Please help me help a friend, infant flying

[Zoemakes5]

Just got this email today from a friend and would love any input you have....I'm going to post on the transportation board too, but thought this particular group might be able to help.......

We recently flew on an international flight (8 hours) with our 4 month old. Shortly before we took off a flight attendant came over and told us we weren't going to be able to use our infant seat in a rear facing position (which is the only position it is intended to be used in) once we were in the air. He said it would interfere with the person in front of our dd being able to lean back their seat. We paid full fare for her ticket and thought we were doing what was best for her safety. If we can't use the seat the way it was intended to be used, then there was no point in buying her a ticket. Everything I read before we left strongly recommended using an infant seat as much as possible during the flight.

I found these quotes from the FAA's website:

Quote:
Did you know the safest place for your little one during turbulence or an emergency is in an approved child restraint system (CRS) or device, not on your lap?



Quote:
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using a CRS. The FAA recommends that a child weighing:

* Less than 20 pounds use a rear-facing CRS



After cooling down for a few days, I decided to call the airline to complain. The first time I called, the person I talked to told me that according to FAA regulations, ALL children must face forward while flying, even though this was obviously contradictory to what the FAA's website says and what the AAP recommends. Frustrated, I hung up, deciding to contact the FAA at some point.

After getting off the phone, I decided to look up this "regulation", and what I found read:


Quote:
(A)The restraint system must be properly secured to an approved forward-facing seat or berth;

It does not say you can't install a car seat in a rear-facing position, just that the car seat must be installed in a forward-facing seat (as opposed to rear-facing seats found on Southwest Airlines).

It also says:


Quote:
No certificate holder may prohibit a child, if requested by the child's parent, guardian, or designated attendant, from occupyng a child restraint system furnished by the child's parent, guardian, or designated attendant provided the child holds a ticket for an approved seat...

Of course, you have to use a car seat approved for aircraft (which ours is and clearly states so on the seat).

Armed with my ammunition (so I think), I decided to call back today, only to be told by someone else at this particular airline that she has never EVER seen a child riding in a rear-facing car seat on an airplane (and she has flown A LOT, according to her), that she has only ever seen children in car seats facing forward. She couldn't, on the other hand, substantiate the information I received yesterday. I called the same number as yesterday, by the way. So these people aren't even on the same page.

We fly back in 5 weeks, and I would really like to know what I can do about this to prevent this from happening again. I plan on printing out the FAA brocure and other information I have found.

So, what do you think? Am I crazy here? What else can I do?

 

[CarolA]

Put the car seat in facing forward???

I have to be honest, I have never seen a rear facing car seat on the plane either. If I were the parent I would have just turned it around. I don't think she/he is going to win on this one.

 

[saremmons]

I flew on SW with my daughter when she was 3 months old in a rear-facing infant carrier/seat. It was strapped in using the seatbelt. I have seen others use them when there was enough room. I was told by the FA that it had to be put against the window.

 

[Dis31]

I saw a rear facing carseat on my flight home yesterday and the flight attendants didnt say a word.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Based on all the apparent confusion, my best recommendation would be for the (or one of the) other person with her party, to change seats so that person is seated in front of the infant. Then putting the seat back won't be an issue.

No, it's NOT the ideal solution - but it's one.

 

[snoopy5386]

we flew twice with my dd and she was rearfacing and no problems. It was on southwest and continental. Infant carriers can only be rearfacing.

 

[helenk]

We've flown SW several times and I have never seen a rear facing seat on any of my flights.

 

[NotUrsula]

It depends entirely on whether the carrier is U.S.-based or a foreign carrier, as only U.S. carriers are subject to FAA rules on carseat use.

If it is a U.S. carrier, then print out the most recent version of 14CFR121.311 (parts of which are quoted above), along with the recommendation flyer from the FAA website that states that the carseat should be used in its mfr.-approved configuration. That should be enough documentation to convince the FA to go to the flight attendant manual to verify that the usage is allowed.

Fact is, US law contain no language that gives anyone a right to recline a seat, but it DOES give children under 40 lbs. the right to ride in an approved carseat as long as a seat has been purchased to hold it. It really doesn't matter a rat's patootie what anyone has seen or what any airline employee thinks should be the rule. It is what is in the written FARS that counts. If after seeing her documentation, they claim that the FARS prohibits it, she should (politely) ask to see that in writing. (FA's are not always above claiming to have looked up a rule without actually doing so, if boarding is being delayed.) If the FARS does indeed prohibit it, then she must accept it for that flight, and take up the issue with the FAA and the airline's corporate office after the flight has been completed.

 

[dsneygirl]

We had DS rear facing in his infant seat on SW from Chicago to Seattle. We hadn't bought him a seat but the flight was only about 60% full. He slept 4 hours, bliss.