Use a carseat on plane for 3-4 year old?

[marieangela]

We're flying to the Bahamas at Christmastime and my mil keeps telling me that my neices (3 and 4 year olds) don't use carseats when they fly, so ds1 doesn't need his. I had just assumed that I would put my almost 4 year old in a carseat on the plane and am still leaning towards doing it. My sil says she can borrow a carseat for ds1 when we get there, so that's not a concern. Do those of you with children around this age just let them sit in the seat or use their carseat? If you have any particular reasons aside from needing it when you get there, I'd like to know. Just planning ahead a little bit! Thanks.

[Throkmorton]

Your MIL might understand this reason: a lot of kids are far, far better behaved during travel if they are strapped into their seat. They know they can't jump on the seat, yell, be goofs and generally annoy the other travellers. They have generally learned that while in their car seat, they should try and do quiet activities.

At least that's the way it is with my kids.

The actual reason you should use a car seat on the plane is that in the event of turbulence, a child will be better restrained in their car seat. Their smaller stature can cause them to slip right out of the lap belt.

Plus, this way when you get there you know how to use the seat, how to install it and you know absolutely for certain that your DS fit his seat. Your SIL may not have the appropriate seat for your kid.

[marieangela]

Thank you for the reply. I was thinking the same things that you mentioned. Sil's daughters are girls who fly often and my sons would definitely be better behaved in carseats than otherwise. There is often no reasoning with mil once she has something in her head. I'll probably have to just go ahead and bring the seat and say it was no trouble, assuming that dh doesn't side with mil.

[OTMomma]

Just a post from the other side- I flew with my dd repeatedly when she was 2-3. I never used a carseat. For one thing I was traveling alone and switching planes and didn't want to keep up with it (re: drag it across the airport etc), but I also felt that it just wasn't needed. In my opinion the car seat is to keep dd safe if the car crashes, if the plane crashes no car seat in the world is going to help. (That sounds so much more harsh than I mean it, but it was what I was thinking as I made the decision). My dd sat in the plane seat with no problems, and did sit in my lap a little while, much more pleasant than our car trips with the carseat.

But my dd hates her carseat, so I know that skews my view. I do know if I were going to fly with a carseat I would contact the airline ahead of time to see if they have any guidelines you need to follow.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

[lisac77]

We've been overseas to visit family 3 times, and twice I traveled by myself with DS. The first time I went by myself I used a carseat on the plane, and it was a nightmare. It was hard to lug the thing around, and that was a hassle, but the real problem was that in coach, if DS was sitting in his carseat and the preson in front of us leaned his seat back, it was about 2 inches from DS's face. It also put him in kicking range of the seat in front of him. I thought the people in front of us on the return flight were going to lynch us before we landed. Seriously. What was I supposed to do? He wasn't even two years old at the time .

The second time I went by myself w/DS I checked the carseat. It was soooooo much better! I could put up the armrests and let him stretch out a little if he wanted to lie down, he was able to use the tray table to color and so forth, and he was able to eat more easily.

If you're flying coach I would not use the carseat. If you're in business or first class it might not be too bad, but those seats are so big and comfy, they'd make a perfect sleeping place for a little one!

[moms3kids]

another thing to think of is that usally a 3-4 year old is in some kinda booster seat... not usally a harness seat ( like almost all of them should be...) and that in mind a booster seat can't be used on an air plane b/c it doesn't have a lap and sholder belt just lap... BIG no no for boosters... but if i were you and it was my child my child would be in a car seat... my 4 y/o and 2y/o will be when we travle to FL in feb. it's safest for them and makes them sit so so much better. when dd4 y/o was 19 months we flew with her as a lap baby NOT fun NOT fun at all, i woudl NEVER do it again EVER i will suck up the extra 200-300 a seat for it!!!

[Bethkm]

Another vote for using the carseat on the plane. We've flown with DS 3 times - twice around 2 1/2 and once at 3 1/2. I used the carseat each time and yes, it was a pain to lug it through the airport, but I just got one of those carts at the airport and used it. There are also carts you can buy and bring to put your carseat on wheels.

For me it's a safety issue and a comfort issue for DS. His carseat fits him better than a plane seat, it's familiar and he can see better. He fell asleep on each flight too and I think being in his carseat helped him sleep because he was comfy.

[lexbeach]

The part that seems sketchiest to me is the part about mil borrowing a car seat from someone else. It could be an expired seat, or a seat that doesn't fit your child well, or that you don't know how to use or install easily. So, I think that regardless of whether or not you use the car seat on the plane, you should definitely bring it with you (check it with your baggage if not bringing it aboard the plane). Boosters are not allowed to be used on planes, so I'm assuming that this is a harnessed seat you are talking about.

We've only flown once with my kids, when they were 20 months old. We brought their car seats on the plane, and it was great for when they were napping (I don't think I would've been able to get them to nap otherwise), but a total pain for when they were awake (they absolutely refused to stay in their seats (even though they've never protested them in the car), so we pretty much had two useless seats for 4 hours of the 6 hour flight). I think I probably wouldn't bring the car seats aboard the plane (I would check them with the baggage) if we were to fly anywhere again anytime soon (my boys are now 3.75). I just can't imagine how dw and I would manage the boys, their boulevards, and the baby and the baby's car seat getting through the airport and onto the plane. Also, car seats can only be installed in window seats, so that would be tricky with three kids in car seats and only 2 adults. I also think it would have to be some very extreme turbulence to bump a 3 or 4-year-old out of the regular plane seat (assuming he was buckled with the plane seat belt).

HTH!

Lex

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by OTMomma

Just a post from the other side- I flew with my dd repeatedly when she was 2-3. I never used a carseat. For one thing I was traveling alone and switching planes and didn't want to keep up with it (re: drag it across the airport etc), but I also felt that it just wasn't needed. In my opinion the car seat is to keep dd safe if the car crashes, if the plane crashes no car seat in the world is going to help. (That sounds so much more harsh than I mean it, but it was what I was thinking as I made the decision). My dd sat in the plane seat with no problems, and did sit in my lap a little while, much more pleasant than our car trips with the carseat.

I did that, too.

[USAmma]

We are flying to India next summer and my dd will be 3.5 years old. We are planning to bring two seats: a convertible for my little nephew, and a 5pt booster for dd. I am sure it will be a bit inconvenient to have to cart the seat around as we transfer planes, but I want to keep her safe. And as PP said, when she's in her seat she knows she has to sit still. If we put her in a regular seat she's probably be all excited and start jumping around and getting into things.

In India it's not common to use carseats and they are very expensive. The only way I can get my nephew into a carseat is to bring one for him each time we go. I dropped off an infant seat on our last trip and I'm so glad they are using it for him!

[marieangela]

Thanks for all th responses. It's good to see the different sides. I have lugged one carseat through airport layovers by myself in the past. It was not very fun. Ds2 (he'll be 16 months when we fly) is going to be a lap baby this time and I had planned to bring his carseat to the gate in case we can get him a seat. I hadn't realized that you can only put a carseat by a window. We'd have to sit in different rows then...although it may be better to keep the boys separated. Talked to dh and he doesn't want to bring the carseat. I'm not too worried about sil borrowing one. They live in the Bahamas and are "borrowing" a condo for us to stay in, too. Lots of people that they know travel a lot and have kids of a similar age, so it would likely be a good carseat. Dh is leaning against the hassle of taking two carseats, but I'm still working on making up my mind.

[Flor]

I'd bring the seat on the plane or check at gate. I would not check it all the way through since last time we flew they lost our luggage for 24 hours. We would have been stuck at the airport in a strange city with no carseat! The seat was kinda a pain (ds was3), hard to install with aiplane seatbelts, but I know he was safer. Someone will give you a horror story about turbulance and babies flying through the air. I know it's true, though I have never experienced that. If you will be changing planes, buy a little fold up cart to roll it. Dh had to lug our carseat. It's a sunkids radian which, thoug it folds for travel, has to be one of the heaviest seats since it has metal inside.

[mamasaurus]

Check out the Sit N Stroll carseat/stroller

http://www.sitnstroll.com/

Honestly, I'm not hawking these things!

But we do have two of them for our girls for traveling. Our 4 year old has almost outgrown hers, but our 20 month old still fits in hers just fine.

They have been terrific for traveling on the plane. The wheels drop down and presto, you have a stroller. The Sit N Stroll will fit down most plane aisles. The small planes (3 seats across) are too narrow. But then you just carry the thing down the aisle.

We actually use them in our cars for everyday running around. Like I said, our 4 year old has almost outgrown hers, so we did get a larger regular carseat for the car at home.

[momtokay]

I haven't had a chance to read all your responses, but my older DD flew in a car seat until she was 5 and my 3.5yo still uses a car seat when we fly.

[miasmommy]

Another vote for the Sit "N Stroll!

miasmommy

[DevaMajka]

Can you give me an estimate of how much the sit n strolls cost?
(eta- nevermind- I found it!)
There is also an FAA approved flight harness. It's called CARES- you can read about it here http://www.kidsflysafe.com/ (I wanted to get this, but there's no way I can get it on time)

I also looked into gettin gogokidz, but its sold out at the only store near me, and I doubt they could ship it to Canada before we're leaving. http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html

Interestingly enough, when I called Delta to ask about car seat rules, the person I spoke to make quite the point to tell me that I don't need to use a carseat for my 2.5 yo, and that she didn't when she flew with her 2-3yo.

I'm leaning towards a carry backpack, unless the sitn stroll isn't too expensive.

[Moochie Mamma]

I haven't read the responses yet but we just recently stopped using a carseat on planes for DS. He just turned 6 and is about 42lb. Having a child in a car seat also guarantees you a window seat.

[velochic]

We're in the no carseat camp. We have flown trans-atlantic flights about a dozen times with dd (4 now) and trying to keep a kid in a seat, let alone a car seat for more than a couple of hours is next to impossible. They have to get up to use the bathroom, anyway, which is when turbulence might hit. There's no way you can know. DD stays tightly strapped in when she is in her seat. I found that she does a better job of staying in her seatbelt than in her carseat because she has more leg room and more room for activities, watching the movie screen and eating her meal. She also can't kick the back of the seat in front and since the flights are usually 8 or 9 hours, she isn't stuck in one position the whole time. We use public transportation in Europe, too, so having the carseat there is never an issue for us. Basically when she was ready to be in a booster was when I had her in just a seatbelt on planes. The length of the flight makes a difference, though. Those are my thoughts. My opinion is not the same as that of a lot of people here, but there it is.

[marieangela]

I have a friend who used the sit'n stroll when she brought her daughter with her to visit me. It seemed quite handy. I don't know if I want to buy on ejsut now, though. Not sure how much use I'll get out of it.

I noticed a couple of mentions of kicking the seat in front. We actually took the seat behind the driver's seat out of our Odyssey because ds1 would not quit kicking the seat when dh drove (he has to put the driver's seat all the way back). I'm wondering if we will be able to keep ds1 suitably occupied or if he'll get bored and start in with the kicking...

[lisac77]

Originally Posted by marieangela

I noticed a couple of mentions of kicking the seat in front. We actually took the seat behind the driver's seat out of our Odyssey because ds1 would not quit kicking the seat when dh drove (he has to put the driver's seat all the way back). I'm wondering if we will be able to keep ds1 suitably occupied or if he'll get bored and start in with the kicking...

If he does it in a car, he will do it in a plane! And then you run the risk of having the person in front of you want to lynch you . I think that was the hardest part of our trip with the carseat, that and the fact that when the person in front of him leaned the seat back, it was 2 inches from his face! It was horrible.

I really think this could be a short flight/long flight difference. I noticed on this thread velochic and I, who both traveled long trans-atlantic flights were against the car seats, while most other people were for them. On a long flight (4-5 hours +) the carseat can really start to backfire - who wants to be strapped into anything for 9+ hours? However, on shorter flights it might not be so much of a problem, as the kids won't have time to get as bored.