Special thanks for this article go to Sharon, an American expat mother in France and a former flight attendant for two carriers in five countries over thirteen years.


4. Car Seats

I am a big promoter of "to each his own", for comfort and security for you, your child and those seated around you. Flying with a car seat is actually the only way to fly safely with a baby. Now that I have stated this, I have to qualify that commercial aviation is safe and there's very little chance of anything going wrong but if it does, your child is not protected.

Every child has to have a seat after his or her second birthday according to the FAA and most foreign air authorities. In some places, it's possible to fudge on this and I get all sorts of reports of people getting away with it.

Not only is there the safety issue but twice, I have had delays due to finding out that a child was over two without his own seat. Do not risk it. The burden will be on you to prove your child is under two and you might be charged the full fare one-way ticket if your child is not. Be prepared to show proper identification. For international travel, you have to have your child's passport anyway and the birth date will be checked. Some air regulators allow children to fly back on the same ticket after their second birthday and/or within a certain time frame.

Under two's are allowed on laps for commercial reasons. Airlines think they can sell more tickets and there's little push for parents since they save money and chances are their children will still arrive at the destination in good shape. So there is little incentive to change this rule, from parents, airlines and the rest of the traveling public for who it does not affect. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplanetravel.aspx

In a car seat, the aircraft could turn upside down and it can still hold your child. There was recently a small aircraft accident in Canada where the only survivor was a three year old girl strapped into a car seat.

Yes, a child in a seat is less likely to disturb others. Mine were much calmer and settled in their own familiar seat. There is also the risk of a toddler jumping up and running around during taxi. If you can't control your toddler during this crucial phase of the flight, the whole family can be off-loaded for "non-cooperation with crew member instructions". This rule existed before 9/11 but is much more seriously enforced after. If any passenger got up during taxi, we were required to call the cockpit, who would then stop the whole aircraft. I had to do this a couple of times for pressing personal reasons. If it happens several times, you may find yourselves being brought back to the gate and "off-loaded".

As a mom, I had to strap a couple of unhappy toddlers in their seats for both take-off and landing. I noticed they usually quieted down once they realized this was a non-negotiable issue. While I do not like using force, once they were strapped in, I could concentrate on their unhappiness, comforting them, talking to them and holding their little hands, not chasing them or holding them down in their seat or on my lap.

Just a reminder: never use car seats provided by a car rental company. I had a bad experience with one and unfortunately, I am not alone. The car seats provided by rental companies are at best dirty, worn and incorrectly washed (i.e. soaked straps). At worst, they could be expired, missing parts and could have been involved in a recall or accident. Your children's safety is too important to take the risk of using one of these. Always bring your own or make other arrangements.

Another advantage to bringing one on board was that I could get up and attend to my own needs if my child fell asleep in their car seat. No, I didn't take any longer than necessary but a much appreciated trip to the restroom or to get a drink. I almost always fly alone and this was especially useful. I knew that turbulence could start and my child was safe. I usually tried to tell a neighbor or Flight Attendant where I was going, or at least in which direction.

If I haven't made a strong enough argument for bringing car seats by this time, I will describe what happens in an emergency. Please stop reading if this will upset you, but we were instructed to wrap the baby in a blanket and place them on the floor. I am so glad I never was put in a position to have to give these instructions but the parents were to hold the child to the ground during the emergency landing. This has worked and has saved lives...but not always.

Usually, car seats do not count against your baggage allowance but always ask, especially if flying a very small aircraft and/or a low-cost company.

Car seats pose a few practical challenges. Because of the details, this information will be separated and discussed later in this article as they apply to flying.

For future updates to Sharon's information, or to contact Sharon directly, please visit her Blog: http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com/

Sharon's Disclaimer: This article is not a legal document and cannot be used as proof of any of the laws or rules that I refer to throughout. Check the FAA websites, or other relevant agencies to confirm any statements that are made. I try to provide links where I can. Be aware, also, that airlines often have their own policies which might be stricter than their own government's laws. Most of the employees that you encounter do not have the power to change or make exceptions to any rule. They simply must follow them, even in cases where logic or safety is questionable.