Arrgghh...airline personnel and their knowledge of carseats!!!

This is what a friend of mine posted regarding a flight (Westjet - Canadian flight) that she is taking with her 11 week old daughter:

K... so my flight is 1.5 hours delayed. But the attendant said only the forward facing carseats can be buckled in. We have a stroller rear facing combo. It also needs to have the air approved symbol. Furthermore, he said you have to tell them when booking that you are bringing an infant carseat (for a count incase of accident - this doesn't make sense as whether she is in a carseat or in my arms she is still onthe plane.) He also says there is no charge for a baby in an approved carseat? The flight is full anyways I am sooo confused about these changes.. , he says under 2 years old you HAVE to carry them for take off and landing.

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I'm a little bit confused after reading what she has written so far. Any thoughts as to what she should/could have countered with to the flight attendant? I don't think she has left yet. I told her to take the carseat with her to the gate and at the very least she will be able to gatecheck it and then have it as soon as they get off the plane.

Of course the new Westjet commercial was playing as I was typing this out. It is a lady holding a fussy baby in her arms, the baby calms down, camera pulls away and reveals that it is a Westjet flight attendant as she hands the baby back to the parents to HOLD and everyone flies merrily on their way....sigh...

JaRylan said:

This is what a friend of mine posted regarding a flight (Westjet - Canadian flight) that she is taking with her 11 week old daughter:



I'm a little bit confused after reading what she has written so far. Any thoughts as to what she should/could have countered with to the flight attendant? I don't think she has left yet. I told her to take the carseat with her to the gate and at the very least she will be able to gatecheck it and then have it as soon as they get off the plane.

Of course the new Westjet commercial was playing as I was typing this out. It is a lady holding a fussy baby in her arms, the baby calms down, camera pulls away and reveals that it is a Westjet flight attendant as she hands the baby back to the parents to HOLD and everyone flies merrily on their way....sigh...

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Children under two years old MUST be in a carseat in order to use a purchased seat for them. The seat MUST have the CMVSS sticker on the side of it to be approved for airline use. The seat MUST be used according to manufactures instructions... RF for an 11 week old, for the ENTIRE trip.

There is no charge for children under two, BUT you are not guaranteed a seat for them. If there is a seat available, they may or may not allow you to use it. The available seat will only be allowed to be used if you have an approved infant seat with the CMVSS/airline approval sticker on it.

If she has not purchased a seat for her daughter, she should take the seat with her to the gate. Tell her to talk to the gate agents and ask about pre-boarding and an available seat. If there is an available seat, they will let her pre-board and install it rearfacing. If there is no available seat, they will gate check it and it will be there for her at the gate when she gets off the plane. They will also gate check her stroller if she has that as well.

If she has any issues with the Flight Attendants... simply (nicely) ask them to show her in their in-flight manual where it states she can NOT use an approved infant seat for her baby for take-off and landing... they will find no such thing, it does not exist!