PDA

View Full Version : Fisher Price Safety Embrace on Airplanes



xenvar
07-03-2001, 05:51 PM
I will be taking my 10 month old on a 4 hour flight and am thinking about buying her a seat. But, I want to make sure that her car seat will fit comfortably and won't be a burden, rear facing, on the airplane. Has anyone used the Fisher Price Safety Embrace on a flight? Any comments?

tobymc
07-06-2001, 08:21 AM
It will probably fit.

Unfortunately, there is no way to be sure it will fit. Airline seats vary inside aircraft, so two 737 planes will probably have different seats. So I haven't come up with any way to guess for sure if a seat will fit on an aircraft.

With a 4 hour flight, you will likely have one of the larger planes, though, and that should give you a good chance of it fitting.

Seats also tend to fit better rear facing. Your FPSE will hit the seat in front of you, and that person will not be able to recline, but at least they won't get kicked by little feet the whole flight. You may want to mention this to the person ahead of you so they can get reseated if it is going to really bother them.

Airlines often say that seats must be 17" wide to fit, and the FPSE is more like 18" wide. But the widest part of the FPSE is not usually at the narrowest part of the airline seat, so it usually does fit. You may have to raise an armrest to get it to fit. Don't choose bulkhead, where the armrests don't raise, or exit row seating, where children aren't allowed.

So I'd suggest you go ahead and buy the seat. It will give you a lot more space while on the plane, and way more importantly, much more peace of mind about your daughter's safety.

Occasionally, flight attendants have gotten confused by an old FAA recommendation to put children forward facing at 20 pounds. If your 10 month old is any where near this limit, you might want to find the sticker on the side of the seat that says it is rated to 30 pounds rear facing, just so you could show this if you needed to. Most airline policies say that you should be using your seat according to manufacturer's instructions, which in this case is rear facing. And yes, your seat is rated for use on the aircraft during takeoff and landing. It has words in red on the side of the seat saying it is rated for use on aircraft. I doubt you'll have either of these problems, but if you do, you have your stickers and your manual. Assuming that you can get a nice tight fit, rear facing is really the way to go on the aircraft.

And I think it will probably fit.

Another choice is to buy a Cosco Touriva at Kmart this week (before Saturday night) for $29.99. That is what I take for airline travel. It is lighter and narrower (16") than the FPSE. I won't be as easy for you to use as your FPSE, but on vacation sometimes I have more time to fiddle with my carseat to get everything right.

Have a great trip!

Toby, CPS tech who has flown a LOT with two children