strap placement for flying

[rachelandtyke]

DD2 (19m) and I are going away for the weekend. We are taking regional jets both times (1 hr flight). I am taking a RA50 for her to use on the plane and on the hotel shuttle to and from the airport. We don't anticipate any other driving around since we won't have a vehicle.

She is just barely 20lbs and still rfing in the car. I would prefer to rf her on the plane. However, if for some reason the seat doesn't fit or the attendants give me grief for rfing, I think I'd be OK with turning her. But I will have the straps set for rfing and it would not be easy to sit there and change them on the plane. If I have to turn her ffing, is it OK to leave the straps below the shoulders? There is no slot that is at her shoulders.

 

[ketchupqueen]

How far below are we talking? How comfortable I'd be depends a lot on that.

I wouldn't let flight attendants giving me grief cause me to forward face on its own, and they are supposed to try to accommodate you by moving you to a seat with more pitch if possible. So hopefully it won't come up anyway...

 

[Dillipop]

The RA 50 should fit fine rfing on a plane. I've done it with the classic marathon a couple times. It will be pretty upright but should fit. If the attendant says anything, just tell them she isn't big enough to face the front, even if it's a slight fob.

 

[jjordan]

It is certainly possible that the flight attendant will basically make you turn the seat FF even if it fits RF and you tell them she is not big enough to FF in the seat - that happened to me on a flight once with dd2. If that is the case, then I would move the straps to above the shoulders unless they are very close to shoulder level. If it takes 5 minutes, well, it takes 5 minutes and it's their own fault for making you turn her around when they're not supposed to.

Good luck!

 

[ketchupqueen]

It is certainly possible that the flight attendant will basically make you turn the seat FF even if it fits RF and you tell them she is not big enough to FF in the seat - that happened to me on a flight once with dd2. If that is the case, then I would move the straps to above the shoulders unless they are very close to shoulder level. If it takes 5 minutes, well, it takes 5 minutes and it's their own fault for making you turn her around when they're not supposed to.

Good luck!

I pretty much agree with this. But if once upright her shoulders are barely over, I also wouldn't stress too much, especially if they are threatening to kick you off (which hopefully won't happen.)

 

[rachelandtyke]

She is exactly halfway between the bottom and 2nd from bottom slots when installed rfing. I am pretty sure I rfed DD1's Classic Blvd before, but I don't remember what size airplane it was. Fortunately the manual specifically shows rfing install on plane, so I can show that if needed. She is right at 20lbs, so not a stretch to say she isn't big enough to ff.

 

[ketchupqueen]

Yep. If all else fails I'd move them.

 

[rachelandtyke]

OK, thanks. Hopefully I won't have to!

 

[rachelandtyke]

So far so good. Seat fit fine rfing on the CRJ200. :thumbsup: If I had to put her ffing, with the difference in recline and the seat's pitch, the straps would be right at her shoulder, so I wouldn't have had to rethread.

We did encounter a problem on the shuttle bus to the hotel. There were lap belts, but they had this really fat roller end where the male end of the buckle was and it did not go through the belt path. :thumbsdown:

What is the best (not great) option in that instance? Keep her in her seat and get the "bulkhead" seat, so her rfing seat is tightly wedged between the seatback and wall or hold her in my lap not in her seat or ??? We had originally planned an excursion, but glad we changed that now as I don't want her on the shuttle anymore than we have to.

Hopefully flight home will be as easy as flight here!

 

[jjordan]

Glad the flight went well! I'm not sure I understand the shuttle bus situation - basically there was no way to buckle the car seat in at all? I guess I would buckle the child into the seat and try to brace it on the floor somehow... Yikes. What kind of bus?

 

[rachelandtyke]

It was one of those minibuses/van things. It looks like they might have two because there was one out front today that looked like it had shoulder belts. This is kind of what they looked like:
http://jsetf.manufacturer.globalsou...etractable-2-point-simple-bus-safety-belt.htm

There was no way to buckle the seat in.