Who has argued w/ airlines?

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I called Delta today to book tickets b/c the website said they offer a discount sometimes to babies under 2 who have their own seat (not true btw). I asked the lady if they got a discount and she said 'oh, she'll be on your lap anyways since she's under 2'. I said, no, she's going to have her own seat. She then argued back that she'd be a lap baby and made it sound like she couldn't get a ticket. :mad: I told her she will have her own ticket and that was all I needed. Bye. It was just so weird. Anyone else go through this?

I just had a friend get back from Disney (we traded seats and everything so she'd have seats for the plane) and Air Tran told her she wasn't allowed to take her seats on board the plane. She was going to use them for her 6yo and almost 4yo. I think they ended up leaving the seats here and rented some in FL, but I need to check. I hope they weren't checked...
 
ADS

amyg530

Active member
i cant believe they would try to tell you that you couldnt buy a seat for her. i would think that a seat is a seat, you know, money is money. the way i see it you should be able to call and be like, i'm a cow, i want to buy a whole row of seats and they should let you. ok that sounded mean but you get my point, it doesnt matter who is in the seat, they still get the money
i also thought that if they had their own seat they had to have a car seat but i could be wrong, when i flew last month with DS he was a lap baby and we just checked the seat at the gate.

ok i just looked at the FAA website and it says that the safest place for a child is in an approved CRS, not on your lap. i know you know that but thats right from the site. although it does say just to 40 lbs and that after that in a regular seatbelt so maybe b/c they were a little older? i mean, if the seat is FAA approved and fits then it shouldnt matter but idk/

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
 

lynsgirl

New member
Who has argued w/ airlines?

Jodi/mom2acrew actually has her senators and the FAA working with/for her because of the incident w/her baby being denied the use of his SS1 on her way home from Lifesavers. I'll flag her and hopefully she'll poke her head in here for you :) .
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
I argued with Air Canada (& won) to get them to allow my 5 year old to sit in an approved CRS. He only weighs 35lbs, but because he's 5 they wanted to just put him in the plane seat. I refused and pointed out the obvious statement on his screen that stated any child under 40lbs should be in an approved CRS.

I'm not sure what they would have done had he been over 40lbs.

When we flew Westjet in February, they were fantastic and actually told us it would be better if we purchased a seat for our under two year old since it is soooo much safer. Yay Westjet!!!
 

mom2acrew

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Sadly as of right now they only HAVE to allow you to use a seat rfing to 20# and ff to 40#. Josh was barely under 20 and he wasn't allowed to use his seat in a plane seat we bought a ticket for. Because of all this and because he was traveling w/ a SS1 which went to 30# the FAA contacted the airline on my behalf and their policy for Republic Airlines is being changed to read "follow manufacturers recommendations on the CRS" This was Republic Airlines doing but the FAA acknowledged that the airlines are behind the times. Hopefully more airlines will quickly follow suit. So my understanding in talking w/ the FAA is IF the seat only rfs to 30 then you can use it but if it FF after 1 and 22# you could be asked to do that :( I'll keep you guys posted as I am told more.


FAA regulations allow you to use a seat on an aircraft not only if you have purchased a seat for your child but if there is an open seat and you can be seated next to the child. Sadly not all airline personal know this.
 

LEAW

New member
I've had Southwest tell me to FF my kid in a Scenara, I politely refused. I've flown lots of times with them.

I've had no problems with Continental or AirTran. USA3000 asked me "if" dd could go FF in the Scenara a few weeks ago. I told the guy "Sure, she COULD, but the parameters of the seat were such that she was going to fly RF on this trip" and he looked confused and walked away.

AirTran made the mistake of offering me a blanket while I was nursing ds. That FA got an earful about the NIP laws for the states we were departing from and arriving into. I think he'll think twice next time.
 

MsFacetious

New member
I flew, one time with my kids lol. It was Delta/Skywest. It was only an hour flight and I took Boulevards. (I was insane, I should have gotten Sceneras for the trip!)

I did not have any problems. I put both seats in RF and no one said anything. Ali was 26 months and Sadi was 16 months.

So, that's my only experience. However, I would throw a total fit if anyone tried to tell me what to do with my kids on a flight. I don't handle being told what to do very well and when it's about something this serious, it wouldn't go over very well.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
My friend's almost 4yo is maybe 35#, so he was under the 40# limit. She had my Scenera and Radian for the trip.

I had a fa try to tell me to turn Evan ffing on our last trip, he was 10 mos and 16#. Then she couldn't even figure out how I had installed the seat and made me prove he was buckled in. :thumbsdown: We're flying a very small plane down to FL so I'm hoping for no problems, there's 2 seats on 1 side and 1 on the other. I'm thinking me and Ilana in 2 and putting Evan in his seat directly across from me since he'll be strapped in. Then AJ will ride next to dh. I plan on having a copy of the FAA policies w/ me just to make sure everything goes well.
 

amyg530

Active member
AirTran made the mistake of offering me a blanket while I was nursing ds. That FA got an earful about the NIP laws for the states we were departing from and arriving into. I think he'll think twice next time.

as far as NIP, i do think that there are some places that it shouldnt be done but mostly that would just be at a 5 star resturaunt where i dont really think babies should be IMO
HOWEVER i sure as heck dont want to eat my dinner with a blanket over my head and dont see why a baby should have to. now if i could just convince DH that nursing at the park or for that matter in front of my friends (who by the time the baby is born will all be nursing too) isnt a big deal, he thinks my boobs are toys only not food.
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
I've had Southwest tell me to FF my kid in a Scenara, I politely refused. I've flown lots of times with them.

I've had no problems with Continental or AirTran. USA3000 asked me "if" dd could go FF in the Scenara a few weeks ago. I told the guy "Sure, she COULD, but the parameters of the seat were such that she was going to fly RF on this trip" and he looked confused and walked away.

AirTran made the mistake of offering me a blanket while I was nursing ds. That FA got an earful about the NIP laws for the states we were departing from and arriving into. I think he'll think twice next time.

All air over the US is federal air space, not state air space, so even if you are flying over a state without breastfeeding friendly legislation, you are protected under the federal law that states you are allowed to nurse your baby in any location you and your baby are authorized to be in.
 
It never hurts to have a copy of Title 14, section 135.128 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (14 CFR 135.128). Essentially, this section makes it mandatory for an airline to allow you to use a car seat on a plane, if you have purchased a ticket for the child, the child is accompanied by a parent or guardian, or attendant designated by the parent or guardian, the restraint is properly secured to a forward facing airline seat (note here that it doesn't say the car seat must be forward facing), the child is properly secured in the seat (not exceeding the specified weight limit on the car seat), and the car seat has appropriate labels (i.e., acceptable for FAA use).

The exact language of the regulation says that: " no (airline) may prohibit a child, if requested by the child's parent . . . from occupying a child restraint system furnished by the child's parent . . . ." (Subject to the above stated conditions).
 

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