Car seat or not, for a one year old who has their own seat on the plane

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Jan 16, 2012
If you flew with a one year old who you purchased a seat for, can you sit them in the seat without a car seat? Do you think they will stay with just a seatbelt? Am I missing something here? Or do I need to bring a car seat? Has anyone used a CARES harness on a larger one year old (who meets the weight requirement)?
 
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You have to check with the airline...each has their own policy. Most don't require a car seat, but a handful do. Plus there are often requirements about which car seats are allowable and which airplane seats they can be used in.
 
Check with your airline. Many regular car seats won’t fit on a plane seat.
 
We always used the car seat. Ours were Britax and worked great. However, my baby is now 12 so it’s been awhile and many policy’s have changed. Make sure to check with the airline.
 


If your child can't sit up on their own, they are required to be in an FAA approved car seat if they are in their own seat, according to the United website. But, you aren't required to buy a seat for a child under two. So you can avoid having to bring a car seat if you will hold the baby for the entire flight.

If your child will be 1, they will be able to sit up on their own by then, so you shouldn't have to put them in a car seat.

For safety and comfort (for both of you) an FAA approved car seat is probably a good idea, but if you have no use for it at your destination, I would not think it is worth the hassle.
 
I used a car seat for each of my kids when they were under 3 on the plane. Yes it was a pain to lug thru the airport and then never use it again until the return flight but my kids were all snug in their seat, they could see out the window, did I say snug...I mean they couldn’t bounce around. I also took off their shoes just in case they kicked so it would be less of a blow.
 
If you flew with a one year old who you purchased a seat for, can you sit them in the seat without a car seat? Do you think they will stay with just a seatbelt? Am I missing something here? Or do I need to bring a car seat? Has anyone used a CARES harness on a larger one year old (who meets the weight requirement)?

I flew with my daughter when she was 15 months old and I wished she was in a car seat, it was an absolutely exhausting trip. She was such a handful to hold onto, and I even ended up having an empty seat beside me for her but she was all over the place and wouldn't sit still for one second. It was a very long trip, lol (I was also 7 months pregnant at the time). But it would have been SO much easier if she was strapped in. I told my husband when I returned that I would never fly with a kid at that age ever again but if she had been strapped in it would have been a lifesaver.
 
If you flew with a one year old who you purchased a seat for, can you sit them in the seat without a car seat? Do you think they will stay with just a seatbelt? Am I missing something here? Or do I need to bring a car seat? Has anyone used a CARES harness on a larger one year old (who meets the weight requirement)?

I used the CARES harness with my daughter from the time she was 13 months until she was 3. It was so much easier than a car seat and it gave her the feeling of being in a car seat with three point-ish harness. It took up little room and was easy to install. Once we got to the potty training phase, it was easy to extract her. We had several flight attendants tell us how much they love the CARES harnesses. We had one flight attendant who wasn't familiar with it and told us we could only use FAA-approved devices. While I fumbled around in the bottom of my bag trying to look for the piece of paper that was certified, the lead flight attendant came by and told us how much she loved them and explained to the original flight attended that CARES is acceptable. I know many people don't use it, but I was happy that I got one for my daughter.
 
I will be flying with a 1 year old in November (22 months to be exact) and we will be using a car seat. We will need it for the rental car anyway and we feel he will be more comfortable and safer in it so why not? YMMV.
 
Yes, definitely use a car seat for the one year old on the plane. The seatbelts on a plane don’t generally fit well until a child is around 40 lbs, so 4-5 years old. Plus seat belts on planes are extremely easy to unbuckle and if you can’t keep your child seated and under control during takeoff and landing, you could be kicked off the plane (obviously during the “prepare to leave the gate/takeoff” portion). Kids are used to being in their car seats and keeps them, and everyone else on the plane, safer and more comfortable. Plus, saves your sanity! It’s a pain to lug it around just to use on the flight and then store at Disney but we’ve done it and would do it again, if needed (my youngest will be 5 1/2 on our next trip, so she’ll get to fly without a car seat for the first time since we use all Disney transportation instead of a rental car).

Edited to add: very few car seats on the US market are not FAA approved, so the seat you use at home wil more than likely work just fine. Just look for the “approved for use in passenger vehicles and aircraft” (or something to that affect) sticker on your seat. Some seats are easier to the travel with than others but 99% of them are allowed on planes.

You’ll probably find these articles very helpful and informative- https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/ and https://csftl.org/disney-trips-car-seats/
 
When DD was 3.5 we were required by the airline to have her in a carseat while on the plane as she was under 4. Definitely check with airline you purchased tickets for.
 
When DD was 3.5 we were required by the airline to have her in a carseat while on the plane as she was under 4. Definitely check with airline you purchased tickets for.

Wow, I have never heard of this, and we flew a few times when my kids were under 4. What airline was this?
 
I loved the CARES harness but I left it on a flight to Cali and haven’t replaced it. On the way home she was about 2 and was fine.

We have brought a car seat but we purchased the cosco scenera car seat, it’s super light fits under our uppa baby and has made traveling so easy. It’s a great travel car seat and not expensive if your looking for options.

This trip in 2 weeks we aren’t bringing a car seat of a CARES harness for the first time she will be 3 and a half and we are going to Disney so won’t need it when we get there.
 
Wow, I have never heard of this, and we flew a few times when my kids were under 4. What airline was this?
Air Canada 2013. The policy changed a couple of years ago to only being recommended that children under 4 be in a car seat as opposed to required.
 
Air Canada 2013. The policy changed a couple of years ago to only being recommended that children under 4 be in a car seat as opposed to required.

Ah. Thanks. It was not a requirement on US Air (now American) or Southwest before that. Not sure about other US airlines, though.
 
I had my DD in a car seat until about 3 and then used CARES. Now with my next one we have done car seats also, and she just turned 2 so I got a smaller convertible carseat for travel. I want it for the Taxi to the airport anyways.
We always bought a seat even when she was an infant and it was great to strap her in!
 
Recommendations and rules have changed in the past couple of years so definitely check with the airline!
One of my darling children would scream non-stop in her car seat so I knew she would be flying as a lap baby.
 

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