Child Car Seats and Airlines

[mike1mc]

Does anybody have any info on using a child car seat in an airliner? Do any airlines allow this, and what certification would the car seat need? I can't think of a time that I've ever seen one on a plane, but it only seems logical (not that it means anything to the FAA).

 

[CF34-3B1]

Does anybody have any info on using a child car seat in an airliner? Do any airlines allow this, and what certification would the car seat need? I can't think of a time that I've ever seen one on a plane, but it only seems logical (not that it means anything to the FAA).

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/childsafetyseats.cfm

 

[Ailerongirl]

Ensure that your CRS has received FAA approval. Check for a label reading, "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft."

This is the most important point, and depending on which airline, the gate agents and/or f/a's will check for it. Saying that, there are very few, if any child seats out there these days that are not FAA approved.

 

[ATL2CDG]

In almost ALL cases, booster-type seats and seats with a pivoting back will NOT have the "approved for use in motor vehicles and aircraft" designation. A basic test without hunting for the sticker: ensure that it is a solid, one-piece unit (both seat and back) with shoulder harnesses and a lap restraint.

 

[Ailerongirl]

In almost ALL cases, booster-type seats and seats with a pivoting back will NOT have the "approved for use in motor vehicles and aircraft" designation. A basic test without hunting for the sticker: ensure that it is a solid, one-piece unit (both seat and back) with shoulder harnesses and a lap restraint.

Oh yeah...I forgot about that. (I'm kinda out of practice)

What he said.

 

[deskjobssuck]

Something to think about in addition to the FAA approval is whether or nor the carseat will fit correctly in those tiny airplane seats. We have taken our 11 month old daughter on something like 35 flights now and we have a very hard time fitting her new seat. It definitely won't fit between the armrests, and also won't allow the seat in front to recline if the carseat is properly installed in the aft facing configuration. That being said, I have to imagine that even a front facing carseat has to be better than holding a 20+ pound baby in your lap in the event of an emergency. I'm not saying that it's ok to install the seat improperly, just that whiplash is probably a better option that becoming a projectile. But I'm a pilot, not a doctor, so who knows.

And someone else said it first: it's dang hard to find a carseat that's not FAA approved at this point. As far as F/A or gate agent checking for approved status, I've never had it happen. They usually just frown when you bring the carseat on board and then proceed to hit everone sitting in the aisle seat with it when you walk by. Not that I've ever done that.

 

[ATL2CDG]

I have to agree wholeheartedly with deskjobssuck regarding the use of a CRS over simply holding a child in one's lap. I think it shows stupidity on the part of the government to mandate the use of a CRS in a automobile moving at 55mph but not in a aircraft travelling 450 knots. In irregular or emergency operations, those unrestrained children become 10 to 30 lb. projectiles. However, given the FAA's lackluster history of acting in the best interest of safety, I'm certain we'll continue to see parents wrestling with their one-and-a-half year old while surfing through moderate turbulence for years to come.

 

[Resume Writer]

ATL and Ailerongirl are correct. We always pre-boarded people with children and carseats. If you have not purchased a seat for your child, then at the last minute (unless the flight is totally empty) they will let you know whether there is an empty seat. If there are no empty seats, then they can gate-check your car seat.

As an FA, I always asked people to move around to accomodate the families and offer them some kind of perk, like a free drink or headset. If someone was particularly nice, then I would bump them to first class. When I was traveling non-rev, and knew I was apart from my children, I would tell the FA that I would buy a drink or a headset for anyone that would move.

On the side or back of the Car Seat will be a certification stamped into the plastic molding. There is definitely a problem with the car seats fitting in the seat. Also, the car seat needs to go at the window to prevent blocking any escape routes for another passenger.

I will still never understand the people that insist upon having their child on their lap. Very dangerous.

My favorite story was this woman who had a baby, in an infant carrier on her lap. When I was doing the cabin walk-through, I told her that she needed to put the carrier in the overhead bin.

After take-off, the woman rang her call button. I went up to her seat and asked her what she needed. She said, "Can I get my baby out of the overhead bin now?" When I inquired as to WHY she put her baby in the overhead, she said, "Because you told me to." Will wonders ever cease? Of course, the baby was sleeping peacefully!

Kathy