"Best Airplane Holiday Travel Tips for Parents"

2. Plan Ahead for the Appropriate Car Seat to Be Used on the Plane
Although the FAA permits children under age 2 to fly in a parents arm, imagine trying to hold on to a child in turbulence or in an emergency. Look for a label that says, "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircrafts. In order to fit on an airplane seat, the car seat cannot be wider than 16 inches.

All children 40 pounds and under should be in car seats with a harness on an airplane. The same age and weight rules apply for planes as for cars. In order to sit facing forward safely, a child should be at least 12 months and weigh at least 20 pounds. (Holtzman strongly recommends to keep children rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat's manufacturer.) Rear-facing infant seats fit best on airplanes, but you can use a rear-facing convertible seat. Children who have out grown car seats should be secured by the standard-issue aircraft safety belt. Keep the lap belt buckled across their thighs or hips. Even though some booster seats and harness vests can be used safely in a car, they are banned from use in aircraft during taxi, take-off and landing.

Important Note: Recently, a three-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a plane crash in the rugged British Columbia mountains. Rescuers credited her survival with the fact she was carefully strapped into a car seat in the plane, which was found nose down and flipped over in the icy water on the edge of a riverbank.

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