FA wanted me to turn DD FF!!

I just flew on AirTran earlier today and the FA wanted me to turn DD FF. She is in an Avenue and is not big enough to FF in that seat. She is 21# and the seat is a minimum 22#. I told her FAA regs said to use the seat according to manufactureres instructions and I had printed them out and they were with me. The other FA (a guy) backed me up. He didn't like that the seat in front couldn't recline, but since it was unoccuppied didn't argue.
It was however hard to get her seat in RF. It was very upright, but not to where it bothered her.

I did feel bad for the other lady flying on the flight with 2 young children neither in car seats. They fussed and cried almost the whole time while my DD slept peacefully in her seat for 2 of the 4 hours.

What's funny is that the woman with the two kids was probably thinking "poor woman brought her big ole car seat on the plane. Silly woman must not realize that you can hold baby on your lap for free". Bet she wasn't thinking that at the end of the flight.

Good for you for sticking to your guns...and arriving at the airport with your 'ammo' preloaded!

I'm flying Monday with ds. Using a CARES harness. I've got my written 'ammo' all ready to go since we're flying Airtran also and I'm not sure how they'll receive the harness.

The car seat was pretty upright and the seat in front still couldnt recline? They must have pretty bad leg room on AirTran no? I do wonder if a lot of the issue with FAs telling ppl to turn FFing isnt because they're worried about the passenger in front. I have to say Jet Blue paying the extra 20 bucks for the few first rows with 38" legroom was the best money I ever spent. granted I have a RA but I could have it ridiculously reclined (even over reclined) and the seat in front could still recline. (true they dont recline that much on jet blue which kinda sucks)

the only time I ever flew air tran, yes they had horrible legroom.

BUT... I also know that most passengers would endure JUST ABOUT anything to ensure the children on the plane (under a reasonable age where they should know how to behave) are settled and quiet.

And, having not had the money (or knowledge) I did at the time when I flew airtran and having had Damian as a lap baby... let me assure you that even being held in the lap instead... no way could that seat in front of me have reclined... not that they tried.

Nope, I instead had the guy next to me offer me the use of his tray as I couldn't pull mine down because of a sleeping Damian... offer to help me store my carry ons, get them out at the end of the flight, get me anything I needed... he said he just didn't want the "little man" to be disturbed (the boy fell asleep during takeoff with a bottle of milk... second flight he did so with his pacifier...)

I feel sorry for that mom that she didn't plan ahead... I know you can't always afford an extra seat for your one child under 2... but since she obviously had seats for them, why NOT bring the carseats on board??

I flew w/ Evan when he was 10 mos old, and 16#, and the FA asked sevearal times if I was sure it didn't go the other way, ffing. I just said no and went on my business, then she couldn't figure out how I had installed the seat. The should at least go over this stuff once in school, really.

I always feel bad for the kids w/ no carseats to, they just don't understand they can't get up and play and mom and dad are always so busy. Evan and Ilana slept like logs last time in their seat and AJ just sat there and did his 'school' work, they never even batted an eye at using their seats.

I have a friend who flew Southwest this July and had TWO FAs on TWO different flights tell her she had to install her Scenera FF for her TEN MONTH OLD, 16 LB. baby. :thumbsdown:

when we flew with our MA they FA just asked if I was sure it went that way. Uhhh...yeah. And that was it.

We flew both Delta and US Airways and on both the seat was very upright and there was no way the seat in front could have reclined at all. I would say it was a little worse on the Delta than on the US but both were pretty tight in the legroom area.

thepeach80 said:

then she couldn't figure out how I had installed the seat. The should at least go over this stuff once in school, really.

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The FA couldn't figure out how my seat was installed. She kept saying she could see that there was not a seat belt through the FF belt path. I physically had to show her the belt in the RF belt path and shake the seat for her to see it was not going anywhere. She also said she had never heard about keeping them RF, but when I quoted FAA regualtions she had no idea what they were. My printed copy was in my carry-on stowed above me so she just let it drop, especially when her coworker knew what I was talking about. I kept telling them she was not big enough to FF in her seat.
How can they not know this when this is their JOB?

Yeah, there is not much leg room on Air Tran and it was difficult to even get the seat in the space RF. I did have to watch her with the head slump when she slept. I just used a blanket to prop her head so it didn't fall forward. The seat was a little too upright for my taste, but I preferred it to turning her FF.

They started complaining about the seat about 10 seconds before we pushed off from the gate and for sure it would have taken me a while to uninstall the seat, move the harness straps up and then reinstall it FF (which I have never done). Trust me it was in their best interest to keep her RF.

I am however, worried about our flight home because I know the FA who agreed with me on the RF would have argued with me to turn her FF if there was a passenger in front of her.

hey, just keep saying that she's under 1 and 20lbs... someone on that plane will back you up because someone has to have a kid or know that minimum... and it's on the stickers on your seat.

Kat_Momof3 said:

hey, just keep saying that she's under 1 and 20lbs... someone on that plane will back you up because someone has to have a kid or know that minimum... and it's on the stickers on your seat.

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Only she is 19 months and 21 pounds. Small for her age but technically can FF, just not in the Avenue with a 22 pound minimum.

I would have the FAA regs out then, and be ready to show them on the sticker where it says 22 lbs.

I just figured they wouldn't check her birth certificate since she's so small.

But hey, the minimums on that seat are clear (wasn't sure before what seat you were flying with)... and she obviously doesn't meet them, so you can use the manual to support your putting her rf.