flying with 2 1/2 year old ?

[jjj444]

Do you buckle them in the seat or do you bring their car seat on the plane and buckle them in that. I thought because i am buying his seat that I would put him in the seat assigned and check his car seat. What do you do?

 

[tjmw2727]

Its up to you, you are not required to use a carseat onboard but both the FAA and AAP recommend it for children under 40lbs.

TJ

 

[Tumblwd501]

First time our son flew, he was ~2 and we used the carseat on the plane. We figured it might help to ease any apprehension he might have about flying since at least he would be familiar with his carseat.

 

[cbrfan]

We took our almost 3 year old GS a few months back. We didn't take his carseat and he was fine on the way there. The trip back home was another story. By then flying was an old story and he wanted to get up and run around. Next time we'll be taking the carseat.

 

[bzzymom]

We buckled DD in the seat without her car seat. It worked fine. When she feel asleep, she was leaning comfortably on me.

 

[DisneyWacker]

We just travelled with our 2 girls that are 2 and 4. The two year old had her carseat because we were worried about her trying to undo her buckle and general restlessness on the flight. She looked pretty comfortable in the carseat for most of the flight and when she did get restless, it was pretty nice to have her securly buckled in. Our 4 year old was fine without the carseat even though she is under 40 lbs.

If you do take a carseat, be sure to preboard as they aren't the easiest to carry and install on a plane. Also, the buckle of the seat belt will be a large protrusion right into your child's back, so be sure to ask for an airline pillow so you can pad it once it is buckled in place.

 

[dougsmom98]

We have done both. I almost wish I hadn't put my DD in a car seat this last time because she cried each time we did, but I know it is safer. On our first trip with the twins, we used their seats on the way down and found it a lot easier not to on the way back. The seats are a pain to carry around the airport.

 

[bavaria]

If you do take a carseat, be sure to preboard

Just an FYI that you may not be able to preboard - many airlines suspend preboarding for children in MCO and United does NOT preboard children on any of its flights.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I stopped taking my kids carseat on the plane after they turned 2! It was just such a pain! Having said that, I am usually flying by myself with the kids, and if you have to get 2 kids and all the carryon on the plane, the last thing you want to mess with is a bulky carseat!

My kids have always been good little flyers though. They sit buckled in and play with their toys or sleep through most of the flight!

 

[Disneyolic]

We have chosen not to bring the car seat for our 2½-year-old daughter when flying. There are just so many other things to carry and worry about, let alone lugging it on a connection!

That being said, our daughter is not the best with keeping the buckle on. We try to keep her seated as much as possible with the buckle but it only goes so far with a child that age. It's hard to reason with a child that age. However, when she is unbuckled she has tended to be in either mine or my husband's laps.

I know how unsafe some people will say that is but it has worked for us.

 

[NotUrsula]

However, when she is unbuckled she has tended to be in either mine or my husband's laps.

I know how unsafe some people will say that is but it has worked for us.

It's not just the safety issue, it is a regulations issue. No one over the age of 2 is legally allowed to share a seat, even for a short period. If the FAA discovers that an airline has allowed it to happen, the airline is subject to a whopper of a fine.

 

[Disneyolic]

It's not just the safety issue, it is a regulations issue. No one over the age of 2 is legally allowed to share a seat, even for a short period. If the FAA discovers that an airline has allowed it to happen, the airline is subject to a whopper of a fine.

I think this definitely applies for landing and take off. Our daughter has always been buckled in during those times. And when she is occasionally on our laps, she has her own seat right next to us anyway. No one has EVER said a word to us when it has happened and I don't think that fine could really happen if it is for brief periods of time.

Please...I don't want a debate here. I was just stating what has happened for us in the past.

 

[bavaria]

I think that NotUrsula is referring to 'whenever you are seated, for your safety please ensure that your seatbelt is securely fastened' and even 'if you plan on sleeping during the flight, or have a blanket, please ensure that your seatbelt is fastened over the blanket so that we do not need to disturb you'

After several incidents a few years ago when passengers were injured during flight due to unexpected turbulence airlines request that passengers keep their safety belts buckled at all times.

A friend's mother was knocked unconcious on a routine flight due to sudden turbulence.

 

[jenseib]

We are flying out Sunday and going no carseat. It will be just to much to bring along. If, for some reason it doesn't work well. we will just buy one for the trip back. I will keep my seat belt on the whole trip as well ,so she won't want to take hers off. We also have a tond of activites and a portable DVD palyer to keep her occupied. Hopefully all goes smoothly.

 

[MinnieGi]

We flew at the beginning of Feb. with our almost 2 1/2 yo DS. We brought his car seat. It is a pain to lug around the airport, however I think he feels comfortable and secure in it since it is so familiar to him. Also I feel it is safer for him to be in it rather than just the lap belt on the plane.

 

[arielfans]

99% of the time I'm all for forgoing the car seat. It is practically impossible to manage. We've had over a hundred flights with my 6,4, and 25mth old and have never really needed it and actually enjoyed the extra room without it. That being said my flight last month Air tran was the first ( in over 100 flights) to give us a really hard time about not being able to hold dd just a month over lap child eligibility as we were delayed a half hour on the runway for take off. I can understand rules but they were really quite rude about it. So for that 30 minutes I wished I had a carseat. I really feel they should supply the cares harnesses southwest sells if they want to enforce that rule. Still don't think I'd bring the carseat, Just FYI

 

[jenseib]

I can see for a fussy child how it would help. We didn't take one this week. On the way down, DD got a bit antsy the last half hour, but she was tired and wouldn't fall asleep. On the way back she was a brat when we got on and I thought, Oh NO! But she fell asleep before we even took off and slept the whole way. She also wasn't feeling good. But I won't bring one next trip either. It would jsut be too much of a pain to carry on. There were alot of kids on my flight around her age, and not one had a carseat.

 

[my3squeals]

We took carseats for 2 of our darling DD last trip down. It was a pain in the airport, but we managed. We figured in their carseats the girls would recognize that it was time to sit and ride. Otherwise for us I would have feared the worse and that they would have been too fussy without that reminder and famililarity that it was time to sit and ride.

 

[Jaymie]

We took our carseat in Jan for our 2 1/2 yr old son. When we got on the plane, the flight attendant informed us that our seat was not FAA approved. I specifically bought it for flights cause it was so light. Smart girl here didn't read the label that was clearly placed on the outside of the carseat. Turns out the type of base on the seat posed a problem.

So we put him in his seat, gate checked the carseat and I was super stressed out for about 10 minutes. Once I got his attention off the buckle, which is really easy for a little one to undo, he was fine. The good part was, he couldn't reach the seat in front of him, so he couldn't kick their seat and irratate the passenger in front. (I almost always end up with a kid behind me kicking my seat). The tray came to a perfect spot for him so he played with his Cars and he watched his DVD's the whole trip.

I didn't let him get out of his seat, except to use the bathroom once. I didn't want him to think it was ok to walk up & down the aisles otherwise I never would have been able to keep him in his seat.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

[CarolA]

If you do take a carseat, be sure to preboard as they aren't the easiest to carry and install on a plane. Also, the buckle of the seat belt will be a large protrusion right into your child's back, so be sure to ask for an airline pillow so you can pad it once it is buckled in place.

Good luck on that pillow. They are fast disappearing from airplanes. (I know Delta had dumped them and I am pretty sure several of the other airlines have)


And to the poster who complained that AirTran would not let them hold thier child. AirTran was enforcing the FAA regs, sorry that most of your other airlines have decided that was "flexible" rule, it's NOT and they can be fined for "selective enforcement". If you are on an active taxi way the passenger must be in their seat, not your seat with you. This is for your safety should the plane have to move in a hurry.