FAA approved CDN car seats

[Macduffy]

We are flying out of the US and will be bringing one of our car seats with us for my 20 month old. I took the seat out to clean it and searched for some sort of "airline" approval but didn't find it. I googled the car seat and it says it's FAA approved online but seeing as it was purchased in Canada it wouldn't say that right? confusing..... What should I be looking for?

 

[mommytodarlings]

Hi, I had the same question when we flew a few years ago, so I did some research.

Car seats made in Canada may not show the FAA approval, however if it is manufactured here it will be okay. We have a higher standard for testing.

I had an Evenflo seat and I printed off some info from the website regarding carseat approval for Canadian made seats.

I found this info from Transport Canada:

Labelling Requirements - restraint systems which are manufactured or sold in Canada must be affixed with a Statement of Compliance label which states that the system has been certified to CMVSS 213 or 213.1 and indicate the date of manufacture as being after January 1, 1981.

Seats manufactured to US standards between January 1, 1981, and February 25, 1985, must bear the label: "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards."

Seats manufactured to US standards on or after February 26, 1985, must bear two labels:

"This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards"; and


"THIS RESTRAINT IS CERTIFIED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT" in red lettering.
In the United States, regulations require a separate label certifying the device for use in aircraft, as American manufacturers are only required to conduct an inversion test if the manufacturer wants to certify the device for aircraft use. Canadian manufactured child restraint systems do not require a separate label stating certification for use in aircraft as it is a requirement for all devices to successfully complete an inversion test

Here is the link http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/co...ars/AC0177.htm

I printed it out and put it on the back of the seat where the manual goes, just in case anyone questioned it.

No one ever asked to see a label or anything when we boarded.

 

[Macduffy]

Thank you SO much! This is amazingly helpful Glad I wasn't the only one with this type of question too - DH thinks I'm over-thinking these things I don't think that's possible

 

[encinc]

The PP has given you the info you'll need. I highlighted the line in the carseat manual that states that the seat is approved for aircraft use and paperclipped that page so that I could easily show it to the FA when they looked for the sticker that states that the seat is FAA approved (which Canadian seats don't have - even though they can be used on planes). FAA does state that foreign (including Canadian approved seats) are fine, as long as they state that they are approved for aircraft use.

That strategy has been successful on the majority of flights we've taken within the US. We had trouble on our SW flight back from Tampa last year though. The FA would not let us use the seat because she couldn't find the sticker she'd been trained to look for. I calmly but firmly explained the situation, showed her the manual and my website printouts (as the line up was forming behind us), and she eventually kept the seat and told us to go sit down and until she could ask the captain. I was not pleased, but there wasn't much else I could do. Thankfully, just before take-off, she brought the seat back and said OK. I think the whole plane was waiting for me to get the seat properly installed by that point, but it was worth it to me. My kids know that they are to be in their seats on the plane just as they are in the car. It makes traveling so much easier for our family to have the kids in their car seats.

 

[surfer_ed]

I am surpised a FA would even care. At least she was able to work with you. I am thinking of taking my car seats just becuase it will cost me $15 each to check them as luggage. My kids are good and will sit still on the plane without them but I don't want to pay $30 to use them for only a few days.

 

[Macduffy]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I will definitely print off some information and store it with the seat. I have googled our seat and it is FAA approved in the states but will be sure to print other material off just to safe!

I just knew this board would have the answers

 

[encinc]

I am surpised a FA would even care. At least she was able to work with you. I am thinking of taking my car seats just becuase it will cost me $15 each to check them as luggage. My kids are good and will sit still on the plane without them but I don't want to pay $30 to use them for only a few days.

Taking a seat with you is always a good idea in case of turbulence as well, even if they do sit well on the plane.

As for the FA, I've been asked to show the stickers on my seats, either by the FA or by the gate agent on nearly all of the flights I've taken recently with my kids (upwards of 20 in the past 3 years). I can only think of one or two instances when I wasn't asked. Maybe it's because my seat is different looking (it's one of the folding seats, and I usually wear it backpack style) so I get more attention, but I just assumed that it was standard practice these days, especially since the gate agent often asked before she's actually seen the seat.

Another tip for the OP is to politely ask the gate agent if you might be able to preboard the plane to install the seat ahead of time. I try to do that whenever possible (I've been allowed on maybe 50% of our recent flights), while my DH stays behind with the kids. Much easier to install a carseat on the plane without kids climbing all over you.

 

[ccudmore]

I am thinking of taking my car seats just becuase it will cost me $15 each to check them as luggage

From my experience, most (if not all) airlines do not count a car seat as a piece of checked luggage. They're freebies. I've taken them along on at least 3 airlines without them counting.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

We've never had anyone even check our carseats for FAA stickers.