HELP!! Need Car Seat no wider than 16 inches

[Gavinsmamma1]

I am flying to the West Coast for Christmas and according to the FAA site (http://www.faa.gov/passengers/childsafetyseats.cfm) it states that the seat can not be wider than 16 inches. We are also flying to Europe this summer. I want to buy a car seat for Europe and this trip that is not wider than 16 inches and is some what decent. WHAT DO I BUY? Every thing is at least 18 inches. Any ideas would be great? I just don't want to deal with getting on the plane and the seat not fitting because it is more than 16 inches. I like the Triumph or Comfort Sport (refuse to bring my WIZARD over seas) but they are too wide and I am pulling my hair out about this. Any help would be appreciated!!:7

[nfowife]

It doesn't look like 16" is a rule, but a suggestion. As long as your seat says it's okay for air travel it should be fine, but you probably won't be able to put down the armrest between you and your kid.

[dhano923]

I've flown domestic and internationally several times with my Comfortsport with no problems.

[Joolsplus2]

The Triumph is Wider than the Wizard, anyway ;), and heavier!. The Cosco Scenera is at Walmart, Target, and Kmart for $40 now and is very narrow (or Touriva, if that's what you can find, basically the same, just get a 5-pt harness, of course).
The BASE of ALL these seats is WAY narrower than 18 inches, so they DO fit, but like the PP said, you may have to lift the armrest between the seat and you.
The width of your seat will be the least of your worries, when any EU airline tells you you can't use the seat during takeoff or landing (that's VERY common, I don't know what they are thinking!), or if you get a car that doesn't have locking seatbelts (you might even want to just find a deal on a Roundabout, which is narrow enough and has built in lockoffs just in case, so you won't have to learn how to use a locking clip...)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[DebbieJ]

What airline are you flying? What kind of plane?

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
Breastfed for 20 months and 6 days

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[Gavinsmamma1]

Hi Everyone I found a Graco Comfort Sport at Wal Mart on line. I think I will get that one. Flying to Las Vegas on America West (or US Air) and then flying AIr France to Norway. I think the ComfortSport will work for both trips and the cars. The Comfort Sport is 17.5 inches wide and seems somewhat of a decent car seat. If we traveled more I would definitely buy a roundabout for my son instead! Thanks again!

[californiagirl]

The width the FAA gives is the width that they require airline seats to be. It's legal for an airline to use 16" wide seats. However, passengers HATE narrow seats. Loathe them. Despise them. Refuse to fly airlines with them. So no regularly scheduled passenger flights use 16" wide seats. 18" wide car seats fit just fine in the seats airlines actually use; you shouldn't have a problem unless you are flying very cheap charter flights. If you are concerned, call the airline and say "I'm trying to decide what airline to fly; how wide are your seats?" (DO NOT SAY "How wide can my carseat be?" or they will quote the FAA rules regardless of reality.)

We fly with a Roundabout all the time. No problem, even on little tiny 3-across planes with propellors.

[californiagirl]

Your real problem is that you can't use a car seat on Air France. You *might* be allowed to use it when the seatbelt sign is OFF (not for takeoff and landing).

The rules for car seats depend on the country of registration of the airplane. France does not allow carseats when restraint is required. Some airlines will let you bring it and use it when restraint is not required, but they don't have to do that and sometimes won't.

http://www.otoh.org/opal/carseat.html sums up what I know about carseats on airplanes. I have to update it about the width thing.

[o_mom]

How big is your son?

You may want to check that he will fit in a ComfortSport - the top slots are really low. You can see in the thread on the Scenara - my just turned 2 yo outgrew the ComfortSport and he is not tall at all. Just check before you order online.

[Gavinsmamma1]

OKay so you mean to tell me AIR FRANCE WON'T let us bring his car seat? I don't understand? I went on their web site and of course could not find any information about this. My son is 11 mnths/27 pounds and 32 inches tall-I need to go and look at the ComfortSport to see if it will work.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

the Marathon fits fine on airplanes. It's the width of the base that matters, and even that can hang off the sides of the actual seat cushion if need be.

Forget the 16", it is meaningless.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/superpower.gif http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/borntobebreastfed2.gif

[californiagirl]

It is my belief that French aviation law, like most European countries, forbids the use of car seats as restraint systems -- so you may not, legally, use one when the seat belt light is on. I could be wrong; I haven't actually seen the regulation, and there are contradictory reports from parents. The most common thing that parents say about Air France is that they were required to use a loop belt (an add-on to the parent's seat belt) when the seat belt light was on. Your best bet for finding out is to call Air France.