Thoughts/Debate About Carseats on Planes

NatesMamma · May 1, 2010

After looking into the issue, I decided that I want DS in his carseat on each and every plane ride. I realize the risk of something happening to him is very small, but nonetheless, it's worth the cost of a plane ticket to me.

DH isn't convinced. In fact, he thinks I'm being paranoid and blowing the issue way out of proportion. And he does have a point. I've seen estimates that .6 kids' lives would be saved each year if every kid would be properly restrained on all planes. (Can't remember if the data was worldwide or US only, and of course I can't find the study now.) Considering all the children who travel by air on a daily basis and the fact that the numbers included private aircraft which are more dangerous than the commercial flights we take, the risk of my particular kid dying is practically nothing. Even the risk of injury is small. But still, like I said, it's worth it to me to have DS in his seat. Given the numbers, though, I'm certainly not about to criticize parents who choose to fly with lap babies.

I'd just like to get everyone else's thoughts on this issue. The safety of the carseat and the convenience factor aside, do you/would you buy a ticket for a child who is allowed to travel as a lap baby? Why or why not?

LISmama810 · May 1, 2010

I have and always will purchase a ticket for my children under 2.

I'm required to be restrained--isn't my child as important as I am?

Deaths of children or adults in air travel is very rare. Injuries are pretty rare, too (compared to other types of travel), but that's likely because of seat belts. How many times have you been on a plane that has suddenly lurched due to turbulence? I've been on quite a few flights in which my head would have been mashed into the ceiling if I hadn't been belted in. There's not always warning, either. I'd hate to think of my baby flying into the air because I want holding tight enough.

Bottom line: Everyone on board the plane should be restrained, ESPECIALLY the smallest, most vulnerable among us.

Wiggles · May 1, 2010

Only a small number of children are killed, but imagine if you hit turbulence with your DS on your lap? How much would it hurt to have his head come up and hit you in the face? For him OR you? What if he was thrown free of your arms and hit the floor? A child doesn't need to be killed to be injured or shaken. And it means that a) his carseat doesn't go in the hold so it can't be damaged by baggage handlers and b) he has a familiar environment on the plane--makes him more likely to be able to nap and be comfortable.

NatesMamma · May 2, 2010

LISmama810 said:
How many times have you been on a plane that has suddenly lurched due to turbulence?

See, this is actually a big part of DH's counter argument. Neither of us has ever been on a plane that experienced anything other than minor turbulence, and since when we've traveled with DS as a lap baby we've always held onto him the entire time, we've never been in a situation where I can say the carseat actually prevented an injury. (We've flown several times both with him as a lap child and in his own seat.) We don't travel a ton, but for reference DS is 13 months old and has been on 5 cross-country flights, with 2 more trips coming up in the next few months.

I can't argue against the fact that most flights, and certainly all the ones I've ever been on, are routine with a minimum of turbulence. And even if we did hit some rougher patches and, say, DS got a little bump on the nose, that's nothing worse than he's likely to get in a typical day of toddling around at home, KWIM? Pretty sure DH would argue that's not worth paying $250 to prevent.

littleangelfire · May 2, 2010

I agree the child's safety is what we're thinking of - we want the child restrained not in case of a fiery plane crash, but mostly in case of turbulence.

But, to get at the way guys think I would suggest going about it in a different way. Mention the cost of the car seat and ask if he'd like to replace it. B/c its very likely he will if you check the seat. Check out this thread: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=122774

And even if you don't notice the damage - realize that some damage happens on the inside of the seat - the foam, stress marks inside the belt path, on the back, inside the bottom. What if you don't see the damage and keep using it and then the seat doesn't hold up the way it should in an accident. I realize its a lot of money - but its not worth it. Its just a new way of thinking b/c we've all gotten so used to 'lap babies' under two. I read once from a former flight attendant (maybe she's on here? I don't remembeR) who said that lap babies are referred to as MISSILES, b/c of how they go flying in turbulence, as in they'll shout out the headcount as 120 passengers and 2 missiles. THAT says everything.

Here's a good source to read:
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com/

hipmaman · May 2, 2010

We have always flown with carseats for ours and rarely did we see anything but minor turbulence. Except the trip we just got back. It was bad enough that dh was feeling rather sick, I was doing my best to keep myself upright and not get a headache from the huge drops, but dd#2 was having so much fun with the drops and heaves, she was going 'whee' in her Radian.

It's not the outright mortality or serious injuries that we worry about, servere turbulence. But this story did have a survival of a little girl in a carseat while everyone else died http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...0/plane_crash_071030/20071030?hub=CTVNewsAt11

ETA: I once had to fly with dd#2 in my lap for a 1-hr flight (oversold and if we didn't go without seat, we might be stuck at the airport for an extra day). It was not pleasant because she was an active toddler and not wanting to be in the lap at all but everywhere on the plane.

jeminijad · May 2, 2010

If I can afford the ticket without great hardship, I would choose to buy a seat for a lap child. The exceptions would be if

1) I am flying Southwest on a flight that isn't likely to be booked solid (this happens frequently in our family, we always get an extra seat, or

2) If the flight is very important (not just a pleasure trip,) high fare and we/a parent truly cannot afford the extra $400+.

For me, the cost/benefit analysis is to try to get a seat for the car seat, but not to go to extreme measures because it is not the safety issue that a car ride is.

skaterbabs · May 2, 2010

In the past 6.5 years, I've flown exactly 4 times. (2 outbound, 2 homecoming, all with multiple plane transfers.) On EACH leg of EACH trip we hit turbulence at least once, on one flight the turbulence was so severe that we were required to wear our seat belts all the way from NYC to Chicago.

Past luck doesn't guarantee future success.:twocents:

Wiggles · May 2, 2010

Statistically, the odds are you won't hit severe turbulence. But then again.

I was on a school bus five days a week, twice daily, on a half hour trip each way from Kindergarten to Plus One. That's 9 years of elementary and five years of high school (I didn't like driving to school even after I had a car because of the cost of gas so I rarely did it). In that time, I was never once in so much as a fender bender. Never even a sudden stop. So compartmentalization never protected me. Not even once. Should I have run up and down the aisles because past experience had taught me that being on the school bus was totally safe and I would never be in an accident? No. I wouldn't let my sister run in the aisles, even though our combined bus time totals almost 23 years at this point and neither of us has ever seen an accident with a bus.

I rode around in my mother's car regularly, in the backseat (I hated the front), for 22 years. Never once were we in an accident with me in the car. Would I ride around unbuckled simply because nothing has happened yet? No.

I see this as the same thing. We all know that, statistically, the odds of being in a serious accident on a car or a bus are low when we step out the door in the morning. We still take safety precautions just in case. I'd say that a carseat on a plane is the same thing.

Maedze · May 2, 2010

Keep in mind that a good reason to use the seat on the plane is that it prevents you from making the mistake of checking the seat. Child restraints are damaged and lost when checked, and you don't want to make your child a crash test dummy; and that's exactly what you're doing if you use a seat that has been checked on an aircraft (and has had lord knows what happen to it).

Pixels · May 2, 2010

We have done both. When DD was 2 months old, we flew cross country and back with her as a lap child. Over the next several months, I flew a few times with her as a "lap baby" and got a free seat (except once when the flight truely was full). At 18 months we flew and bought her a seat, even though we didn't need to and didn't need to even bring a carseat except for the flight.

Even at two months, flying with a lap baby just is no fun. There isn't enough room to have baby on your lap and do anything. Not get a pacifier out of the bag at your feet, not put the tray table down to put your drink on it, not read a book. DH and I together barely made it work.

As the child gets older and become mobile, it's even worse. The child doesn't understand why they can't get on the floor and play, or wander up and down the aisle. In their carseat, they are used to being restrained and don't fight it.

I'll most likely never fly with a lap baby again. It's just too inconvenient. Yes, it's a lot of money, but I would rather spend an extra $300 and not be miserable the whole day, than not spend the money. Plus baby having a ticket gives you baggage allowance for that child, so that helps a little.

Northriver · May 2, 2010

For the past 16 years since my oldest son was born, I always purchased plane tickets for my "lap baby" aged kids and flown with my car seat for the following reasons (in no particular order)

1) safety of my child
2) comfort of my child (and MYSELF!) during the flight
3) safety of my child restraint - I will NEVER check a car seat!

Yes, safety is important, but truthfully, comfort and behavior are huge issues for me. I like to arrive at my travel destination with my sanity intact, and having my child in a car seat on the plane greatly increases the chances of this happening. My kids have always been well behaved on planes and I'm pretty sure the main reason is because they are riding in the comfort of their familiar car seat, they know they can't get up and move around, just like in the car, and they have a comfortable place to nap. I've noticed that most of the screaming babies on planes are lap babies!

My motto when traveling is hope for the best - but plan for the worst. If a flight is delayed or canceled, I like to have my car seat with me. My child can sleep in it in the airport, I can grab a taxi or rent a car if needed. I always fly with 24 hours of food and clothing for my baby, and can't really imaging not having access to my car seat, just in case.

LittlePeanut · May 2, 2010

Northriver said:
For the past 16 years since my oldest son was born, I always purchased plane tickets for my "lap baby" aged kids and flown with my car seat for the following reasons (in no particular order)

1) safety of my child
2) comfort of my child (and MYSELF!) during the flight
3) safety of my child restraint - I will NEVER check a car seat!

Yes, safety is important, but truthfully, comfort and behavior are huge issues for me. I like to arrive at my travel destination with my sanity intact, and having my child in a car seat on the plane greatly increases the chances of this happening. My kids have always been well behaved on planes and I'm pretty sure the main reason is because they are riding in the comfort of their familiar car seat, they know they can't get up and move around, just like in the car, and they have a comfortable place to nap. I've noticed that most of the screaming babies on planes are lap babies!

My motto when traveling is hope for the best - but plan for the worst. If a flight is delayed or canceled, I like to have my car seat with me. My child can sleep in it in the airport, I can grab a taxi or rent a car if needed. I always fly with 24 hours of food and clothing for my baby, and can't really imaging not having access to my car seat, just in case.

Yes to all of this!! :thumbsup:

Jan06twinmom · May 2, 2010

Statistically - the chance of your child being hurt on a plane is very minimal. At the same time, if one child is injured on a plane in a single year and that child is yours, statistics don't mean much.

However, I think the most compelling reason for bringing a car seat on a plane is so that it isn't checked. I think I've read that 1 out of 100 pieces of luggage/cargo is lost. I've heard so many stories even from family members and friends who have had their car seats lost. I'm also concerned about an airline damaging our car seat. I think the worst case scenario would be to have a car seat damaged by the airline, but not realizing that the safety of the seat was compromised until it failed in an accident.

Melanie

ceruti82 · May 2, 2010

i have always taken Bella as a lap baby under 2, (2 flights) and one time (before i knew better) checked her marathon~ but what was nice, that airline had some guy walk it out to the plane and walk it back to the baggage area, and not put on the carousel, but put it by the oversize luggage!! so that was nice

i had recently made a post on Facebook about how Bella will be in her carseat on our upcoming flight, and one of the comments from a friend was "you can take a carseat on a plane?!"

people dont even know that you are allowed to! i told her you absolutely can, as long as its an FAA approved seat..
she replied with a "good to know" type comment, not sure if she will do it for her upcoming trip, but i hope so

AliciaM · May 2, 2010

I have always wondered something - if it's so easy to have a carseat damaged by the baggage employees, what about when the carseat is shipped to stores or to your house? I recently purchased two Radians and UPS beat the hell out of the boxes and actually DENTED the metal frame on one seat. It seems pretty likely to me that many seats are damaged in transit, and quite possibly it's never noticed by the consumer. If I hadn't been specifically looking for damage on the seat I wouldn't have seen it. Anyone have any light to shed on this?

jnamommy · May 2, 2010

I have traveled with my kids as lap children several times before I knew better. The last time time with ds alone he was 16 months old. He sat on my lap a short time and then wanted to be on the move. It felt like an incredibly long flight, trying to keep him contained and occupied. My most recent travel I had my ds, almost 4, and my dd, 23 months. I purchased a seat for her, it was a lifesaver. She is a very active kid. Once I put her in her carseat though, she was content to eat/play/nap a little - she is used to having to stay in a carseat and it was familiar. Had she been a lapchild, she would have been wanting to climb and walk all over the plane. Then trying keeping my ds in a seat if lil sis was not...

So my point is that if your dh isn;t convinced about the safety aspect, maybe the convenience aspect of it is worth it to him. Would your child sit on your lap at home contentedly for the same time as your flight length?

leighi123 · May 2, 2010

I've been on over 200 flights, and my dad had been on WAY more than that (he was just got back from a 6week trip and went on 16 flights just durring that time). Many of our flights have been overseas as well, and I have been in turbulence (many times), and have had to make one emergancy landing.

I have NEVER been on a flight where I would have thought a under 2yr old would get hurt b/c of not being in carseat (given that you arent walking around with them after they turn on the seatbelt sign)

I am, however, convinced that one should NEVER check a carseat in, and even gate checking should only be done with caution (wrapping the seat well, lables saying 'do not drop/fragile etc, and asking them to 'walk it down' if they use a ramp or slide system for gate checked items).

When ds was under 2, I put his graco bucket in the overhead bin on flights. Once he had his TF, I did gate check it (using all of the cautions mentioned). Now he rides in his seat on the plane b/c I have to buy him a seat and b/c I dont want his seat wrecked! Not b/c I think its a safety issue on the plane itself, but b/c I think its a safety issue for his carseat to be treated the way they treat other baggage. If that makes sense.

dmpmercury · May 3, 2010

I'm not worried about the flight itself and turbulance and preventing serious injury or death on a plane. I don't think there is much risk to that. I did buy a ticket for my ds this time because it is a long day of flying and last time I flew with my dd at that age it was really uncomfortable for us and hard for her to fall asleep. Most of the flights we take are booked so there was never an open seat to put the car seat on. My ds will not take well to sitting on my lap and not getting up. I think in his car seat he will sit for longer and sleep since he more used to that. For a small baby who nurses a lot and sleeps easily and is not yet mobile I would probably would do a lap baby but not for a mobile baby or a toddler.

Maedze · May 3, 2010

AliciaM said:
I have always wondered something - if it's so easy to have a carseat damaged by the baggage employees, what about when the carseat is shipped to stores or to your house? I recently purchased two Radians and UPS beat the hell out of the boxes and actually DENTED the metal frame on one seat. It seems pretty likely to me that many seats are damaged in transit, and quite possibly it's never noticed by the consumer. If I hadn't been specifically looking for damage on the seat I wouldn't have seen it. Anyone have any light to shed on this?

The boxes absorb energy due to the material and the design of the box. UPS employees are not anywhere near as hard on shipped materials as baggage handlers are on luggage.

Thoughts/Debate About Carseats on Planes

New member

Admin - CPS Technician

New member

New member

Well-known member

Moderator - CPST Instructor

New member

Well-known member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

CPS Technician

New member

Active member

New member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics