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. Some parents (and flight crews!) Check out these best car seats for airplanes, including the honest pros and cons of each one:Best infant car seat for travelBest travel car seat for a 1 year oldBest travel car seat for a 2 year oldBest travel car seat for a 3 year oldBest travel car seat for a 4 year oldBest travel car seat for a 5 year oldBest travel car seat for a 6 year oldBest travel booster seat. So I am assuming that in order to travel with this specific car seat Im going to need to bring along the base so it can lock into the airplane seat. An infant car seat is the easiest style to install since the belt path is just two little arms that are completely exposed. 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. We did continue bringing our harnessed booster on the plane even after 5 to avoid checking it. Since your twins are still so young, Id pick up two of the Cosco Scenera Next (get the solid colors). 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? Thank you for putting together this amazing article, it is so helpful! safety travel newborn directions seat support head baby We have an upcoming flight on American Airlines and their website specifically states: *Each ticketed customer is allowed 1 stroller and 1 car seat to be checked free of charge *Strollers over 20 lbs / 9 kgs must be checked at the ticket counter *All other strollers should be checked at the gate before boarding *If you have a stroller and a car seat only 1 can be checked at the gate. If you anticipate flying Spirit often, I suggest picking up the Combi Coccoro. Wed prop the tablet at our kids feet against the seat back when they were old enough to watch. Then fold your cart and stow it under the seat in front of your car seat. Raise the arm rests in your row to make your life easier. If youve never done that, Im happy to help you through it. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Do you ever have trouble falling asleep on flights because you just cant seem to get comfortable? Theyre both lightweight convertible car seats that will fit your baby well now and last for several years to come. Since car seats can be bulky, positioning them in a window seat will allow any other passengers seated in the row to be able to enter or exit the row freely. If your child is 40 pounds, your child can safely fly without a car seat. One option is to bring along a tray like this one that props on their laps. What is the risk of a 5 yr old, 53lber, in an airline seat? 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. Find out more about me here. As long as you do not have the Nuna Pipa Lite, its very easy. Welcome to parenthood! If you go that route, be sure to practice a baseless seatbelt installation (including locking the seatbelt) in advance. This, however, is the one bright spot of Spirit Airlines and their comically tiny tray tables. 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. If shes mature enough to sit still for the whole car ride, a booster seat is a VERY safe option at her age. And times two! Get more details on bringing your booster seat on an airplane here. I even bought the travel wheel thing I can attach their car seats too to wheel them through the airport thanks to you! Our flights got much harder when our kids switched to forward-facing because they had a harder time getting comfortable! 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. Thats why I personally prefer a lightweight travel car seat! As a side note, the Radian is outgrown fairly early forward-facing usually once the harness is no longer above the kiddos shoulders. So where can you install the car seat? Bookmark these FAA rules on car seats on your phone (or even save it) in case a flight attendant gives you a hard time. 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. 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. The other advantage of rear-facing car seats on planes is that your kids cant really drop stuff. Nearly all airlines have rules on where on the plane you can install your childs car seat. A car seat (or a child without a car seat, for that matter) cant be in an exit row. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. These days I feel like half of our flights are spent retrieving their stuff from disgusting airplane floors. Thank you! American does indeed have a stingy limit for gate checked strollers. Hello Melissa Thank you for your informative post about flying with a car seat. Just leave the harness in and youll be fine! Yes, you can gate check the stroller and use the car seat on the flight We did it many times on United! 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. Can my 5 year old sit in a seat without a carseat? 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. The most popular option these days is the Cosco Scenera Next. 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! Learn all about the most common car seat mistakes - and how to fix them. We missed having the aisle seat but survived lots of flights this way. Thank you for your website and all this great information! Does this have to be put in our checked luggage then? 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. Hi Dan, Thanks for stopping by! The FAA says you have to use your car seat per manufacturer instructions, but if your child is the right age and size to rear-face or forward-face then its totally up to what you want to do. Thanks! During take-off and landing, the change in altitude may cause ear pressure discomfort for children. Its the narrowest convertible car seat and also extremely light. As long as you do not have the Nuna Pipa Lite (including Lite R and Lite LX) you can travel without the base. graco 4ever Thats what Im talking about. Its generally the easiest kind of installation you can do. Your child can legally use a harnessed car seat on a plane in the US as long as shes within the manufacturer guidelines. Sometimes flight attendants will be nice and put a car seat in a closet in another cabin. 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. Car seats should also not be installed in any seating position in an exit row. Install your child seat in a window seat to. 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. Fill in your email address below and well send you a link to quickly reset your password. If you have a Doona, you dont even have to fold the wheels in until you get to your seat. I have an upcoming trip, flying American, and would like to bring my 13 month olds car seat to use on the plane, and then in the car at our destination. 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. I cant promise anything about American because theyre pretty stingy in that department, but it would be worth bringing everything to the gate. Hes a bit on the shorter side but big-boned. clicktight carseatblog britax carseat confidence install 2021 moderate severe replaced must We always had great success with that! Remember, its in the airlines best interest for your baby to be safely strapped in a car seat as well so she doesnt become a projectile in bad turbulence! They will be a year old this summer and we have a flight booked from NJ to SC. Errrrrr. Hello, Im traveling with my 2 year old in august and debating on which car seat to use. The biggest challenge with using a forward-facing car seat on an airplane is that the seat belt buckle may end up right in the middle of your childs back. Whats the best carseat for flying?The best airplane car seat depends on your childs age and size theres a wide range to choose from but its important to consider your familys specific needs in selecting the best car seat for plane travel. Rest easy. Your child will be required to use it for take-off, landing and turbulent patches. Reach out to the airline ASAP via Twitter dm or Facebook messenger. Getting her separate seat on the flight as well. 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. Thank you for the info! Read more: The lightest infant car seats of 2021. One downside of using a forward-facing car seat on a plane is that, with very few exceptions (this one, this one and this one), a standard tray table wont come down all the way. Not sure if you do need a car seat on a plane for your upcoming trip? Which ones have you tried? 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. Another option would be to bring a Ride Safer Travel Vest to use in the car, which you can tuck in a carry on for the flight. This will protect the car seat from damage that might occur while being handled by the baggage crew or during the flight. The Britax website says its FAA certified. Government statisticians have determined that society is better off overall with unrestrained or improperly restrained kids on flights than with many more families taking to the roads to travel. The forward-facing car seat went in front of the rear-facing car seat since there was no real need for recline. We do buy the upgraded seats on Alaska for when we fly to Hawaii so she can sleep reclined rear facing. Why might you want to flip your car seat back and forth during the flight? Let me know if theres anything else I can help you out with. 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 . My wife and I and no ticket for baby. On a long flight, you might want to let your child face forward to eat and watch a movie but then flip her rear-facing (which offers more recline) for sleeping. Usually gate agents will let you on fairly early in the process even if there isnt an official family pre-boarding policy. Or maybe youve decided its your best option and wondering exactly how to fly with a car seat? Thanks for your comment! Have you brought a Doona on Spirit? In the US, you usually cant install a car seat in the row in front of or behind the exit row either. For rear-facing aircraft installation (Fig. Theyre not nearly as fancy, but your travel day will be infinitely easier. Just make sure your car seat is certified for airplane use nearly every car seat in the US is FAA-approved (just not this one). Let me know if you have any other questions! Is there any chance you can get away with a single stroller and a baby carrier? I just wanted to say, your site has so much good information. I am a first time Mama to twins. 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! This post contains affiliate links. Or what else to make this nightmare sweeter?!! 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. I believe that the all-in-one seats cap out at 49 in harness mode and you also need to be sure the straps are still coming from above her shoulders. Personally, I wouldnt book those with a young child. Read more: Important info for traveling with car seats. He can legally use the Radian on board but basically anything else will make YOUR life easier! The first time you huffed, puffed, sweated, swore and possibly cried through installing a car seat, that is. If the plane is narrow you may be unable to wheel them down the aisle. The other great option is to use a foldable car seat travel cart to wheel your car seat through the aisle. All in the name of safety! So what can you do? For an infant seat, youd install without the base. seat extension strap baby fits d40 navara extender nissan belt 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. britax roundabout silla coche carseat carseatblog instamotor travelswithbaby We are traveling with 2 kids under 2. convertible seat air travel comfortable journey thorough fantastically contender check Still, taking the car seat into cabin? 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. If youre lucky enough to be flying in First Class or Business Class, youll definitely want to do your research in advance. A). Id strongly consider something lighter for the birthday boy. Yes, a car seat is another thing to schlep with you on the endless trek through the airport. You can read about the pros and cons of many different travel car seats for 2 year olds. 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. Second, air travel is much safer than car travel. get confused when they see this because it has two separate sentences about aircraft. If youre having trouble figuring out the right seats to request or if youve booked a Basic Economy fare, I suggest reaching out to the airline in a private message on Twitter and let them know youll be taking a car seat on the plane. Its on sale for Black Friday and I highly recommend it! This is one of the more padded options. Belly belts have been banned in the US and Canada because they turn a baby into an air bag. That said, you can try to mitigate the issue by putting someone else from your family in front of the car seat especially if its rear-facing. 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. Can you bring a carseat on a plane in other countries? 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). Its for their own good! Hi! If your car seat has a lock-off for seatbelt installation. 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? Thats because the seat can either function as a forward-facing harnessed seat or as a booster seat. The size small will last for several years. Hi! I love helping parents travel more, better and easier and thats what this whole website is about. That can make it hard to serve them meals or offer quiet hands-on activities on a long international flight. In order to secure your child in a car seat on an aircraft, the car seat must be FAA approved. Im traveling soon with my 4 and soon to be 7 year old. Thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately the Nuna Pipa Lite is the only car seat you cant use in-flight Car seat bases are NOT approved by the FAA. Many airlines dont allow car seats in the bulkhead row. We are flying through copa airline, Do you have any advice or recommendations? If they cant, be sure to allow extra time at the airport and it should get sorted out. 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. Thanks for stopping by! Beware of Fraudulent Britax Websites - Learn More. Both are still in harness car seat, but my daughter does have a booster seat convertible seat, with the harness option. When flying with a baby or toddler, a bit of preparation can make all the difference! For me, maneuvering down the airplane aisle was always the worst part of flying with a car seat! Can you please confirm whether having the base is necessary? If you bring your car seat on board (and you should), youll have to use it for your child for take-off, landing and when the seatbelt sign is on during turbulent patches. Thanks for stopping by! Whether or not theres an empty seat will definitely depend on which airline and what route. 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. The FAA strongly recommends that kids under 40lbs ride in a car seat or CARES harness on a plane. Let's start the journey together. Once you get to your row, if possible put your child in the same row on the opposite side of the aisle. Im confused if I make the 6 year olds a backless booster if u could use it on the plane or just not worry about it? My question is in regard to checking our carseats and double-stroller. The best place to look for details on your car seat is in your manual. The airline forced the family to gate check the car seat. Its super affordable and super lightweight. Can you confirm that it fits in the seat? Boooooo. The worst situation reported by one of our Tiny Globetrotters families was when traveling on an Asian carrier with their 3 year old and car seat. registry britax In red letters it should say that its approved for aircraft use. I used to be very pleased to seek out this web-site.I needed to thanks on your time for this wonderful read!! We usually shove a sweatshirt in there after installing the car seat to offer more padding and thats worked well. Here are your best choices by age (2021 reviews), Whats the best portable car seat for a 1 year old? I do recommend bringing a car seat with a cupholder so that your kid can have easy drink access to stay hydrated. They can range from airlines that are extremely supportive of car seat usage on board in the interest of safety to airlines that prohibit all car seats in the cabin. britax Its located inconveniently on the bottom of the seat, but theyre in different places on different seats. Belt-positioning booster seats are NOT FAA approved and should not be used to secure your child on a plane. You can read more about checking car seats (if you havent already). 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. Across the border, Transport Canada maintains similar standards. I recommend that you buy either the Combi Coccoro (my favorite!) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Get more details on bringing your booster seat on an airplane here. In contemporary cars in the US thats not a concern. Its all dependent on how the airline sets the seat pitch and configures for that specific route. 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. Click here to learn how to travel with your car seat like a pro! A booster seat cant be used on board so it will only have the last red sentence. Ask if there are any discounts for child seating on those flights. As a more experienced parent now, Id probably leave it at home for most trips. On some aircraft, it may be difficult to install a car seat rear-facing due to space, so consider booking seats in a bulkhead row for extra room. If you need more guidance, please just reply with your childs height and weight. You may be able to find specific widths for your aircraft if you check SeatGuru, though its always subject to an equipment change. For a rear-facing infant car seat, do you need the base on the plane, or will just the seat do? There generally isnt room. convertible seat air travel comfortable journey thorough fantastically contender check Sometimes thats necessary on airlines with tiny seat pitches. I have the Doona which I will be taking her in. 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). Thanks for stopping by! How to travel with a car seat in the airport depends on your familys specific needs, like how many kids, their ages and what gear youve chosen for flying with car seat and stroller. You can wear your baby during the cruise portion of the flight (though you may have to remove her in bad turbulence). I have had so much trouble finding a convertible car seat that will rear face on standard airplane (Boeing 737) with the proper recline. 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 a child is one and two years old are they suppost to bring their own car seat? Even if you can, itll be a tight squeeze. All rights reserved.4140 Pleasant Road Fort Mill, SC 29708 | 1-888-427-4829. 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. Some car seats fit through the x-ray machine, but others will require hand inspection. Planning Your Trip: How your child should be seated on the plane. I have changed them mid-flight when there was a big difference, but for the cruise portion of the flight I wouldnt worry if theyre pretty close to the right spot. I was reading some other posts but I do have a question for you. Or specific rows in the airplane that might have more legroom? 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. 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. Some of Spirits seats are 17 wide (which the Doona could probably work with) but some of them are a paltry 15.5. Or should I check it at the gate? In between they dont necessarily have to be strapped in (though thats always the safest bet). 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. Its no problem to bring your car seat on board and gate check your stroller. Hi! As long as the seat isnt the Nuna Pipa Lite, I would consider leaving the base at home and installing baseless. 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. I bought seats for them and wanted to bring my car seats on the plane (and gate check my double Zoe twin stroller that folds). safety travel newborn directions seat support head baby Near the base of the car seat theres a white sticker with lots of small print. You said it generally needs to be a window but we had book same week as were flying and could only get middle and aisle seats. One thing Im still not sure is whether you NEED to bring the car seat base, in addition to the actual car seat. The website says its 19.5 inches wide. Do you know if that is possible? I will say that we managed to squeeze our Evenflo SecureKid in on Spirit and its a little wider than the Doona. It doesnt make a great booster seat for a variety of reasons unfortunately.