Worrying about Flying with a "lap child"

[CharmedLife]

The FAA reccomends that all cgildren under 40# be secured in a harnessed carseat. I'm not sure my 43# 4yo will be in his, but my other 2 will be.

I flew a 9-hour flight with my 4yo DS this summer. I did not bring his booster seat on board but checked it. The only problem I had was that for his legs to bend over the front edge of the seat, he has to sit forward from the back. Then he's not leaning up against anything. This makes the seat belt very loose, obviously not safe. If he sits all the way back against the back rest, he has to have his little legs sticking straight out in front of him. Not very comfortable for him.

I took a pillow and stuck it behind his back so he could lean back but still have a little more leg comfort. I think at this age it's just a little tricky because most of them are in boosters instead of harnessed car seats, but they're not really big enough for a full-size plane seat (ah, I wish I had that probem, mine is just the reverse...) I guess my point is that if you have a harnessed car seat that he fits in, it may be worth bringing it along for his own comfort. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have lugged along our Britax for him, he just would fit better in it.


For what it's worth, when my kids were under 2 we ALWAYS bought them a separate seat. I would not let them ride in a car without being buckled up, I certainly won't let them ride in a plane without it. The chances of a plane hitting rough turbulence, or heaven forbid having an emergency landing are rare, but so is a car accident (I know, more likely than plane issues, but still a pretty slim chance). I work in safety and it goes against my nature not to make sure everyone is secure in whatever vehicle we're in. The airlines we flew (usually Midwest, but sometimes others) always sold us an "infant" ticket for 1/2 price. Maybe this isn't the norm anymore, but at least 2 years ago that's what they were doing. As for hoping for a spare seat... well I don't see a lot of open seats on planes anymore, I wouldn't count on it. If it happens to be there, great, but I would plan on LOTS of diversions and walking up and down the aisles. Whoever invented portable DVD players should be given some kind of award, what a difference it's made to traveling with children...

Good luck whatever you do, as many have pointed out you have to make the best decision for your family and your finances.

 

[PrincessPoohsMom]

Just to offer some thoughts/tips to the OP:

I've flown several times since my (now nearly 11 month old) daughter was born, both with her in a carseat (in a seat we paid for) and as a lap baby. She's very active, a determined climber, and extremely tall for her age (we're talking off all the growth charts tall). The one short flight we took her on as a lap baby was definitely one of the longest 2 hours of my life. That being said, we fly so often because family lives very far away, so I'm well aware of how expensive air travel can be.

I would definitely bring your carseat with you to the gate, if for no other reason that it's likely to survive the trip better being gate checked than tossed into the main luggage hold. Absolutely inquire about an empty seat but to be honest, I would love to know where all these people who have empty seats on their planes are flying from??? I really don't think I've seen an empty seat on any airplane going to any destination any time of the year at any time of day for the past couple of years. It's always been full, full, full. If you do get lucky be assured your seat will fit--we fly with our Britax Roundabout, no issues. Just do make sure you familiarize yourself with how to secure it using the airline lap belt, especially if you're used to using the LATCH system in cars.

Whether you're child is in your lap or a carseat, the key is to have as many "new" things as possible to use as distractions. As other posters have mentioned, window clings and post-its are great novelties. I also had someone suggest a photo album with pictures of family members, etc. Definitely make sure you've got a liquid available to drink during take off & landing, although to be honest my daughter has never seemed that bothered and did just fine with a pacifier.

As far as bringing items through security, liquids are your big concern. The TSA cannot prevent you from bringing breast milk or formula, although they do ask that you limit the quantities to what you'll need for the day. You just need to let the folks doing the screening know you've got it in your bag. As other posters have pointed out, you could probably bring cow's milk from home with you, if you put it in a baby bottle (because they can't ask you to "prove" it's formula). But I wouldn't bother unless you had reason to be concerned you couldn't find any past security. As you pointed out, spoilage becomes a problem (I know a cooler was suggested, but I find I have enough stuff to juggle with a carseat, stroller, diaper bag, and small child). I know someone mentioned that diaper rash cream was a problem for them--I've never had that be singled out by security personnel. Since it's often in a cream/lotion format I've actually never really even thought about it before. If you're worried about it at all, just see if you can find a travel/sample size tube (3 ounces or less) and put it in your quart-size ziplock. That's what I do with my hand sanitizer. Just make sure you take it out of the diaper bag and put it in a bin before sending everything through the x-ray. Oh, and one more word of caution--I've had security demand that I remove my daughter's little Robeez shoes before. Since she's not walking yet I just have her in socks for air travel.

The summary is just allow yourself plenty of time, bring as many distractions as you can without weighing yourself down too much, and do your best not to stress out (too much). Remind yourself that you're never going to see your fellow passengers again, so if your child has a complete melt down on the plane just keep taking deep breaths and doing your best.

Good luck, have a great trip!

 

[thepeach80]

Charmedlife, thank you for your experience. He has a Radian so it harnesses past 40# and it will be a carry on for us, but we weren't sure if we were going to use it seeing as how we have 2 that HAVE to be in carseats and only 2 of us. It will be on the plane though if he has a problem sitting in his seat correctly, which he might since he's all torso and no legs like DH and I.

 

[Nom]

I checked out the Baby-Baire. Looks interesting, but not sure how much good it would do- you cant use it for taxi, take off or landing. .

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but wanted to respond to this. I flew probably 4 times when dd was less than 1 using Baby-Baire. Every time I used it during take off and landing- those are the times that it is most likely there may be an accident, so you'd better bet I was going to use it! You can't really tell if it is being used or not- the baby wears the vest the whole flight, and you just slip the strap on to your own seatbelt. With the baby on your lap, the flight attendant won't really be able to see if the strap is slipped through your seatbelt or not before you take off... and even if they do see, and tell you to take it off your seatbelt, once the flight attendants are seated for take off or final approach, you can always slip it inside your belt at that point.

I think it's foolish that you can't use it at the times you most need it, so it's a rule I've chosen to break. I am also a worry-wort mom, and this device helped me feel like I was doing all I could to keep dd safe as a lap-traveller.

Anyway, off to read the rest...

 

[Nom]

most airplane crashes are not on take off or landing but in midair and when the plane goes down im sorry to say but a carseat isnt gonna matter.

I just have to note that this is simply not true. Most accidents occur at take off or landing, as rare as they are. Also, the vast majority of plane accidents (again, rare as they are) are survivable if you are secured in your seat. We don't hear about the plane accidents that people survive because they don't make for juicy news stories, but they happen!

Other than that, now that I have read the whole thing, I don't have much more to add. I echo others that having a lap child is exausting, but you get through it as best you can and have a stiff drink once you are checked in at your hotel. The Baby B'Aire really helped with my peace of mind and like I said, I definately used it at take off and landing.

The poster who is going on JetBlue should have NO problems- Jet Blue is wonderful and each seat has a personal tv system. It's a parent's dream- I just booked them for my Oct trip and I can't wait.

Have fun and be safe everyone!

 

[NotUrsula]

RE Baby B'Air:

I think it's foolish that you can't use it at the times you most need it, so it's a rule I've chosen to break. I am also a worry-wort mom, and this device helped me feel like I was doing all I could to keep dd safe as a lap-traveller.

Which unfortunately you were not, in spite of how carefully you used it.

There is a reason why the Baby B'Air is only approved for cruising: it is ONLY meant to protect a child in the event of turbulence or loss of altitude, but not a forward impact or decelleration. Tests by the Center for Aerospace Medicine showed that in the event of a sudden decelleration or on-ground crash, the device causes the child to act as a de facto air bag for the adult. Here is the summary paragraph from the published study:

In 1994, the FAA issued a study, included in the docket, entitled,
``The Performance of Child Restraint Devices in Transport Airplane
Seats'' (the CAMI study). Among the findings, the CAMI study found
that, as a class of child restraint devices, shield-type booster seats,
in combination with other factors, contributed to an adbominal pressure
measurement higher than in other means of protection while not
preventing a head impact. In addition, the CAMI study found that vest-
and harness-type devices allowed excessive forward body excursion,
resulting in the test dummy sliding off the front of the seat with a
high likelihood of the child's entire body impacting the seat back of
the seat directly in front of it. For more information on the CAMI
Study, see the preamble discussion under ``CAMI Study.''

You can read the entire study if you want the gory detail; it's public record. The ONLY harness device that passed FAA tests for ground operations is the CAReS harness, which was approved for consumer use last year. It is only approved for children who weigh at least 20 lbs., and it requires the child to be seated alone.

Also, you should be aware that if you deliberately defy an FA's safety orders and you get caught, you can now be (and these days, usually will be) charged with a felony and taken of the plane in cuffs. Even if you don't get jail time, the fine is a monster, at least $1000.

 

[Nom]

wow, that's great info- thanks for sharing! I never thought about that aspect of it, but I have to wonder, what is more unsafe- an impact into the seat in front of you caused by the Baby B'Aire harness, or the child's body flying through the air to some undetermined spot further up in the plane, both injuring the child and making them difficult to locate and evacuate? I would think that the harness is safer... the baby's body would not reach as fast a volocity as they would flying through the air for a longer period, and they would be able to be found and removed from the plane when it is time to evacuate.

But either way, those facts illustrate that really, the only truely safe way to go is a carseat. I think for baby #2, I will always buy a seat if we fly when he is under one. It's too much of a risk.

 

[jodifla]

wow, that's great info- thanks for sharing! I never thought about that aspect of it, but I have to wonder, what is more unsafe- an impact into the seat in front of you caused by the Baby B'Aire harness, or the child's body flying through the air to some undetermined spot further up in the plane, both injuring the child and making them difficult to locate and evacuate? I would think that the harness is safer... the baby's body would not reach as fast a volocity as they would flying through the air for a longer period, and they would be able to be found and removed from the plane when it is time to evacuate.

But either way, those facts illustrate that really, the only truely safe way to go is a carseat. I think for baby #2, I will always buy a seat if we fly when he is under one. It's too much of a risk.

Actually, it's hardly any risk at all, as far as risks go. As many of us have pointed out.

There were 850 million airline passengers last year. And how many injured lap children were there? I find reports of none.

 

[Nom]

Actually, it's hardly any risk at all, as far as risks go. As many of us have pointed out.

There were 850 million airline passengers last year. And how many injured lap children were there? I find reports of none.

I do agree, it is a very very small risk- but if you watch the video posted on an earlier page, to those parents it's a reality.

I still feel that if you have to go without a seat for your dc, the Baby B'Aire is a good alternative throughout the flight. In the end, the only thing that is 100% safe is the seat- that is what I was trying to get at.

 

[ILYSWAK]

I understand your concern. We are going in March and my grandaughter will then be 20 mo.
I will pay for her seat as it can be a safety issue.

Maybe grandma would pay for the seat. Just a suggestion.