Your car seat on a plane?

[mickey&missy]

Can someone help me?

We are flying Southwest, I have a Britax car seat that is FAA approved. Thankfully I looked at the FAA website just now and it said the car seat needs to be no more then 16 inches across. At its widest point the car seat is 18 inches, maybe even 18 1/2. The widest point is at the point next to the childs legs. The base is 16 inches.

So I need to buy a smaller carseat?

TIA! You guys are the best!

[scootch713]

I can't really answer your question other than, do you feel you absolutely need one?? You don't HAVE to have one......

[MicMouse]

Depending on your child's age, you may not need to bring it...although it might make for an easier flight. We flew with our 1.5 year old twins last spring and we did not bring their car seats. They were up and down for most of the flight.

Good luck on your trip and have a great time!

[BigRedDad]

I hope someone has an answer because we have a Britax Decathalon which I think is more than 16" as well. If I can't bring the car seat, I will probably get the CAREs system.

[merlinmagic4]

I used a Britax on our last flight although to be honest I don't remember the exact style. It fit fine. I thought it was great using the seat, although admittedly a big pain to carry around. My little one sat in it the whole flight because that's just what he does in the car seat! I don't think it ever occurred to him to get up and move around. Much easier for us!

[vamaggie]

While you may not NEED a car seat on the plane it is really much safer for the baby to be in one. Also, they are used to the car seat and do not want to get "up and down for most of the filght" making life much easier for everyone.What we do is hang the car seat off the back of a stroller to get it through the airports. Not sure about SW policies but we found that when we fly if we lift the armrest between the seat with the car seat and the seat next to it it is no problem to fit.

[teambricker04]

We fly all the time with our Britax (We have had a roundabout and a marathon), and although it is a pain it really is worth it for the saftey of your child.

Good flight attendants will check to make sure that your seat is FAA approved, don't be offended. They may even check how you put it in, but that is for the safety of everyone. When we travel with our under 1 year old we still put our seat backwards like we do in the car. I have had flight attendants give me a hard time about the size of our seat and the way it is put in, but just make sure you know what you are doing. Some flight attendants don't really know as they don't have kids, have never travelled with a carseat, or are just out of the loop of current day saftey on their plane or with carseats.

If your child is a year or older, I would get the cares system that another poster suggested. You don't have to lug the seat through the airport and it isn't terribly expensive ($70 or so). If you are renting a car you can always check your seat.

I believe it is an FAA regulation that a child that is under 2 must be in a saftey seat or cares system if they are in their own seat. I suppose you could get away with a 1.5 yo in their own seat without a saftey harness, but if something were to happen (god forbid) you don't want anything to happen to your children because they weren't properly restrained.

You can always check with the airline what kind of plane you are flying on and what the seat dimensions are. Typical example, Airbus type aircraft are wider than Boeing. You get about an extra inch of width per seat on an Airbus vs. Boeing. Regional jets will all be tight.

[mickey&missy]

Thanks everyone!!

I did further research this morning. IT was truely a pain to find any kind of info that was at all helpful.

I found a website, by reading something on another website, called seatguru. You can look up the airline, findout what type of planes they have and lookup seat measurements etc. I foundout the all the planes that SW has have 17 inch wide seats. I also foundout, as a previous poster said, that if I put the armrest up the seat will fit just fine.

I wouldn't go without buying DS a seat. I'll admit I briefly thought about it, this is his first flight. But after research here and other places online there is NO WAY I'd hold him for the flight. Its well worth the $322 his roundtrip ticket cost to know he's safe. I can't imagine, god forbid, if we hit bad trubulence he'd be safe if I held him. You hear stories of planes hitting air pockets and people hitting their heads on the ceiling and being injuried. Imagine if it was a baby!

He'll be much happier and safer in his seat! We'll be much better off that way!!!

Thanks again!!!

[javamama]

We flew AA last year and our Marathon fit, it never fits like in your own car, but it works. I need to check, thanks for the FYI were flying Air Tran this time.

[vamaggie]

I wouldn't go without buying DS a seat. I'll admit I briefly thought about it, this is his first flight. But after research here and other places online there is NO WAY I'd hold him for the flight. Its well worth the $322 his roundtrip ticket cost to know he's safe. I can't imagine, god forbid, if we hit bad trubulence he'd be safe if I held him. You hear stories of planes hitting air pockets and people hitting their heads on the ceiling and being injuried. Imagine if it was a baby!

He'll be much happier and safer in his seat! We'll be much better off that way!!!

Thanks again!!!

Let me get on my :soapbox: here a minute. People always say that they feel comfortable holding a baby on a plane, plus air accidents harldy ever happen, you're safer in a plane than a car ,etc. While all this is true what most people don't understand is that accidents are not the only concern. Turbulance that we as adults may not even feel as much could really damage an infant/baby whose neck muscles are not as developed. Imagine a baby getting whiplash. If you can at all afford it, please buy the seat for your little one. Ok, off the :soapbox: now.

[mickey&missy]

Let me get on my :soapbox: here a minute. People always say that they feel comfortable holding a baby on a plane, plus air accidents harldy ever happen, you're safer in a plane than a car ,etc. While all this is true what most people don't understand is that accidents are not the only concern. Turbulance that we as adults may not even feel as much could really damage an infant/baby whose neck muscles are not as developed. Imagine a baby getting whiplash. If you can at all afford it, please buy the seat for your little one. Ok, off the :soapbox: now.

:thumbsup:

[rwdavis2]

We always bought seats for the kids and put them in their car seat. At the time as long as it was Dept. Transportation certified then the airlines let you use it. If you remember back when that airliner tried to land into Iowa City with no hydraulics and they almost made it, one account has a mother losing a child because she had been holding him and did not bring the car seat along. There's no way someone is strong enough to keep hold of anything at those force levels.
Bob

[MonoMan]

We fly with the Britax Roundabout - no problems with the fit. I would recommend that you highlight the portion of the sticker on the side of the seat that states it is FAA approved. A flight attendant did this for me on my first flight with it and it has saved us a lot of time because each time you board with it they are required to make sure it is an approved seat. I completely agree with always having a seat and car seat for your child. I think it is the safest and most comfortable for them.