Which car seats are approved for the plane?

There are about 15 other women that I know who will be traveling around the world for the upcoming sailboat race that my husband is participating in- and we are starting to get all of our ducks in a line as we leave in a few months. During a discussion today, it came up that it is very hard to know which car seats are FAA approved, or approved for the airplane or will even fit on an airplane. I had just gone through this myself while I was researching my car seat- the Graco Platinum Car Go (see my review under travel gear). For this group of moms, we will probably flying more than we are in a car, so the needs for the car seat are a bit different.

Here are some facts that I have learned about car seats on the plane.

1. The car seat has to either go by the window or in the middle of the middle seats- basically not in the way of anyone exiting the plane.
2. The car seats do not say FAA approved on them but instead they say something like- THIS CAR SEAT IS APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT TRAVEL
3. Most car seats will fit if they have a general set up, by this I mean there are some great car seats out there that are portable and small but require a top tether- and this is not approved for Aircraft travel
4. There is no list of car seats approved for airplanes out there. When you buy, you should look at the box or model or call the company to confirm that it is approved.
5. The airlines (usually the flight attendants or pursor) WILL check to see if the car seat is approved for aircraft travel.
6. My sticker was almost impossible to find. It was not on the sides with all of the other safety information but instead on the very bottom kind of tucked away. I am glad I looked because on the plane with the kid strapped in, that could have become interesting. (She wouldn't like to be upside down for five minutes I don't think)
7. To my understanding, the seat cannot be wider than 16 inches (40.64 cm's) . This is where things may get interesting. I am sure there are seats out there that are approved but that are a little wider and an airlines may give you a hard time about this. I don't know the maximum length for an infant car seat (between the seat in front of you) but I took my Graco Snug Ride on and it fit but just by a hair. If it had been bigger the seat in front of us would not have been able to recline.
8. Regardless of whether or not your car seat is "aircraft approved" , you should check with the individual airlines to find out if they have specific regulations- I have read that some don't let car seats on that are over a certain age or that have certain types of straps.
   

This doesn't answer the all important question of which car seats are best for air travel but hopefully it will help clarify what you are looking for.

A great Car Seat for the Plane

On this past trip it was time to upgrade the little tyke from the infant carseat to the toddler carseat. I did my normal obsessive research and decided on the Grace Platinum Car Go seat. http://www.gracobaby.com It has everything that I need: it's lightweight, easy to move, FAA approved and safe in a car. Don't get me wrong, there seem to be some amazing carseats out there for toddlers but if you are going to be flying alot - this one is worth checking out. It only weighs 8 lbs and fits great on the plane. I had no problems carrying it myself in the airport (with the stroller, carryon, and oh yes, the kid.) and so far its been easy to install in 5 different vehicles (yes this baby has been on the move)

It's tough to pick a carseat that fits all of your needs, especially if you are moving around a lot. I suggest doing your research and picking one that works best for your needs- but if you are flying a lot, then definitely check this one out.

Survived the trip...

Every trip with our little girl is a learning experience. As my previous post mentioned- I was nervous about this one, especially since the little one is now walking. So here is the basic lowdown.

We had two flights, a 2 hour flight on Sunday night, spent the night in a Madrid hotel, and then a 10 hour day flight on Monday. Someone was looking out for me on the 10 hour flight because I got three seats in a row (I had not bought a seat for the baby) , they let me put the carseat on, and the baby was relatively calm. So as my kiwi husband would say- "I had a blinder" (that means a good thing.) As always I learned a lot and here are the latest revelations:

- Madrid airport: My international flight required a 22 minute train ride from security to the gate, so two hours just got me there with no time to spare and no time for the baby to run around.

- They made me take the Baby Bjorn off thru security. This has never happened before and was my slam dunk method of getting thru security alone. The rules change not only from airport to airport, but from person to person.

- Carseat on board: 3 people said I couldn't take it on board (and on the first flight they didnt allow it), and then the flight attendent at the last minute said, "no problem", although the pursor did check it to make sure it was FAA approved. My suggestion is to carry it to the plane and if they won't let it on then check it at the door. I found that it was better than the bassinet (they let me chose between an aisle seat with the carseat next to me or a middle seat and the bassinet) because the little one was locked in. Having an aisle seat was key now that she was walking.

- Iberia was really nice about warming bottles, food, etc. The spanish are always so nice to babies!

- I used some of the suggested items that our readers sent in, including giving the baby a bag of new toys and that definitely helped. So if you need some tips, check out some of the previous posts from "On The Plane"

We have 6 more flights to go on this trip alone so I am sure there is more to learn and I will keep you posted....

Vaccinations for Babies Traveling Overseas

The question of vaccinations these days can be controversial, of course it is up to the parents to decide what they think is best for each child- but there are some important things to know if you are traveling with a baby/infant, toddler, or child to a foreign country. Your physician will be able to help you figure out what is best for your situation, but here is some general information for vaccinations for foreign travel:

* Although vaccinations are generally a personal decision, some countries actually require vaccinations as part of their visa process or entry procedures.

* Generally, the high risk areas are in PARTS of Asia, Africa, and South America.

* The most common diseases to be vaccinated against (for foreign travel) are: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Cholera, Japanese Encephalitus, Rabies, Typhoid Fever, and Yellow Fever. This is in addition to the common vaccination that babies receive.

* Other diseases to be aware of (and sometimes take medication to minimize risk for) include: Dengue Fever, Malaria, Meningococcal Meningitis, other Strains of hepatitis and of course HIV.

* The length of stay in a country can determine different immunization needs, i.e. if you are in a country for less than 2 weeks you may not need the same vaccinations then if you are there for 6 months.

I found two great articles to help get a better understanding and have referenced some of what I learned here:

http://parenting.ivillage.com/gs/gshealth/0,,3qgj,00.html
http://www.travelvaccination.com.au/

For US citizens, here is the link to the Center for Disease Control website which does have a lot of useful information:

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/travel.html]

U.K. Citizens can check out these websites:

www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice, www.fco.gov.uk/travel, www.uclh.org, www.britishairways.com and www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk

I am no expert on Travel Vaccinations for a baby, and am learning myself as we are leaving to go around the world in October. If you have any thoughts, comments or questions- leave us a comment or email babyjetsetter@gmail.com

British Airways Toddler Seat

A recent reader sent us this comment on our "Best Airlines" post:

BA won hands-down for the best service while traveling with a baby. Many airlines will only accommodate a baby until a certain age, and only first-come, first-serve. BA had a wonderful, comfortable reclinable bouncy-seat type of thing that was perfect for my then-14-month-old. All airlines should get that model! It also helps that the seats are more generous than those of other airlines we had used.- Mammemia

We thought that sounded great so we did a little research and found out that what British Airways is supplying is a Britax toddler seat. See the BA website page http://www.britishairways.com/travel/child/public/en_gb#infant for more information but apparently it is free of charge and easily works for children up to two. Sounds great!

Email question about carseats overseas in taxis and rental cars...

Christy from Virginia wants to know more about dealing with the carseat issue in taxis and cars in foreign countries- "Do taxis have carseats? " "How do you know which countries have which requirements?" "What about rental cars?"

Safety is always the most important factor for all parents, and to be safe when traveling with a little tot often takes planning. As we travel around the world, we have decided to haul our carseat with us and use it when we can.

TAXIS
There are countries, like Sweden that have strict rules about car seats. Many of the taxis do have carseats in their taxis, but they are not required to carry them, so if you do not have your own, you will have to wait for a taxi that has one (and even then, they are often more like booster seats), and often drivers in Sweden won't let you in without one. London also has taxis with carseats but it best to call for those taxis in advance. However, other countries like Spain, don't worry as much about the carseat issue. Although the occasional taxi will have a carseat, most don't. In other countries, such as Thailand and China, cars may not even have seatbelts in the backseats which makes the car seat installation impossible. So you just have to do your best and assess the area you are going to. A lot of places will be shocked that you even have a carseat. For our family our rule is, if we have the carseat with us and we can fit it, then we use it. If the car rides are longer than 15-20 minutes, we try and make a plan so the carseat can be used. That doesn't always work but it gives us a basis to start from.

RENTAL CARS
Rental cars are often a great way to go. You can put your carseat in and leave it, you know that it fits from the beginning, and most major rental companies have car seats available for a small fee. Always make sure to check ahead of time, but we have found this to be a good option for us.

The carseat thing can be tricky. I think the best thing to bring is your street smarts- if you cant use a carseat, try to pick a safe driver, etc. etc. I have seen comments that you should not put seatbelts around the parent and child as this can be very dangerous. I have been told that it is best to put them in the Baby Bjorn and then put the seatbelt just around the parent. I have also seen portable carseats and seatbelt extensions available for sale. Of course none of this is recommended as the liability is too high- but

Do you have information about carseats overseas that you want to share, or other questions concerning this topic, send an email to babyjetsetter@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.