Question about Gate Checking a Car Seat and the FAA

Minniemouse

Senior Community Member
A friend of mine in my mom's group posted this in reply to a thread we had going about using car seats on airplanes...

I just wanted to add that we have been informed by airline staff that FAA regulations do NOT allow gate-checking of carseats. Some airports have let us do it, but others have been strict and refused. I have also heard from other people that they have not been allowed to gate-check a carseat.

This generally comes up because people encourage you to see if there is an open seat for your lap child, and if so, put their carseat in the plane and let them sit there. That's what we tried to do, but all our flights were filled, and then we ran into trouble gate-checking. It was a real pain.

and a follow-up comment..

We were flying United, if that's any help, but the gate attendant said it was FAA not United that had the regulation. We gate-checked in Chicago on United with no trouble, but in Spokane, we were not allowed to. Same airline. Maybe the gate attendant was nuts, or a control freak, but I've heard it from other people too.

I told her I thought it was the FA that was misinformed and that I didn't know of any FAA directive about not being able to gate check car seats.

Has anyone heard anything about this elsewhere?
 
ADS

Ahzryn

Active member
I haven't heard anything, but I wonder if it's just a liability issue? Carseats just shouldn't be gate checked, they get damaged, and then the airline has to pay for them, or even worse the parent keeps using them when their safety has been compromised. The FAA has always said children should be on seats in planes, maybe it's just to enforce that? They don't want you gate checking it, they want you to USE it?
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
FIL is a flight attendant for United and says that is not true. She probably got a gate attendant with a serious control issue. What else could they do? Of course if you take the seat with you with intentions of using it on the plane, and are not able to do so, they can stick it under the plane. I've had it happen with carry-on luggage when there wasn't room.

Slightly OT, but Speaking of control-freak gate attendants, we had one who wouldn't let us on a plane because we arrived at the ticket counter 43 minutes prior to the plane's departure time (minimum is 45--we had been in line for exactly 24 minutes). He followed us from the ticket counter to the gate and gave DH a really hard time about everything. He refused to let us on the plane until I said "Ok, fine, but I need the baby's carseat back or I can't go anywhere" (I wasn't a car seat freak then and checked it). He handed us our tickets and that was it. He gave us such a hard time that we ended up filing a complaint and he got transferred--I guess it happened alot.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Carseats just shouldn't be gate checked, they get damaged, and then the airline has to pay for them, or even worse the parent keeps using them when their safety has been compromised.

When I gate-checked a carseat, I had to sign a form stating that the airline was not responsible for damage, just for loss.
 

teekadog

Active member
When AA broke my new Sit 'n Stroll, I got a quick life lesson in Contracts of Carriage. American Airlines does not take responsibility for the safety of any baby item being checked with them. Neither do any of the other US-based airlines I checked with.

This was over a year ago, but none of the contracts stated anything about not being ALLOWED to check baby items-- just that if you did, they weren't responsible to any damage to them.

Just my experience.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
I've never checked a car seat (always used them), but IME, FAs are almost obsessed with gate checking. ;) They took my stroller without me asking (which was good), but they also wanted my luggage carts (which was fine, but surprising).
 

twokidstwodogs

New member
I've never checked a car seat (always used them), but IME, FAs are almost obsessed with gate checking. ;) They took my stroller without me asking (which was good), but they also wanted my luggage carts (which was fine, but surprising).

I've had the same problem while waiting to board. They often try to gate check the seats that I'm bringing on board to use on the plane! I'm often the only one on the plane who has bought a seat for her under-two, but I guess they're also not used to people bringing seats on board to use for older kids.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
One FA commented something like, "Oh, you're going to use the carseat on board?" when we gate checked our stroller and proceeded to board carrying our Scenera for a flight to Orlando on Northwest. I cringed at the comment, thinking it's sad the FA's initial assumption was we were gate checking the Scenera instead of using it on the flight. Fortunately, there were no hassles over installing the carseat on the outbound or return flights from the flight crews.
 

mimieliza

New member
I can't imagine checking a carseat - what if it gets lost? You'd be stuck at the airport with no carseat. And I think it's much more likely to get damaged through the checked baggage process than the gate checking process.

Of course, ideally we'll be using it on the flight! :)
 

strollerfreak

Senior Community Member
Sounds like a FA with control issues to me.

DH just flew with DS & DD last week, and since DS was a lap-baby and there were NO open seats, he gate checked DS's carseat. DD rode in her carseat since she was a ticketed passenger.
 

bensmom

Admin - CPS Technician
I can't imagine checking a carseat - what if it gets lost? You'd be stuck at the airport with no carseat. And I think it's much more likely to get damaged through the checked baggage process than the gate checking process.

Of course, ideally we'll be using it on the flight! :)

Gate-checked items can get lost or delayed too. My sister recently gate checked a stroller and it did not arrive at her destination with her. The airline ended up delivering it to her house the next day. I've also seen piles of gate checked strollers sitting in a corner of baggage claim at the airport. If you absolutely want/need it at your destination, you need to carry it on board with you.
 

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