CARES advise??

[momto2js]

I received my CARES harness this evening and I have concerns that I might encounter some resistance from the flight crew regarding use of the device. It doesn't have any magic statement that states that it is FAA approved as I expected it might. I am traveling solo with my 4 and 2 year old and my 2 year old is a 32lb RUNNER some sort of restraint device is absolutly mandatory. I am trying to be prepared.

 

[Nanu57v]

I'm trying to remember... No one said anything to me when I used CARES...and someone DID say something to me when I put a carseat in rear facing ("I don't think that car seat was made to be rear facing"...)

 

[mufasa0505]

We've flown with our CARES harness 4 or 5 times and haven't had any issues. I read a thread on here that Southwest had hassled someone about it. This page on Southwest.com indicates that the CARES harness is approved.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/baby-on-board-pol.html

I don't know what airline you're on, but I would suggest finding this on their site and printing it out so you have it on you.

 

[LVMom23]

Our MAW granter was able to get us a CARES harness for our Southwest Flight to WDW.

I hope there are no issues because we went directly off the site!

 

[DT83097]

We used the CARES harness for our trip back in 2009 on Delta with no issue and my DD was completely comfortable. I did (as pp suggested) print out the information from the CARES website that stated that it is an approved device just in case I was asked. I think it's even more widely used now that more flight personnel are aware of it so you should be fine.

 

[Bren's Mom]

Be aware that CARES is designed to better protect your dd, NOT to better contain her. She'll get out of it in 2 seconds flat if she wants, unlike a car seat. If you're looking to keep her contained, bring a car seat!

 

[TinkerbellRN]

There should be a patch sewn onto the CARES that says it is FAA approved..between that and the printout from the airline website you should be good to go! That's what I'm going to do for our trip in May

 

[NotUrsula]

The patch does NOT mention the FAA -- this is a very common misconception. The approval is granted by the FAA, which mandates that the label have the following wording:

Conforms To:
PAT NO.
STC STO10781LA

APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT ​

USE ONLY

It is suggested that you go to the following link on the CAReS mfr. website and print out the FAA advisory circular that explains the approved use, and take that with you. http://www.kidsflysafe.com/how-to-use-cares/in-flight-documents

(I did not link the FAA document itself because these can be updated at any time, so you will want to follow the link to one that is current; it is best to print it out just before your departure so that you are sure that it is current at the time of your flight. With my carseat, I tape an envelope to the back containing these documents; with a cares I'd probably tuck a copy inside the carrying pouch.)

 

[Waybuloo]

We had a copy of the letter of authority and a print out from the airline website. We used it all the way around the world with no problems

 

[Doodles 33]

I have thought about getting restraint but I will still need a car seat as we are visiting Grandma after a few days in Disney. If I check the car seat at the airport as "luggage", how does that work with the Magical Express? Does anyone know? Have experience?

 

[Nanu57v]

I have thought about getting restraint but I will still need a car seat as we are visiting Grandma after a few days in Disney. If I check the car seat at the airport as "luggage", how does that work with the Magical Express? Does anyone know? Have experience?

I imagine it would still get sent to your room with ME. You can't use it on the buses. When we use the seats for our kids on the planes, we have to put them under the bus for the ride with the carryon bags, so I don't know why they would separate them from luggage.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

can not use carseats on the buses,no seatbelts to hold carseat in place. can not use carseat without seatbelt. including booster seats.

 

[TinkerbellRN]

The patch does NOT mention the FAA -- this is a very common misconception. The approval is granted by the FAA, which mandates that the label have the following wording:

Conforms To:
PAT NO.
STC STO10781LA

APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT ​

USE ONLY

It is suggested that you go to the following link on the CAReS mfr. website and print out the FAA advisory circular that explains the approved use, and take that with you. http://www.kidsflysafe.com/how-to-use-cares/in-flight-documents

(I did not link the FAA document itself because these can be updated at any time, so you will want to follow the link to one that is current; it is best to print it out just before your departure so that you are sure that it is current at the time of your flight. With my carseat, I tape an envelope to the back containing these documents; with a cares I'd probably tuck a copy inside the carrying pouch.)

ACTUALLY
I'm looking at my cares harness for our trip next week and the patch CLEARLY states "FAA APPROVED"
so it should be fine

 

[bumbershoot]

I have thought about getting restraint but I will still need a car seat as we are visiting Grandma after a few days in Disney. If I check the car seat at the airport as "luggage", how does that work with the Magical Express? Does anyone know? Have experience?

If you put the ME tags on it it will be delivered later with your luggage. If you don't, you'll pick it up and have them put it under the bus. After realizing the huge forces put on carseats as it goes through the airport (not to mention getting on and off the airplane itself), and then adding in being plopped in with all the ME stuf, I would at minimum pick it up at the carousel and have it under the bus. And if the child is young enough where it would work to have him/her in it on the plane, I'd just do that.

ACTUALLY
I'm looking at my cares harness for our trip next week and the patch CLEARLY states "FAA APPROVED"
so it should be fine

But the OP indicates that that is NOT on hers.

 

[msmama]

I have some printouts from whatever airline I'm flying with that I carry with it, just in case.

But I've never had an issue.

I do try to get on the plane fairly early so that I can deal with it before other people start getting on the plane, too. (I can move the tray table of the person behind us before there's an actual person there).

And like a pp said, it's pretty easy to get out of the CARES if so inclined.

 

[cdrn1]

I have thought about getting restraint but I will still need a car seat as we are visiting Grandma after a few days in Disney. If I check the car seat at the airport as "luggage", how does that work with the Magical Express? Does anyone know? Have experience?

We have used the CARES harness for grandkids on SW and AirTran. When we flew business class on AirTran it was kind of hard getting the seat part attached because the business class seats are wider, but we did get it accomplished. We checked a carseat as luggage and had it stored in the bell services storage during our stay and picked it up when we needed it. ME delivered it along with our luggage.

 

[Nanu57v]

Make sure you read the directions before hand. I tried to preboard because I had to install a carseat for the little one and the CARES harness for the big one. They didn't approve my preboard request (too many families to Orlando), so I hurried as fast as I could. Still, even though I had read the instructions beforehand, I was still installing the CARES (the traytable in the seat behind me was screwing me up) when the flight attendants were walking through and closing all the overheads. Of course I was going to keep at it until I was finished even if they were waiting for me...I did request preboard! But I was okay, finished just as they were done shutting doors.

 

[kohlby]

I'm thinking about getting one for our next flight. The child is 2 and will be about 31 lbs and 38 inches. I'm thinking that the airplane seatbelts aren't meant for a child that small - am I correct? I'm not taking a carseat since I'm travelling alone with three kids and can't handle lugging one through our connection. (And the person at our destination with have a carseat for him).

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You can buckle a 2 year old in an airplane seat using the lap belt. Did you know that you can rent a CARES harness on eBay? Might be worth doing if you'll only use it once.

 

[Celidh]

Just out of curiosity, what is a CARES belt?