Graco Booster seat on Plane?

[jadyson]

Has anyone used the full size booster seat on a plane? My 14 month old loves this seat and we really want to use it for our trip. I don't even know if they are FAA approved or not. I think they are as long as you use the harness system.
Anyone have any info on this?


Can't believe we leave in six days!! I better get packing!

 

[jel0511]

You'll have to check your owners manual or look for the sticker on the side to see if it's FAA approved. Some booster seats EVEN with the 5 point harness aren't FAA approded. The rule I use is if it has arm rests attached to the seat (regardless of 5 point harness), it most likely isn't. If it doesn't have arm rests, it most likely is, but you still need to check.

 

[CEDmom]

You should check just to make sure. However, we've flown with DD many times and have never had a flight attendant check her booster seat. We carry it on in a bag which might make a difference since they can't see it. We also put DD next to the window, which I think the airlines require. Our booster seat has arms that fold down. It's a Century but I can't remember the model.

 

[stacy6552]

Booster seats are not FAA approved safe for flight. Your 14mos old should fly in a full carseat (with 5pt harness or over the head thing) that is approved by the FAA.

 

[mcnuss]

Without knowing your exact model, it's hard to tell, but from Graco's website:

Question: Can I use my car seat on an airplane?
Answer: Most Graco and Century carseats are certified for use in aircraft when used according to manufacturer’s instructions. The booster seats are only certified when used as a five-point harness carseat. Please refer to your owner’s manual for specifics on any seat. However, even though the seat is FAA approved when used according to the manufacturer's instructions, we do recommend calling the airline you are traveling with ahead of time as each airline has its own policies.

You can also check out http://www.carseat.org/ and http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ for more information

Quite honestly, unless your 14 month old is exceptionally large (eg: 30-40 lbs), she is really too young for a booster seat, and should still be in a front facing toddler car seat. Generally, boosters are not used until a child is 3-4 years of age. I beg you to reconsider your use od this seat.

 

[tjmw2727]

]Originally posted by mcnuss


Quite honestly, unless your 14 month old is exceptionally large (eg: 30-40 lbs), she is really too young for a booster seat, and should still be in a front facing toddler car seat. Generally, boosters are not used until a child is 3-4 years of age. I beg you to reconsider your use od this seat. [/B][/QUOTE]

Actually the new "highback booster" seats are fine for a 14 month old if he/she is over 22lbs and you use the 5 point harness. To tell the truth with the harness installed you can't tell the difference between the new "hybred" boosters and the traditional 5 pt convertable seats (toddler seat). We have the Century Breverra model and used it from about 18mths to 40lbs with the 5 pt harness and then as a lap belt positioning booster seat after 40lbs.

If the carseat has the FAA sticker on the back and you use the 5 point harness it should be ok on the aircraft provided it dosen't exceed the width requirement. Our breverra fit fine - and IIRC the graco is similar. We have been asked to show the sticker on two occasions, flying to Seattle and then flying to Orlando. Have fun.

HTH
TJ

 

[mcnuss]

Sorry to be contrary, but I am going to stick to my guns on this one. The manufacturer's recommendation (from the website) is:

The Century Breverra Ascend SE youth booster car seat is to be used forward-facing only. When using the Century Breverra Ascend SE youth booster car seat with its harness, the youth booster car seat may be used by children 30 to 40 lbs and between 35 and 43 inches tall.

Also, if you look at the nhtsa site, you'll see that the high backed boosters are not recommended for children this age.


Oh, and Graco and Century are the same company.

 

[tjmw2727]

Originally posted by mcnuss
Sorry to be contrary, but I am going to stick to my guns on this one. The manufacturer's recommendation (from the website) is:

The Century Breverra Ascend SE youth booster car seat is to be used forward-facing only. When using the Century Breverra Ascend SE youth booster car seat with its harness, the youth booster car seat may be used by children 30 to 40 lbs and between 35 and 43 inches tall.

Also, if you look at the nhtsa site, you'll see that the high backed boosters are not recommended for children this age.


Oh, and Graco and Century are the same company.

Ok lest I be told that I put my child at risk my seat is a Century Next Step (not the Acend SE) and I am LOOKING at the instruction manual. It reads: "When using with its harness, the car seat may be used by children 20-40 lbs and between 27 and 43 inchest tall". "Without the harness, as a belt positioning booster, the car seat may be used by children 30 to 100 lbs and between 35 and 52 inches tall.

The nhtsa site you point to addresses "belt positioning boosters" and dosen't addres the type of seat I believe the OP is asking about. I think I can also safely assume that at 14months the op's child is front facing. So I think if it has the sticker and fits the airline seats she is ok.

TJ

 

[mcnuss]

First of all, I was not alleging that you were putting your child at risk. However, since so many kids are not properly restained in the car due to bad, conflicting, out-dated, just plain confusing information about what seat is right for what age/weight and about how to properly attach the seat to the car, not parental neglect or anything like it, I took the opportunity to put forth correct & verified information on this board, as opposed to conjecture. Now, not to be snitty, you said you had a Breverra seat so that's what I looked up and the information I quoted was directly lifted with copy & paste from the Graco website.

You do not know that the OP has a model with the same specs are yours. Cruise around gracobaby.com and you will see a wide range of heights and weights listed for the high backed boosters. My point is that you cannot assume that ALL high-backed boosters have the same features as yours, even if it has the 5 pt. harness. DD's was a Graco with the 5pt harness and the high back and my instruction book clearly states that it should not be used until the child is 30 pounds. I looked at yours in the picture and it is clearly a very nice model - wish they had those when DD was littler.

 

[stacy6552]

booster seat is generally used when speaking of a seat without a 5 point harness.

seats that can be used with or without a harness is generally refered to as convertable seats.

Convertable seats that are approved safe for flight by the FAA are approved only when used with the harness. Ours even says that it is not approved safe for flight without the harness right on it.

If you have a FAA approved seat, use it. There should be a tag on yours that says whether it is approved or not, because some flight attendants will check it.

 

[tjmw2727]

Sorry about the "breverra mistake" your right I did say that, I do have one of those in additon to the Next Step. While I am sure my Breverra was good for 22-80 lbs its in the garage unused right now and I can't find the manual. Your right I did assume that the op was talking about a similar seat as she mentioned using it with the harness.

I did see 6 models of high backed boosters (in many nice fabrics!) on the Graco website that were appropriate for 22-100 lbs with the 5 point harness and only one that was recommended for 30-100 lbs. IMHO it did sound as you were alledging that I and the OP were putting our children at unnecessary rist, sorry about that as well. I am a safety seat fanatic as my 6 and 8yo (who sit in boosters) will tell you!

I guess the best advice I have for the op is to check your manual and make sure her child meets the weight and height requirments first of all. Then be sure your seat is FAA approved and call the airlines for guidance as to width and placement.

 

[mcnuss]

booster seat is generally used when speaking of a seat without a 5 point harness.

seats that can be used with or without a harness is generally refered to as convertable seats.

Not necessarily true. Please look at the DIRECT QUOTE from the Graco website that I posted below. I am not making this up, I am getting it from the manufacturer of the seat. NB that this is referred to as a booster seat and it has a 5 pt. harness. Not all seats with 5 pt. harnesses are safe for children under 30 lbs. Period.

Further, a convertible seat, to be precise, is one that converts from rear to front facing once the child is one year old and at least 20 pounds (and this is an "and" not an "or" - the child must meet both criteria).

The part that is totally right, of course, is that if the seat is FAA approved, then it can be used on the plane.

Can you tell this is a hot issue for me? I know of a child who was severely injured in a crash bc the parents did not know that their car seat was not the right one for their child's age, height and weight. These were not ignorant people. They were not in the least bit neglectful. But they got caught up in the misinformation that's out there, and their child paid a very high price.

Moral of the story, if your child is still in a car seat, please go onto the manufacturer's website or here http://www.seatcheck.org/ to a) be sure it is not recalled and b) be sure that you fully understand the specs. Please don't become a statistic.

From seatcheck.org:
Field studies have shown that eight of ten children riding in car seats are incorrectly buckled in. In 2001, it is estimated that only 200,000 seats were inspected. That leaves millions of children at risk riding in improperly installed child safety seats every day. There is also an awareness gap. A recent survey revealed that 97 percent of parents said they were comfortable that they were using their child seats correctly. Parents are simply not aware their children are likely to be at risk.

 

[mcnuss]

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/CSSRating/Index.cfm

If you want to know how your seat rates...

 

[jadyson]

This has gotten totally out of control. My car seat is safe (and safely installed), that's not the issue. He is a big boy (28 pounds) and I have done all the research prior to buying this car seat. I did the consumer reports and also went way out of my way to purchase the BEST infant car seat carrier that he also can still use (up to 35 pounds). I do not buy any car seat , carrier or booster because I like the style and/ or color. Safety is my number one concern and I've done my homework.
I have found that my seat is FAA approved.
Thanks.