Do I need a carseat on a Plane for child under 2?

lovinwaves

New member
If I am going to be flying do I need to have my child that is under 2 in a carseat? Is it recommended? Someone told me that you can't even buy a ticket for a child under 2 year old.
Also, what carseats are FAA Approved?
 
ADS

gobsmacked

New member
You most certainly can buy a seat for a child under 2, but you don't have to. If you do buy a seat, then a car seat is strongly recommended but not required.

It's generally advisable to purchase a seat for the child and have a car seat with for them. That said, we flew with DS as a lap baby a few times because we just couldn't afford the extra seat (we fly across the country and it adds up quick). It worked well when he was really little because he nursed a lot and was sitting/sleeping on me the whole time. Once he was mobile though, I got him a seat. Car seats are great because he knows that if he's in his car seat, then he stays in his car seat. So, he doesn't try to walk all around the plane, or anything.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
It is not required that you buy a seat for a child under age two, but it is strongly recommended, just like gobsmacked said.

Sometimes it is not possible to buy a seat and that is okay. Like gobsmacked said, sometimes finances restrict people from being able to purchase an extra ticket.

If you do buy a seat for your baby, you should bring a carseat. I think all currently manufactured US infant and convertible carseats are FAA approved. I think... The seat will have a sticker on it telling you if it is approved or not. You cannot use a Regent/Husky/Super Elite/Traveler Plus or any belt-postioning booster on a plane, but I think other seats are all approved.
 

gobsmacked

New member
Your sig says you have two Marathons. I just flew with my son in his Marathon and it worked well. We fly from a small town on a small plane and it fit fine. Then, from SLC to Atlanta, the plane is bigger and the seat fit great.
 

LEAW

New member
Even if you don't buy a seat, take your car seat with you... if there is an empty seat on the plane, you can ask to have your seat moved next to it and put baby there, they are usually very accomodating about that. Just check with the gate when you check in.
 

dvmvail

New member
It used to be that seats for kids under 2 were offered at a discount. It's been so long since we flew anywhere I don't know if they still offer it -- but it's worth checking into.
 

SusanMae

Senior Community Member
I've also heard that if you buy a ticket for a child under 2 on Southwest that they will give you your money back for the child's seat IF they don't fill the plane. You'd need to check the validity of that---but worth looking into I think.

Susan
 

twokidstwodogs

New member
Lots of airlines have discounted tickets for children under 2, though not Southwest. I've never heard of that money back program, and no one's ever mentioned it, but it's worth asking!

I've flown with my kids many times, and have always bought them seats. (Granted, I am often the only one on the plane with a ticketed infant.) On the routes I fly, there are rarely open seats, and I am just not willing to take the chance. I figure that if the FAA wants me buckled in, then my kids are going to be buckled too.

We have used Snugrides, Roundabouts (front and rearfacing), and Marathons on planes. Depending on the plane, you may have to install it with the armrest up, and it's possible that a bigger seat wouldn't fit well in a puddle jumper plane. Now that my older child is over 40 lbs, we don't bring a restraint on board for her, but bring our Safeguard Go for the rental car at the other end.
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
Southwest does have infant fares that are half the price of the regular adult fare. So if the most expensive adult fare is 299 one way, the infant fare is 149 one way. Unfortunately that is higher than we can afford to pay, since we usually get the online price of 99 one way, so baby's seat would cost the same as ours (and we are stretching $$ to pay for our seats). When I flew with DS1, he was a lap baby on the 2-3 flights we went on before he was 1. On the flight when he was 9 months, I really wished we had bought a seat, cause I was cramped into a window seat with him on my lap for 5 hours! He was just too big. It was really worth the extra money at that point. On the flight we are taking next week, I will have our 2 month old on my lap, in a sling. We just can't afford the extra $$ for him to have a seat. We are flying midweek though and are really hoping to be able to get a seat for him.
 

twokidstwodogs

New member
Dillipop, you're right about SW! I just forgot about their discount, because the "discounted" fare is so often higher than the regular fare!

Also, I didn't mean to sound snarky about buying seats for infants. I completely understand that lots of people can't afford it, and I don't mean to imply that not buying a seat makes someone a bad parent. I just have a bug up my sleeve on this one, because I know plenty of people who most definitely can afford to buy a seat for their kid, but decide they'd rather not spend the money. This, I do not understand.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
twokidstwodogs said:
Depending on the plane, you may have to install it with the armrest up, and it's possible that a bigger seat wouldn't fit well in a puddle jumper plane.

I have yet to see a plane where the Wizard doesn't fit with the armrest up. This includes Embraer jets with a 1-2 configuation. Of course I never tried to install her on the side with only one seat, but we would sit fine on the two seat side. She's been on prop planes in it (can't remember which ones now. Devhavilland Dash-8s perhaps?), she's been on 737s up to 777s. She's been on MD80, MD83, Airbuses, L1011s. We've even taken her Wizard with us several times on a private six seater. It has always fit and it has always fit well. Sometimes too well when we can't uninstall it, but that's no longer a problem for us. :)

Wendy
 

gwenvet

New member
IME unless you have a non-mobile infant, a car-seat makes the trip a heck of a lot easier!!! While it's a pain to lug thru the airport, my sons will both sleep in their carseats on flights, whereas without the seat they think the plane is a playground and want to cruise up and down the aisle! If you don't buy a ticket, definitely call ahead to see if the flight is booked and if it's not bring your carseat along to put in an empty seat. If at the last minute it is a booked flight then just gatecheck the seat.
 

markf1971

Senior Community Member
Most airlines do offer fares for half price for infants under 2.

I'd take the CSS and hope there is a vacant seat on the plane, gatecheck the CSS if no vacant seat. After all you will be needing a CSS at your destination right?

If you do fly without using a CSS (ticket or no ticket) then consider using the Baby B'air flight vest for your lap child. Here is a link.

http://babybair.com/

They are $25.49 at kidsurplus.com, but you may find them cheaper using a shopping comparison web-site. I have seen some used ones on eBay for cheap.

HTH
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Don't bother getting the BabyB'air. It can't be used during takeoff and landing, two of the three most dangerous parts of the flight.
 

Morganthe

New member
griffinmom said:
Don't bother getting the BabyB'air. It can't be used during takeoff and landing, two of the three most dangerous parts of the flight.


If you can't use it during those times, and you have no childseat, then where are you supposed to put your child except for your lap? Isn't it safer to have your child at least strapped to you instead of just loose in your arms? :confused:

On tickets & seats:
A suggestion is to contact the airlines prior to purchasing your baby ticket to make SURE whether or not the ticket is for an actual seat or to just fly along. I discovered from a friend of mine that her son's airfare from Germany to Michigan was just for the honor of a lap sitting. Sure it was 'only' $100, but that added up in her budget. Unfortunately, there were open seats on her flight over... but not on the way back.

It's always good to take along a copy of your child's birth certificate. You have to provide proof of age if asked, otherwise you could pay full fare at the last minute.
 

LEAW

New member
Morganthe said:
If you can't use it during those times, and you have no childseat, then where are you supposed to put your child except for your lap? Isn't it safer to have your child at least strapped to you instead of just loose in your arms? :confused:
Official airline policy is that there can be no "unoffical" item attached to the passenger, the seatbelt, the seat, etc. So you can use the seatbelt in an empty seat on your child, you can use the seatbelt on yourself, you can use a FAA carseat in the seat for your child. The flight vest, a bjorn, sling, or any other way to secure your child is not allowed...

SOME airline employees will overlook it, while others have insisted that I take off my EMPTY sling during takeoff and landing. The safest place for your child is in an approved restraint in their own seat. If the airlines required seat purchase for all passengers, instead of the "under 2 lap child" then it really wouldn't be an issue.

The baby vest and other things aren't ok because htey haven't been tested - nor has the seatbelt been tested to have that kind of tug on them if there is bad turbulence or some other issue.

The "official" place to put your infant (if they say "we're going to crash land and all items MUST be secured) is to wrap them in blankets and coats and stuff them in the space under the seat in front of you. Might seem like an awful idea, but they are secure in a small location, padded with blankets, and not going to fly across the plane and injure another passenger or the flight crew.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Morganthe said:
If you can't use it during those times, and you have no childseat, then where are you supposed to put your child except for your lap? Isn't it safer to have your child at least strapped to you instead of just loose in your arms? :confused:

The attendants will have you put the child under the seat in front of you. Compartmentalization. Gently wrap them in a blanket and put them under there. Certainly better than having them squished between your body, or flying upwards, since the same laws of physics apply (weight x speed).

On tickets & seats:
A suggestion is to contact the airlines prior to purchasing your baby ticket to make SURE whether or not the ticket is for an actual seat or to just fly along. I discovered from a friend of mine that her son's airfare from Germany to Michigan was just for the honor of a lap sitting. Sure it was 'only' $100, but that added up in her budget. Unfortunately, there were open seats on her flight over... but not on the way back.

That's just for international flights I've found. On domestics flights infants on lap have always been free for us (in the days before I Knew Better). But when we were going overseas we would have had to pay $150 for her to be a lap baby, though at the fairly last minute we got her a seat because MIL was supposed to come and then couldn't because of her chemo. We essentially got Piper her ticket. But since it was closer to the date, and we got the "child" discount of 10%, the ticket was as much as ours.

It's always good to take along a copy of your child's birth certificate. You have to provide proof of age if asked, otherwise you could pay full fare at the last minute.

I always carried Piper's, but we stopped having her on our laps before the age was an issue. It was fairly obvious the first time she flew that she was two months old. LOL And the last time she was a lap baby was I think when she was nine months or so, maybe a bit older (nursing her on my lap meant she was kicking the person next to us often, and who wasn't normally my husband). The next time we flew, when she was 13 months we started getting her her own seat. She was just too big and it was uncomfortable. And the added bonus of that is then she could get frequent flyer miles, which infants on lap do not get (and she's gotten enough to buy her own tickets. LOL).

Wendy
 

markf1971

Senior Community Member
lisa2976 said:
The flight vest, a bjorn, sling, or any other way to secure your child is not allowed...

Not according to their webite.

http://babybair.com/

This product is allowed for use during flight by the FAA. The best way to fly with a child is with their own CSS that meets FAA approval, but the Baby B'air is better than nothing.

This is what Baby B'air states on their website:

Over 90% of all injuries on commercial airlines occur during flight, yet children held in parents laps are unrestrained. The award-winning Baby B'Air Flight Vest® has been tested to exceed FAA stress tests levels for aircraft seats.
 

LEAW

New member
True, but not during taxi, take-off, landing. You can tie your child any way you want in flight :D (The website says that too, with their little * at the bottom of the main page).

Those 3 times (taxi, take-off, and landing) are the ones with the most accidents, incidents, turbulence, etc. Once you've reached cruising altitude you can probably duct tape a child to the seat (kidding!) and they don't have a rule abotu that.

I've slung my dd while walking the aisles with her on long flights.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
The Baby B'Air website FAQ states it can only be used in flight during cruising, not during take-off, taxi or landing. It's of limited value IMHO, and I agree a carseat would be the safest option as opposed to the Baby B'Air or lap baby alternatives.
 

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