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On a recent flight to Albuquerque, I watched a mother, grandmother and child board the aircraft, and Mom was lugging a car seat along with the usual diaper bag, purse, water bottles and one wiggly daughter.
Grandmother seemed rather addled (I’d already watched her flustered search for a missing boarding pass back in the terminal) so I stood up and helped hold various things while the family settled in.
The Mom & Dad Protection Society works that way.
The car seat was, of course, the biggest, bulkiest thing that mother was carrying, and just like in a car she had to manhandle it into a dinky aircraft seat, get all the straps and buckles sorted, then lean onto it with a knee to ensure that it was tightly secured into a window seat. Meantime, daughter was getting fussy and the flight attendants had that slightly pursed-lip look.
A car seat is just too much hassle, you’re thinking?
Take a look at this ABC News video about a 3-year-old sole survivor of a plane crash.
The only thing that saved that child was a car seat that her grandfather had properly strapped her into before takeoff.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that for children’s safety on airplanes, they should be in a restraint that is appropriate for their weight, in a window seat so that there’s no chance of blocking the aisle in an evacuation. TravelWithYourKids.com also has a good post about travel with car seats on planes.
There’s even a less-bulky harness device that is FAA-approved, if you don’t need a car seat for your rental car at the other end of your journey.
Yes, it’s one more air travel pain-in-the-neck thing to deal with, like 3 oz bottles and taking off shoes, but just do it for your children’s safety, and help other parents with their kiddie flight logistics when you can.
Related post: Why don’t airlines provide restraints for kids?
Technorati tags: travel, family travel, car seats on planes
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We travel with the Cares harness instead of a car seat & we LOVE it. It weighs just a pound or two and fits neatly in our carryon luggage. Our son sits comfortably in it and has a little more space to move than he would with the car seat.
We have found, though, that some flight attendants are not familiar with the system though, so it’s helpful to keep the documentation (which shows that the harness is FAA approved) in your carryon
Debbie
We’ve used a car seat on every flight we’ve taken with our son, primarily for safety reasons, but also because he’s one squirmy passenger who clearly flunked out of lap-baby finishing school. I love using a carseat on-board but, the problem is, I almost never feel confident that I’ve correctly installed the seat on the plane. Between the very limited space in which to work and the pressure of trying to secure the seat as quickly as possible without holding up other passengers, I feel like an inept “Beat the Clock” contestant. As a result, the car seat rarely feels as secure on the plane as it does in our car (and yes, it is an FAA-certified seat).
Since my son is approaching two, we’ll probably be switching to the Cares harness shortly, which I hope eliminates this concern. But, I’m curious– do other travelers struggle installing their car seats on planes? Are there some magic plane installation tips I should know?
Hi Debbie,
Thanks very much for your insights into the harness; very helpful.
Your Delicious Baby blog is looking good!
Hi Chris,
I love your blog, by the way….no, I don’t think there are any tricks to fast yet proper car seat installation when you have no room to work, you’re jamming it into a window seat and everyone has that huffy look.
Hey, if they’re parents, they should understand (and offer to help!) and if they aren’t and get huffy….well, I’ll refrain from my usual sailor talk….
Wouldn’t it be nice if aircraft already had some sort of harness that could be quickly installed for young kids?
Interesting point about aircraft already being equipped with a harness for young kids. That would make life so much easier (and safer). This summer, we had a flight attendant on an American Eagle flight who was very interested in child safety (she’s actually the only flight attendant ever to stop us and check that our seat was FAA certified before letting us use it on board). She mentioned that she was lobbying American to carry a few of the Cares harnesses on each flight, but to no avail. She said she even offered to pay out of her pocket to stock them on her own flight, but she was turned down again. I’m not sure of the complete story, but I think it may have been a liability issue (which would be strange, because American actually sells the product through its website).
At a time when airlines are cutting things like blankets and pillows, I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath for new child restraints!
Thanks for the blog compliment– you’re definitely a role-model!
I’m late getting around to visit all of the Carnival participants. (Crazy week . . . only excuse!)
THANK YOU for being part of Colloquium’s inaugural edition. I appreciate your support.
Don’t forget that this week’s Carnival will be hosted at All Rileyed Up. If you haven’t submitted a post yet, you can do so until midnight (Pacific Time) tonight!
Just as a reminder to everyone that car seats do NOT have to go by a window. The FAA says they can’t block another passengers’ access to the aisle so go ahead and book center (bulkhead perferably) seats.
I’m a former Flight Attendant and I fly alone with my three children between Europe and California about twice a year and we have had a seat on every one of those flights. Because we are four, obviously, we don’t want to be split up.
This is a common myth that car seats have to go by windows so please point that out if you see it elsewhere. Also, that silliness about making children suck on something for take-off and landing. Landing is too late. Just make sure they’re awake about an hour BEFORE landing. If they fall asleep on take-off, relax. Their ears wont explode. Promise…
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
Hi Sharon,
Those are great tips, thanks for visiting!
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