Radian in center seat on Alaska Airlines

angelique

New member
We have a 3, 2, and 1 year old and we have seats for each child on our upcoming Alaska Airlines flight.

We have an Orbit infant (RF), a scenera, and a radian rxt in order from youngest to oldest.

We booked sets ABC DE hoping that we could pass things back and forth. We planned to switch to EF if the flight filled up, but we missed the boat on that one. The flights are now full and we are concerned about installing all of the seats.

Our current thinking is:
Orbit RF in window seat
Scenera RF in center
Parent on the aisle

Parent on the aisle
Radian FF (oldest is ERF in the car, but should be ok on the plane)

Alaska's policy per website is:
The window seat is the preferred location for a child restraint system, although it may be placed in the middle seat if the window seat is vacant, or if the restraint system does not block access to the aisle. If you are uncertain, the Flight Attendant can assist in determining if middle seat is acceptable. For safety, a child restraint system must not be placed in the aisle seat.

SO....
If we put the Radian FF, do you think that would be considered "not blocking access to the aisle?"

The three year old is 36 pounds and about 38", so we could take a CARES harness for her, but these are very long flights and we feel she would be more secure in her car seat.
 
ADS

cantabdad

New member
The issue of multiple carseats per row is still something of a grey area; FAA's policy is that airlines should use "good judgment" in these cases (FAA Circular AC 120-87B, section 19). Seats other than window seats can be used, but not an aisle seat, and not where the carseat would block access to the aisle, as you noted from Alaska's own policy.

In a 3x3 seating layout, most airlines interpret this to mean that you can put a carseat in the middle seat if there is another carseat at the window, but not where there is another unrelated passenger at the window.... even though the Radian is so slim that it realistically would not block egress very much at all.

So from Alaska Airlines' perspective (as best we can tell) your proposed seating arrangement works for the left side of the plane -- except that they may want the Scenera to be FF -- but not on the right side, if there is another passenger in the window seat there.

You will have to either get new seat assignments OR take a chance that that person will be willing to switch with you and sit on the aisle, with you in the middle. Most (not all) folks are pretty accommodating about things like that for families -- and of course you'd be giving that person a nice aisle seat rather than something undesirable.

Even though the flight is full, there could be a chance to be re-seated if you get a sympathetic and thoughtful telephone agent, especially as upgrades clear and some folks move to first class, creating a little more room for maneuver. CARES could be your backup plan.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Yeah, I don't think they'll allow a seat in the center if it's blocking another passenger (especially one unrelated to the kid in the seat).

I would call the airline now and see if there's any way to change seats. They'll probably have to do some switching around to accommodate the car seat anyway, and they'd probably prefer to do it now, especially since the flight might not ACTUALLY be full.

For future reference, I've found what works best when traveling with my husband and three kids is to book the three seats on one side, and then the window and center of the row in front of it. That way we have two window seats, can still pass things back and forth, AND no one will give me a hard time about my rear-facing seat, since it would be my own non-reclining kid in the seat in front of it.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
They *may* allow a car seat, RF or FF, in the center of the center section of the plane. Because the person on either side of the seat still has access to an aisle.

When we flew to Hawaii we used our daughter's RF infant seat in the center of the middle section of the plane. That was Hawaiian Airlines.

There can be variation on how different airlines and even different flight attendants read the rules, though.
 

angelique

New member
I just wanted to come back and let you know how it went.

We didn't have ANY problems at ALL with the flight attendants on Alaska Airlines letting us configure our seats on the flight. We had four flight segments.

For anyone who wonders- the BEST arrangement was for us to have all three kids Rear-Facing. We had one flight where the woman in front of my four year old demanded to be re-seated in first class because my daughter's foot brushed the back of her seat. :mad: Anyway... RF solved that problem.

We had no problems turning the Scenera around mid-flight when my son was having a grand time kicking the seat in front of him. And we bought a drink for that lady, after profusely apologizing.

So to recap- even on a full flight where we had a person unrelated to us in the window seat, we were able to place the Radian in the center seat forward facing. The flight attendant asked about it and we simply stated the FAA rule and airline policy- and that we felt the passenger in the window seat would still be able to exit in an emergency. She agreed and off we went.

Thanks so much!

Travelling with young kids is stressful, but it worked.

I will also say that the flight attendants also helped carry our car seats off the plane at the end of each flight. So helpful!
 

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