Friendly skies, indeed!

[jennmcl39]

I just got the updated Baby Bargains book last night in anticipation of baby no. 2's arrival in May, and the passage on flying with a carseat was so spot-on I had to laugh.

Why, oh why, do the airlines make this important safety step so hard???

Besides not pre-boarding (well, they did let us on first, but, like BB predicted, with everyone else RIGHT BEHIND US!) none of the flight crew could help us with getting the seat in...in fact, I was the one who had to poit out that FAA regulations require the carseat to be placed in a window seat.

Not only that, but we were asked several times, "Oh, are you checking that carseat?" and greeted with dirty looks when the answer was no.

What the....?

The airlines themselves agree this is safest way to fly with baby, and we handed over an additional $300 for the priviliege, yet we were treated like annoying freaks.

Oh, well...sorry for the rant!

On the plus side, the Triumph fit well, worked great, and DS was actually much more comfotable in his own seat...in fact, while waiting at the terminal (our flight was delayed THREE HOURS...another story!) he climbed right into his carseat to read books and rest.

Anyway...while I will still continue taking his carseat on plane trips...please, airlines, make it just a TINY bit easier. Please?!?!?!

[murphydog77]

What airline did you fly? That sounds like Southwest when I flew with my ds 6 years ago.

We just flew Hawaiian Airlines last month and boarding was much more organized and relaxed, but the trip home was pretty yucky. Both flights (there and back) we were the only ones using a car seat on the whole child-filled dang airplane. The flight home they refused to give us a window seat and we had to install it "any of the center seats." I firmly believe that our kids were the best behaved on the plane because we've instilled in them from the beginning of their lives that when they are buckled up, they sit still (it's the only time and not always, lol). The flight attendants all smiled at us and one passenger just gushed at how well-behaved they were (made me such a proud mama).

Heck, I'd rather be sitting in a cushy comfortable seat that smells like me than an airplane that hundreds of other people have sat in :).

Heather, CPS Tech
http://www.CarSeatSite.com

[daniele_ut]

I'm sorry that they didn't make your experience better! I have to give kudos to JetBlue, though. We flew on JetBlue last month and had a great experience. The flight attendants seemed relieved that at least one child on the plane was restrained from running the aisles and slept the whole flight. We were able to preboard and had no problems installing our Roundabout.

The only problems that we had were with security. We were selected for "random" extra screening both ways! I've since been told that flying with a carseat often means you will be selected.

FWIW, from what I understand the airlines aren't the ones pushing to require that children under 2 have tickets, it's the FAA.

[catfeet]

US Air offers pre-boarding, though you do have to ask the gate attendant for it. But, it's with the other qualified pre-boarders, not the general populace.

HTH,
Ann, who's learned this the hard way!

[bargainonboard]

>FWIW, from what I understand the airlines aren't the ones
>pushing to require that children under 2 have tickets, it's
>the FAA.

Actually, it's the NTSB that is pushing for this (children under 2 in a carseat when flying), and it's up to the FAA to require it. However, politics is why the FAA hasn't acted.

The belief is that if you make parents buy tickets for their infants, then instead of flying, they will drive and statistically... accidents (and fatalities) on the road are far more common.

However, personally, I think anybody who believes that on a plane adults need to be buckled in for safety and yet the most fragile human beings (infants) don't need to have their head examined.

Of course, the goverment could always legislate that airlines offer discounted fares for infants... say 40-60% of the regular price. Some airlines already do.

[momtoB]

Interesting thread. It was never even a question to me that ds would always have his own seat and we would bring his carseat aboard the airplane when we traveled. Is it a bit of a pain? sure it is, but so worth it knowing my ds was safer because of it. I can't imagine how I would feel if he flew through the air during severe turbulence because I thought I could hold him, or if we were to have a crash landing and he was on the floor instead of strapped into a seat because I wanted to save a few bucks. People say if the plane crashes you'll die anyway but just this year there were a few rough "crash" landings that did not result in everyone on board dieing so that is patently untrue. OK rant over, lol.

I too have had some not-so-great experiences getting my ds's seat on an airplane. I'll never forget the time I was carrying ds and the car seat and our seats were the very last row. Of course we were almost the last to board as well (Delta and their "zone" boarding). I remember thinking I was definitely going to drop that seat on someone's head and all these people already sitting down and just gawking at me like fools. Finally when I was half-way down the aisle a nice gentleman got up and took the seat from and put it in our row. Out of 300 people, one nice person emerged, lol. Having said all that though I still think it was worth the hassle. And I agree, I'd rather he sat in a seat that smells like him instead of one that hundreds of others have sat in. :)

Cheryl
ds-4/21/03

p.s. we flew Alaska once and they also allowed pre-boarding for children under two.

[pittsburghgirl]

We usually travel on US Airways (sometimes United) and I have only ONCE (the one time we took our Marathon) had a flight attendant even offer any help. Usually they just want to make sure you know the seat has to be strapped in (duh.... why else would I be bringing it on?) I also check the seat assignments carefully when we check in to make sure we have a window seat and one next to it.

I can't imagine not getting a seat for DS and taking his car seat. I am tired enough traveling with him (and his constant demand to "WALK") and the last thing I want to do is try to hold him on my lap as he jumps up and down. There is no way he would ever nap on the short flights we have had w/o his car seat, but we regularly get some naps when he's strapped in.

We have usually been able to preboard upon request (not always offered, though, have had to ask.) I have always been the only person with a car seat on the flights we have been on, BTW....

Marilee
mommy to James
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040120/1/1/1/-5/.png

[jennmcl39]

Thanks for the replies, ladies! I'd like to say it's nice to know I'm not alone, but then again, I wish more of us had pleasant expereinces! :(

FWIW, we were flying Northwest, the only airline with a non-stop flight to our destination.

We did request pre-boarding, but that just meant we were first in line...so everyone else could have the fun of standing in the aisle impatiently waiting for us to get settled...LOL!

However, I will continue to buy DS his own seat and bring his carseat along...for his comfort and his SAFETY!!! A little inconvenience (ok, a lot) for mom and dad is nothing compared to his welfare...

[samiam]

I flew Southwest recently and had a mostly positive experience. Nobody helped us in any way but we were able to pre-board and weren't given any dirty looks or anything.

Turbulence is scary and car seats are so necessary. I adopted my son from another state and flew home with him when he was 2 weeks old. I took him out of his car seat once during the flight to change his diaper. At that precise moment, our plane crossed the wake of a much larger plane and did a sudden drop. My son came thisclose to flying out of my arms. It was absolutely terrifying. I hate to think of what might have happened had I already put him down to change his diaper (he was still in my arms). I very quickly strapped him in his seat and the plane did another drop. Terrifying!

[lpl47]

Just to add to the stories...
We just flew with DS (27 months) from LA to Boston. We've purchased a ticket for him everytime since he was 6 months old...

The flight attendants gave me a hard time about giving me a seatbelt extender for my Marathon (necessary to install with the GoGoKidz wheels attached). They also tried to insist that the family seated a few rows in of us turn their Boulevard forward facing even though the infant was clearly under 1. Their rationale was that the person sitting in front of the infant couldn't recline his seat!

It would be nice if Flight Attendants had more training on the use of car seats on planes!

[Lmoor]

Grrrrrr!!! I've always figured that if the flight attendant is that uneducated on the use of car seats, I would just tell them that my DD was not the appropriate weight to be FF yet (She's 21 lbs). Fortunately, I've never had anyone say anything to us!! However, the person in front of DD on our last flight was in an absolute huff about not being able to recline - a 1 hour and 13 minute flight!!! He kept slamming his body back into the seat. Oddly, his wife next to him would look back and coo at DD...

[smilla653]

I have been wanting to complain about my recent experience on United! Our flight going to Puerto Rico after Christmas was fine -- when one attendant saw that we had a ticket and carseat for our seven month old, she said "Smart idea." They also let us pre-board for that flight.

However, on the way back it was a completely different experience. No preboarding. Three people asked us if we were checking the seat. Once on the plane, an attendant asked me if the seat was FAA certified while I was in the middle of the aisle, holding baby and said carseat. I know that mine is, but couldn't locate the sticker while in such an awkward position. They really should ask at check-in or while taking boarding passes! Lastly, a small child sitting in the seat in front of the car seat kept trying to recline his seat and thus kept banging on the back of the carseat, even after I explained to his father that, unfortunately, our carseat was in the way.

I did find United to be pretty good about bringing out the gate-checked stroller in a timely fashion.

I have travelled a lot on Southwest and my experience with them has been more uniformly positive. They tend to be pro-carseat and even commented that the FAA was considering requiring all passengers to buy tickets. They routinely preboard. The only thing I haven't had good luck with is gate-checking the stroller. They are awfully slow, and our stroller went down to baggage instead a couple of times.

Here's another gripe of mine: why won't they let you wear your baby in a sling when passing through security or on the plane? If they don't yet require people to buy seats and some people hold their babies on their laps, what's the harm of wearing them in an all-fabric sling?

[stillplayswithbarbies]

> If they don't yet require people to buy seats and some
>people hold their babies on their laps, what's the harm of
>wearing them in an all-fabric sling?
>
>

It's because they consider a sling a "restraint" and you can't be in a restraint during take off and landing unless it is an FAA approved restraint (car seat).



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

[supercalifragilous]

I'm totally with you, here. We always fly Alaska Airlines (only direct flight) and we frequently have problems flying out of Ontario, CA. The counter people are actually also the gate people and they apparently reserve the right to change their mind about providing preboarding between checking you in @ the counter and the boarding gate.

After being told they would preboard us, at the gate they just started calling "passengers from rows 300-50 can now board..." We went up to the lady and kindly reminded her that she said we could preboard since we are installing our Britax MA and she looked us straight in the eye and told us "Please move to the back of the line." Basically EVERYONE AND THEIR GRANDMA was in line already so we were the LAST ones to board. Her assistant/trainee even had the nerve to look us up and down and smirk when she scanned our ticket at the gate. It was all I could do to keep from slapping her in the face.

Onboard after dealing with several flight attendants with rolling eyeballs, one had the nerve to come up to us and accost us - Why are we doing this now being the last ones on the plane? Why didn't we just gate-check the carseat? Please hurry, we're waiting on you to take off since all passengers must be seated! Wait, is that carseat FAA certified? Are you sure you're installing it right? Oh well it's YOUR baby. Can you hurry? HOLY GEEZ I almost lost it like Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents.

I don't know how many flight attendants are mothers and know about carseats, but if you don't know anything, SHUT UP and let us parents do our thing and get out of the way. We took our sweet time and loudly explained we were not allowed to preboard as promised (as if all the people on board weren't in line witnessing our shock at not being allowed to preboard and not one allowed us to cut in to speed things up).

I don't know if I'm more mad at the counter/gate agent or the flight attendants - all in all Alaska @ Ontario CA SUCKS when it comes to carseats.

Just wanted to commisserate - you're not alone!

[ajweeks]

I know what you mean about flying with car seats. We travel a lot flying multiple airlines and no one is ever helpful. I was traveling alone across the coutry with my 2 year old and I was 4 months pregnant. Granted I wasn't showing that much, but I was alone with a 2 year old in a stroller draging a car seat. I asked to pre-board and they said no. Then when I was trying to walk down the aisle carrying my 2 year who refused to walk and carrying the car seat, the only thing the flight attendant could say to me was "you're spilling gold fish all over the floor!" There were only a few goldfish that fell to the floor that had been stuck in the crevices of the car seat. I just glared at her and felt like saying, well they why don't you help me!