HELP!! Terrible experience on Aer Lingus!

First of all I know I should have done more research and brought something in writing with me but we never had problems on Aer Lingus before. We've travelled with 2 kids in FFing seats before but this time we had 2 FF and 1 RFing in a graco snugride. Just before takeoff, a flight attendant informed me that they don't allow infants to ride in their own seats She told me that for take off and landings, infants are required to sit on an adult's lap using the infant seatbelt attachment. First I told her that we paid for a ticket so that our DD could ride in her carseat in her own seat. I told her that her seat was FAA approved and that she was secured properly. I don't know why she told me this considering they supposedly don't allow infant seats on the plane but she told me the seat should be facing forward I told her it is an infant seat and can only be rearfacing (which it was). She finally saw that she was wrong when I had her read the side of the seat that explains it's only to be used RFing. But she insisted that my DD be on my lap with the lap belt. I told her that I did not feel comfortable using it because it could cause internal bleeding or worse and that there is no way that was safer than having her in her car seat. She argued with me and then told me I had to get off the plane. When I refused saying that I already talked to Aer Lingus and was told I could have her in the infant car seat, she then tried to compromise with me by telling me I could have her on my lap so long as I wrapped MY seatbelt around both of us!!!!:thumbsdown: Is she crazy?? Does that sound wrong to anybody else?? The flight was literally delayed because I wouldn't give in. I was getting so upset because I did not understand HOW she could not see that an infant seat was far safer than having her in my lap ESPECIALLY during take off and landing. So I finally told her I would just hold her on my lap with no belt (yeah right) so she would leave me alone. When she sat down for take off, I put DD in her infant car seat.

My worry is what's going to happen on the way home??? We almost had the same problem on SAS because the flight attendant came up to me and told me to put the infant belt on her with her in my lap. I explained to her just as I did on Aer Lingus but this lady at least had some common sense. The SAS people had no clue I was intending on strapping the seat in. They thought I would just sit her on the seat in her chair When they came by and tested how strongly it was in, both attendants looked surprised and agreed that it was much safer for a baby to be in a car seat...they acted like they had never seen a baby travel that way before. At least they saw that it was safer but the Aer Lingus attendants would have nothing to do with it. They made me feel like I was crazy. Now I'm worried about what to do on our flight back home on Aer Lingus. Does anyone know what I can do to ensure we don't have problems on the way home??

Thanks
Kalli

I've read this over and over and over again, it seems to happen to everyone who tries to use a seat on a European airline . (and it even happens on some US carriers, though not as often)... at least you were allowed to use the seats for the big kids.

(((HUGS))) I'm so sorry you had to go through this

How terrible . I know it is a European airline, but could you contact them and ask them specifically why they want you to hold your child? It is terrible they do not realize the risks of buckling your child in a seat belt with you. Not to mention the whole RF v FF.

So sorry you had that experience and frustration! I don't have any specific advice, but agree with the pp about contacting Aer Lingus about the experience and see if they can get a resolution for you before your flight home. I honestly don't know much about airlines, but maybe they can send you a letter to your current destination or direct you to a policy you can print-out and have with you on your return flight? I really hope you have a better flight home!

I've printed a lot of things from the FAA website saying that if you purchased a ticket for your child and bring with you a FAA approved child restrain, then the airline MUST allow you to use the seat, according to the seat manufacturer's instructions (there is RF in case of the snugride - I always bring the seat manual too). I don't know how that applies to European airlines, maybe there's a European FAA equivalent you could contact? good luck!

I think it just depends on the flight attendents you get. I've used my MA on a number of European airlines (Lufthansa, CityLine, Croatia Air, etc.) and no one's ever given us trouble.

If they give you a hard time, I'd do just what you did--say you'll hold her and then buckle her into her seat anyway.

When I left the states to come back to Au on a Air NewZeland flight the same thing happened to someone else & I butted in and told the flight attendent that she was able to use her infant seat rf for take off & landing, I had all the paperwork from the FAA to back me up and we were on US soil.

That said I know that when I leave Au using a seat I get a lot of looks because the seats here are not approved for use on the airlines so they always question me about it.

I am glad that you stuck to your guns and I would print out any info you can from the FAA and the airlines info page you flew with.

A lot of flight attendents from overseas really don't know the regulations on using a car seat on planes.

Before you leave, call and re-confirm your flights and let them know that you will be using your infant & car seats on the plane and make sure to write the name and time of the person you spoke with.

Good luck on you flight back.

Thanks for all the tips. I spent the better part of yesterday researching and printing out what I could so I wanted to share the info I found here in case someone else runs into the same problem.

Basically ALL American based airlines have to, by law, allow any approved car seat onto the plane including RF infant seats. American based airlines are the only ones who have a law for this. Seats are not mandatory but they are allowed for anyone who wants to bring them.

The Seat Guru website has alot of ´good info about the different airlines around the world. I found that Aer Lingus does NOT allow infant car seats onto planes under any circumstances. According to their studies, they don't believe rear facing in a plane during a crash is SAFER than being in the parents lap. I found it very difficult to convince them otherwise. They have their data and that's what they go by. What I also found odd is that babies under 6 mo old MUST travel on a parents lap no matter what. Children 6-24 mo can either be on a parent's lap OR in their own seat in an approved FF carseat. I found this really odd considering a 7 mo old should not be in a FFing car seat at all Then they have a policy that says children over the age of 2 have to be in their own seat without a child restraint So they're saying a 2 yr old is safe enough using just the planes lapbelt! I can't believe they don't allow car seats for children over the age of 2 :thumbsdown: We however were able to bring our carseats on board the 4 times we travelled on Aer Lingus without trouble because they were at least FF. We feel the only thing we can do at this point is to have our 5 yr old sit in her own seat with the lapbelt and give her Radian to our 20lb 1 yr old DD and have her FF. I feel more comfortable with my 5 yr old not being in a car seat than I do having my infant on my lap with nothing strapping her in. We should have just brought all 3 radians but we didn't think an infant seat would be a problem.

Also, I printed out pages of info from the FAA, AAP, NTSB and other child safety advocate sites but the main problem is that airlines are governed by the rules of the country in which it's registered. So just because we left CA on an Aer Lingus flight doesn't mean they had to abide by US laws. Just as any European travelling on an American airline from their country would not be allowed to have a lap belt extender because they are forbidden in the US.

I wrote a letter to Aer Lingus in the hopes they will see my point and send me some kind of waiver or letter that will allow us to bring the infant seat on the plane, but I'm not holding out much hope.

From now on, we will only travel on airlines who are child restraint friendly. Fortunately, in the US they not only allow but recommend the use of child restraints until at least 40lbs :thumbsup:

The reason they say ff at 6mo is because most kids in Eu countries and Au ff their kids at 6mo or 17.6 lbs. Crazy I know.

kallifornia said:

Basically ALL American based airlines have to, by law, allow any approved car seat onto the plane including RF infant seats. American based airlines are the only ones who have a law for this. Seats are not mandatory but they are allowed for anyone who wants to bring them.

Also, I printed out pages of info from the FAA, AAP, NTSB and other child safety advocate sites but the main problem is that airlines are governed by the rules of the country in which it's registered. So just because we left CA on an Aer Lingus flight doesn't mean they had to abide by US laws. Just as any European travelling on an American airline from their country would not be allowed to have a lap belt extender because they are forbidden in the US.

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I could have sworn that all flights originating on US soil had to follow FAA guidelines...no matter where the company is registered. Whereas flights originating in another country did not and that's why people have problems flying from other countries to the US have problems.

Dillipop said:

I could have sworn that all flights originating on US soil had to follow FAA guidelines...no matter where the company is registered. Whereas flights originating in another country did not and that's why people have problems flying from other countries to the US have problems.

Click to expand...

Well that is what I assumed when we were leaving on Aer Lingus from Los Angeles. I assumed that we were in the US so therefore US rules apply. Everything I have found on the internet and have found out from the FAA that this is not true. Wherever the airlines is registered is where the rules come from. Each airline is bound by their own policies that do not change when they leave their home country. I was told on Aer Lingus that if I did not use the lap belt extender on my DD then I would not be covered under their insurance. I told them I'd take my chances And lapbelt extenders are not allowed to be used on any American airlines.

Same thing happened to someone else on Alitatilia out of, I think, Florida...FAA rules didn't apply, and I think they made the baby ride on her lap the whole way (I could look it up, I suppose...)