WiscAZ

Is a 3 year old legally allowed to ride on the plane with the normal plane seat belt?

lg10

Yes, in fact I think even a younger toddler can use the regular seat belt "legally".

MoreMilesPlease

Not anecdotal, well published. I got these from a very quick Google search....

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...ety-belts.html

http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-stud...nts-1408574702

http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-stud...nts-1408574702

kchoya

Distracting? To who?

kchoya

Having been in multiple trials with expert witnesses testifying on this issue, I can say you are not just mostly incorrect, but totally incorrect.

azepine00

To a parent who needs to navigate large airports with stairs, escalators, moving walkways, doors, crowds with bags while holding a kid and carrying a carseat and a carryon of some sort.

lg10

For those who think that a toddler shouldn't be in the regular airplane seat-belt, what age would you think is reasonable for that?

Also, I understood that since most airline seats, and most laypeople (who may or may not have remembered the locking clip), are not excellent at carseat installation in the brief space/time allotted, that this means the airplane seatbelt gets a major boost in comparative safety.

kchoya

This is a very broad and mostly incorrect statement.

kchoya

There is no right answer to your question - just as there is no set age when a child should transition from a infant seat to a rear-facing car seat, or to a booster seat. The proper analysis -- both with respect to the airplane seating and the proper safety restraint in a motor vehicle -- depends on the characteristics of the child, especially that child's size.

It's unclear what you mean by "locking clip." That's not a term I've seen in my experience with any child seats in the US. And your contention is without merit. While most parents are not excellent in quickly and efficiently securing a child seat in an airplane in the space and time constraints of the boarding process, the actual installation is relatively foolproof. All that is required is to place the belt in the right locations and tighten.

rjque

I'm not sure how car seat installation can be characterized as "foolproof" if nearly half of the U.S. public can't install them correctly:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...lled/29916055/

From my own personal experience, the length of the seatbelt and positioning of the buckle can make a big difference in whether the seat can be properly installed or not. Many times I've been forced to fly with an improperly installed seat because the seat belt position wouldn't allow for proper tightening.

In any event, there still has been no data provided as to how dangerous it actually is to use a seat belt vs. a car seat on an airplane. All we have seen is an FAA statement showing that it is "safer." Where is the actual data? How many children are injured when belted in vs. children in a car seat? I agree with azepine00 that carrying a car seat through a crowded airport with a toddler is an enormous burden vs. leaving it at home. I've dragged a car seat through the airport more than 30 times in the last 4 years, and I stopped a while back because it made traveling with a toddler so much easier. If anyone can point to actual risk data, rather than regurgitating what they have read on a mommy anecdote site or saying that one is "safer" than the other, I'd be very grateful.

erik123

I think the incidence of infant deaths is so low that there is no relevant data.

Big4Flyer

^ I'm all for child safety but I think we all need to take a pragmatic approach to it. When we were flying with one child we would try to bring the car seat, when we had two children we would bring it only if it was too expensive to rent one at the destination, or if it was a long flight where we wanted the kid to get some sleep. Now getting ready to welcome baby #3, I think we'll be plenty swamped with other concerns while traveling without thinking about the less than .001% chance that our kid will get injured on the flight.

jrhmdtraum

I would think your baby should be your biggest concerns. Get the restraint that the FAs sell

In response to those who say "few deaths" - that is correct. BUT incorrect as opposed to injuries which are not reported ie fractures and concussions. As a pediatric trauma surgeon, I have seen over a half dozen infants injured. And I am just one doc

By the laws of physics, it is IMPOSSIBLE to hold a baby if the plane hits an air pocket. Ask a senior FA how many times they have seen a baby "fly". Why does the FA union push for child restraints?

jrhmdtraum

See this video from the National Transportation Safety Board:

http://carseatblog.com/16971/lap-bab...ents-must-see/

rjque

Does it have data? If not, it's not worth my time.