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

[wendytthomas]

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.

Yeah, but they're trying to get you to buy their product, not tell the truth.

I doubt the Baby B'air has passed FVMSS 213 airline testing, the inversion test. In fact, I think it would fail miserably.

Wendy

 

[Victorious4]

The long & short of it is that many carseats are FAA approved by an inversion test & yes it's recommended to use them as they help prevent injury during turbulence, takeoff & landing: parents with small children (under 40# according to FAA) are given extra time to board for this reason

However, it is still possible to seat children under 2 on one's lap -- it's just dangerous & sadly, there are some flight attendants who are clueless & rude when it comes to using carseats on planes so I carried a printed copy of the FAA policy with me & it actually did come in handy when I was securing my 3 year old in a carseat....

The American Academy of Pediatrics also has an updated policy about carseats on planes that can be found by searching at the Pediatrics Journal.

If you have trouble finding these 2 documents, I will see if I can scan & post or email?

 

[griffinmom]

Remember, too, that plane passenger seats are designed to break forward. So if you were in an otherwise survivable situation where the passenger seat broke forward, your child in the BabyBair or similar product, the child would be squished by the forward motion of your body.

I concur with Wendy as well. The FAA inversion test for car seats has nothing to with stress levels.

 

[markf1971]

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/

My original post concerning considering a Baby B'air was made assuming that 'lovinwaves' was not going to purchase a ticket for the child. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE SAFEST WAY TO FLY WOULD BE FOR THE CHILD TO HAVE A TICKET FOR THEIR OWN SEAT AND USE AN FAA APPROVED CSS. I suppose that I should have stated this earlier, but I thought that mentioning "(ticket or no ticket)" pertaining to my initial suggestion of using a CSS made that obvious. I only suggested the use of the Baby B'air as a FAR DISTANT second place to using a CSS. I imagine that doing so would be better than using nothing at all to secure the child.

So if you were in an otherwise survivable situation where the passenger seat broke forward, your child in the BabyBair or similar product, the child would be squished by the forward motion of your body.

No, not necessarily. The Baby B'air is not just a harness that straps the child's torso to the adult's torso. Rather it is a vest for the child that is tethered to the adult's lap belt. Thus the child could be free from the 'crush zone' created by the forward motion of the adult's torso. Below is an excerpt from the manufacturer's web-site.

"Shoulder or harness carriers and other such devices could place the child in the parent’s crush zone, injure the parent’s back or cause injury to the child. The Baby B’Air Flight Vest® was designed specifically to address these concerns, allowing the child to travel out of the parent’s crush zone while attached to the lap belt, not the parent’s body."

AGAIN, I'm not saying that this is the best way to fly! I'm just saying that it may be a safer way to go than merely holding a child in your lap if a seat is not available or not purchased. I never suggested that this should be used in lieu of an FAA approved CSS. I only suggested that the parent consider this if they were NOT going to use a CSS.

Sorry if this was not crystal clear earlier.

 

[griffinmom]

No, not necessarily. The Baby B'air is not just a harness that straps the child's torso to the adult's torso. Rather it is a vest for the child that is tethered to the adult's lap belt. Thus the child could be free from the 'crush zone' created by the forward motion of the adult's torso. Below is an excerpt from the manufacturer's web-site. how would this happen? How would the child move out of the crush zone? I understand (and understood) that it slides on the lap belt. I just can't imagine how you could make that happen in the millisecond that a survivable crash occurs.

"Shoulder or harness carriers and other such devices could place the child in the parent’s crush zone, injure the parent’s back or cause injury to the child. The Baby B’Air Flight Vest® was designed specifically to address these concerns, allowing the child to travel out of the parent’s crush zone while attached to the lap belt, not the parent’s body."

AGAIN, I'm not saying that this is the best way to fly! I'm just saying that it may be a safer way to go than merely holding a child in your lap if a seat is not available or not purchased. I never suggested that this should be used in lieu of an FAA approved CSS. I only suggested that the parent consider this if they were NOT going to use a CSS.

Sorry if this was not crystal clear earlier.

I don't think anyone misunderstood you about a carseat being the safest way to fly.

 

[minismom]

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.

Hi, I'm new here and was reading up on car seats on airplanes. I've heard that the airline will require you to have the armrest down for take off and landing, so if the seat only fits with he armrest up then how can you use it? Is there a different in width between the roundabout and the marathon/boulevard? I'm trying to decide which seat to get since I travel a lot. Thanks,
MM

 

[wendytthomas]

That's never been my experience. They required the tray table up and locked, and the seatback up, and electronics off, but I don't think they care about the armrest. I've never been told to put it down.

Wendy

 

[steph]

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).

Is that just in case of a crash landing? Or are you saying they do this for take off and landing? That can't be right - did I read this wrong?

 

[Victorious4]

Ditto on Wendy -- & although it's only a "head shot" if you go to www.cpsafety.org > the RF too soon section > photo album > "LEILA" ... you'll see a picture of my 3 year old RF in her Britax Wizard on the plane

 

[LEAW]

Steph, nope, that's just the safest place when there is bad turbulence (as in a wing or engine breaks and it's going to be bumpy for a long time) or you know you will be landing in a non-standard way (i.e. partial landing gear, in the water, on grass, crashing somehow...) THEN they will have you wrap baby and stuff them in a secure place...

MM, no, they can't require the armrest down, there are many passengers who are larger than one seat who use 2 seats to travel. All the other things - seat back, tray, seatbelt, etc. are required by the FAA.

 

[lovinwaves]

Ditto on Wendy -- & although it's only a "head shot" if you go to www.cpsafety.org > the RF too soon section > photo album > "LEILA" ... you'll see a picture of my 3 year old RF in her Britax Wizard on the plane

I never noticed Leila on that webpage. She is a cutie!! Do the side wings ever bother her? The side wings seem like they should be standard feature IMO.

 

[minismom]

Thanks everyone, it's good to know the armrest can stay up if it's necessary. Meanwhile, after I posted this I saw another thread where someone posted about this new safety device just for airplanes called Cares. It looks amazing for once the child outgrows their infant seat. Seems to me it's way better than carrying a child seat with you, they can be so heavy. I know it's brand new, but the website says it just got FAA approval. Any of you have any comments on this product? http://www.kidsflysafe.com/index.php

MM

 

[wendytthomas]

Thanks everyone, it's good to know the armrest can stay up if it's necessary. Meanwhile, after I posted this I saw another thread where someone posted about this new safety device just for airplanes called Cares. It looks amazing for once the child outgrows their infant seat. Seems to me it's way better than carrying a child seat with you, they can be so heavy. I know it's brand new, but the website says it just got FAA approval. Any of you have any comments on this product? http://www.kidsflysafe.com/index.php

MM

Unless I was meeting someone at the other end who had a safe seat for me to use I wouldn't use it. And I probably wouldn't use it anyway as Piper is more used to her seat and would sit better in it.

You can get a Scenera for $40 which is only nine pounds. Easy to carry through an airport. Or if you have Britax seats you can get GoGo Kidz and wheel the carseat (which means you don't need a stroller). If you don't have a Britax you can get a luggage trolley at a store and pull the carseat that way. If your seat fits in a carseat backpack that's another way to carry it hands free. I would do one of those options (we use a Radian in a backpack and before that wheeled a Wizard) rather than buy the CARES.

Wendy

 

[minismom]

Thanks for the tips, I didn't know about Gogo Kidz. I just looked it up and it looks great, I'm planning on getting a Britax so it should work!
MM