Question on Flying with a 2-year old

[matt1979]

My son just turned 2 last week...meaning he'll be 2 years and 3 weeks when we fly next week. We purchased a seat for him...but do not want to bring his car seat with us. I'm a bit nervous that he won't want to sit still for takeoff and landing and he'll try to fight his way out of the lap belt. Question is...can we have him on our lap during takeoff/landing despite him technically being over 2? I know we can purchase one of those CARES restraints...but at $70...I'd rather just have him in our laps if he's antsie. Thoughts?

 

[Ladcassidy]

My son just turned 2 last week...meaning he'll be 2 years and 3 weeks when we fly next week. We purchased a seat for him...but do not want to bring his car seat with us. I'm a bit nervous that he won't want to sit still for takeoff and landing and he'll try to fight his way out of the lap belt. Question is...can we have him on our lap during takeoff/landing despite him technically being over 2? I know we can purchase one of those CARES restraints...but at $70...I'd rather just have him in our laps if he's antsie. Thoughts?

We love our CARES harness. DD6 has used it on a ton of flights over the past 5 years, so the price per trip is very low, even though it has an initial $70 price tag. It basically adds a 5 point harness to the airplane seat, which makes it seem like a car seat to a child. Because of that sense of normalcy, most children I have seen using them, including DD, are less antsy than you night suspect.

 

[kellyjeanie]

We rented a CARES harness on eBay for our 2-year-old last year, it worked out great - http://www.ebay.com/itm/231130572830

My son was 2-1/2, very active, and he wasn't always happy to be strapped in with the CARES but he was easily distracted by the little backpack we brought for him with snacks, toys, crayons/coloring books, my phone, etc., it worked out ok. No screeching or escaping. I was really glad we had it and I didn't have to try to hold him down, it seemed like the safest place for him. Good luck!

 

[matt1979]

We love our CARES harness. DD6 has used it on a ton of flights over the past 5 years, so the price per trip is very low, even though it has an initial $70 price tag. It basically adds a 5 point harness to the airplane seat, which makes it seem like a car seat to a child. Because of that sense of normalcy, most children I have seen using them, including DD, are less antsy than you night suspect.

Problem is we don't fly much...so I don't see us getting our money's worth. Perhaps I'll look into the rental option...or see if I get lucky at our local Once Upon a Child.

 

[jayhawk74]

Question is...can we have him on our lap during takeoff/landing despite him technically being over 2?

Legally only children under the age of two can be held in a lap for takeoff and landing. All persons two years of age and older must be in their own seat, with a restraint, for takeoff and landing.

 

[zy144622]

I recommend letting your child sit in their own seat buckled. Ask any flight attendant and take off and landing are the most important times to be buckled. If there was to be a breach during taken off/landing it is not possible to hold on tight enough. If flight attendants had it their way all babies would be in a car seat. The slang term for a child on a lap is a football for a reason.

Maybe a tablet and some headphones would help distract your child?

 

[cjbcam]

My cousin was working in the flight tower in northern Canada last year when a plane crashed near it. There was only maybe 8 or so people on and the only one to die was a baby because the mom just couldn't hold on to it. I would just strap him in for his safety.

 

[gdrj]

My cousin was working in the flight tower in northern Canada last year when a plane crashed near it. There was only maybe 8 or so people on and the only one to die was a baby because the mom just couldn't hold on to it. I would just strap him in for his safety.

Agreed. Would you drive with your 2 year old on your lap, of course not! Even during the mid flight he needs to be buckled in. A bit of turbulence or a lot could have serious consequences. It's worth the investment, as much if not more as a giant stuffed Mickey or photo pass is.

 

[maxiesmom]

They won't allow him to be held. You have 3 choices--either bring a car seat, buy/rent/borrow a cares harness, or have him use the regular seat belt.

 

[Lolsmum]

You may find that he's better at being in a seatbelt than you think. A car seat is the safest option generally, and the CARES harness may or may not convince your child to be still. It worked great for my son, but my daughter worked out in seconds that she could slide out the bottom, at least up to her neck. Ugh. It was a long and difficult flight. Surprisingly, she did fine with just the seatbelt a few weeks later, even though she could obviously slide out of that too. The harness seemed to give her a reason to try to escape.

(I know on the longhaul flights we've done lap babies are actually seatbelted as well, with a belt that attaches to the parent's seat belt. I still bought mine their own seats, but it was a safer way to hold them. When they were tiny, I nursed for take off and landing because it helps with their ears.)

 

[Gracie09]

No he must be in his own seat. Being the car seat. Stick him in it. Cares harnesses have height and weight minimums. Take off and landing are the two most dangerous times on a flight. There is no way he should be sitting on your lap at those points And he's not technically over two, he's over two. And those straps that attach a baby to the parent are even more dangerous that just holding a baby and the not allowed take off and landing on us flights.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

.......

(I know on the longhaul flights we've done lap babies are actually seatbelted as well, with a belt that attaches to the parent's seat belt. I still bought mine their own seats, but it was a safer way to hold them. When they were tiny, I nursed for take off and landing because it helps with their ears.)

Those belly belts are not allowed in the US, although I have seen them used on foreign airlines when flying in Europe. They don't protect the baby, they only prevent him or her from becoming a projectile in a crash.

 

[goofy4tink]

My son just turned 2 last week...meaning he'll be 2 years and 3 weeks when we fly next week. We purchased a seat for him...but do not want to bring his car seat with us. I'm a bit nervous that he won't want to sit still for takeoff and landing and he'll try to fight his way out of the lap belt. Question is...can we have him on our lap during takeoff/landing despite him technically being over 2? I know we can purchase one of those CARES restraints...but at $70...I'd rather just have him in our laps if he's antsie. Thoughts?

Do yourself a favor and bring the carseat. Your son is used to it. It will make the flight so much better for everyone involved. Yes, it can be a pain in the neck to bring it just for the flight, but it is what it is...a 'cost' of vacationing with a youngster!

 

[amym2]

I agree with the others who said to bring the car seat. Even if you won't need it on the rest of your trip, it is worth having it on the plane, assuming it is FAA approved, of course.

 

[laughinplace199]

Do yourself a favor and bring the carseat. Your son is used to it. It will make the flight so much better for everyone involved. Yes, it can be a pain in the neck to bring it just for the flight, but it is what it is...a 'cost' of vacationing with a youngster!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

$70 verses the safety of a child.

 

[Gracie09]

$70 verses the safety of a child.

You can rent them for about $20. So essentially the cost of two beers at Disney or your child's safety.

 

[matt1979]

You can rent them for about $20. So essentially the cost of two beers at Disney or your child's safety.

Yes...we're going to rent one. Thanks for everyone's input!