No car seat- Advice for plane for 2YOU?

[WineDown17]

Before I get flamed- I have arranged all private tours and approved car seats once in Europe! I just need something for the plane....

 

Any advice for a 2 YO on the airplane that does not include a car seat?

[WineDown17]

The CARES device looks ike the optimal solution- Except that $75 for a one time use is a little steep... but if it is the only thing out there I guess in the scope of the cost of the trip it is a small investment-

 

Would love to hear what others do...

 

My son will be almost 2 1/2 when we travel, and is more along the size of a 3 YO.. (90%ile height and weight) Will be evn bigger by then..

[Julienatul]

Im not sure if its approved for air but maybe a cheapy booster seat from Walmart or Target. I think they have some for around $20 if your child is big enough. I saw one over the weekend that was from 30lbs up. I dont know if they are airline approved though.

[sunflower girl]

Very few car seats are airline approved. We flew with my DD at this age and she just sat in the seat on the airplane - even when we brought the Britax airline approved seat, we checked it instead of having her sit in it for 3 1/2 hours. She is tall for her age, not sure how safe it was/wasn't but that is what we did.

[sas80]

My advice is for you and significant other to sit on opposite sides of her and let her roam in between you (on the seat and floor) being certain to let her know that you and your SO create the "boundary" for her and that she may roam/travel within the "boundaries".

 

And then bring coloring books, a mini magna doodle, regular books, snacks, etc. to occupy her.

[isk8]

We just flew with my 3 year old son to Ohio last week. We have always used a car seat on the plane with him. As a baby, he had the Graco Infant Seat, and now that he's older, he has a Britax Boulevard. On the way there, he sat in his car seat. Since the car seat is elevated, he was able to kick the back of the person's seat in front of him, and he could not lower his tray table. So for five hours, every couple of minutes, I had to "remind" him not to kick the seat in front of him. Argh. On the way home, we gate checked the car seat, and let him sit in the seat with the seatbelt. He did great. He was not able to kick the seat in front of him, and he was able to use the tray table to eat, color, and watch the DVD player.

 

From now on, we're going to gate check the car seat (I don't trust what they do with luggage when you check it at the counter) and have him use the seatbelt in the plane. Since he is three and fairly big (39 inches/36 pounds) and is able to keep his seatbelt buckled, I feel OK doing this. I primarily was using the car seat to keep him strapped down in case of turbulance or a bumpy landing, but now I feel the seatbelt will do the same.

 

The FAA does recommend that children less than 40 pounds use a car seat on all flights.

[Eclipsepearl]

The CARES harness is the only FAA approved alternative to a car seat for the airplane. While it's a bit expensive, you may be able to rent one on Ebay or Craigslist, or buy one second hand. Make sure to ask how it's been washed. It should never been soaked but the CARES harness is easy to carry.

 

Boosters are never FAA approved. This page explains it and shows a picture of the CARES harness.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

 

Bringing your own is by far the safest option (and saying so is not "flaming"). As a mom in Europe, I know the car seats sold here are far below the standards of those in the U.S. and using a used one is risky since you don't know it's history, whether it's expired or been in an accident. You also may not know if it's been installed correctly or know how to install it yourself. Generally, they're much more lax with children's safety here in Europe than in N. America.

 

Consider your child's safety carefully. A light car seat like the Scenera is half the price of a CARES harness and is easy to carry. If any of these seats provided in Europe comes with a fee, you could have bought something new.

 

I fly transatlantically alone with three children (since 2000 about every 6 months) and I always bring a car seat with me. It really itn't that big a deal. I took one on the flight to our Med cruise. For more car seat toting tips, see the link below on flying with children.

 

Taking the car seat also meant my kids were calmer and more settled in their familiar seats. That is also what I observed as a Flight Attendant for 13 years. At two, often they try to get out, much more difficult in their seat!

 

At least know your options...and risks!

[NoelsCat]

The CARES harness is the only FAA approved alternative to a car seat for the airplane. While it's a bit expensive, you may be able to rent one on Ebay or Craigslist, or buy one second hand. Make sure to ask how it's been washed. It should never been soaked but the CARES harness is easy to carry.

 

Boosters are never FAA approved. This page explains it and shows a picture of the CARES harness.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

 

Bringing your own is by far the safest option (and saying so is not "flaming"). As a mom in Europe, I know the car seats sold here are far below the standards of those in the U.S. and using a used one is risky since you don't know it's history, whether it's expired or been in an accident. You also may not know if it's been installed correctly or know how to install it yourself. Generally, they're much more lax with children's safety here in Europe than in N. America.

 

Consider your child's safety carefully. A light car seat like the Scenera is half the price of a CARES harness and is easy to carry. If any of these seats provided in Europe comes with a fee, you could have bought something new.

 

I fly transatlantically alone with three children (since 2000 about every 6 months) and I always bring a car seat with me. It really itn't that big a deal. I took one on the flight to our Med cruise. For more car seat toting tips, see the link below on flying with children.

 

Taking the car seat also meant my kids were calmer and more settled in their familiar seats. That is also what I observed as a Flight Attendant for 13 years. At two, often they try to get out, much more difficult in their seat!

 

At least know your options...and risks!

 

I wholeheartedly agree. :)

[Kerry's Girls]

Before I get flamed- I have arranged all private tours and approved car seats once in Europe! I just need something for the plane....

 

Any advice for a 2 YO on the airplane that does not include a car seat?

 

Once my twins turned 2, car seats resulted in their feet being pressed against the seats in front of them - which caused uncomfortable, cranky toddlers and cranky passengers in front of them. Also, no tray table. My girls have sat well in the regular seat belts on all flights since.

 

Best,

Mia