Thank you for putting together this amazing article, it is so helpful! Some of Spirits seats are 17 wide (which the Doona could probably work with) but some of them are a paltry 15.5. And our kids have almost always refused airline meals anyway just a few nibbles even on 13 hour flights! All in the name of safety! Thats why I personally prefer a lightweight travel car seat! Airlines will pretty much always allow you to check your car seat as baggage, though your risk of loss/damage is greater than if you keep it with you on the plane or at least until the gate. Hello, is it safe for baby to sleep in the carseat in a plane? While the FAA does permit children under the age of 2 to sit on your lap during a flight, they strongly recommend that children be secured in a car seat that is installed on an aircraft seat to protect from injury during take-off, periods of in-flight turbulence, and landing. PD: We are flying with American Airlines (we are paying our daughters seat). As long as you do not have the Nuna Pipa Lite (including Lite R and Lite LX) you can travel without the base. Does this have to be put in our checked luggage then? For lots of parents, the most daunting part of figuring out how to travel with a car seat is strategizing about the airport. The airline forced the family to gate check the car seat. He can legally use the Radian on board but basically anything else will make YOUR life easier! There are exceptions, of course on a huge international flight, the overhead bins (if they arent full) are usually tall enough to accommodate an infant car seat. Or using the baby holder on chest like a kangaroo? Travel systems and other car seat-stroller combinations can help, and there are lots of creative ways you can transport your car seat through the airport all the way to the gate read about them all here. When we traveled with two kids in car seats, wed book our family of four in the AB-AB configuration rather than ABC-D. Thanks for this amazing guide! Come prepared with everything you think youll need to entertain your children, and then some! Since hes the older one, youd get a lot of mileage out of a Ride Safer Travel Vest tucked in his backpack. Belt-positioning booster seats are NOT FAA approved and should not be used to secure your child on a plane. I have tried 3 different ones including the Costco scenera and they are so upright! If you do wind up having to gate check your car seats, the good thing is that Ive never encountered an airline enforcing a rule of only gate check either the stroller or the car seat. When planning the outfit your child will wear on the day of the flight, choose clothes, shoes, and accessories that are free of rhinestones or any other metallic accessories that would set off the alarm during security. This post contains affiliate links. Kind of shocking, eh? I had a question if you choose to buy a ticket for your infant (8 months) but decide to keep her on your lap, and check in the car seat at baggage, is that allowed? This will protect the car seat from damage that might occur while being handled by the baggage crew or during the flight. Theyre not nearly as fancy, but your travel day will be infinitely easier. Learn more about the pros and cons of flying with a lap infant if you have a baby. There have been plenty of times when Ive had to carry a car seat down the aisle of an airplane over my head. But its not the end of the world. My question is in regard to checking our carseats and double-stroller. Hello Melissa Thank you for your informative post about flying with a car seat. Which ones have you tried? Im not sure what would be best. Please let me know if you have any more questions! You can read more about it here. Thank you! If you are flying while pregnant, consider wearing compression socks and performing leg stretches every hour to prevent uncomfortable swelling in the legs and ankles. Do you ever have trouble falling asleep on flights because you just cant seem to get comfortable? You may be able to find specific widths for your aircraft if you check SeatGuru, though its always subject to an equipment change. Copyright 2022 Britax. No problem. Can my 5 year old sit in a seat without a carseat? Once you get to your row, if possible put your child in the same row on the opposite side of the aisle. The general recommendation is for children under 40lbs to fly in an FAA-approved restraint either a travel car seat or a CARES harness (minimum weight 22lbs, but fits better at 30lbs full review here). Hi Melissa. One thing Im still not sure is whether you NEED to bring the car seat base, in addition to the actual car seat. We may ask if they have extra seats, but if not, we are planning on just checking both car seats as well. A backless booster is very easy to carry on check out the Bubblebum for one that will fit in a backpack (you can read my in-depth review here). If shes still a little wiggly, you can look into the Ride Safer Travel Vest and use it with the top tether. Thanks for stopping by! The FAA and the NTSB both recommend using your car seat on airplanes. Somehow, our kids managed to survive. For your 4 year old, I know that a booster is convenient but its not really an ideal solution from a safety perspective. If youve used a cart up to this point you need to detach the car seat from the cart, lift the car seat into the row and shimmy it to the window seat if need be. (2022 reviews), Massachusetts Car Seat Laws You Need To Know (2022). They are so ridiculously small that the car seat arm rests dont interfere with them! Can you bring a carseat on a plane in other countries? This is especially important if youll be traveling with breast milk, baby formula, or baby food. US airlines do not permit the use of a carrier during takeoff and landing, as your baby becomes your own airbag in a runway accident. As soon as the flight crew is securely seated in their harnesses, strap your baby into the car seat to keep them safe during the most dangerous part of the flight. Welcome to parenthood! Or what else to make this nightmare sweeter?!! Your page is so great! Hi!! So where can you install the car seat? We traveled with ours for many years and loved it so much that it was our younger childs main seat at home too Its not the tallest convertible car seat but will last a few years. They will be a year old this summer and we have a flight booked from NJ to SC. If your car seat is light enough that you carried it over the tops of the seats, hopefully you can gently place it in position to begin installing the car seat on the plane. I recommend at least bringing the car seat to the gate with plenty of time to spare and asking if theres an open seat you can use. There generally isnt room. Let me know if you have any other questions! But usually either you take it or leave it. I hope this is helpful! I used to be very pleased to seek out this web-site.I needed to thanks on your time for this wonderful read!! We are flying through copa airline, Do you have any advice or recommendations? Your child will be required to use it for take-off, landing and turbulent patches. Read more: The lightest infant car seats of 2021. Avoid airport meltdowns with tips from our in-house safety expert, Sarah Tilton, on planning and preparing for your trip, navigating through the airport, transporting your car seat, and most importantly, traveling safely. My question is, my daughter (4 at the time of travel) will be using her Diono Radian, but Im not sure if my son (who will be exactly 6 years old at the time of travel since its on his b-day week) should and can have his Diono Radian? What should you do if you find yourself in that situation? The best car seat for airplane travel depends on your childs age, size and development level start your search here to pick the right one. Fill in your email address below and well send you a link to quickly reset your password. Its for their own good! Dear Melissa, Thanks for the info. You can wear your baby during the cruise portion of the flight (though you may have to remove her in bad turbulence). They wouldnt permit the kid to sit in the car seat for take-off, but he was clearly not of an age to use the belly belt. Want to know all my best secrets? For children over 40 pounds, sitting in their own seat and being secured with the aircraft lap belt is a safe and acceptable option. If you can be flexible with your travel times, you can often get assistance from the airlines.Before booking your tickets, you should also check with the airline for any guidelines or regulations they may have for traveling with young children, including minimum age, documentation requirements, and seating positions. Hi Kian, Thanks for your comment. But seriously, thats what its like for your baby or young toddler when you put them in a rear-facing car seat on the plane. Install your child seat in a window seat to. They can prevent the cover from getting dirty or torn, but if baggage handlers chuck them from the belly down to the ground hard enough then there can still be damage. That can make it hard to serve them meals or offer quiet hands-on activities on a long international flight. Since shes over 2, I wouldnt sweat facing her forward on a plane at this point. A notable exception is this car seat (suitable for kids at least 2-3 up to 7-8): if youre bringing it on board for a child over 40lbs and decide you dont want to use it mid-flight, you can separate the base from the back for storage. The best place to look for details on your car seat is in your manual. But dont plan on taking your baby out and stowing the car seat elsewhere to let them play. Im a co-admin in this very helpful car seat group, which youre welcome to join for a photo fit check and recommendations on the next step . Change your mind mid-flight? By the time we let them face the front of the plane, they were much more interested in spending the whole flight watching movies on the in-flight entertainment system at least as much as wed let them. If your child is at least 30 lbs and you dont need a car seat at your destination (or you have a Ride Safer travel vest for cars), you can use the CARES harness instead if you think youll want your child to have the whole seat available to relax and play rather than sitting in the car seat most of the time. If you havent already, make sure youve told AA that you will have two lap children, as a standard single aisle plane only has four oxygen masks for every three seats your family would have to be split onto opposite sides of the aisle and seated next to strangers unless they happen not to assign a third adult to an ABC set of seats. But, a question I have?! In those classes, the only option is to hold a child under 2 in your lap and to buckle older kids in the lap belt. Its kind of a cross between a harness and a booster when you use it with the top tether, but it packs up small enough to fit in a backpack. Our flights got much harder when our kids switched to forward-facing because they had a harder time getting comfortable! Hi Mindy, great question! For a rear-facing car seat, the buckle is usually between your childs feet or knees so it wont bother them. Hawaii Car Seat Laws You Need To Know (2022), Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Car Seat Deals (2022), How to Keep Your Kids Cool in the Car Seat, Need a Travel Car Seat in Canada, Eh? I do recommend bringing a car seat with a cupholder so that your kid can have easy drink access to stay hydrated. If you do want to bring the base, the safest option is to put it in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of your baby. Thats it! Thanks for this extremely informative article, Melissa! An FAA-approved convertible car seat will generally just have the first red sentence, while an all-in-one car seat will have both. Reach out to the airline to confirm, but remember that the recommendation/requirement is in place to keep your child and the other passengers safe in a runway crash or during serious turbulence. We are traveling across country to see my family and would have a carseat available when we arrived. Any tips? So I have the Nuna Pipe Lite car seat. Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for stopping by! Rest easy. We have the Britax One4Life. Hi Melissa, What if we couldnt get a window seat for car seat? Reach out to the airline ASAP via Twitter dm or Facebook messenger. Planning Your Trip: Preparing for the flight. I am planning to fly 6 hours ( lax to bos) with a 6 month old. If you buy a seat for children under 2, some US airlines do require them to sit in a car seat or CARES. Raise the arm rests in your row to make your life easier. So, Im thinking NOT having the base would make lugging around the seat (and baby, and dog, etc) a little easier. Unfortunately, outside of the US and Canada its more like the wild west. My daughter just turned 2 but we have flown 30 times with her and have just given up and forward faced her on the plane shortly after a year. Get more details on bringing your booster seat on an airplane here. If you dont buy a seat for your child (under age 2), you may luck out and ask for an empty seat. Even at 1 year old, the most important thing is just to keep her safely restraint in case of turbulence (which is a much more common issue than plane crashes). This child seat is certified for aircraft use. We are planning to travel to PHX from EWR soon and wanted to know if United Airlines allows us to gate check our stroller for 3month old and use car seat? If you have more kids in the future, just note that some car seats require a minimum of 2 years old to forward face. Getting her separate seat on the flight as well. Just make sure the folks in front of you keep their knees in! As long as the seat isnt the Nuna Pipa Lite, I would consider leaving the base at home and installing baseless. The first thing to do is show up at the gate with your small child, car seat, carry-ons and miniature circus tent and politely explain that you need some extra time to board the plane and get situated. Imagine if you got to sit in a perfectly-sized, cushioned recliner for the entire flight. We missed having the aisle seat but survived lots of flights this way. You would be required to hold your baby on your lap for take off, landing and turbulence; its up to flight crew discretion whether or not theyll let your child use the empty seat at all during calm cruise portions of the flight, as some airlines do require that young infants have a car seat if theyre going to occupy a seat. It is generally outgrown once a child reaches 37-38 tall, so if your kiddo is at the top of the growth charts a different option may be better. Im flying with my 4 and 6 year olds and they both have the across the shoulder seat belt type booster seat, would it just be easier to gate check those, since it sounds like they wont work in the plane seat? Not only do the FAA and NTSB encourage buying kids a seat and using a car seat in flight, but your right to use an FAA-approved car seat through the entire flight is protected by law. If they cant, be sure to allow extra time at the airport and it should get sorted out. I have had so much trouble finding a convertible car seat that will rear face on standard airplane (Boeing 737) with the proper recline. First, because airlines have lobbied to prevent rules that might decrease the number of families who fly and thus, their revenue. You can read about the pros and cons of many different travel car seats for 2 year olds. However, its strongly recommended to use a car seat to keep your child safe through runway incidents or extreme turbulence. Then fold your cart and stow it under the seat in front of your car seat. Britax offers three solutions to make transporting your car seat more manageable: The car seat should be installed in a window seat using the aircraft lap belt. Weve been delayed as much as 10 minutes at security waiting on an officer to poke at our car seats. The first time you huffed, puffed, sweated, swore and possibly cried through installing a car seat, that is. Thats what Im talking about. To help prepare your child for the journey and minimize headaches and meltdowns along the way, try these tips: Before packing any carry-on bags, check the FAA and TSA websites for information on what you are allowed to bring on board with you. We generally left the base at home for our Chicco KeyFit but did bring it once or twice when we were renting a car AND our kid was a very consistent car sleeper. So, what is your suggestion? Many airlines dont allow car seats in the bulkhead row. Alternatively, if you have a child whos old enough to face forward but wont stop kicking the seat in front then switching him to rear-facing is the kindest thing you can do for the passenger in front. Be sure to book a window seat if your child will be secured in a car seat during the flight. Really wish the CARES system was an option but as we wouldnt pass the extended usage of CARES exemption, am curious about the safety aspect of a lap belt only seat for the 5 yr old. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Youd want to make sure to inspect a checked car seat for signs of damage (namely stress marks on the plastic shell) before using in the car. We do buy the upgraded seats on Alaska for when we fly to Hawaii so she can sleep reclined rear facing. The most popular option these days is the Cosco Scenera Next. Belly belts have been banned in the US and Canada because they turn a baby into an air bag. Hi! They should shuffle for you, and its easier before day-of. Personally, I wouldnt book those with a young child. I had a mom email me for booster seat info and I sent her straight to your site. Which leads me to recommend. Thanks for your comment! Were planning our first Family vacation for Orlando and well be traveling (kids first time) through JetBlue. Have you brought a Doona on Spirit? The Britax website says its FAA certified. Most airlines in the U.S. and Canada will, allow the use of a child seat as long as it is, labeled as an approved child seat for use in. Just give yourself plenty of extra time to get through security. Below is an example of the FAA approved car seat sticker from this seat. You need some way to keep your child safe in-flight and safe on the roads beyond, so in part it will depend on your childs age and the type of trip. If you buy a seat for your child and are flying a US-based carrier, its your legal right to bring a car seat on board and use it! Hi Dan, Thanks for stopping by! Yes, a car seat is another thing to schlep with you on the endless trek through the airport. And times two! I am a first time Mama to twins. Thanks for stopping by. An infant car seat is the easiest style to install since the belt path is just two little arms that are completely exposed. Its never ideal for baby to sleep in anything other than a safe, flat place like a crib or bassinet but when were trying to balance safe transportation and safe sleep its ok to let baby snooze in the car seat as long as its reclined at the proper angle. Across the border, Transport Canada maintains similar standards. If the plane is narrow you may be unable to wheel them down the aisle. Some parents also recommend looping the short side of the seatbelt around the armrest so that the latch plate connects outside of the car seat. Theyre both lightweight convertible car seats that will fit your baby well now and last for several years to come. You could bring the Ride Safer Travel Vest or, if mature enough for a booster seat, hifold. Is this going to work- installing the base with car seat in the airplane seat? If shes mature enough to sit still for the whole car ride, a booster seat is a VERY safe option at her age. The vest is more compact but the hifold is easier to use properly when getting in and out of a rental car frequently. Make sure you locate yours before you get to the airport; for some international flights, weve had to show it at the check-in counter to avoid sending it along with the baggage. As a more experienced parent now, Id probably leave it at home for most trips. Somehow I didnt get notified of your question in a timely manner, so Im really sorry for the delay. In other cases, weve been asked to show it before installing on the plane. Even if you can, itll be a tight squeeze. In contemporary cars in the US thats not a concern. There are just a few simple steps for how to install a car seat on a plane: Thats pretty much it when it comes to car seat airplane installation! If youre flying a non-US airline, be sure to check their specific policies before booking your tickets. This is one of the more padded options. Near the base of the car seat theres a white sticker with lots of small print. Are you considering flying with a car seat? For take-off and landing Id make sure the car seat is installed such that the harness height is correct. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcqwdxecXmI, Lap-Held Child Safety Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcqwdxecXmI). If you plan to fly Spirit airlines, for example, be sure to read this article for all the particulars. The simple answer is that airplane seatbelts arent designed for tiny bodies. Read more: Important info for traveling with car seats. Contact the airline about their policy prior to, harnessed child seat while traveling on an, Britax international child seat user guide (40 pages), Manual will be automatically added to "My Manuals", Car Seat BRITAX BOULEVARD 70 CS User Manual, Car Seat Britax BOULEVARD CLICKTIGHT Canadian User Manual, Car Seat Britax BOB Gear ICSA User Manual, Car Seat Britax Britax Adventure User Manual, ROUNDABOUT 50 CLASSIC Installation: Aircraft, ROUNDABOUT - MANUAL 2 Installation: Aircraft. Other than the Pipa Lite mentioned above, the base is not approved for installation on a plane. Im getting ready to fly in a couple of weeks with my 10 month old but Im pretty sure I have to use the base with my car seat, the Nuna. I just wanted to say, your site has so much good information. I would avoid checking car seats with baggage if at all possible theres that much more opportunity for loss or damage. We just wanted to see what your advice was if they are going to indeed make us check our double-stroller (Which is definitely over 20lbs). Unfortunately protective bags can only do so much good for car seats. If a child is one and two years old are they suppost to bring their own car seat? These days I feel like half of our flights are spent retrieving their stuff from disgusting airplane floors. Talk to your child ahead of time to prepare them for what they may encounter during the security process to help minimize fears or anxiety they may feel at the airport. Weve only run into an issue once in all the flights weve taken, and that was because we were assigned seats immediately behind the exit row. There are a few reasons. Thanks for stopping by! If you have the regular Nuna Pipa, you can install with the seatbelt guides (little black or silver arms on each side of the car seat near babys knees). The safest way for children up to 40 pounds to travel on a plane is in a harnessed car seat or child safety restraint system. The forward-facing car seat went in front of the rear-facing car seat since there was no real need for recline. Install the car seat in the direction you would install it in your vehicle rear-facing for young children, and forward-facing for older children. Sometimes when you order your tickets well in advance of the travel date, seat assignments are not yet available online, so you may need to call the airline to speak with an agent. In theory, US airlines have to try to seat you in a place where you can use the car seat safely in the correct direction, but that would be more of an issue when traveling with an infant. My favorite option for a 4 year old is the Ride Safer Travel Vest. In order to secure your child in a car seat on an aircraft, the car seat must be FAA approved. Planning Your Trip: How your child should be seated on the plane. Usually gate agents will let you on fairly early in the process even if there isnt an official family pre-boarding policy. So what can you do? or the Cosco Scenera Next (more budget-friendly, just make sure to get a solid color). A car seat (or a child without a car seat, for that matter) cant be in an exit row. While a car seat isnt generally required on a plane, some airlines do require a car seat if you purchase a ticket for a child under age 2 (assuming he or she is under 40lbs). If they dropped a toy or blankie, it rarely went further than their laps (or ours). In between they dont necessarily have to be strapped in (though thats always the safest bet). Boooooo. And how old/big is your child? Every airline sets their own policies. Thanks for stopping by! However, if you plan to bring along your childs car seat so that you can use it when you reach your destination, you may want to consider securing your child in the seat on the aircraft rather than checking it as luggage. Generally speaking, it needs to be in a window seat if its a single aisle plane, and it can also be in a middle seat in the middle section on a plane with two aisles. In this Covid world, am not planning to find any empty seat to use. If the aircraft lap belt is too short, ask a. Hi Melissa, In a couple of weeks we will traveling to Costa Rica from North Carolina , it is an international flight with one stop on Atlanta, , We have a Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat that fits in our Chicco Bravo Stroller; My plan is to bring both the carseat and the stroller to the gate and use the car seat for my daughter (7 months old) during the flight, and for the stroller let the crew members take care of it (the stroller is less than 9kg) so I can use it again when we landed (We have a 3h layover). Its the narrowest convertible car seat and also extremely light. Belt-positioning booster seats require both a lap and shoulder belt to restrain your child and aircraft only have lap belts. Nearly all airlines have rules on where on the plane you can install your childs car seat. Thread the seatbelt through there, buckle and pull tight. Its by far the fastest way to reach a real customer service representative, youll have everything documented and they can make changes for you immediately if you provide a confirmation number. Installing a car seat on a plane wont be like that. Personally Id only fly with the One4Life if I was relocating and had to take it with me. If the flight isnt full, you can often use an empty seat for free to put your child (with their car seat) so that everyone on the flight is safer. If your child will be traveling with a lovey such as a teddy bear, baby doll, or another favorite toy let them know that they will need to be separated from the toy for a few minutes while going through security. Thats awfully nice of you! Just leave the harness in and youll be fine! aircraft and fits properly on the aircraft seat. Thank you so much for your article. If you are traveling outside of the US or will be installing in a very old car (pre-1997 generally) be sure to have a locking clip and know how to use it. Let me know if theres anything else I can help you out with. Thanks for stopping by! Airplanes dont have shoulder belts, so you cant use any booster seat on them at all. Click here to learn how to travel with your car seat like a pro!