Carseat on plane for 4 yr old

[Philly Mom]

Ok, great! Sounds like she can go without. I didn't know if the lap belt would fit right and hurt her if we had bad turbulence.

So it doesn't apply to this trip, but what is the official verdict on checking carseats? I have read so much about baggage handlers throwing them around...do you put in a box? Gate check?

We always check with baggage. We have a car seat bag and I don't travel with her primary seat. We have never had a problem. It is a risk I am willing to take because it makes traveling infinitely easier.


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[gatorsmom]

I'm not aware of any research/evidence that looks at safety for a four-year-old in a non-fatal commercial plane crash using different kinds of restraints; there's just not a lot of plane crashes that fall into that category and even fewer than contain small children. I'd imagine that the best you'll get on this answer is some advice on how other people's children do on flights using just the seatbelt, but I don't think any actual safety data exists.

Several years ago there was a heated argument here about whether it was safer to have infants and toddlers forward or rearfacing in airplanes. A member of the boards who was a commercial pilot pointed out that car seat safety tests were done in cars and car crashes. There are completely different laws of motion governing the objects in an airplane. So most of the hard, fast safety rules for child passenger automobile safety can be thrown out the window. Although I don't think tests have been done on this, through previous experience airplane staff have seen how lap babies become projectiles in rough turbulence and strongly recommend each infant/toddler have his/her own seat. If your child is willing to sit still without unbuckling, the airplane seat belt is all the safety equipment they need.

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So it doesn't apply to this trip, but what is the official verdict on checking carseats? I have read so much about baggage handlers throwing them around...do you put in a box? Gate check?

In the last we have done both, checked our seats and gate checked. We haven't seen any structural damage at all however they have become very dirty so we always buy a large, cheap cloth laundry bag to put them in before we check them.

[Mommy_Mea]

When we used the carseats on planes, it was more for the comfort/familiarity for DS, and to not check them. Less for the safety aspect (although it was the best way to have them restrained at that age). We stopped using carseats on the plane at 3. After that we have used the CARES harness, but mostly for our super wiggly DS2, I don't think a lap belt would stay on (he kept loosening it during our last flight).

Also by age 4, we were using a Ride Safer at the end destination, so stopped bringing a carseat at all.

[Joolsplus2]

I always think I must be the only tech who says fine, check your seats...gate check if you are worried they will get lost and you'll be screwed at your destination with no seat. I've tried to be good and take seats on the plane for my kids, and it always ends up in huge screaming drama (my kids are remarkably carseat compliant, but on a plane? It's like they turn into devil toddlers : ). Fortunately lapbelts fit nice and low from age 2 ish, and a bag of new toys/books/apps/candy will entertain nicely (post-it notes are a fave of ours on planes ).
I like the idea of the laundry bag for keeping it clean! Make sure the drawstring doesn't hang too long and risk getting tangled in other luggage. I saw a luggage checked Chicco on my last trip, omg, it was FILTHY..not something you'd want to stick your kid back into without cleaning it, I don't know why the baggage people didn't at least stick it in a clear garbage bag when the people checked it.

[meljc]

I'll disagree with... everyone else apparently? The FAA says plane belts don't fit until 40lbs. We just returned a few hours ago (shudder) from an international+transcon with our new 4yo and younger one. We have (almost) always used a car seat for him, the last two trips FF even though he's stayed RF in the car until this trip. He's 35lbs, but even if the belt did fit there's no way he would leave it alone for 18hrs or however long we were flying. He also sleeps comfortably in his car seat. He has never complained about using his seat and knows no different -- he has to get in and buckle up before he can start with movies. I wouldn't care if this particular seat was damaged or lost, but it would have made our travels extremely challenging. Before we knew differently, we gate checked his infant seat a handful of times and did observe minor, non-structural damage (shredding on the rubber handle, dirtiness etc).

Four is probably my minimum age when I'd even consider not bringing a seat on, and then only if there was absolutely no plan to drive/taxi anywhere during the trip. Perhaps Disney is one of those places where you can do it? I'd personally look into a RSTV so that you could take a taxi to dinner at least.