Flying....what's my best option?

I'm flying with my 11 month old DD (she will turn 1 on the trip) to England (from Louisiana) in a few days. She is flying as a lap child....I know....*hits self*. I am wanting to take a car seat with me just in case there is a spare seat availiable....I dont need a car seat for use in England as my sister has a spare one. We are flying AA on the way there.....and our return flight is with British Airways....I read on BA's website that car seats can only be used FF....but they do offer infant seat belts where as AA don't. There are 3 short flights that look like they are already fully booked so she will have to be a lap child for them.

I'm hoping ya'll can give me your opinion on my best option.... I can either 1) Buy a Scerena (I have a MR but really dont want to take that huge thing with me) and maybe return it when I get back? LOL 2) Use my SnugRide...My DD is about 22lbs...maybe a lil more. As ya'll know 22lbs is the weight restriction but i'm wondering as i'm basically just going to be using it for safty from turbulance and for her to have a comfortable seat, if that will matter as much? OR 3) Rent a CAREs restraint from ebay

I will, of course gate check any seat that I can't use on the flights.

I've never traveled with kids before, but I don't think they can force you to install the seat FF on the plane...

When I was flying United to Senegal, they had little harnesses for babies that were attached to the mom... It was very strange but is that what you are talking about?

I would not use the snugride over the weight limit even if it's just for the plane. You might be tempted to use it in the car when you arrive.

Are you OK with buying a new seat? I'd take a scenera over a MR....

On US airlines they have to let you install rear-facing if the seat allows it (and if you have a seat to put it on, of course). Airlines aren't required to let you have an open seat, but they often will.

Foreign airlines have their own rules.

Since you're flying one of each, you have two sets of rules to deal with.

Those belly bands (or whatever they're called) that attach kids to the parent are common on European carriers, but they're banned by the FAA because they consider them dangerous.

I would either take the Snugride (I'm not too concerned about going a pound over if you're ONLY using it on the plane) or a Scenera, and hope for the best.

Thanks for your responses! It's a total pain to be dealing with 2 different countries regulations.

I would rather not buy a Scerena if I don't NEED to....and of course, no way would I use the snugride in a car.....i'm far far far too safety conscious to do that. My sister already haas her spare car seat ready for DD to use. So far there is a free seat next to us on our AA flight so we should be able to use the SnugRide at least on that one flight...(better then nothing!) So yeah, I think i'll probably take her SR and hope that we get the spare seat.

THank you for your help.

They can force you to install it forward facing on British Airways. They do not allow rear facing seats. Period. It's written in their manuals. I've seen it (when I argued, since Piper was 17 pounds at the time). Infants under six months are not allowed tickets on their flights, because they would have no where to sit.

The "baby belt" is a loop of seatbelt. It attaches to your seatbelt. What you're supposed to do, even if you have a carseat, is remove your child from their carseat in an emergency, and put them in the loop on your lap. This ensures that they will be an airbag for you to hit.

This is why I don't fly English airlines with young kids. American Airlines knows what dangers those baby belts are and won't use them. No American carrier will.

I'd buy a Scenera and hope for the best. That way if you're forced to install the seat forward facing you actually can. Or see if you can get a discounted infant last minute ticket. I wouldn't do a CARES harness. The lap belt won't fit a one year old, so what does it matter if there's a harness on top of it? The lap belt still won't tighten, there still won't be a crotch strap to prevent submarining.

Wendy

Gah....I so don't even want to fly anymore. I want to make sure I understood....with BA...even if you have a car seat....you have to remove the child from the car seat and use the infant belt? wtf? Can you use US car seat on BA flights? I don't think i'll be using BA again with a young child either. I will also buy DD a seat from this point on!!

Im just going to buy a Scerena...and hope that I can use it on both long flights. Being able to use it on just one flight will be worth the cost imo.

Thanks for the info Wendy.

jinn_him said:

Gah....I so don't even want to fly anymore. I want to make sure I understood....with BA...even if you have a car seat....you have to remove the child from the car seat and use the infant belt? wtf? Can you use US car seat on BA flights? I don't think i'll be using BA again with a young child either. I will also buy DD a seat from this point on!!

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Right. I figured in an emergency I'd make like I was following their rules, then pit Piper back.

You can use a US seat, but the don't care about the weight limits or FAA approval. Hence forcing me to use a Beitax Advantage forward facing at 17 pounds. My other option was to check it.

FYI, United Airlines to and from London doesn't allow rear facing seats. But no belly belts.

Wendy

wendytthomas said:

Right. I figured in an emergency I'd make like I was following their rules, then pit Piper back.
Wendy

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Thats exactly what I was thinking I would do.

I wish all airlines had the same rules and regs....would make the whole thing alot easier!

Thanks for the UA info.....i'll know better next time we fly!

FYI, United Airlines to and from London doesn't allow rear facing seats. But no belly belts.

Not true. UA is not allowed to override FAA regs, which allow rfing seats.

Where it's going has no impact.

Not all F/A's are well-informed on car seat issues.

Belly belts are banned by the FAA for safety reasons.

That was after multiple emails and phone calls to United Airlines by myself and others.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=125628&highlight=rear+facing+london&page=3

I'd love to hear that all the representatives and supervisors involved in that are wrong. No flight attendants involved, as far as I know.

Wendy

Wendy, I haven't looked at that thread yet, but I called an FAA spokesperson last week to ask about this very topic for something I'm writing. She said FAA regulations apply to all US carriers regardless of where they're flying to/from. I specifically asked about US carriers flying from the US to another country, US carriers flying into the US from other countries, and US carriers flying entirely in other countries. According to her, FAA regulations apply in all those situations.

That makes complete sense, and I don't put it past customer service reps to be wrong. But where then was this to/from the UK coming into it? That's just wonky enough to maybe have some truth somehow. KWIM?

Wendy