What is max width of car seat allowed on plane?

[Tiger926]

Spirit's website doesn't have anything about max width of car seat allowed on their planes. I just called, and the agent knew nothing about it either. How do I find this information? Our older seat is 16.5" and fit very well last year. Just bought my DD a brand new seat, but it's 18" wide, and so my hubby thinks that's too wide for the airline seat - my DD has been very much looking forward to taking her new seat on the plane, but we think it's too wide (it's an Evenflo Chase model).

Where can we get this info? Tiger

 

[freckles and boo]

I can't answer your question about the width of the seats, but I have seen many, many fannies that are wider than 18" in airplane seats . You will probably be able to simply raise the arm rest.

 

[justplaingoofy]

You can go to the airlines website, put in your flight to find out what type of aircraft you are flying on and look up the stats on the plane you are on. That will give you the seat width and pitch, etc.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

According to SeatGuru, the coach class seats on Spirit aircraft (A319, A321, MD-80) are 17 inches wide.

Airlines typically will not allow you to use a car seat unless it is FAA approved (or other government approved). For example, American Airlines' Traveling With Children and Infants page includes the following:

FAA Approved Infant Seat or Child Restraint Devices
Most restraints that are used in automobiles are acceptable for use in aircraft by an infant or small child. Acceptable restraints manufactured in the United States will bear one or both of the following labels:

• "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards"

Additionally, the restraint may carry a second label with red lettering which states the following:

• "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft."

Restraints manufactured outside the United States may be accepted provided that they bear either a label showing approval of a non-U.S. government OR a label showing that the seat was manufactured under the standards of the United Nations (U.N.).

U.N. approval is designated by a label with a circle surrounding the letter "E" followed by the distinguishing number of the country which has granted approval, plus an indication of the category and mass group of the child restraint which will be affixed.

FAA Approved Infant Seat or Child Restraint Device Seat Locations
If you are using an approved infant seat or child restraint device, please note that it...

• May face toward the front or rear of the plane in accordance with instructions on child seat label
• May not occupy an exit seat or the row in front of or behind an exit seat
• May not occupy the space between a customer and an aisle

FAA Non-Approved Infant Seat or Child Restraint Devices
The following may not be used when an infant seat or child restraint device is required:

• Any device without an approval label
• Booster seats without an approval label or shoulder harness
• Belt extensions that attach to the parent or the parent's restraint
• Any device that positions a child on the lap or chest of an adult

 

[Tiger926]

justplaingoofy - That would be great, except I can't find this info on Spirit's website. This is the first time we've flown Spirit, and so we are used to Northwest's website, which is very good. I can't seem to figure out how to find out what plane we will be on for our flight. They seem to only use 2 types of planes: Airbus and something else. Very frustrating to work their website. Anyone have any tips for navigating Spirit's website?

Thanks,Tiger

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

They seem to only use 2 types of planes: Airbus and something else. Very frustrating to work their website. Anyone have any tips for navigating Spirit's website?

I agree that Spirit Airlines' website is lacking.

Spirit flies three kinds of aircraft — Airbus A319, Airbus A321, and Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) MD-80. On some airlines the Airbus A319 and A321 aircraft have 18" wide seats in coach and the MD-80 has 17.5" wide seats in coach.

According to SeatGuru, Spirit Airlines uses 17" wide seats in coach on all three kinds of aircraft.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We have an Evenflo Triumph and I have already just decided that if DS's car seat lops over into my seat, so be it. I know the base will be fine, but the Triumphs have a wide back. Fortunately, I am a twig, so I just told DH I would be willing to be squished if necessary.

Is the base really wide on the Chase, or just the back??? I know they basically want the arm rest to go down, and I know everything I have read is that as long as the seat is FAA approved, you can use it, I have never seen anything about maximum width.

I was going to take my 3 yr old's seat and let her (she is going on a short trip with my sister while we go to WDW) use the Triumph (she is small and within the weight requirement), but hers doesn't have the sticker. The manual says it is FAA approved, but I think DH ripped the label off thinking I would never get on a plane in this lifetime.

I don't know who else you could ask if the Spirit agent didn't have an answer for you. Can they maybe give you a corporate email or phone #, such as the one they would give for a complaint?? The people there may be able to check into it with the flight crews or something to find out what the policy is for you.

 

[DJNOWICK]

They will likely make you lower the armrests during takeoff and landing, and if you can't they may not let you use the seat (they aren't supopsed to let you but whether an individual person will give you a pass...who knows)

Anyway - my 2.5yo DD has a Triumph and it is a WIDE seat (19.5") - as big as a Britax Marathon. If you choose to bring it with you, be prepared to check it at the gate because there's a good chance it won't fit with the armrests down. Plus, it is very heavy, as you well know.

You could either let your 3yo fly with no carseat and rent one at your destination, or if you need a second seat anyway, the Graco CarGo is a good conbo seat (5-pt restraint and converts to a booster) that is very narrow and light, and great for airline travel.

hth, Jackie

 

[DJNOWICK]

Also, fwiw for the OP, carseatdata.org has the Evenflo Chase at 17" wide, not 18". Did you get your 18" measurement from the car seat's instruction manual/literature, or from your own measurement?

Jackie

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The FAA recommends that car seat width be no more than 16"

http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/faa_brochure.pdf

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The FAA recommends that car seat width be no more than 16"

http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/faa_brochure.pdf

Useful PDF file! Thank you for posting it.

The statement recognizes that wider car seats may not fit in the airplane seats in the coach/economy sections of some aircraft. It's not unusual for economy seats to be just 17 inches wide — not just on Spirit aircraft, but on many aircraft.

The wording is:

Measure the width of your CRS.
It should fit in most airplane seats
if it is no wider than 16 inches.​

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks. I am Canadian, so many of the seats that you mention aren't for sale here in Canada. We did a quick measurement of seat, so that's where the 18" measurement came from. It is over the 17" of Spirit's seats, so we won't be bringing, and will instead be bringing her Graco Comfort Sport that she currently uses. By the way, my Chase car seat is not heavy at all, and it's very lightweight actually, but I would never check a car seat as it would get tossed around baggage area for sure. Spirit said (2 different agents), that car seats can't be gate checked like strollers can, and that they must go with luggage - not taking that chance as we need car seat for rental car. Not interested in renting one as aren't guaranteed of getting one, and, I wouldn't be sure of the condition or past history of seat.

Thanks for links and suggestions - I was busy packing last night and didn't get a chance to check DIS.

Happy travels to all, Tiger

 

[NotUrsula]

FWIW, I never lowered the armrest when I used a carseat on board an aircraft. That was on close to 100 flights over 5 years. Not once did an FA ever suggest that I had to, and quite frankly, when you are squished in the middle seat next to a carseat, it is much more comfortable to have it up.

 

[DJNOWICK]

By the way, my Chase car seat is not heavy at all, and it's very lightweight actually, but I would never check a car seat as it would get tossed around baggage area for sure. Spirit said (2 different agents), that car seats can't be gate checked like strollers can, and that they must go with luggage - not taking that chance as we need car seat for rental car. Not interested in renting one as aren't guaranteed of getting one, and, I wouldn't be sure of the condition or past history of seat.

Thanks for links and suggestions - I was busy packing last night and didn't get a chance to check DIS.

Happy travels to all, Tiger

SOrry, I mixed you up with the person who said their DD had a Triumph! I guess all airlines are different - I always gate-check the car seats. I hear you on rental seats - I did it once with Hertz and only because I was guaranteed a brand new, never been used seat (don't ask - it was a freak thing).

Also, I checked SWA's website and they don't say anything about the armrests needing to be down so maybe they changed the rules, or maybe there never was a rule and I just got unlucky with overzealous FAs.

Jackie

 

[bicker]

I believe that's an FAA regulation, not a Southwest Airlines rule. It's is in the same category as the FAA regulation that all window screens must be in the open position during taxi, take-off and landing.

 

[NotUrsula]

The armrests need to be down when the seats are empty or when passengers who fit in one seat are sitting in them. However, in situations where there is a COS using two seats, the rule doesn't force that person to attempt to put down the middle armrest that may be right in the center of his/her back. I'm pretty sure the same exception applies to carseats. (Of course, it would apply to the armrest between the middle/window seats only, not to the one between the middle and the aisle.)

All I can tell you is that in 5 yrs (on about 10 airlines) no FA ever even asked me to put down the armrest that was abutting the edge of the carseat, let alone insisted that it come down.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I checked the FAA website. Under the regulations about CRS, there is nothing about the width of the seat.

It simply says that the child must be properly restrained in it, that it must have the sticker, it must be the right seat for the child's weight, and that it must have the seatbelt tightened, etc.

The brochure that they provide says "if your seat is under 16 inches, it should fit most airplane seats" but does not indicate that it MUST be under 16 inches.

I would think if a seat was too large, it would NOT be approved for air travel, and therefore have no sticker. Although who knows what criteria they use to determine that approval.

Anyway, it also does not state in the regulations that the armrest be down either.

I know for COS, they use the armrest to determine if the COS needs to buy a second seat. But there is nothing on US Air's site, SW's site, Airtran, JetBlue, or on the FAA site stating that the armrest must be able to be put down with a child seat.

 

[bicker]

The armrests need to be down when the seats are empty or when passengers who fit in one seat are sitting in them. However, in situations where there is a COS using two seats, the rule doesn't force that person to attempt to put down the middle armrest that may be right in the center of his/her back. I'm pretty sure the same exception applies to carseats.

Uh, you mean folks using carseats wider than the seats have to purchase two seats, like COS? Makes sense to me, but I've never heard that.

All I can tell you is that in 5 yrs (on about 10 airlines) no FA ever even asked me to put down the armrest that was abutting the edge of the carseat, let alone insisted that it come down.

That I can believe. I've noticed a plethora of violations of FAA regulations, on just about every flight I've ever taken.