Help needed for new parents - plane seat for 6 month old - yes or no?

[tlbwriter]

BUY THE SEAT!!!! I would pay ANY PRICE to PROTECT my CHILDREN!!!! How can you put a price tag on a child's SAFETY???? IMHO this is a NO-BRAINER!

While I agree with you that every parent should buy their child a seat, I'd hate to turn this into a "you're a bad parent if you don't" thread. Most parents skip the seat out of ignorance. They aren't putting a price tag on their child's safety. They just assume it's safe because it's legal. But it's not. As I said in the post I linked to, there's this myth that carseats are useless on an airplane because, if there's a crash, "we're all going to die anyway." This is not true. In fact, most crashes are survivable. Your chances of surviving increase significantly if you do certain things - and one of those things, if you're a child, is to be strapped into a carseat. I think that most parents don't realize this. Nor do they realize that, in the event of an anticipated crash landing, you will be forced to put your lap child on the floor so that he/she doesn't injure the other passengers while being flung about the cabin. Or that turbulence causes injuries daily, and that you cannot physically hold onto your lap child during severe turbulence. Let's educate and inform without making inflammatory judgements. Yes, when you know how it works, it's a no-brainer. But parents have to know first.

 

[Loriannf]

Hi:

I'm all for the buying my daughter a seat and having her fly in her car seat - always have on the 20+ flights she's taken in the last 3 years. Could we please make this topic a sticky so the debates don't just go on and on? We could post the links to the articles and the FAA regs and mention the 1/2 price fares for kids under two and the fact that once they're in a booster seat that chances are the seat isn't FAA approved. We could also include ways to get your carseat/stroller through the airport and instructions on gate checking - maybe the title of the sticky could be "Traveling with Kids - Carseats, etc."

Just a suggestion,

Lori

 

[Berrygood]

YES! You should get a seat for your child. Most airlines offer a discount for children under age 2 (me experience has been 50%). You should be aware that you must install the car seat in the window seat (you can't have a car seat between the aisle and another passenger, even yourself) and you can't be seated in the exit row or the rows immediately in front off or behind an exit row. I also don't recommend the bulkhead seat because you won't have access to your carryon luggage. The rear facing car seat will prevent the seat in front of you from reclining so if possible, have one of your family memebers seated in that seat.

As far as lugging the car seat through the airport, I isn't a good idea to check the car seat as luggage. They could loose the seat or worse, damage it in transit.

Those carriers in catalogs that are "approved for airline use" cannot be used during landings and takeoffs.

The safest place for your baby during the entire flight is strapped into his/her car seat.

HTH

 

[Huntava]

We've flown six times with twins since they were 4 months old. On every flight except one we were able to bring on our car seats (for both of them) and not get charged for the extra seats. Check your flight and see how full it is...normally they are not going to be 100% full, and you can ask the gate attendant to move you to a seat that has an empty seat next to it, and they will let you bring your carseat on and not charge you for the seat. If by chance the plane is oversold and will be completely occupied, you just gatecheck your car seat with the gate attendant, and it will be waiting for you when you deboard the plane. They will normally allow you to do this until the kids are 2 years old.

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

Thank you everyone!!!!!

I'm sorry if I started a potentially hot topic - I honestly didn't know and am happy to hear everyone's opinions. I've decided to go with my initial instincts and buy our baby a seat. I think we'll all be more comfortable that way and I'll feel better knowing we have a seat for the baby for safety more than anything! Like I said in my original post - we're newbies and just plain don't know about these things. We're still dazed and confused by Babies R Us but I'm sure by next year we'll have the aisle's memorized!! But as far as lap children go, I mean you see it done all the time so you think it must be okay but after the recent Canadian crash and what happened at Sioux city I would never take a chance with my child's life. That and heaven forbid even if the flight were fine but we didn't have a car seat for the town car and got into an accident - I'd never forgive myself!! So like I said the decision is made - we're buying our baby a seat!

 

[justhat]

I just wanted to add that if you buy an infant fare on Southwest it is fully refundable. So if it turns out that there are empty seats on board they'll refund the money for your baby's ticket. Not sure if that applies to you, but thought it would help anyone thinking of Southwest.

Oh, and one other thing about checking your carseat, even gate checking it. When we flew from Savannah to Orlando in April we gate checked our stroller (along with 2 other families). When we arrived in Atlanta for our connection we were told that they never loaded our strollers onto the plane and they left them in Savannah. They put them on a Delta flight to Orlando that ended up coming in the same time our connection arrived in Orlando so we walked over to the Delta counter, claimed our stroller and left. The bag the stroller was in (it's a stroller bag that Maclaren sells, pretty heavy material) was torn and damaged, so who knows how the stroller was thrown around. However, we could have been less lucky and the stroller would have been on a later flight and we would have been carrying our 13 month old around Disney that first day. While that wouldn't be the end of the world, if it had been her carseat it would have since we would have been out of luck for the towncar to the airport. So even when you gate check things happen and I'd rather be safe and have her seat onboard than risk the chance of not getting it when we arrive.

I also agree that a sticky thread would be a great idea!

 

[NotUrsula]

I wouldn't bet on an empty seat on SWA; they are running full to the gills on most flights into Florida these days. Coming home, maybe, if it is relatively early, but going down? Almost never an empty seat. A discounted fare is almost always way cheaper than the infant fare, but it's nonrefundable.

A clear cover or one that exposes the wheels and handles is best for gate-checking; it insures that the ramp personnel know that it is a stroller. They don't usually keep the heavy clear bags for carseats at the gates; ask for them from a skycap or at the main bag-check counter.

 

[the kabuki]

I've purchased seats for mine, but they were pretty close to 2 years old when we flew. Although safety was a factor, just having some more space in the plane was good too.

 

[justhat]

I wouldn't bet on an empty seat on SWA; they are running full to the gills on most flights into Florida these days. Coming home, maybe, if it is relatively early, but going down? Almost never an empty seat. A discounted fare is almost always way cheaper than the infant fare, but it's nonrefundable.

A clear cover or one that exposes the wheels and handles is best for gate-checking; it insures that the ramp personnel know that it is a stroller. They don't usually keep the heavy clear bags for carseats at the gates; ask for them from a skycap or at the main bag-check counter.

We almost never fly SWA to Orlando because we can get really cheap fares on USAirways and fly out of Washington National, rather than BWI, so we save about 45 minutes travelling. So thanks for pointing out that flights to Orlando are usually full. We have only gotten the refund on other routes so I don't want to get people's hopes up. We have gotten cheaper fares on SWA than the infant fare, but many times we've had to take flights where the infant fare was cheapest. Other times (like last month when we flew to Cleveland for $78 rt) we just buy her the discounted fare rather than risk the flight being full and paying more for a refundable ticket.


About the stroller (I assume you were referring to my stroller being left at the gate in Savannah), even though mine was in a bag, the other 2 strollers were not in any kind of bag, just folded and left by the door, so it was obvious they were strollers. Our stroller bag (made by Maclaren) says Maclaren on the sides (if they happen to know that's a stroller) and we also labeled it with Mickey paint samples from Home Depot. So there are little Mickey heads that say "Stroller" all over the bag. We did this cause we've been asked if they were golf clubs by many airport workers when we check in, go through security, etc. Our stroller won't fit in those plastic bags that the airport gives out, it's too long, so it's either send it by itself and get it all dirty like our other strollers are, or put it in a bag.

The problem with the stroller was that as we were boarding the gate agent taking our boarding passes told us to leave the strollers at the beginning of the jetway and she'd bring them down. My husband insisted on taking it to the plane door, but she said she'd definitely bring it herself. He even said "you won't forget right? Cause we're going to Disney and that would be a very bad trip without a stroller." He was kind of kidding, and she laughed and said of course she'd remember. You can't really argue with airplane personnel or they won't let you on, so we agreed and did what she said. Well she didn't remember and so all the strollers stayed in Savannah! Really would have been a problem had it been a carseat though since we would have been stuck for the towncar. (And our carseat is in a opaque bag too, clear plastic not an option for that either, though it would fit, cause we wear the bag on our back, which we couldn't do with the plastic. We never check it though so it's not an issue.)

 

[NotUrsula]

"Our stroller won't fit in those plastic bags that the airport gives out, it's too long, so it's either send it by itself and get it all dirty like our other strollers are, or put it in a bag."

Tecnically, you can use those bags to cover a Mac; you just need two of them. Put one on from the wheel end and tie it tight, then put another on from the handle end and tie that, too.

What I used on my Mac (and my Chicco and my Pliko--I collect strollers) was a ripstop nylon sleeve; just a rectangle of fabric with elastic on the wide ends, and velcro squares down the narrower end. The wheels and handles stick out, but it protects the upholstery and is much cheaper than an official travel case. I can roll the stroller down the jetway with it on, then just set the brake when I leave it by the door. It also has "BABY BUGGY - DELIVER TO GATE" on it in big letters, and it is neon yellow. VERY hard to miss.

Never let a gate agent tell you not to carry your stroller to the end of the jetway; fold it and take it down yourself; putting it next to the exterior jetway door (but NOT blocking the door, of course.) BTW, I don't let any amateurs fold either my Mac or my Pliko; those aluminum frames are way too easy to bend out of whack if you try to cram them shut rather than folding them as they are meant to be folded. Most breakage to strollers comes from airline personnel trying to fold them (or refold them if the clip didn't hold) --play it safe, either bag it or bungee it.

 

[bjakmom]

CrzyforPiglet - I am so glad you decided to purchase a seat for your little one! - I'm a mom who was actually forced to place my then 5 mos old DS on the floor between my feet and assume crash position on a trip from LA to Chicago when we had some difficulty with the landing gear. Fortunately all went well - but it was a real shock to me to learn THAT procedure !! - and, believe me, the crew aren't the least bit interested in arguing with parents about their 'policies' under those circumstances !! I had travelled many, many times with DS and my older DDs on my lap, but never again - as you said, not worth the risk !! Now that I'm a grandmom I will always pay for my grandkids to have their own seat for just this reason.

NotUrsula - did you purchase the stroller cover you are describing? I've never seen one and am interested in sending something like that with DD when she flies down with DGrD and my (treasured) Mac - I'm worried that once in the navy blue stroller bag that comes with the Mac, they may not recognize that it's a stroller - and there's no way I'm going to let her gate check my Mac without some kind of cover protection!

 

[justhat]

Ordinarily we wouldn't leave the stroller anywhere other than outside the plane door, but we couldn't fight with the gate agent (and trust me, my husband tried cause he just knew that she'd forget it) so we did as she said.

Thanks for the tip on the plastic bags. If we're ever without our stroller bag we'll try it. Problem is that we love the stroller bag-it's got wheels and a handle, plus it can hold lots of things that we don't want to check so we can use them in the airport, but don't want the hassle of carrying on the plane. We also usually stuff it with diapers, just in case the checked bag with diapers doesn't arrive (though now we're not sure of the stroller bag either!). We do have about a million labels on it that say stroller and have never had a problem other than that flight (though we have had pilots check on it for us when we were waiting awhile as I don't think they always see the stroller labels and bring up unwrapped strollers first). It has always been loaded onto the plane at the gate and generally waiting for us when we get off. When it wasn't there, and the pilot would check, they'd always bring it right up, it never went to baggage claim.

The airline damaged it when they forgot it and sent it regular checked on another airline, but they gave us 3 one-way tickets to compensate us so when we have to buy a new bag it won't bother me too much. Right now it's still useable so I'm not too worried, but when the time comes to replace it I'll have to remember the free tickets so I won't care about the price!

 

[have2getaway]

I would buy the seat. My dh and I traveled when my ds was 18 months, which is older than your child. It was so miserable. Our son is rather large and it was the most unenjoyable flight. We had one connecting flight where the flight was empty--much, much better! Now, I'm sure your six month old is not as large as our son, but keep in mind the room on the airplane seats is very small. I encouraged a co-worker recently who was traveling with her son (12 months) to buy a seat. Well, she didn't buy a seat and she said that she would never not buy a seat again. It was just too uncomfortable.

The safety issue is a concern too. Naturally, when your child is in their own seat, they are safer. the price of a half-price ticket for an infant seems so appealing when you have been cramped for 2+ hours!

 

[jinglesmountjoy]

My DW and I flew a 4.5 hr flight with our 4month old a couple of years back and we simply asked for a bulkhead seat and asked to have a bassinet (which attaches into the bulkhead at the perfect level for you to watch him/her). You also don't have to pay for him/her then. For the takeoff and landing, DW just nursed and all was perfect. In fact, 2 other passengers sitting around us actually came over after the flight and commented on how impressed they were with the fact that DD didn't let out a peep for the whole flight.

Of course aren't they all different.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not to add fuel to the fire---but it is no longer the crash procedure to place an infant on the floor. I have traveled with ticketless under 2's several times and I have always verified with the flight crew.

I'm not insinuating that what they have you do is safer than a car seat---but you do not place your kids on the floor. I believe it was changed some time after the Iowa corn field crash--where parents babes slid underneath the seats on impact.

 

[justhat]

Like I said, my daughter was in her carseat, but on a flight last summer the FA told me that if she didn't have a carseat we'd have to put her on the floor for what they expected to be a hard landing. Maybe she was just trying to scare me into always getting her a seat (though we bought one on that flight so why bother with scare tactics?) or maybe she was just uninformed. I'm not saying that you're wrong, and I really hope that they did change that policy since it sounds horrible, just saying that there's conflicting info. I've also had a FA tell me I had to move to the 2nd row of a plane because the bulkhead is considered an exit row so I can't sit there with my daughter. Now I know that I've sat there with my daughter in her carseat on the same exact type of aircraft many, many times, but this one FA claimed it was a rule and so we had to move to row 2 like she told us too. So if you get a FA like mine last summer, I don't think you'll be able to start challenging that they changed this rule.

 

[RangerPooh]

Our 5 month old has gone on so many flights in her life so far (including the 5.5 hour flights to both Orlando and Hawaii) and we have never purchased her her own seat. I just made sure that DH and I were seated next to eachother (if you have the entire row to yourselves then I recommend the window, otherwise the isle if you'll need to get up and change the baby), placed our dd in her jammies and blankies and she slept almost every flight that we took. To avoid issues of cries we would have a pacifier or bottle on hand. We've been fortunate enough to never have an outburst and have received compliments on how well she behaved.

Just buy yourself a seat carrier bag (Babies R Us) and check it with your luggage. One thing that we learned the flight crew won't allow is flying with your baby placed in a Snugglie front pack due to if there's flight trouble. But if you have the extra money you can spring for the seat (some airlines offer 50% discount), other wise it's not too difficult flying with a lap infant. You still get priority boarding.

 

[NotUrsula]

No, I made them. Not hard if you sew even a little. Just measure the length of the folded stroller not counting the handles, that is one side. Then measure around the widest point of the folded stroller and add 50% + 4 inches; that is the other side. Fold over 1 inch on each edge and sew that down. On the top and bottom edges sew on the elastic by stretching it as you go (do 2 lines of stitching). For the other edges, cut about 8 2" squares of wide velcro and sew them down or put them on w/ super glue. (Don't use stick-on velcro; not strong enough.) Using a fat sharpie, write your wording on it and also your surname and cell phone number. Ta-da.

 

[bjakmom]

NotUrsula - Brilliant idea !! Thanks for the details - I can do that !