Updated October 2018
When my son was 8 months old we flew from California to Chicago to visit relatives. Although I was not yet a Child Passenger Safety Technician, I understood the importance of using car seats, even on airplanes. So, as a diligent mother, I purchased him a ticket and installed his convertible carseat rear-facing.
On three of our four flights, we had no problems. On the last one, though, the flight attendant insisted that I turn my son’s seat forward-facing because the passenger in front of him wouldn’t be able to recline. I knew the car seat should stay rear-facing, but with no proof and a plane full of anxious passengers, I acquiesced rather than put up a fight.
If only I had known about the Federal Aviation Administration’s Advisory Circular regarding Use of Child Restraint Systems on Aircraft, things might have been different.
The Advisory Circular, which was updated in September 2015, details the FAA’s policies regarding child restraints on planes, and anyone traveling by aircraft with a child in a car seat would be wise to print out a copy and take it onboard. Please note that the FAA regulations apply to U.S.-based carriers operating inside or outside of the United States. If you’re flying a foreign airline these guidelines won’t necessarily apply.
To make things easy for you, the traveling parent, I am going to tell you exactly where to find the pertinent information so you can print out the FAA Circular and highlight what you might need.
Parents are Allowed to Use Child Restraints: The Advisory Circular includes wording that no airline “may prohibit a child from using an approved CRS when the parent/guardian purchases a ticket for the child.” It also states that if the child restraint doesn’t fit in the specific seat assigned to the child, the airline needs to try to accommodate it in different seat within the same service class. You can find that information in Sections 10-d and 10-f on page 8.
Rear-Facing vs. Forward-Facing: Since the complaint we hear most often is that parents were forced to turn a child forward-facing, be sure to highlight Section 19 on pages 14-15 if you plan on using a rear-facing car seat. It states: “CRSs must be installed in forward-facing aircraft seats, in accordance with instructions on the label. This includes placing the CRS in the appropriate forward or aft-facing direction as indicated on the label for the size of the child.” Flight attendants often misinterpret the rules to mean that the child restraint has to be installed forward-facing, not just on a seat that’s facing forward. So in addition to highlighting, you might want to underline the part about “appropriate forward or aft-facing direction.”
Window Seats vs. Other Seats: The rest of Section 19 (page 15) discusses placement of the child restraint. Windows are preferred, but other seats might be acceptable as long as they don’t block other passengers from exiting the plane.
Children Over 40 lbs: Section 24 on pages 16-17 states that parents can use a restraint for a child of any age or size as long as the restraint is “appropriate for that child’s size and weight.” That can be important if you’re using a car seat for an older child, especially one over 40 pounds.
Boosters with Harnesses are Allowed: Are you traveling with a combination seat (a harnessed seat that can also be used as a booster), and think the flight attendant might say you can’t use it because boosters are banned? Just point out Section 17-b on pages 13 and 14, which explains that those restraints are fine as long as the harness is being used (provided your seat really is approved for airline use with the harness, of course).
Worn-Off Labels: Have the stickers worn off of your car seat? No problem. Section 12-b on page 10 says that you can use the seat if you provide a letter from the child restraint manufacturer stating that the seat is approved for airline use. If you have the manual (which you should!), that will suffice, too.
Foreign Seats: Is your seat from another country? That’s ok. As long as it bears a sticker showing that it has been approved for aircraft use by the UN or a foreign government, American-based airlines are required to let you use it. (Section 9-b on page 6 and Sections 12 and 13 on page 10.)
Once you have boarded the plane, highlighted copy of the Advisory Circular in hand, what do you do if you are challenged? Be firm but polite. Air travel tends to put people on edge, but you’ll win more battles with kindness than hostility.
Take out your Advisory Circular and point to the pertinent rule. Ask the flight attendant if he has information that contradicts the FAA’s guidelines, and if he does, ask to see it.
If the crew continues to give you trouble, only you can decide how far to push the issue. Regardless of the outcome, make sure you file a complaint with the Department of Transportation (by mail, phone, or online) and your airline.
Hopefully, though, your preparation will pay off and you can fly happy, knowing your child is as safe as possible.
Looking for more helpful information on flying the friendly skies with kids? Check out our related blogs on the subject:
Recommended Carseats for Airplane Travel
Lap Babies on Airplane – A Warning All Parents Must See
Very useful information – particularly the bit on the FAA Circular. I plan to fly from Asia to US this year with my toddler and our car seat which has ECE R44/04 certification. I was looking long and hard for information that correlates ECE with FAA regulations and your webpage (as well as the FAA Circular) has exactly the information I was looking for.
I will for sure print the circular and take it with me when I fly!
I’m so glad there are FAA rules about this now. When flying with my infant in 2006, we bought him a seat and provided a five point harnessed car seat that fit nicely in the passenger seat. The stewardess insisted, however, that I hold my child for take off and landings, claiming it was safer. I was horrified!
Very interesting article! I also fly a lot and live in Europe and I have NEVER seen a baby plane seat “in action”! But when you think about it, it’s actually not a bad idea at all. The only reason why I don’t see many of those, I guess, is the fact that you have to buy an extra ticket for your baby…
Thank you for this page and the link to the advisory circular. I live in Europe and finding FAA-approved seats here has been impossible – why should they bother to get approval from America to fly these seats in Europe? I have been searching for days for information, about this, and now not only have good information, but documentary evidence to bring when I fly in the US (which has the most unreasonable regulatory culture in the world). Now I can just relax and go get a car/plane seat.
I am a flight attendant, so I thought I would add a little input. The FAA regulations you state are correct to my knowledge. There are a couple of key factors that I think would be helpful for parents to be aware of…
The first is that we are not trying to be difficult when we ask to see the aircraft certification on the side of your car seat! We are actually required to check every car seat that comes on the plane. Some of us have kids, and can recognize most car seats approved or not right away, without even looking at certification. But a large number of Flight Attendants do not have children, and all the different makes and styles of car seats that you see a barrage of every day, might as well be alien spaceships!!! Remember before you had kids, and did not know all this stuff about car seats? Try not to get upset too quickly with the Flight Attendant questioning you (unless he/she is rude and asks for it!), they are just doing what is required of them by the FAA and company.
Also, (this is a big one!)… it does not matter if your seat has all the proper certification in the world, if you change that seat in ANY way (ie: take out the 5 point harness belt, to use seat as a booster), it is no longer approved! EVEN with all the right stickers still attached to the seat. Parents constantly argue with me about that one!
A side note, I noticed in this article the mention of using the Britax car seat. While there is no doubt it is approved for use on the aircraft, I feel compelled to beg you… if you have a different make of car seat you can use on the aircraft, … please do! Britax car seats are HUGE, and they barely fit in the aircraft seats. Also, if it is used as a rear facing seat it is even worse! I know everyone is concerned about their “rights” with these seats, but imagine getting on a four hour flight as a passenger having paid full fare for your ticket, and not being able to recline your seat a little. I bet you’d be a bit annoyed!
Air travel sucks for the most part these day’s (I am not going to try and sugarcoat it!), but if every one tried in small ways to be more compassionate to those around them, it would help make things a little easier on all!
Another pointer, I have noticed many parents having problems with those car seats that ‘double’ as strollers. They have a difficult time getting them into the aircraft seat, and they do not fit down aircraft aisles -as advertised! I would avoid purchasing those at all costs!
If you travel a lot with your kids I would highly recommend looking at getting these FAA approved ‘five point’ seat belts I have started seeing around. They fit in your purse or diaper bag, and attach to the aircraft seat and lap belt already provided. Very convenient, however if your only traveling on airplanes once or twice with the kiddo’s it may not be worth it, as they are a little pricey…. I think they run around $70.
All that said, Your children are (take it from me!), much safer in their own seat with proper restraints. Do not get sucked into making your child a lap child because it’s cheaper! It is not safe, I wish it were not allowed but it is… and many well meaning parents put their children in harms way, too often. It’s worth the extra cost, to keep them safe. If you cannot afford another ticket, consider not flying… Turbulence can be nasty, if you are not wearing a belt!
Please understand that the flight crew are not out to “get you” or make your life difficult (….especially as that usually translates to making our lives difficult!), we are simply the ‘middle man’! We have FAA, TSA, and Company Policy on one side, and you.. the passenger on the other… and then they want us to comply and make everyone happy at the same time… pretty much impossible! So as they say… “don’t shoot the messenger!” Also, taking up your issues or anger with the flight crew, almost never ends well…. especially these days. If you want to address something it is almost always better to take it up with the airline , or appropriate govt. agency directly.
S. Masken- Thank you for your comment. I’m by no means an engineer, and perhaps I’m reading it wrong, but it appears that in order to be certified for FAA use, child restraints do indeed need meet the SAE and TSO criteria you cited. (Information on that can be found in Section 7, pages 2 and 3, of the Advisory linked above).
Are you saying that you believe approved restraints do not meet those criteria, even though they’re supposed to?
I did not see any reference in the document to the emergency landing criteria you mentioned, but I can’t imagine why a child would be in more danger restrained by a 5-point harness (preferably rear-facing) than by a lap belt or a parent’s arms.
Great information! I didn’t realize that the advisory circular had been updated, thanks!
This is very useful and informative! I’m flying tomorrow w/ my 7-month old. Though I’ve flown with her before w/out problems I’m always concerned that one could come up, so I check around online for any new info/horror stories/tips each time. This was one of the first things I came across this time. Thanks!
As the wife of an airline employee, I fly a LOT. When my son was tiny and still in the infant seat I certainly received the most comments. Be sure to know EXACTLY where on your seat the sticker is located that says it is FAA Approved. This speeds things up and shuts them up quickly when they ask about you using it. I think it comes more from a lack of experience seeing people use infant seats (I think I have only ever seen one other person use one). Also be aware of who is operating your flight. That’s not necessarily the airline you booked your flight with. It could be a partner or a regional carrier. That information can be found by looking up your flight record on the airline’s website. Look for a phrase that says “operated by”. Google that airline and check to see if they have carseat info on their site. I know the FAA rules everything but the actual airline’s policies are good to know too. I find flight attendants on regional carrier flights tend to question more things in general (one told me to put my knitting needles away for example). It is also good to look up the seat configuration for the plane you are flying before you book your seats. Car seats can not be installed in the row in front of or behind an exit row so it’s easier if you don’t book those to begin with. Rear facing installation is easiest in the bulkhead seats (first row of first class or coach sections or first row behind a galley), however, wider seats can not install in bulkhead coach class seats because the armrests are not adjustable. Just a few things to consider. I have only had a two instances where passengers got upset because they had to move to accommodate my son’s carseat, and I’ve never had any issues with the flight attendants over it. It’s just easier when we don’t have to change up our seats when we board. You can also ask the gate agent to move you around before the flight and they should do it if they can. I have gotten more attitude from gate agents than flight attendants though. Different airlines, different crews, and of course their moods on any given day can vary, but over all if you can point to the FAA approved statement on your seat then you shouldn’t have any problem.
I am a huge advocate for using car seats on the plane. My biggest reason – there is NO WAY I’m trusting baggage handlers with my car seat! Seriously, with the damage they have done to my strollers there’s no way I’d use a car seat that has been checked or gate checked! Just my 2 cents…
Sterling, the information provided in that link (about the FAA’s recommendations for rear-facing vs. forward-facing) is not consistent with the Advisory Circular. While the FAA might RECOMMEND kids over 20 lbs ride in forward-facing seats, parents are allowed to secure children of any age and weight in rear-facing seats as long as they are within the child restraint’s limits. Hopefully they will update their brochure to reflect their policies.
Very helpful. Also here’s the link to an FAA page which details when a child should be in an aft vs front facing CRS. Info is at the bottom of the page or in the “brochure” link.
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
Very helpful – i shared on my facebook page (www.facebook.com/thecarseatlady)
Great information just in time for the holiday travel season, thank you!
Very helpful information.