# Size of carseat on airplane seat?? United airlines



## KalamazooMom (Apr 26, 2005)

This is posted on behalf of a friend who is flying with her 5 month old. They're flying on United and have bought a seat. She called United and was told that in order to fit in the seats on their planes the car seat can not be wider than 14 inches. There's no way a regular car seat can be that narrow. I have flown on Delta and Northwest with our car seat which I am guessing is at least 18 inches wide and didn't have a problem with it fitting. Anyone have experience with a car seat on United? Can their seats be any more narrow than any other airline???


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I've flown on an assortment of planes- don't remember if we've had the carseat on a united plane or not. The width they refer isn't at the bottom, it's where the arm rest is (and the arm rest can often be raised) and car seats are not measured there for any of the quoted measurements.

FWIW we flew with our Wizard rear-facing and never had a problem. Next week we'll be flying with our new boulevard on little planes, I'll report back if there are any issues.

-Angela


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## Trishy (Oct 15, 2002)

I've flown on United and a few other airlines with my Britax Roundabout and Marathon and have not had a problem installing any seat on any plane. I always have to raise the armrest though.


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## LovemyBoo (Oct 11, 2004)

I fly United all the time and our carseat (over 14") has never been a problem. In fact, according to their own website, the only rule is the seat must conform to US motor vehicle safety standards, which all seats sold should. So who knows what that rep was talking about?


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

we've flown on a handful of united flights with our britax marathon and have not had a problem. we've only installed our seat forward-facing, however, and i imagine we might have had a problem putting it in rear-facing because of its height.

and ditto to the person who referenced united's website about the only requirement being that the seat conforms to motor vehicle safety requirements and bear the sticker declaring so.

on a side note, a tall seat like our marathon would fit in the bulk head seats rear facing but the arm rests in that aisle generally don't flip up because they contain the tray. and for anyone bigger than a size 10/12 women's or 36 waist men's, those seats are kinda snug because of the wider arm rests.

~claudia


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## Starr (Mar 16, 2005)

I think, not positive, you also need a carseat that is approved for airplanes. The one I know off hand is the Britax line. She may want to check that out.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Starr*
I think, not positive, you also need a carseat that is approved for airplanes. The one I know off hand is the Britax line. She may want to check that out.

It should say on the label. I've had them check it on flights before.


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## dallaschildren (Jun 14, 2003)

Infants up to 20 pounds should be restrained in a rear facing child seat.
20 to 40 pound children should be restrained in a forward facing child seat.
All children over 40 pounds are to use the aircraft lap belt.

All booster seats and vest systems are BANNED FROM USE as of 09/1996 regardless of prior or current labeling.

For additional information that may be airline specific, I suggest contacting the airline you will be flying with for additional information.

Be safe.

Dallaschildren
CPS Instructor and momma to 2 sons in seats


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

I've taken several different seats on several airlones, the latest being American (I think we've flown United before though). I've never had a problem w/ any of our seats. HEre's a good site on airplane safety. http://www.cpsafety.org/articles/airplanetravel.aspx


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## Evan&Anna's_Mom (Jun 12, 2003)

I wonder if the flight might be on one of the commuter airlines associated with United? The seats on the little "puddle jumper" planes can be really small. But if that isn't the case, I think all of the major carseat brands are airline approved these days. I've flown just about all of the US domestic carriers with seats and never had a problem. But I do generally raise my armrest to make the seat fit better.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dallaschildren*
Infants up to 20 pounds should be restrained in a rear facing child seat.
20 to 40 pound children should be restrained in a forward facing child seat.
All children over 40 pounds are to use the aircraft lap belt.

OT:
So if I have a child over 20lbs who usually rides in a car rear-facing, should I install the seat forward facing on a plane? We've always put it rear-facing before (she was over 20lbs then too....)

-Angela


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## Starr (Mar 16, 2005)

When we brought our dd home. She was 3 months and we flew the whole time just holding her (lap ticket). She weighed about 14 lbs. Under 2 yrs. you can lap the child, just a suggestion. For a number of reasons we chose not to haul down a carseat, risk it getting broke, and strap her in it for 6 hours when she had never so much as been in a car seat ever. For us it worked well.


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## Jwebbal (May 31, 2004)

Taking my child on a plane without a car seat was never an option I would consider. Infants are always safer in properly installed car seats, whether its in a car, or on a plane. The risk is small on airplanes, but the inconvienence is well worth the the cost of my child's life if there were turbulence or an emergency landing (not even talking crashes here) which are more common than you would think. I have flown in severe turbulence, it can happen at any time, and the idea of trying to hold a baby (which can be near impossible) to keep them from injury terrifies me. I am not an easily terrified person btw. Lap babies have suffered serious injuries because they were not strapped in a car seat on an airplane, some have even died. Like I have said many times before, they make you put your carry ons under the seat or in the overhead bin during take off and landing and they even secure the coffee pot, why would we let a baby just sit on someone's lap? The risk of injury to that baby, or even to another passenger is too serious imo not to purchase them a seat and strap them into a car seat properly.

For the OP, I have rear faced my 9 month old on a United flight, the flight attendant at first tried telling me he needed to be forward facing (the passenger in front of him was not pleased) but after quickly checking her rule book told me I was right. He did very well and I felt better knowing he had his own safer place on that plane.

Oh, and it was a Marathon car seat.


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## Starr (Mar 16, 2005)

I realize that it is much safer for babies to be in carseats. Just wanted to let people know that it is not a requirement. We did what we thought best in our situation.


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## dallaschildren (Jun 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna*
OT:
So if I have a child over 20lbs who usually rides in a car rear-facing, should I install the seat forward facing on a plane? We've always put it rear-facing before (she was over 20lbs then too....)

-Angela

Angela...the FAA's rules are relatively vague and have not been updated to take into account convertible seats who have higher than a 20 pound rear facing limit. So to answer your question...if your babe is over 20 pounds....they *may* ask you to turn her forward facing and back that request up with the rule I stated above. However, technically since your seat allows for rearfacing past 20 pounds, you should be able to keep her rearfacing. It may come down to the individual airline and if your flight attendant knows enough about airline car seat safety.

Dallaschildren
CPS Instructor and momma to 2 sons in seats


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## pageta (Nov 17, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dallaschildren*
It may come down to the individual airline and if your flight attendant knows enough about airline car seat safety.

In my experience, it completely depends on who you talk to. We flew to see my parents - two flights there, two flights on the way back. On every single flight, the flight attendants had a different rule. I mean, I don't care what their rule is - I just would like it to be the same on all of the flights...which should not be that difficult. On each flight, we would get on the plane, install the car seat, get our toddler settled, get ourselves settled, and then some stupid flight attendant would come along and tell us we had to do x, y or z differently and so we would have to get up, get our toddler out of his seat, uninstall the car seat, reinstall it differently, get the toddler settled again, and then get ourselves settled again. On the last flight, I was so tired of doing fruitbasket upset like that, I lost my temper and almost got kicked off the plane. It was ridiculous! Like I said, I don't care what the rule is, I just want it to be the same on every flight so once I learn what I'm supposed to do, I can do it and be left in peace. To this day, I have no use for flight attendants - I think they're idiots and they don't know what they're talking about. We've flown since, but we checked the car seat and just used the regular seat belt for our toddler - God forgive me!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Thanks Dallaschildren! I figure we'll just install it however looks easiest (it's going to be a little plane... arg) and see if they bug us. I've never had anyone comment on how it's installed....

-Angela


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

The flight attendant tried to get us to turn Evan around too when we flew last (he was 10 mos and 16#). I told her he was fine and then I had to show her he was actually buckled into the seat b/c she didn't even know how it was done!







:


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## mamawanabe (Nov 12, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jwebbal*
Like I have said many times before, they make you put your carry ons under the seat or in the overhead bin during take off and landing and they even secure the coffee pot, why would we let a baby just sit on someone's lap?

Actually, flight attendents will allow you to hold any bagage on your lap (as long as it is approved size for carry-ons). If you can't hold it on your lap, it has to be beneth the seats or in the bins above, but if you cantto hold it on your lap (and it doesn't block the aisle and it isn't larger than approved carry-on limits), that is fine.


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## mamawanabe (Nov 12, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Starr*
I realize that it is much safer for babies to be in carseats. Just wanted to let people know that it is not a requirement. We did what we thought best in our situation.

And they won't make it a requiremnt because your baby is more likley (and these stats are corrected for percentage) to be hurt in a carseat in a car than on a lap on an airplane. The FAA fears that making people buy tickets for babes would cause more people to drive, which would increase the percentage/net child fatality rate. Of coruse, a carseat on a plane then becomes absolutly the safest way to travel.







But a lap seat on a plane is still safer than a car seat in a car.


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## Shelsi (Apr 4, 2005)

We always put our marathon rfing on the plane....we've never taken united but we've flown southwest and american a lot. Jake just turned 2 yrs old today (!!) and we just got back from a trip 2 weeks ago where we had him rfing on the plane. They didn't say a word about it. That's the way he rides in the car so I was trying to keep it the same. I figured if the person in front complained about not being able to recline their seat I would just tell them I could turn Jake around so they could recline but then they'd get kicked for the duration of the flight


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## Zach'smom (Nov 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamawanabe*
The FAA fears that making people buy tickets for babes would cause more people to drive, which would increase the percentage/net child fatality rate.

Thats BS!!!







What they fear is that more people would drive and they would lose money. If the FAA and airlines were so worried about the safety of little ones more airlines would offer discounted tickets!!!!!


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Most airlines do offer discounted tickets for children under 2. After 2 it's full price.


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## Zach'smom (Nov 5, 2004)

Some airlines do. Many do not, especially if you are flying over-seas.


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## ericaz (Jun 10, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna*
OT:
So if I have a child over 20lbs who usually rides in a car rear-facing, should I install the seat forward facing on a plane? We've always put it rear-facing before (she was over 20lbs then too....)

-Angela

This is my question, too, but I guess other posters answered it. I'm completely miffed that there's not one rule for all airlines. We're flying to France on Wednesday and my 2.5 yr old daughter is a very petite 24#. She has never sat any way except RF her entire life and I'm proud of that. I plan on keeping her RF in her Marathon on our US Air flight next week and will have CPS and Manufacturer's Guidelines on hand.
That said, my big fear is that all will be ok until the person in front of her complains he/she can't put their seat back.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pageta*
In my experience, it completely depends on who you talk to. We flew to see my parents - two flights there, two flights on the way back. On every single flight, the flight attendants had a different rule. I mean, I don't care what their rule is - I just would like it to be the same on all of the flights...which should not be that difficult. On each flight, we would get on the plane, install the car seat, get our toddler settled, get ourselves settled, and then some stupid flight attendant would come along and tell us we had to do x, y or z differently and so we would have to get up, get our toddler out of his seat, uninstall the car seat, reinstall it differently, get the toddler settled again, and then get ourselves settled again. On the last flight, I was so tired of doing fruitbasket upset like that, I lost my temper and almost got kicked off the plane. It was ridiculous! Like I said, I don't care what the rule is, I just want it to be the same on every flight so once I learn what I'm supposed to do, I can do it and be left in peace. To this day, I have no use for flight attendants - I think they're idiots and they don't know what they're talking about. We've flown since, but we checked the car seat and just used the regular seat belt for our toddler - God forgive me!

This will be me...putting up a fight and almost getting kicked off the plane







: I'll try to contain myself though. I just really hate the fact that they can force me to compromise my child's safety when I'm the one who is more informed about car seat safety!


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## RiverSky (Jun 26, 2005)

We have flown numerous times on United flights (as well as numerous other airlines) with bucket and convertible car seats (Evenflo usually).

The one rule that I have found to be fairly consistent is that the car seat has to be in the window seat, so that no one is blocked in case of an emergency -this would be whether FF or RF, from my experience.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ericaz*
That said, my big fear is that all will be ok until the person in front of her complains he/she can't put their seat back.

Perhaps if you make it clear that your dc will be kicking that passenger's seat the entire time they will be happy to have an upright but non-vibrating seat. My dd kicked the seat the entire time last time we flew and she was just too young to reason with and I couldn't restrain her legs the entire flight.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *RiverSky*
The one rule that I have found to be fairly consistent is that the car seat has to be in the window seat, so that no one is blocked in case of an emergency -this would be whether FF or RF, from my experience.

The last time I flew I had three flight attendants trying to tell me that it was against the rules to put the car seat in the window after I had put dd there.







I just looked at them like they were crazy. I was truely so shocked that they didn't know the rule that I was speechless. One of them said, "I know it would be really cool if she could see out the window but its not safe."







Then one of them said, "Oh, wait. Maybe its the other way around. Maybe it is ok to put it in the window."

I think flight attendants see so few children in carseats that they really don't know the rules.


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## RiverSky (Jun 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *indie*
The last time I flew I had three flight attendants trying to tell me that it was against the rules to put the car seat in the window after I had put dd there.







I just looked at them like they were crazy. I was truely so shocked that they didn't know the rule that I was speechless.

Sigh...that's nuts.

I guess just like in every profession, you have excellent employees and some less-than-excellent employees...


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