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I just returned from vacation, flying from Manchester, NH to Orlando, Fl on Southwest with my 7 month old. Prior to leaving I had posted a question here regarding high weight limit rear facing carseats. We opted to purchase the EFTA just prior to leaving for vacation as we realized he would outgrow his infant carrier seat while we were gone. I researched online, here and read the manual and it seemed like the best choice. My husband noticed while installing the seat that the sticker read "Not approved for use in airplanes". I couldn't believe this to be true as the manual very clearly indicates that it is approved for airline use. We looked the carseat all over and it definitely said it was not approved. It did have the Transport Canada sticker ?213 on it, which I understood meant it had been tested for airplane use. Is that true?
I called Evenflo. The rep I spoke to told me the carseat it NOT approved for airplane use. I explained that the manual very clearly stated it met the FAA requirements for airplane use. At first she told me that the manual did not say that, when I insisted she checked the manual and then told me the manual is wrong. She explained that the stickers would supersede the manual. When I asked why it was not approved she explained it was because the FAA didn't test it because it is a Canadian carseat and they don't test foreign carseats. She told me it wasn't tested in Canada because airplane safety isn't a required test of transport Canada. I asked her which carseats are approved for airplane use and she told me there are none in Canada. I explained to her how frustrating this was... We were leaving immediately for our flight and had no option to purchase another carseat except an American model on our way which we then could not use in Canada. I asked her if there was any difference between the Canadian & US models, she told me she would check for me.
I called Southwest to verify their policy on carseats. The agent told me that the carseat had to be FAA approved. I explained it would be a Canadian carseat, she told me as long as it had the stickers saying it was approved it should be okay. If the flight attendants had issue with it, she told me they would be happy to gate check the seat for me. I explained that I had purchased a seat for my son and would want him safely in his carseat, not me trying to hold him. She told me not to worry, they would pad him up well with pillows and blankets so he could use the seatbelt in his seat!!!! I explained he was 7 months old and can barely sit independently and she told me that was what had worked well with her son!!! I couldn't believe it!
The Evenflo rep called me back and explained that except for the labels there is absolutely no difference between the Canadian & US models and that my seat would be safe for airplane use.
At this point, we had to leave to meet our flight. We took our manual that indicated it was approved, put our address label on the seat to cover the sticker that said it wasn't and hoped for the best. Fortunately at no point were we asked anything about the seat.
I am planning to fly Air Canada next month, their policy states the seat must bear a sticker indicating it is approved for airplane use. Any suggestions? Have you run in to this before? Thank you for your help.
I called Evenflo. The rep I spoke to told me the carseat it NOT approved for airplane use. I explained that the manual very clearly stated it met the FAA requirements for airplane use. At first she told me that the manual did not say that, when I insisted she checked the manual and then told me the manual is wrong. She explained that the stickers would supersede the manual. When I asked why it was not approved she explained it was because the FAA didn't test it because it is a Canadian carseat and they don't test foreign carseats. She told me it wasn't tested in Canada because airplane safety isn't a required test of transport Canada. I asked her which carseats are approved for airplane use and she told me there are none in Canada. I explained to her how frustrating this was... We were leaving immediately for our flight and had no option to purchase another carseat except an American model on our way which we then could not use in Canada. I asked her if there was any difference between the Canadian & US models, she told me she would check for me.
I called Southwest to verify their policy on carseats. The agent told me that the carseat had to be FAA approved. I explained it would be a Canadian carseat, she told me as long as it had the stickers saying it was approved it should be okay. If the flight attendants had issue with it, she told me they would be happy to gate check the seat for me. I explained that I had purchased a seat for my son and would want him safely in his carseat, not me trying to hold him. She told me not to worry, they would pad him up well with pillows and blankets so he could use the seatbelt in his seat!!!! I explained he was 7 months old and can barely sit independently and she told me that was what had worked well with her son!!! I couldn't believe it!
The Evenflo rep called me back and explained that except for the labels there is absolutely no difference between the Canadian & US models and that my seat would be safe for airplane use.
At this point, we had to leave to meet our flight. We took our manual that indicated it was approved, put our address label on the seat to cover the sticker that said it wasn't and hoped for the best. Fortunately at no point were we asked anything about the seat.
I am planning to fly Air Canada next month, their policy states the seat must bear a sticker indicating it is approved for airplane use. Any suggestions? Have you run in to this before? Thank you for your help.