Car seat on a plane

[Haley R]

A few tips:

The carseat normally must be installed in the window position. (It also cannot be placed in the rows directly in front of or behind the exit row per FAA rules.) How tall is your DH? On most aircraft, it will be MUCH easier for a shorter-height woman to install a carseat, because you are working under the overhead bin. (Also, women usually have smaller hands.) So, if you want to let the kid work off some energy and board late, it is generally better to let Daddy stay in the terminal with him while Mommy installs the seat.

When carrying the seat onto the plane, it is best to carry it upside-down and sideways (think of the profile of the number 7), this way you can see over the top of it and won't bonk anyone sitting in an aisle seat with it.

This one is important: unlike car seat belts, airline belts latch in the middle. What that means when installing the seat is that you will end up with the lift-latch of the buckle facing toward the hard back shell of the carseat, which makes it REALLY difficult to unlatch when you want to leave the plane. To make it easier, extend the belt adjustment to almost the largest length, then before latching the belt, twist the buckle-end of the aircraft seatbelt 1/2 turn, so that the lift-latch faces toward the back of the aircraft seat and away from the carseat shell, latch the seatbelt, and then pull the loose end to tighten down the seat. If you forget, kneeling in the carseat will usually free enough tension to let you open the latch to remove the carseat. Best technique to get the seat tight is to recline the aircraft seatback while you install it, then bring the seatback up again against it, which will snug it quite tight, but you won't be able to do that on Allegiant, as their seats do not recline. Again, your best alternative method is to kneel in the carseat to press it down. (NOTE that if you find on landing that you cannot get your hand far enough behind the carseat to unlatch the belt and remove the carseat, then wait until others have left the plane, go around to the row behind, and reach up between the seatback and the seat pan cushion to reach the latch.)

Even though the carseat will be a narrower one, it's likely that the armrest next to the carseat will not lower back down. Normally that is a problem, but as long as the carseat is solidly butted against it in the up position and strapped in tightly, the FAs should allow it with no difficulty. (The issue with having armrests down during takeoff and landing is so that they don't come slamming down and hit anyone. If they are solidly braced in the up position by a solid object like a strapped-down carseat, then there is no risk of them slamming down.)

Oh, one more thing: A seat with an integral 5-point harness that the manufacturer says can be converted to booster use by removing the integral harness does NOT meet the FAA definition of a "booster seat" as long as the internal harness is in place. This is important to understand because the airline will tell you that booster seat use is not allowed on aircraft. So if the packaging of a 5-point harness seat uses the word booster in some way, don't worry. (For a seat to meet the FAA definition of "booster", it must lack an internal harness and fully depend upon the vehicle's lap-shoulder belts to keep the child in place. That's the reason the FAA doesn't allow them to be used on planes, because aircraft seatbelts are lap-only.)

Also, expect that you may get pushback from FAs about using the seat on the aircraft, and especially if you decide to install it rear-facing, because not many people do that. However, on a US carrier, you are entitled by law to use an air-certified carseat in a paid-for seat space if you wish to do so. You also may be asked to show the FAA approval sticker to prove that the seat is OK to use on a plane. This is a bit of a trick question, because the official sticker doesn't mention the FAA. You'll find the sticker somewhere on the side of the seat's shell, and it will read (in RED lettering): This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.

Thanks! That’s a lot of info lol. Dh is 6’2” but I’m sure he’ll insist upon installing it and I honestly would have no idea what I’m doing. I read your explanation and was completely lost lol. I’m gonna copy and email it to Dh though so he can read it. I’m sure he’ll understand better than me. We are row 2 on the way there I believe. On the way back I think we’re row 9.

Ds is barely heavy and tall enough for forward facing. Is one easier to install than the other? Would he feel more comfortable facing forward?

 

[sponica]

Thanks! That’s a lot of info lol. Dh is 6’2” but I’m sure he’ll insist upon installing it and I honestly would have no idea what I’m doing. I read your explanation and was completely lost lol. I’m gonna copy and email it to Dh though so he can read it. I’m sure he’ll understand better than me. We are row 2 on the way there I believe. On the way back I think we’re row 9.

Ds is barely heavy and tall enough for forward facing. Is one easier to install than the other? Would he feel more comfortable facing forward?

I think takeoff/landing might be more comfortable facing forward...but that's just me.

 

[pinkxray]

We bought the Cosco Scenera for our DD who was 18 months at the time. I originally bought it for travel as we had a few trips to Disney planned. We ended up using it as her seat in Dh’s car. She is small for her age so she is still using it at 4 years old.
It was very easy to travel with.

 

[Haley R]

We bought the Cosco Scenera for our DD who was 18 months at the time. I originally bought it for travel as we had a few trips to Disney planned. We ended up using it as her seat in Dh’s car. She is small for her age so she is still using it at 4 years old.
It was very easy to travel with.

That’s actually the one we ended up getting. Was it pretty easy to install? Dh wants to return it after we get back but I mentioned we could use it in his car

 

[jormom1030]

I am curious how you would be able to latch the seat belt if you were trying to do it rear facing because it does not latch on the side like a car seatbelt.

 

[Specter]

We took DD when she was 10 months old in March 2020. We had one of the Chicco keyfit (can't remember which model). She was too small for the harness and we didn't want to hold her on our laps out of an abundance of caution. It actually worked out really well because we fly Southwest so the three of us had a row to ourselves. We put DD in the window seat, rear facing, gave her a bottle during takeoff, and she did fine. She did cry for a few minutes (which feels like an eternity when it's your kid) on the trip there but coming home we waited just a few minutes longer to give her the bottle which I think helped her with her ears and she didn't make a peep. DW is actually the one that got the seatbelt secured to the car seat but she swears that it was very easy and intuitive and I do recall that she was done very quickly.

 

[EACarlson]

Dh wants to return it after we get back but I mentioned we could use it in his car

That strikes me as incredibly unethical. You are going to purchase the car seat, use it because the one you already have is too big, and then return it after you've used it. Then either the retailer or the manufacturer has to eat the cost of it since it can't be resold. Buy it, use it and keep it. You never know when you might need an extra seat, for another vehicle, grandparents that visit, etc.

I would never check a car seat, you've seen what they do to luggage, are you going to trust your child's life to something that you don't know how many shocks it took between check in and baggage claim. Any reportable auto accident gets car seats replaced, and at least two of the accidents I've been in have had less shock than that I see them doing to luggage.

 

[NotUrsula]

The instructions I gave in my previous post were the usual for front-facing aircraft installation. Rear-facing works on most aircraft if the carseat is small (it depends on the aircraft's seat pitch), but for a Scenera you will have to ask the FA for a seat belt extender, because the belt path rear-facing runs between the seat shell and the pad, which will mean that without an extender the seat belt buckle would end up directly under baby's butt, guaranteeing discomfort. The extender, properly adjusted, will allow you to shift the buckle positions to either side of the seat shell. (An extender, btw, is an extra length of seatbelt with a buckle and hook attached to it, it's usually 12-18" long; you buckle it into the seatbelt to give extra length to it. Every plane carries one or two, they are meant to accomodate passengers of size.)

This doesn't really apply on Allegiant because their seats don't recline, but I'll mention it anyway for other people who are interested in this topic: FA's generally HATE rear-facing carseats and will usually try to talk parents out of that installation. The reason for that is that they do not want to deal with a potential angry passenger in the seat in front of the carseat, who will not be able to recline because it is rear-faced. However, the FAA rules say that a carseat may be installed in whatever manner the manufacturer recommends for the weight of the child using it, which means it can be used rear-facing with a smaller child.

This is the FAA's official installation video. You will note that the fake plane they are using for the demonstration does not have overhead bins nor any seats in front of where they are installing the carseat. Real life doesn't give you NEARLY that much space to maneuver.

The person demo'ing this misses one of the best tricks, which is opening the seat belt's adjustment nearly as far as it will go before threading it through the seat and buckling it, which gives you enough length to do it with the seat turned sideways, and lets you not have to grope around blindly to fasten it where you can't see. If it's fastened loosely at full extension, then you can just move the seat into final position and pull the end to tighten it down. (Do be sure not to open it fully as far as it will go, though; you need to leave enough of the end sticking out to be able to grab it blind. I recommend leaving about 6 inches for a good grip.)

This second video illustrates what I was saying about turning the buckle 1/2 turn in order to make the seat easier to remove. (What she says about a special tool is true if the seat is in a row with a bulkhead directly behind it, but IME if you can step into the row behind the seat you can do it with your hand by pushing forward on the seat back to get a little slack.)

BTW, about keeping the Scenera. I personally cannot imagine not having a carseat in both parents' vehicles once a child is too big for an infant seat; the $50 is money well-spent to spare yourself 3 years of the hassle of moving carseats from car to car anytime junior has to travel with someone other than Mom. The Scenera we had was actually Grandma's seat; she lived in the same city and babysat often, so that seat stayed installed in her car if we were not traveling. (DH went over and got it in advance of the trip and put it back after we got home.)

 

[Haley R]

The instructions I gave were the usual for front-facing aircraft installation. Rear-facing works on most aircraft if the carseat is small (it depends on the aircraft's seat pitch), but for a Scenara you will have to ask the FA for a seat belt extender, because the belt path rear-facing runs between the seat shell and the pad, which will mean that without an extender the seat belt buckle would end up directly under baby's butt, guaranteeing discomfort. The extender, properly adjusted, will allow you to shift the buckle positions to either side of the seat shell. (An extender, btw, is an extra length of seatbelt with a buckle and hook attached to it, it's usually 12-18" long; you buckle it into the seatbelt to give extra length to it. Every plane carries one or two, they are meant to accomodate passengers of size.)

This doesn't really apply on Allegiant because their seats don't recline, but I'll mention it anyway for other people who are interested in this topic: FA's generally HATE rear-facing carseats and will usually try to talk parents out of that installation. The reason for that is that they do not want to deal with a potential angry passenger in the seat in front of the carseat, who will not be able to recline because it is rear-faced. The FAA rules say that a carseat may be installed in whatever manner the manufacturer recommends for the weight of the child using it, which means it can be used rear-facing with a smaller child.

This is the FAA's official installation video. You will note that the fake plane they are using for the demonstration does not have overhead bins nor any seats in front of where they are installing the carseat. Real life doesn't give you NEARLY that much space to maneuver.

The person demo'ing this misses one of the best tricks, which is opening the seat belt's adjustment nearly as far as it will go before threading it through the seat and buckling it, which gives you enough length to do it with the seat turned sideways, and lets you not have to grope around blindly to fasten it where you can't see. If it's fastened loosely at full extension, then you can just move the seat into final position and pull the end to tighten it down.

This second video illustrates what I was saying about turning the buckle 1/2 turn in order to make the seat easier to remove. (What she says about a special tool is true if the seat is in a row with a bulkhead directly behind it, but IME if you can step into the row behind the seat you can do it with your hand by pushing forward on the seat back to get a little slack.)

I think for simplicity sake we’re gonna have him forward facing

 

[daisyduck123]

I think we’re gonna buy a slimmer one from Walmart and return it after our trip unless we plan to fly more

Honestly, I am shocked that someone would think of doing this.
If you do not think you will need it again, give it to a neighbor or relative.

 

[DisneyDillyDally]

I’ll check and see if they have anything on their website. We’re flying with allegiant. We want him in the car seat for take off and landing but he honestly might do better in it the whole time. Otherwise he’ll want to get down to run or he’ll pull on people’s seats

We used a car seat when our son was younger - it was great, because he was restrained in a familiar environment and he would just chill out. I forget the details of how it got hooked in. Sorry!

 

[drlorilovesdisney]

Like previously mentioned, ask for the seat belt extender. I once got a car seat stuck on a plane. The flight attendant had to actually use some tool to disconnect the seat belt from the seat of the plane. They were not very happy. Always got an extender after that until I started using the CARES harness. If you use the harness, just hope you have a nice person behind you who does not mind briefly lowering their tray table so that you can slide the harness onto the child’s seat.