Air travel with older kid in harness/luggage cart

littleangelfire

Well-known member
We're going to Disney in a few weeks, and I got a FR85 so my son could use it on the plane. He generally uses it as a booster at home unless it's a long trip, but since they 1)don't allow boosters on planes 2)I do not want to check a booster or car seat and 3)he'll need a booster at the other end, I wanted a seat he could use on the plane.

but it has now occurred to me that they might take issue with this. My son is 5, almost 6 (in July) and he's a big kid. 56lbs or so, 48"-50", something like that. The size of many 7-8 year olds. Even though he fits in the seat, making it technically 'legal' to use, are they going to give me problems b/c he's not 4 or under? Anyone have experience with this?

And the luggage cart part - I got a luggage thingie for $3 at a garage sale, I've hooked the seat to it and plan to take it that way. Will they count the cart as a piece of luggage? when does it have to be taken off. We're flying southwest if that makes a differenc.e
 
ADS

Dillipop

Well-known member
It's my understanding that somewhere in the FAA papers, that it states that the airlines can not prevent a minor (ie. anyone under 18) from using a child restraint that they fit in and have purchased a seat to use the restraint in. I just don't know where to find the papers that say that- I'm sure someone else has those bookmarked.

I've never had my luggage cart count as part of my carry on allowance on Southwest and the car seat doesn't count either. I've never had a problem with my kids in seats either. Last time we flew, ds was 5 I think and we took a radian for him.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
There's no age limit on carseats on American carriers. So you shouldn't have a problem.

We'd just put the cart in the overhead compartment. I'd take the seat off of it while we were at the gate waiting to board.

Wendy
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Thanks you two! It's helping my anxiousness. I did print off some paper about FAA and child restraints, I don't have it in front of me, but planned to take it with me in case anyone took issue with me.

I haven't flown in forever - so the whole thing is a bit scary with all the regulations now. I'm afraid I'll do something wrong!
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
We flew with a 5 1/2 year old and no one said boo about her car seat. She was a ticketed passenger, therefore she was entitled to use an FAA approved car seat on the plane. :)
 

vonfirmath

New member
We are flying at the end of this summer and with the way my son says "bye bye" to everything I am somewhat concerned he'll decide to do it at the wrong moment :(
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
ketchupqueen - yeah, I figured he's entitled to it since he has his own seat and he fits in the FR85, but I've heard some horror stories on here about not being allowed to use seats for various reasons given, despite regulations.

We are flying at the end of this summer and with the way my son says "bye bye" to everything I am somewhat concerned he'll decide to do it at the wrong moment :(

What do you mean?

You won't have any problems. We just flew earlier this month with a FR85 and it was an easy install with the belt extender :)

Thanks for that tip! Do I ask for one at the gate on the way in? (Yeah, I say that as though I even know what the 'gate' is. ) lol
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I'd ask for an extender as soon as you get on the plane. :)

The horror stories happen, yes, but you're less likely to have trouble with a forward-facing seat. Know where the FAA approved label is (there's a label on the seat that says "approved for motor vehicle and airplane use" and I think usually also a little plane sticker, though only the first I believe is required), have the instruction manual with you so you can prove he's within weight limits to use it on the plane. The only question I was ever asked when I was bringing a car seat on board was, "Is that for a ticketed seat?" As long as the child had a ticket, they didn't care whether it was a kid or kid plus seat in it, lol. Oh, and a reminder was given each time to put the car seat in the window seat. (Now, I did have a confrontation over my RFing seat, but I won. And you don't have to worry about that anyway. :) )
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Oh my gosh thanks - it never would've occurred to me to bring the manual! I'll add it to my must bring pile of paperwork. And thanks for the heads up on when to ask for the seatbelt extender, too.
 

vonfirmath

New member
One of the widely reported cases of mama and toddler being tossed off the plane was because the kid was saying "Bye bye plane" to a plane next to them that was leaving and freaked the Flight attendant out. I never saw any conclusion. But now when my son says "bye bye car" "Bye bye bike" Bye bye just about anything, it makes me worry-ahead
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
One of the widely reported cases of mama and toddler being tossed off the plane was because the kid was saying "Bye bye plane" to a plane next to them that was leaving and freaked the Flight attendant out. I never saw any conclusion. But now when my son says "bye bye car" "Bye bye bike" Bye bye just about anything, it makes me worry-ahead

oh for pete's sake! That's so silly. Since when do 2 year olds bomb planes? Better safe than sorry I suppose, but just seems stupid. Good luck! Maybe you can change him to saying hello to everything? :p
 

Eclipsepearl

New member
That happened three years ago. Apparently, the child was rambling on and on and it got on the nerves of the Flight Attendant. I'm not sure if she was joking but she said something about drugging the child and the mother got mad.

They had already been weather-delayed for 11 hours so I just think everyone's nerves were shot.

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=51493

Here's the FAA letter than says;

No operator may prohibit a child (an individual who has not reached his or her 18th
birthday) from using an approved CRS when the parent or guardian purchases a seat for the
child, the child is accompanied by a parent or guardian and the child is within the weight limits
for the CRS.


http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/avia...afety/info/all_infos/media/2009/info09002.pdf

Print it up and highlight that sentence.
 

firemomof3

New member
We just flew Southwest and they were very good about our Radians. They were very "procar seat" :thumbsup:
Have a great time in Disney, we went last week. If you need any hints pm me ;)
 

vonfirmath

New member
We just flew Southwest and they were very good about our Radians. They were very "procar seat" :thumbsup:
Have a great time in Disney, we went last week. If you need any hints pm me ;)

That's good to know. Our flight is on southwest too and I know the last carrier were on was very ANTI car seat.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Here's the FAA letter than says;

No operator may prohibit a child (an individual who has not reached his or her 18th
birthday) from using an approved CRS when the parent or guardian purchases a seat for the
child, the child is accompanied by a parent or guardian and the child is within the weight limits
for the CRS.


http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/avia...afety/info/all_infos/media/2009/info09002.pdf

Print it up and highlight that sentence.

THANKS!!!

We just flew Southwest and they were very good about our Radians. They were very "procar seat" :thumbsup:
Have a great time in Disney, we went last week. If you need any hints pm me ;)

That is good to know, too. Across the board it seems Southwest is the way to go. The prices were great, the whole not charging for luggage and carryon is awesome. Be watching for that P.M....

You just ask the 1st flight attendant that you see once you board the plane. We always ask to preboard to get them installed.

thanks for the tips! I'll ask about preboarding. I feel like such a dolt since it's been so long since I've flown. And I'm very worried about doing something wrong, or taking something wrong.

That's good to know. Our flight is on southwest too and I know the last carrier were on was very ANTI car seat.

It seems so stupid for any airline to be anti restraint when all the experts recommend purchasing every child a seat and using a proper restraint.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
My flights were on SW too. :thumbsup:

You can't preboard on SW. However you will get to board immediately after "A" group, before the rest of the people, if you are flying with a kid under 5. (If you're installing a car seat you can tell them "he's not under 5, but I need to put a car seat in" and they might let you go too.)
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Glad you posted that, KQ - save me from looking dumb. lol I will ask if I can, though, since you'd think they'd rather have me have his seat installed and him and the seat all settled before everyone else wanders around.
 

Morganthe

New member
You're taking the newer Frontier on board for him to use harnessed right? I don't know if I'm out of line for wondering this, but he's 52+lbs and around 49" tall. You say he's large. I'm looking at dd and adding about 6lbs to her frame, in a Frontier, in the cramped quarters of an airplane and just can't see it happening well. :(

The Frontier is a bulky seat- depthwise, especially with t he base flipped forward which I'm pretty sure you'll have to have it. I could barely get dd's legs in between the old Frontier and dh's front passenger seat in a large BMW. It tipped her knees right into it.
I can't imagine it trying to fit with large kid + large seat in that instance with an aircraft seat in front. My knees usually smack the seat in front and I'm only 5'8 :eek:

Have you checked with seatguru.com to see how much pitch there is in your seats between the rows?

I really hope I"m wrong and thinking it's not as large and seating areas in aircraft not as tight as I remember.

best of luck. :)
 

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