MoreMilesPlease

Of course car seats bought out of the US can be used on US carriers. They simply need to be certified by that country.

From the American Airlines website:

http://www.aa.com/pubcontent/en_US/t...ngRestrictions

FAA Approved Infant Seat or Child Restraint Devices
Most restraints that are used in automobiles are acceptable for use in aircraft by an infant or small child. Acceptable restraints manufactured in the United States will bear one or both of the following labels:

“This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards”
Additionally, the restraint may carry a second label with red lettering which states the following:

“This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.”

Restraints manufactured outside the United States may be accepted provided that they bear either a label showing approval of a non-U.S. government OR a label showing that the seat was manufactured under the standards of the United Nations (U.N.).

U.N. approval is designated by a label with a circle surrounding the letter "E" followed by the distinguishing number of the country which has granted approval, plus an indication of the category and mass group of the child restraint which will be affixed.

fredandgingermad

However it has to be able to be secured with a lapbelt, infant car seats in the UK are fixed using the 3 point system not 2 point. forward facing car seats in the UK are mainly ok though

porky

This happened to us on a daytime flight from EWR to SFO a few years ago. My then 6 month old son was in a rear facing child seat. The lady in front of his seat called the FA and said something to the effect "I paid for my seat" and the FA asked me to re-adjust my son to the front facing position. I did say to the FA that I had paid for my son's seat too but complied. I wish I had know about the FAA regulation to stick it to the airline.
Like another poster said, I would not have taken offense if someone asked nicely, but its snarky people who put me off.
I took a LAX to EWR redeye once and the gentleman behind me told me that his 3 YO sitting behind me was in a habit of kicking the seat in front of him. While it was uncomfortable for the first 30 minutes, I did not hold it against the family behind me.

BeatCal

You should have put your child's safety first. There is nothing in the airlines's contract for "I paid for the seat" that says it will recline. I often have 6.5" + guys behind me whose knees won't let my seat recline. Part of life and being a person!


Again my advice, when flying with a child, keep a copy of the FAA and sirlines' rules in your diaper bag. It can also help at times with TSA and bottles.

levilevi

Wow - was Googling around to prepare for our JFK TLV flight tomorrow night with our 8mo old which we bought an extra seat for and specially bought the Cosco Scenera Next to keep everyone comfortable and for the rental car upon arrival.

Googling around to find out about installs, back to FT, and woah - here I thought Iwas doing the right thing buying a seat and bringing car seat aboard - but rear facing seems to be ANOTHER lightening rod issue.

OY.

DL (in this case the airline) wont assign bulkhead in advance, and not sure the seat will fit, but we do plan to arrive early and request at check in (I am GM, but dont see any available online within my window) - I also feel a little guilty taking a bassinet seat when we dont intend to use it ... so inconvenience a passenger with infant that really needs that or inconvenience a passenger from reclining...

WOW... now this is in my head and another thing I'm obsessing about before such a long flight.

I will plan to bring a starbucks card or offer to buy a premium drink or something if needed.

BeatCal

Good for you. Not only is it more relaxing for all, but it is much safer. If the plane hits an air pocket, it is impossible by physics to hold the baby. We have treated many injuries of babies.

As suggested, carry the FAA instructions

ivan89

I messaged KLM on Facebook and asked about their car seat policy. This is what they said:

This policy sounds very weird. Does anyone have any experience with flying with a rear-facing car seat with KLM?

BeatCal

I would respond to them with the FAA regulations which state that a car seat should be facing the direction it is designed to.

Sounds like they are trying to be safe on takeoff and landing but let the person in front recline.

fredandgingermad

According to KLM's website the carseat must be secured according to the car seat manufacturer's instructions, print out their website's instructions if needs be, they can hardly go against them!

ivan89

Does KLM have to comply with the FAA regulations? KLM is not alone in having this policy (other examples are BA and Singapore Airlines), so I thought that the FAA rules apply only to the US-based airlines.

Yes, but is is weird that their customer service on Facebook said a different thing. Anyway, we haven't bought our tickets yet, and now will probably choose to fly with United and Lufthansa rather than with KLM.

BeatCal

I believe that all airlines that fly into the us have to follow faa rules

fredandgingermad

If it's changed they need to update their website!

fredandgingermad

Car seats are a different kettle of fish, plenty of airlines won't let you use your own at all!

Eclipsepearl

All U.S. based companies but foreign companies have their own rules.

Not to be confused with air worthiness, a subject some of you might know but I really don't want to get off-topic. Basically, if the aircraft is a danger, the host country can ground it. But that's extreme and not the issue here.

All those in-cabin rules are regulated by the individual countries (and to some extent, EU members have to fall into line...) Some countries actually don't allow rear-facing car seats in the cabin at all. This is a first for me, hearing about KLM's turn around policy.

Then there is the question of how tightly the rules are followed. I've seen stuff on other companies and asked the crew about it. "Officially it's not permitted but supervisors rarely are on board..." U.S. companies have regular visits from the FAA, heavy fines and serious problems if we broke eve minor rules, like returning coats on the taxi way.

BeatCal

you are correct - sort of.

If the foreign Civil Aviation Authority meets FAA standards, no problems,
If not, then the FAA has the right to refuse them flying into the US.

Where this relates to child seats...???

The EASA requires kids to be restrained. It lists "Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 Air Operations requires an infant, i.e. person younger than 24 months, to be secured on adult's lap by a supplementary loop belt or other restraint device." Interesting that this is not allowed by FAA

As per child seats: "The use of 'child restraint seats' on board is currently dealt with at national level, i.e. at discretion of an air operator and the respective national aviation authority that does oversight of the operator's activities. However, EASA had brought up the issue of Child Restraint Devices (CRD) to ICAO in the recent past and ICAO agreed to take up the initiative on a global level." They note this is being "studied"


KLM's rules state: Your child and the child seat need to be secured according to the seat manufacturer’s instructions.(https://www.klm.com/travel/us_en/pre...dren/index.htm)

Thus, I would fly with whatever airline you wish BUT bring a copy of the airlines rules. It has been 20 years since I flew with my infants, but even then I carried a copy of the FAA and airline rules as some FA have no idea. I also flew Delta as one of the first million milers. In those days there were few upgrades with many empty first class seats. They used to fill them with their own staff that often there was no room for the seat. I wrote Delta and got a letter back from Ron Allen that my infant had priority over their dead-heading staff which I also carried with me (those were the days!!)