Car seat on an airplane

Eackers · Mar 30, 2015

My 5.75 year old son is 45" tall and 40 lbs. soaking wet. In our car, he rides in a Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 seat in the harness mode. We will be flying soon, and I am trying to figure out if he should have his car seat on the plane. He is a skinny kid, and I'm not sure if he is big enough to have the airplane seat belt be tight enough against his hips. We haven't flown with him in a few years, so this is the first time going without his carseat in the plane would be an option for us. How big do kids have to be for the airplane seat belt be secure enough?

Thanks for your help!
Emily

LISmama810 · Mar 30, 2015

At that age and size, he'd probably be okay in a seatbelt on the plane. If I didn't need a seat at my destination, I'd let him ride without a seat if it were my kid. However, the big question there is whether you'll need a seat at your destination, and if so, how is it getting there?

Checking seats can be a bad idea, because they could get lost or damaged, and then you're stranded at the airport until you're somehow able to get another seat. If you're taking a seat anyway, it's probably better to take it onboard.

4boysmom · Mar 31, 2015

Is it not an issue with slouching/5 stepping if you will? My 5.5 yo rode in a cares harness on our short trip to LA a few weeks back. The way there he seemed okay but the way back the woman in front of us was *****ing before we even took off about him kicking her seat because he kept pushing off the back with his foot he was slouching so badly because his thigh bones are not long enough to have his knees bend right to keep his butt in the crack I guess it may have been greatly exacerbated by his muscle tone/positional fatigue but the ride home was a bit of a disaster with him slouching downward as well as to the side,