![]() ![]() What if my car seat doesn’t fit?įAA rules require that if an approved car seat doesn’t fit, the airline has the “responsibility to accommodate the CRS in another seat in the same class of service.” This means the airline may move you around to find a place where the car seat will fit. ![]() Need other ideas? Check out my guide to the best car seats and boosters for air travel for seats that are tried and true for my family on planes! 9. Measure your car seat as long as it is under 16 inches wide at the span about where the armrests will hit, it should fit. Bulkhead seats are especially problematic as the tray tables stored in the armrests make the seats slightly narrower (the armrests in bulkhead seats also won’t raise up to give you extra space).Ĭosco Scenera NEXT is an inexpensive and lightweight car seat for travel.Ĭonsider traveling with a more compact car seat model. I’ve never had any issues with the Cosco Scenera NEXT which is highly-rated, inexpensive, light, and usable rear and forward facing. This means that some of the bulkiest car seats won’t fit in the narrowest airplane seats. Airplane seats seem to keep getting narrower and narrower and car seats are getting bigger and bigger. Will my car seat fit in the airplane seats? Check with the gate agent to make arrangements beforehand if a flight is not full to secure an extra seat. If you have a baby or toddler traveling as a lap child, the only way you can bring a car seat on board is if you know you will have access to an open seat. (Certificate holders are encouraged to allow the use of empty seats to accommodate CRS however, they are not required to allow unticketed children to occupy empty passenger seats, even if the child uses a CRS.) No certificate holder may prohibit a child from using an approved CRS when the parent/guardian purchases a ticket for the child. Just in case you need official confirmation, here are the rules on car seat use on planes from the FAA (I’d encourage parents to print or bookmark this circular to have in a pinch!): Car seats will say “This Restraint is Certified for Use in Motor Vehicles and Aircraft.” Plenty of seats from other countries are allowed as well if they have a label showing approval of a foreign government or a label showing manufacture under the standards of the United Nations. If you have a seat booked for your child and are traveling with a car seat that is approved for use in aircraft by the FAA, then you can bring and use a car seat on board for your child.Īlmost all seats from major manufacturers like Graco, Britax, Chicco, and others are FAA-approved, but bring your manual or look for the sticker on the side of your seat just in case a crew member gives you a hard time (it happened to a friend of mine). If I want to use a car seat, can I bring my car seat on board the plane? The safest option is with a car seat, but we all make calculated risks on a daily basis as parents.ħ. I bought a seat for my kids when they were babies and toddlers probably about half the time (as much because of comfort as safety), but have also traveled with them as lap children in a several circumstances. While a car seat probably isn’t going to do anything to save your child in the case of a major airplane crash, it can protect against more minor incidents like serious turbulence or a hard landing. ![]() Many airlines have language on their websites encouraging parents to use car seats for kids. All the experts (and I don’t profess to be one) agree that the safest place for a baby or young child on a plane is restrained in their own seat in an approved child restraint system. Whether more should be required is the subject of much debate. Whether to use a car seat on board (and whether babies and toddlers even have a seat at all) is entirely up to you and your discretion as a parent. In addition, children who have not yet reached their second birthdays may travel as lap children. The bottom line is that federal aviation rules do not require that a child of any age use a car seat on a plane at all. This is probably the most controversial air travel parenting question of all. Should I use a car seat on planes for my child? See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.) Car Seats on Airplanes Part 2: Car Seats On the Plane 6. (Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post.
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