Flying United Airlines with a Transport Canada approved Car Seat (no FAA sticker)

U

Unregistered

Guest
I'm flying in a couple weeks to the USA on Air Canada and I purchased a seat for my one-year-old son to put him in a Cosco Scenera car seat, but often Air Canada flights turn into United Flights. So I have concerns about the United FAs not letting me use my car seat on board since it does not say it's approved for airplane use on the actual seat - although it does on the manual which I will bring. On the Air Canada site it says the Canadian seats are approved as long as they have the National Safety Mark: CMVSS 213 for a child restraint device or 213.1 - which mine has.

But the United Airlines website only has this: "The seat must be an FAA-approved child safety seat device". I know there can be some variation to interpretation once on board so my fear is that a flight attendant will not see a sticker and reject the seat. Has anyone had a problem with this when flying with Canadian car seats in the USA?

Also, I tried to find something on the FAA site that said we could use Transport Canada approved seats but I couldn't find it, if anyone has a link to that I would really appreciate it because I could bring something from the FAA on board as well to show them.

Any advice or experience with this would be very appreciated, I'm really stressed about them rejecting my seat.
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Could you maybe print out the American manual for the Scenera to show it's the same seat and FAA approved here?

Also, check your flights. A lot of times it'll say something like, "Air Canada 472, operated by United Airlines." If it doesn't say that I'd be you're honestly on Air Canada.

Wendy
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I do have a link to a long, bureaucratic FAA document that says that seats with the European Union sticker and, I believe, the Canadian sticker, are allowed. It's on my other computer, but I'll try to link it later.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I couldn't find the exact document I was looking for, but this one might help.

Here are some excerpts:

From page 2:
c. United Nations Standards or Approval by a Foreign Government. On October 15, 1992, the FAA broadened the categories of CRSs allowed to be used on aircraft to include CRSs meeting the standards of the United Nations or are approved by a foreign government (57 FR 42662) (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html).

From pages 8 & 9
b. The CRS must bear either a label showing approval of a foreign Government or a label showing the CRS was manufactured under the standards of the United Nations. The following is an example of the required labeling for a CRS manufactured under the standards of the United Nations (the “E” is consistently used in the label, but the number to the right of the “E” can change because it is the distinguishing number of the country that has granted approval):

(Note that the multiple references to TC do NOT stand for Transport Canada. But that's ok :) )

Definitely print this out and take it with you, too: http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/avia...afety/info/all_infos/media/2009/info09002.pdf
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Bring the manual and have the spot saying it's approved for aircraft use marked for handy reference. That's what I'd do in case you're asked. I honestly don't know you'd be asked, I think I've been asked once on the last 6 flights I was on with car seats.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Bring the manual and have the spot saying it's approved for aircraft use marked for handy reference. That's what I'd do in case you're asked. I honestly don't know you'd be asked, I think I've been asked once on the last 6 flights I was on with car seats.

Good point. I've never been asked to show the sticker.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The only time I was asked was when I carried my Radians on folded. And only once out of 4 times I did that, actually.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Thank you for the the replies and the links, I will definitely bring a printout of the FAA pages, and the American manual for my seat on board just in case.

I had read a few places online of Canadian seats getting rejected because they didn't have a FAA sticker, but it sounds like it is rare so I will try not to worry, especially since now I'll have lots of official info printed out to back me up. Thanks again! :)
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
I recently traveled with spirit airlines from Ontario to Florida. It was my very first flying experience with my 7.5 month old daughter. I brought the manual with the "aircraft approved" section ready. The instant we stepped foot on the plane a stewardess asked to check the seat for the red letters stating the seat is aircraft approved. I then opened the manual and showed her that the seat was approved. She did not allow me to use the seat. I asked she speak to a supervisor and show me a printed document that states this. They showed me documentation for the american and European standards but there was nothing there for Canadian travelers, which i brought to their attention. unfortunately for me and my baby - I was forced to gate check my seat and it now has an unknown history with damage to the base of the car seat.
 

meljc

Active member
I've flown both UAL and AC several times and was never asked to show the sticker. I think the only place I ever had to show it was in Italy perhaps?
 

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I recently traveled with spirit airlines from Ontario to Florida. It was my very first flying experience with my 7.5 month old daughter. I brought the manual with the "aircraft approved" section ready. The instant we stepped foot on the plane a stewardess asked to check the seat for the red letters stating the seat is aircraft approved. I then opened the manual and showed her that the seat was approved. She did not allow me to use the seat. I asked she speak to a supervisor and show me a printed document that states this. They showed me documentation for the american and European standards but there was nothing there for Canadian travelers, which i brought to their attention. unfortunately for me and my baby - I was forced to gate check my seat and it now has an unknown history with damage to the base of the car seat.

I'm quite sure there's some sort of reciprocal agreement between the FAA and TC. I'm sorry about your seat :( Will they replace it for you?
 

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