carseats on a flight to London

NannyMom

Well-known member
I know someone traveling with a 2 year old from the US to London. Will they be allowed to use their carseat on the plane? I've heard international flights have different rules...
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Yes, though if it's a British airline they will be required to put it forward facing. UK airlines allow seats up to three years old. American airlines allow seats to the manufacturer's instructions. If they're on an American carrier she'll be able to install rear facing if she wants to.

Wendy
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I think if it's a US carrier (American, United, etc.), they have to go by FAA rules, which allow for using a car seat. If it's a foreign carrier (British Air, etc.), I think they can have their own rules, and they should check with the airline.

ETA: Nevermind, Wendy seems to know what she's talking about. Though they still might want to check if their airline is neither American nor British.
 

Adventuredad

New member
I would also strongly recommend calling airline ahead of time and speak to someone. Many times there are "official rules" which are not followed by staff. Car seats is a pain for staff and some seem to think they can simply say no regardless of rules.
 

niccig

New member
Virgin Atlantic have their own mini-seats for kids under 2 yo. It attaches to seat with seat belt and has a 5 pt harness. I was on a flight w/o DS, and when a family wanted to take it out so their DD could lie flat to sleep, they refused saying she had to stay in it for safety. I was impressed. But I think once over 2 yo, you can't use it and they don't allow car seats. But double check.
 

Pixels

New member
If you can, find the appropriate policy (from FAA or the airline or wherever you can find it), print it out and take it with you. Then if you have any problems, you can show them their own policy.
 

Adventuredad

New member
Some stupid staff might still say no and if a person wants to get ok the plane they better obey. I think it sucks but I see and hear it all the time. Especially today when money is tight, schedules are tight, and staff not always well informed.

I think it's shame they don't make traveling with kids a little less painful:twocents:
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I have to wonder why carseats would be "a pain" for staff? It's the parent's responsibility to install and use it, and a kid in a car seat is much better contained and often better behaved than one without. I wonder why you've come across so many FAs who don't like them?
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I have to wonder why carseats would be "a pain" for staff? It's the parent's responsibility to install and use it, and a kid in a car seat is much better contained and often better behaved than one without. I wonder why you've come across so many FAs who don't like them?

My guess would be because they like to herd people in as quickly as possible, and installing a car seat takes time. Of course, it takes MORE time now that so many airlines no longer allow pre-boarding for people with kids. :rolleyes:
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I guess that makes sense. I've just never had it take much time-- lap-only manual adjust belts have been easy to use with every seat I've used on a plane-- and even on carriers that "no longer allow" pre-boarding with children, I've gone up when they call the first group and said, "I need to put my carseats in, do you mind if I go in now?" and been let on. :whistle:
 

niccig

New member
and even on carriers that "no longer allow" pre-boarding with children, I've gone up when they call the first group and said, "I need to put my carseats in, do you mind if I go in now?" and been let on. :whistle:

I do the same thing, but I don't ask. They call the first group and we get in line. No one has ever looked at our tickets and said "you have to wait".
 

Adventuredad

New member
My guess would be because they like to herd people in as quickly as possible, and installing a car seat takes time. Of course, it takes MORE time now that so many airlines no longer allow pre-boarding for people with kids. :rolleyes:

I agree. Airlines are under lots of pressure to be on time and car seats don't help. People on this board seems to handle things very well but unfortunately most parents are inexperienced travelers and bringing the car seat together with a few kids is really a pain for staff. A parent walking on board with a couple of kids and a few carryon's means delays and annoyed travelers. Parents is trying to figure out how to install seat while kids run around and a hundred people wait a few minutes in the aisle:whistle: Some staff is extremely understanding and helpful but that's unfortunately not the norm.

This situation is worse on domestic/smaller flights where flight duration is shorter. Quick boarding istehn important. On the long transatlantic flight it's easier since planes are usually much larger and staff more experienced.

It also doesn't help that some staff have no idea about what rules apply. I've seen some simply say no to parents when they try to bring a sat on borad. Despite getting ok while boarding. Very confusing for parents.......

Bringing a FAA paper might help but staff can still say no and there is little that can be done at that moment. In general, staff tends to get very defensive and somewhat hostile when passengers start showing papers regarding procedure.

Staff on planes know about risks of turbulence. They know chances of a child dying or being injured by turbulence are about the same as winning 100 millions on Lotto. Turbulence does occur but most often passengers have been warned about it and are already sitting down with children fastened/in laps.

Funny thing you mentioned about pre-boarding. I still pre-board every flight I get on with the kids. Could it be some local thing?

Virgin Atlantic have their own mini-seats for kids under 2 yo. It attaches to seat with seat belt and has a 5 pt harness. I was on a flight w/o DS, and when a family wanted to take it out so their DD could lie flat to sleep, they refused saying she had to stay in it for safety. I was impressed. But I think once over 2 yo, you can't use it and they don't allow car seats. But double check.


This has happened to me several times on Malaysia Airlines, one of the best airlines I've ever flown with. While this would seem to be great for safety it does little or nothing in reality. A child can't sleep on the floor but can lay down on three seats on row behind and sleep without a belt. Or in parents lap without seatbelt. Anyway you look at it, risk of being injured in turbulence is so rare you shouldn't worry about it.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
It's not so much about turbulence to me as the rare instance that you hit a pocket of air (I've known 2 people who this happened to) and mostly, about the kids being contained. If they are contained they settle down and even go to sleep, like they do in the car. If they're in a belt they can wiggle around in, they do, and try to get out, or want to run around-- at least the ones I've seen do. My kids are very quiet, happy travelers if they've got their car seats-- it's just like being on a big car with a lot of people that happens to go in the air to them. Like an everyday thing. But if they didn't have their seats, they would take that as license to misbehave ("Oh, we're in an unusual situation, usual rules don't apply, let's make Mommy's life miserable as possible!" LOL.)
 

Adventuredad

New member
I totally see your point. I've flown a lot with my kids but have the exact opposite experience as you do. I've found kids in car seats behave far worse than lap kids/kids in own seats. It's barfing screaming, and the panic about being contained. Have you been on longer flight or is usually sub 2 hour flights? I think it's a lot easier on short flights with seats but staff tends to bet more annoyed due to time constraints.

You're on top of things so I'm sure you board faster with seats and kids than a typical person does with just a single laptop as luggage:D:thumbsup:
 

niccig

New member
I'm in the "DS behaves better with car seat" camp. We've flown with and without car seat, and the worst flights were always WITHOUT the car seat. But that's our DS, another child might be different. Minimum flights for us are 5 hours, maximum has been 15 hours. On our last trip to Australia, DS slept 8 of the 15 hours. We were in traveler's heaven. We go again in May, and we're bringing the car seat and crossing fingers/toes that we get lucky and he sleeps well. 15 hours is a LONG time to occupy a child on a plane and I've BTDT.
 

Adventuredad

New member
Sounds like you're doing great on flights with your kids:thumbsup: We've done many flights to US and Mexico which are quite long. About 24 hours door to door when we travel to Mexico. But the kids like it, they think it's a cool adventure. Our hyper active daughter was a little challenge earlier but is now doing better.

Flights to US are piece of cake, only 8 hour flight time:whistle::D
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Our flights are usually 2 1/2 to 4 hours. Sometimes more. But sometimes we do take shorter trips-- usually a 1 1/2 hour flight, layover, then another 1 to 1 1/2 hour flight when we do that (my husband's parents live halfway across the country.)

But on both short and long I've found they do better in their seats. Of course, my family is not prone to motion sickness (I come from a long line of sailors and pilots, both) and neither is my husband's, and we often go on road trips for vacations, so the kids are used to spending all day buckled in anyway (except for bathroom breaks, etc., or when we stop for a few hours at a "destination.") They're good travelers and sleep well in the carseats (we often leave for road trips at about 2 in the morning, they sleep until 8 or so, wake up, we have breakfast in the car, keep going, stop for lunch, go again, they nap in the afternoon, we don't stop until evening.) And they're in Radians (and the older 2 are FF) so not the most "comfy" of seats, quite upright, but they don't seem to mind a bit (though my eldest will sit cross-legged to keep her legs from dangling.)
 

niccig

New member
Flights to US are piece of cake, only 8 hour flight time:whistle::D

We're the same. Australia door to door is close to 20 hours, 15 of those on the plane. I'm flying alone with DS in a few days, and it's 5 hours on the plane. A few people asked "oh no, we'll you be OK." 5 hours is a piece of cake compared to 15. It's all what you're used to, and DS is used to long flights.
 

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