Travel with Children - CARES Harness vs CarSeat

We are travelling overnight tomarrow and were seated in the row behind an exit row. Problem is, I didn't realize that our 2 yo's car seat was not allowed in that row until this evening. Our flight is full and the options are:
1) Try to change seats at the the airport
2) Use the CARES harness

The third person in the row is my 12yo. If we do option 1), I guessing we have a high chance of getting 2 seats together and 1 middle seat. This really stresses out the 12 yo.

Is anyone aware of a significant safety difference in using CARES vs the full carseat? I don't to compromise safety, but I also don't want to stress the 12yo for nothing.

If we go with CARES, has anyone had any luck having a small child sleep in just the seat? Any tips?

Check but the CARES harness can only be used for a short time and your son may be near-ish the limit. It's expensive for just one flight. If you need the car seat at your destination, keep the seat with you and use it on board.

Call the airline and get your seats changed. Chances are, they'll swap you with another group of three (or a couple and a solo traveler).

I did call the airlines, no luck.

I can borrow the harness from a friend. My daughter is still right in the middle of the weight range.

I was told on another forum that the prohibition on carseats may be plane specific (having to do with how the exit door opens) so I may take both.

Do you need the car seat at your destination?

No, and I was considering just leaving it behind and going with the CARES. But, I realized I do need it to get to the airport (taxi). So, we'll take it, and gate check it if we can't install. Worst case it is damaged or lost in flight its not the end of the world (cheap seat I only use for airline travel)

Which airline and airplane are you on? I think the car seat behind an exit row thing will be a YMMV type of situation that isn't true in all situations.

Which airline and airplane are you on? I think the car seat behind an exit row thing will be a YMMV type of situation that isn't true in all situations.

Delta on a 757. We're seated behind the forward most exit row on the right.

I saw the rule on the Delta website last night. I was actually checking in, and just checked the link for kids seating rules out of curiousity to see when the 12yo could sit in the exit row. That's when I saw the rule for Delta that you cant use a child restraint device in the row behind the exit rule. I suppose on a strict reading, that also means you cant use the CARES, however, I'm going to assume thats not the case, as that would make no sense at all.

I'm also wondering, if blocking the exit door opening is the issue, if the carseat would be allowed in the middle. Since we occupy the window, that seems to be a legal configuration in any other row.

I did call the airlines, no luck.

I can borrow the harness from a friend. My daughter is still right in the middle of the weight range.

I was told on another forum that the prohibition on carseats may be plane specific (having to do with how the exit door opens) so I may take both.

You could take both, but I'd hate to be stuck with a car seat that you won't know if you can use till the last minute. Can you gate check a car seat? I honestly don't know. I'd much rather just check it with the rest of your baggage and not think about it till the end of the trip. Save you the hassle of getting it through security, for one thing.

We used the CARES harness with my daughter last year when she was 1-yr old on a trip to Amsterdam and plan to do so again in a couple of weeks for a trip to London (she's now 2yrs 2mos). It worked fine. She did sleep in it a bit on the flight to Amsterdam. She didn't sleep a wink on the return but that had nothing to do with the lack of a car seat. (Pure hell that flight was. I shudder just thinking about it.)

FWIW, the decision to use the CARES harness the first time last July was because that June we'd used the car seat for a trip to San Diego, only to have her kick the seat in front all flight long. (Not a problem if they do let you sit in the exit row with the car seat but...) So the car seat is not without its downsides.

Best of luck!

If it's 3 of you i don't think you'll have a problem asking 3 folks from a row behind just swapping rows with you. I can't imaging anyone (other than perhaps a few posters who like to make a point of that here :rolleyes:) refusing to do so.

Delta on a 757. We're seated behind the forward most exit row on the right.

I saw the rule on the Delta website last night. I was actually checking in, and just checked the link for kids seating rules out of curiousity to see when the 12yo could sit in the exit row. That's when I saw the rule for Delta that you cant use a child restraint device in the row behind the exit rule. I suppose on a strict reading, that also means you cant use the CARES, however, I'm going to assume thats not the case, as that would make no sense at all.

I'm also wondering, if blocking the exit door opening is the issue, if the carseat would be allowed in the middle. Since we occupy the window, that seems to be a legal configuration in any other row.

This is probably because it's an exit overwing window. The reason they can't have a child in a restraint is because those exit doors come completely free (they don't swing open, like a door, they drop off). The F/A has to be able to chuck it into another row. By the time that's done, you'd be up anyway. They can't risk a child being strapped in there (even though logically a child would long be removed from the restraint!)

Moving the three of you because of an actual safety reg (can't say for certain if it's completely FAA, some airlines ban car seats in both front and back rows, need not explain further...) should be a non-issue. If you get any flack, ask to talk to a supervisor. They'll just swap you three with another row. When those passengers get to the airport, they'll have different seats and probably wont even notice the change.

We were switched too on our last flight and we didn't even ask or notice much (suspected aircraft change) but they were exactly the same sort of seats so we just got on board!