle seat, armrests up, it *technically* fit but was so wide at the shoulders that I spent the flight crushed into the side of the plane and my husband's shoulder stuck out into the aisle. Not comfortable for anyone except Little Miss Muffet.

Next trip, we ended up buying a cheap, narrow, light carseat and brought that instead.

Pro tip: ask for a seatbelt extender from the flight attendant when you board the plane to make it easier to detach the car seat at the end of the trip, in that the buckle will be at the side of the carseat rather than in the middle of the back where there's not much leverage to open it to release.

 

[sam_gordon]

How do I measure my car seat to figure out if it will fit in the airplane seat? Do I just measure the base of the seat or the widest point? Can I raise the arms on the plane seat? I've tried googling this but just haven't found a clear answer.

We have a Graco extendtofit 3-1 and are flying on Southwest (Boeing 737-700). I've looked at all the measurements and I'm thinking it won't fit?

Doing a google search, the seat you mention has a width of 19" and the seats on SW are 17". While that seems like an automatic "doesn't fit", there are some things that might help...

How many people are travelling? Assuming at least two others so you can have all three seats in the row, you MIGHT be able to work it. The middle arms usually raise with no issues. So the extra 2" for the seat would just impact your traveling party. But, not to be rude, how "pooh sized" are those people? How uncomfortable will they be during the flight?

The short answer is "no", it doesn't technically fit in a single seat, but you might be able to make it work, at the potential cost of your travelling party being uncomfortable.

 

[SirDuff]

I apologize that I can't answer your specific question, but when I took my daughter's Britax on the airplane and installed it in the middle seat, armrests up, it *technically* fit but was so wide at the shoulders that I spent the flight crushed into the side of the plane and my husband's shoulder stuck out into the aisle. Not comfortable for anyone except Little Miss Muffet.

Next trip, we ended up buying a cheap, narrow, light carseat and brought that instead.

Pro tip: ask for a seatbelt extender from the flight attendant when you board the plane to make it easier to detach the car seat at the end of the trip, in that the buckle will be at the side of the carseat rather than in the middle of the back where there's not much leverage to open it to release.

Just to point out that you shouldn't have been allowed to do that. Car seats must go in the window seat where they aren't impeding the exit of anyone in an emergency. On a wide body plane, possible to put the car seat in the middle seat of the centre section (since people can get out from either side of the car seat).

 

[dawnelda]

Just to point out that you shouldn't have been allowed to do that. Car seats must go in the window seat where they aren't impeding the exit of anyone in an emergency. On a wide body plane, possible to put the car seat in the middle seat of the centre section (since people can get out from either side of the car seat).

That's a good point. Now that you mention it, I am wondering if my memory is faulty (very likely) and it was indeed installed at the window seat. In any case, I was still smooshed by the car seat "wings"!

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I apologize that I can't answer your specific question, but when I took my daughter's Britax on the airplane and installed it in the middle seat, armrests up, it *technically* fit but was so wide at the shoulders that I spent the flight crushed into the side of the plane and my husband's shoulder stuck out into the aisle. Not comfortable for anyone except Little Miss Muffet.

Next trip, we ended up buying a cheap, narrow, light carseat and brought that instead.

Pro tip: ask for a seatbelt extender from the flight attendant when you board the plane to make it easier to detach the car seat at the end of the trip, in that the buckle will be at the side of the carseat rather than in the middle of the back where there's not much leverage to open it to release.

If your britax seat fit then I think ours should. I’ve looked at buying a different seat but the more affordable seats I think she will be too tall for by the time we fly. And I’m not sure it makes sense to buy an expensive seat when she will probably just need it the once.

Doing a google search, the seat you mention has a width of 19" and the seats on SW are 17". While that seems like an automatic "doesn't fit", there are some things that might help...

How many people are travelling? Assuming at least two others so you can have all three seats in the row, you MIGHT be able to work it. The middle arms usually raise with no issues. So the extra 2" for the seat would just impact your traveling party. But, not to be rude, how "pooh sized" are those people? How uncomfortable will they be during the flight?

The short answer is "no", it doesn't technically fit in a single seat, but you might be able to make it work, at the potential cost of your travelling party being uncomfortable.

We are two average sized adults. I Googled and just wasn’t sure if I should use those measurements or if it was the base measurement that would be more important. The cup holders are the widest point on the seat.

 

[sponica]

Do you need the carseat at the destination? If not, get a CARES harness.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

Do you need the carseat at the destination? If not, get a CARES harness.

We don’t. I’m hoping to use a car seat because I want her to sleep. It doesn’t seem like the cares harness works well for that

 

[sponica]

We don’t. I’m hoping to use a car seat because I want her to sleep. It doesn’t seem like the cares harness works well for that

My kiddo slept both times we used it, but I guess everyone's kid is different

 

[PrincesCJM]

how old is the kid? It is a pain to lug the carseat through the airport but I do agree that they are safer in it. I've never used the CARES harness but I do feel like there are minimum and maximum requirements.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

My kiddo slept both times we used it, but I guess everyone's kid is different

Had they flown before? It would be easier… My kiddo is on the lower end of the weight range for it.

how old is the kid? It is a pain to lug the carseat through the airport but I do agree that they are safer in it. I've never used the CARES harness but I do feel like there are minimum and maximum requirements.

She will be 2.5. She’s towards the lower end of the weight range for the CARES harness, but too tall for most of the carseats that will fit. I'll look more at the harness.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I'm also hitting the issue of not being able to find the CARES harness for sale.

 

[EACarlson]

I took an almost 4 year old in a Graco Nautilus 65 on Delta with no issues. That carseat is listed as 1" wider than yours Delta and SW 737 have the same width seats. As long as the seat has the FAA stamp I would bring it and use it. When my kids were that age I wanted them contained and comfortable, which their own car seat will do. You can raise the armrest, the car seat has to go in the window and you will pre-board on SW.
I have never been a fan of the harness unless there are behavioral issues that need to be mitigated. Once my kids outgrew their car seats they went right into the regular seat.

 

[sponica]

Had they flown before? It would be easier… My kiddo is on the lower end of the weight range for it.


She will be 2.5. She’s towards the lower end of the weight range for the CARES harness, but too tall for most of the carseats that will fit. I'll look more at the harness.

She used it when she was 20 months because I wasn't lugging a car seat she didn't need (and we weren't flying nonstop). and then she used it at 2.5. Honestly at 2.5 it was a coin toss, we almost went without it, but she's a maniac and the harness would keep her more in place than a lap belt.

 

[RoseGold]

Our everyday car seat was a tank, so I had one just for travel and things like taxis. But at 2.5, she might be too big for this kind of seat. The particular one I had isn't made anymore, but you could look into getting a smaller, lighter one.

I'd actually be more worried about the cab ride than the airplane. Worst case scenario, they gate check it.

 

[kdonnel]

We always traveled with a car seat when our kids were little. It has been a lot of years but I think there should be a label on the car seat saying it is certified for airline usage.

We had a couple flight attendants ask us to show them the label as we were getting the seat installed.

I would think that most any car seat approved for airline usage would fit in a standard seat.

One item of concern is if the plane has airbag seat belts. They are often only in first class or exit rows. If the seat has airbag seat belts you cannot install a car seat there.

 

[PrincesCJM]

I'm also hitting the issue of not being able to find the CARES harness for sale.

I don't know if it is still the case but I remember several year ago people saying that you could rent them on ebay, if I remember correctly. No idea if that is still true or not.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Just to point out that you shouldn't have been allowed to do that. Car seats must go in the window seat where they aren't impeding the exit of anyone in an emergency. On a wide body plane, possible to put the car seat in the middle seat of the centre section (since people can get out from either side of the car seat).

I was coming here to say the same thing. We've traveled with a car seat installed 3 different trips and it always had to be in the window seat.

Our son was 17 months, 3 years old, and 5 years old when we had a car seat on the plane. For ages 3 and 5 we used an Evenflo Maestro and it worked well. They have a newer version so I don't know if it's the same size or not. But we liked it because it wasn't super expensive and it was really lightweight. We used a strap to tether it to our wheeled carryon so it wasn't too terrible since we had layovers and plane changes.

This website has tons of good info that might help you out - https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/