Blvd got stuck FF on plane.. WDYD?

mykidsmylife · Jul 30, 2008

So I forgot to ask with this whole move, losing baby and soo much other crap going on...

On the flight to NC I put Seth FF. Well the seatbelt got stuck and it took me another mom and 3 flight attendents to get it out. They ended up taking the plane seat apart just to get the BLVD out.
The buckle wouldnt open all the way b/c of the harness plate on the back of the Blvd. In the process my head foam and the foam by the harness got ripped.
Britax said it was fine to take the plate off since when we fly to Germany he will also be FF on the plane.

I cant be the only person who has run into this issue. We were flying Delta and the seatbelt latches right in the center...

So has anyone else delt with this???? We are flying United to Germany so I am hoping their belts latch on the side. LOL.

Thanks a lot.

mamabear · Jul 30, 2008

With my MA, I always flip the seatbelt buckle (the part you pull up to unbuckle the seatbelt) upside down (so, in other words, twist the seatbelt over once ) so that I can reach my hand in and unbuckle it easier.

Hope that makes sense

NVMBR02 · Jul 30, 2008

You can also ask for a seabelt extender. The you shorten one side and use the extended. Unhook the extender when you go to take the seat out (it will be on the side)
Doe sthat make sense? I know someone explained it better on here, and I followed the advice when I flew with our Marathon.

wendytthomas · Jul 30, 2008

At 21 months and 22 pounds I'd put him rear facing. It'd be more comfortable for his legs and MUCH easier. We traveled with Piper's Wizard forward facing only a few times because it was such a PITA to uninstall. We had to have the pilot and copilot come back once or twice. I learned how to remove the seatbelt from the plane. Pretty easy, scarily enough. So as long as she could we used the Wizard rear facing. When we got a Radian for her she started riding forward facing because it's just so much easier.

But if forward facing will happen, definitely get a seatbelt extender. Shorten the belt that is on the plane all the way, attach the extender, and then buckle that into the other side of the belt on the outside of the beltpath.

Wendy

raelynn · Jul 30, 2008

My MA got stuck on the plane (United flight), the buckle got caught on the bar (you know how you lift up on the buckle to unbuckle the seatbelt? the bar got caught in the buckle). I had to kneel in the MA, and wiggle and pull the seatbelt to get it off the bar. So not as bad as what happened with your Blvd, but definitely a total PITA!

mykidsmylife · Jul 30, 2008

Thanks I will ask for one when we fly...

We decided to put him FF b/c of the DVD players. The flight will be a total of 10.5 hours. We can also switch the seat to RF if needed. But we gotta think of how to make this trip as easy as possible and he loves being FF. LOL.

I know not that safe but he wont be in the car seat the entire 10.5 hour flight either...

BUT he will still be rf in the car for another 1.5 years....

mykidsmylife · Jul 30, 2008

raelynn said:
My MA got stuck on the plane (United flight), the buckle got caught on the bar (you know how you lift up on the buckle to unbuckle the seatbelt? the bar got caught in the buckle). I had to kneel in the MA, and wiggle and pull the seatbelt to get it off the bar. So not as bad as what happened with your Blvd, but definitely a total PITA!

Yeah not even that worked with the BLVD. LOL. We had two males trying to get it out that way. They said they never encountered a car seat like this one. I told them they probably rarley encounter a car seat freak like me with a $300 car seat. LOL.

scootiemom · Jul 30, 2008

Just ask for a seat belt extender as you board the plane. It makes it so much easier when you go to un-install it. When the actual seatbelt is tightened down the buckle will be to the side of the seat and the extender's buckle will be behind the seat.

wendytthomas · Jul 30, 2008

myboysmylife said:
Thanks I will ask for one when we fly...

We decided to put him FF b/c of the DVD players. The flight will be a total of 10.5 hours. We can also switch the seat to RF if needed. But we gotta think of how to make this trip as easy as possible and he loves being FF. LOL.

I know not that safe but he wont be in the car seat the entire 10.5 hour flight either...

BUT he will still be rf in the car for another 1.5 years....

Do you have a portable DVD player? If so I'd probably make a point to put him RFing. The tray is unusable, and the DVD player could sit in his lap and you wouldn't have to worry about it falling.

If you're talking about the plane's TV screens, then I can understand. Hopefully he'll want to sleep and you can turn him around while he sleeps. The easiest of all worlds!!!

Wendy

mykidsmylife · Jul 30, 2008

wendytthomas said:
Do you have a portable DVD player? If so I'd probably make a point to put him RFing. The tray is unusable, and the DVD player could sit in his lap and you wouldn't have to worry about it falling.

If you're talking about the plane's TV screens, then I can understand. Hopefully he'll want to sleep and you can turn him around while he sleeps. The easiest of all worlds!!!

Wendy

We are still waiting on our gift card to get new DVD players but Target keeps screwing things up. SOOOO we wont have our own DVD players until we get to Germany. I am so annoyed b/c that means a 6hr drive to baltimore with no DVD players. The 14 hrs drive w/o them to Ma was a living HELL!!!

They will use the ones on the plane. He will probably fall asleep nursing. LOL. So yeah I will most likely flip his seat. We will also be flying late into the night so the last part of the flight he will most likely be rf ...

Melanie · Jul 30, 2008

fyi: it's not just Britax seats that have this problem. DD's seat got stuck on a Southwest plane. It was about 10 years ago with a Graco seat.

Kat_Momof3 · Jul 31, 2008

in regards to him being ff... plane safety is totally different from car safety, and the point of the carseat is more to keep him SECURED in the event of turbulance or a crash, rather than to protect him from another vehicle plowing into the vehicle he's in.

So, the risks just from being ff are much lower. I don't have a problem with a kid who meets the ff requirements being ff in the plane and then rf in the car when they get there.

I agree that a belt extender would fix this problem.

liz2d2 · Jul 31, 2008

scootiemom said:
Just ask for a seat belt extender as you board the plane. It makes it so much easier when you go to un-install it. When the actual seatbelt is tightened down the buckle will be to the side of the seat and the extender's buckle will be behind the seat.

I ran into this problem too. Delta maintenance had to come onto the plane and cut the seatbelt off!

The belt extender trick works but on my last flight, a crotchety flight attendant told me that I wasn't allowed to use one with a carseat so he refused to give me one! Has anyone heard of this?

mamabear · Jul 31, 2008

liz2d2 said:
The belt extender trick works but on my last flight, a crotchety flight attendant told me that I wasn't allowed to use one with a carseat so he refused to give me one! Has anyone heard of this?

If this happens again just try flipping the seatbelt upside down, so the buckle is facing the seat bottom. It will be easier to reach in and flip forward to unbuckle.

Unfortunately flight attendants can be very busy at boarding time, and may not act like they can accomodate you.

scootiemom · Jul 31, 2008

Shhh, I kept the belt extenders on my last flight.

I wanted to have them just in case I ever ran into a situation like I had on a different flight when the FAs said they couldn't give the extenders to me because they needed them for the safety demonstration. Umm, by then I had already installed the seats. Thanks a lot.

mamabear · Jul 31, 2008

Please. Don't steal from the airlines.

My husband works for an airline.They are all having hard enough times right now.

Seatbelt extenders can be purchased online if you are someone who is going to use one more than a few times and can't figure out how to install your carseat without getting it stuck.
The way I look at it, you just stole at least $50 form that airline.

cryswilkins · Aug 1, 2008

I just want to comment on the DVD player thing....

We drive up North 10 hours a few times a year with DD and we have NEVER had a DVD player. We sing songs, I bring new toys she has never seen, color wonder markers, stickers, colorforms, etc. Sometimes I have to sit back there with her, but its always been a fine trip. Any trip with kids there is going be some whining and crying. I think that your little guys will do fine.:twocents:

Victorious4 · Aug 1, 2008

Generic response

These are pretty helpful....

http://cpsafety.com/articles/airplanetravel.aspx
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/airplanes/airplanes.html

scootiemom · Aug 1, 2008

mamabear said:
The way I look at it, you just stole at least $50 form that airline.

Well then, the way I look at it, since I was charged $50 for being 3 pounds over on the single bag I checked when I could have had 3 bags at 50 pounds, we're even. I bought 3 seats, had 2 kids, 2 carseats and could NOT manage 2 or 3 checked bags. I couldn't have taken anything out of my checked bag to make it weigh less as my single carry on was already packed full with snack, drinks and activities for the kids. Some leniency by the those at the airline counters in certain situations would be helpful.

mamabear · Aug 1, 2008

scootiemom said:
Well then, the way I look at it, since I was charged $50 for being 3 pounds over on the single bag I checked when I could have had 3 bags at 50 pounds, we're even. I bought 3 seats, had 2 kids, 2 carseats and could NOT manage 2 or 3 checked bags. I couldn't have taken anything out of my checked bag to make it weigh less as my single carry on was already packed full with snack, drinks and activities for the kids. Some leniency by the those at the airline counters in certain situations would be helpful.

Sorry, it's still stealing. You could have given it back after the flight. As I stated above a seatbelt extender is not necessary to install your carseat. If you ask for one and they have one to lend, great, if not you have to do without. It is not your right.
Most airlines now charge for checked bags at any weight.

Blvd got stuck FF on plane.. WDYD?

Well-known member

New member

New member

Admin - CPST Instructor

Senior Community Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Admin - CPST Instructor

Well-known member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

New member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics