Would you fly without a carseat? - Page 3

[captain crunchy]

We flew on a 2 hour flight with our almost 10 month old in our laps the whole way (she is a safe, alive 14 month old now I am pleased to say)... and guess what to the judgemental posters who think people like us are worried about money? We had THREE seats....my mom bought our tickets as a gift and me, dh, and dd all had a seat. Our daughter WANTED to be in our lap the whole time and I make no apologies for the fact that I was not willing to let my then 9 month old daughter basically *scream it out* for the one in a million chance something may or may not have happened. I am all for carseats in cars, and even on planes if the baby is not screaming in terror like our baby did --- I also agree with the pp's who said driving in a car on a regular basis, fancy shmancy britax and all, holds a much, much, much higher chance of personal bodily harm to a child.

[dynamohumm6]

Originally Posted by captain crunchy

I was not willing to let my then 9 month old daughter basically *scream it out* for the one in a million chance something may or may not have happened.

bingo.

[BookGoddess]

I won't and haven't.

We flew with our then 10-month old DD to California. We bought a separate ticket for her and she happily sat in her car seat during the 5 hour plane ride. She is happy in her familiar car seat. I felt sorry for the poor mama who sat two rows in front of us. Her son was squirming and fussing. That mama didn't get to eat or relax. And before I get flamed I do realize that is not the case for all other mamas who hold their children in their laps.

It wasn't troublesome to lug the carseat. We bought an inexpensive pull cart with a tight cord. We strap the car seat to the cart and off we went. No one gave us a hassle. We used a Graco Snugride btw. No one who sat in front of us, going and coming, complained about not being able to recline. We're planning a longer flight in December. I would do it again.

[SomedayMom]

Nope, I would not fly without a seat for him. He's almost 2 anyway, so in a few months it won't matter anyway. I do know it's safer, but at the same time I don't have to worry about the ticket price, I totally get why some people don't. But truly if you can get the seat, you should.

Your friend will not be able to go without a seat for her DD. I've seen them ask for a birth certificate to prove age.

[Nora'sMama]

Originally Posted by captain crunchy

We flew on a 2 hour flight with our almost 10 month old in our laps the whole way (she is a safe, alive 14 month old now I am pleased to say)... and guess what to the judgemental posters who think people like us are worried about money? We had THREE seats....my mom bought our tickets as a gift and me, dh, and dd all had a seat. Our daughter WANTED to be in our lap the whole time and I make no apologies for the fact that I was not willing to let my then 9 month old daughter basically *scream it out* for the one in a million chance something may or may not have happened. I am all for carseats in cars, and even on planes if the baby is not screaming in terror like our baby did --- I also agree with the pp's who said driving in a car on a regular basis, fancy shmancy britax and all, holds a much, much, much higher chance of personal bodily harm to a child.

Let me say it again:

[Peony]

I always held dd on my lap before she was 2, she has her own seat now but no carseat.DD hates the car seat, the 30 minute trip to town is awful, I'm not about to attempt a flight in a car seat.

[monkeys4mama]

Originally Posted by Joannarachel

And the carseat isn't for a plane crash, for pity's sake. It's for turbulence. There have been documented instances of children being killed by being flung from their parents' laps during heavy turbulence.

That's why I don't get the refusal to allow you to have the child in a sling.

[oceanbaby]

Nope. I've flown 3 times with ds1 and never used a carseat. The first two times he was on my lap (and I too ran into the stupid no sling rule), and the third time he was 3yo. We bought him his own ticket but did not bring a carseat.

[charmander]

Yes, I've flown many times with my kids and no carseat. I will be taking my almost-3 year old with me to El Paso in November, and she will be sitting in her own seat on the plane.

I don't see the point of a car seat on an airplane, I really don't. If the plane crashes, we'll all be dead, and the carseat won't make any difference. That's reality.

[Nora'sMama]

When I flew with DD, no one said boo about the sling. I also saw mamas with sling babies on planes before I had DD.

They even let me go through the metal detector without removing her from the sling when she was 10 weeks old...the screener couldn't stand to make me wake her up! I was so grateful.

The sling was a godsend for traveling with a very young baby. Now that Nora is 14 months, it won't be that helpful.

I wanted to add that there is a product called "Go-go Kidz" for Britax carseats that basically lets you turn the Britax into a stroller. We're taking it with us to Greece. But I haven't decided if we will lug the Marathon onto the plane with us...DD *hates* *hates* *hates* her carseat and no way I'm making her sit in it for an 11-hour flight. I think that if we bring it on and let her choose whether to sit in it, we'll be sorry we lugged the thing, 'cause I highly doubt she will want to be anywhere except my lap (or, um, the aisle, running up and down... )

[charmander]

Originally Posted by Joannarachel

And the carseat isn't for a plane crash, for pity's sake. It's for turbulence. There have been documented instances of children being killed by being flung from their parents' laps during heavy turbulence.

Also, even a small crash on the run way can cause a parent holding a child to crush the child to death. Nice, huh.

I'd like to see some statistics, or links. Got any? I'm not saying this doesn't happen, but it has to be very, very rare.

[Nora'sMama]

cmd, this came up before...somewhere...and IIRC there are not very many of these instances. Statistically, compared to the risk of injury riding in a car (properly restrained), the risk of being injured by turbulence in an airplane (or crushed by your parent in a runway crash, or whatever) is incredibly incredibly small. But nonzero.

[augustacherri]

I live in the Middle East and have traveled several times here and back to visit family in the States with my son. He is 21 months now and at the time of our flights he was 14, 19 and 20 months respectively. Each time I flew by myself, so had nobody to help lug around carseats. Not to mention we had three separate flights and layovers....all told our travel time is 26 hours just to get from one place to another.

Each time we've made the journey, I've just purchased an infant in lap ticket, but requested an infant seat. They have given me bulkhead seating all three times and that places me in the front row of coach with more leg room and a flip down shelf where they attach an infant seat/travel cot. It's actually more like a bouncy seat sort of thing and my son is not particularly fond of it. I would travel EVEN 26 HOURS without a car seat. I agree with some of the earlier comments....not to be doom and gloom, but seriously--is a plastic car seat going to save your child's life on an aircraft traveling 600 miles an hour if it crashes?

My perspective on car seats has changed a lot since I've lived here in the Middle East where car seats are not mandatory by law. People drive around all the time with their children standing in the seats, riding on parents' laps, etc. In the US we see that as extremely unsafe, but I remember doing it as a child as well and obviously I'm still alive and well. When did we get so fanatical about car seats? Especially since I've recently read that something like 80% of car seats are incorrectly installed!

Recently in my home state of Missouri they proposed legislation that children must ride in booster seats until the child is 8 years old or 80 pounds! This is insanity! I was 80 pounds when I was in junior high school!

FYI, my toddler STILL DOES ride in a car seat even though it is not required by law.....:

[daniedb]

We lived out of state for the first 2 years of H's life, and we flew every 2-3 months to visit family and/or for business or pleasure. He was 3 months old the first time we flew (I was by myself) and no way was I going to stick that tiny baby in a seat and let him scream for three hours. He ended up nursing almost the whole time anyway, so he would have been in my arms. I wore him almost the whole way, and as a PP mentioned, I preferred, at that age, to sling him and nurse him through the flight instead of letting him cry and wail for the whole flight in his seat.

[Ravin]

DD rode lapsit with me until she turned 2. We've only been on one flight since then and since she had her own ticket, I brought the carseat (mainly because it's our only one, we can't afford to replace it, and I was paranoid about something happening to it if I checked it, I didn't want it out of my sight!). She liked it because it put her up high enough to look out the window, and she remained content in it, though if she'd fussed I'd have taken her out in-flight and just put her back in it for take off/landing.

And when we flew lapsit, the "no sling" thing was usually just for take off/landing. The last time we did it (last summer, she was 21 mo.), I let her sit in the seat beside me, but we didn't have a carseat with us at all because my mom had one to use out in TX so we left ours home (would have this last trip, too, but the trip out to TX was in my mom's car and she forgot her seat).

[etoilech]

Originally Posted by nannymom

Joannarachel -can you site the evedince of babies dieing in turbulence related incedences? I have always heard this was urban myth so, I am curious.

Sooo not an urban myth.

We fly internationally a lot, at least once a year over the pacific but, usually over the atlantic. I used to work for Air Canada while I was doing summer holidays in university. Your plane can be cruising along, smooth as silk and WHAM you drop 100m. Tray tables fling up and anything not secured goes immediately flying towards the ceiling. I've seen flight attendants hurt badly and children injured as well.

We use a car seat for this reason. It's is not that I think it will save us if we crash. If we crash we can pretty much kiss our arses goodbye. I think they are important because in a spin out on a runway or a sudden drop in altitude it can make a bit difference in survival/injury rates.

ETA:

It is all about weighing the risk. If I few rarely or on short flights, I'd probably not do it. Since we fly long haul the majority of the time, we bring the car seat since they associate it with safety in the car. It's less problematic for us.

I do believe airlines should be obligated to provide CSRs to all children young enough to require one, but that's pie in the sky. lol.

[Trishy]

Originally Posted by augustacherri

People drive around all the time with their children standing in the seats, riding on parents' laps, etc. In the US we see that as extremely unsafe, but I remember doing it as a child as well and obviously I'm still alive and well.

Yeah, the people who did this as kids who got into an accident that AREN'T alive and well can't dispute you on this unfortunately. How many times were you in a high speed collission while you were riding around standing in your seat or on your parent's lap?

[Karen-Ida]

Yes I would. And I have. Not longer than an hour in the plane, but anyway.
I am not worried that the plane will fall down, but it is important for me to support the baby's back correctly, so if he was to little to be able to sit on my lap, I would probably bring my own seat for him on a long journey where I wouldn't be able to have him flat on my lap.

Actually I can remember now that the steward showed me how to carry the baby in the best way as the plane took off. He said that I couldn't breastfeed, because the baby's back somehow could be twisted if the plane had to slow down speed before it got into the air. Strange, because I've always heard that breastfeeding is recommended at takeoff, to prevent the ears to "pop".

[Karen-Ida]

I just have to ask, - are the car seats fastened to the belt in the plane? If it stands on the floor in the first row, the turbulence would lift the seat up, wouldn't it?
I've never actually experienced really strong turbulence (only seen it on movies : ) so I'm not sure what forces it is.

[bobandjess99]

bah