Comments on: Child seats urged for air travel http://flagrantdisregard.com/yahoo-news-child-seats-urged-for-air-travel/ Flagrantly hopeful, in spite of it all. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Raymenie http://flagrantdisregard.com/yahoo-news-child-seats-urged-for-air-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-85527 Raymenie Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:20:15 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php?p=131#comment-85527 I'm an au pair so I often fly with small children as part of my job. Depending on my employer I have flown both with a car seat and with a child just on my lap. I have to say that unless that fare is ridiculously expensive it's worth having the car seat just to give your child somewhere more comfortable to sit. Most infants and small toddlers are comfortable in their car seats plus in my experience they can't kick the seat in front and annoy that passenger if they're belted into their car seat. Having them on your lap for any long flight is uncomfortable for you and them. And for what it's worth I recently flew with Alaska Airlines with a two year old and a six-year-old and took the car seat for the youngest child. I had to drag it through the airport and onto the plane by myself (along with the kids and luggage) but was allowed to place it in any seat except an exit row. Plus the stewardess came by to check that it was properly installed in the airline seat. And Alaska Airlines still pre-board families with children under 12. A seatbelt isn't going to save a child if the plane crashes mid-flight but most crashes are during take-off and landing and then it could certainly save your child from serious injury. I’m an au pair so I often fly with small children as part of my job. Depending on my employer I have flown both with a car seat and with a child just on my lap. I have to say that unless that fare is ridiculously expensive it’s worth having the car seat just to give your child somewhere more comfortable to sit. Most infants and small toddlers are comfortable in their car seats plus in my experience they can’t kick the seat in front and annoy that passenger if they’re belted into their car seat. Having them on your lap for any long flight is uncomfortable for you and them.
And for what it’s worth I recently flew with Alaska Airlines with a two year old and a six-year-old and took the car seat for the youngest child. I had to drag it through the airport and onto the plane by myself (along with the kids and luggage) but was allowed to place it in any seat except an exit row. Plus the stewardess came by to check that it was properly installed in the airline seat. And Alaska Airlines still pre-board families with children under 12.
A seatbelt isn’t going to save a child if the plane crashes mid-flight but most crashes are during take-off and landing and then it could certainly save your child from serious injury.

]]> By: Liz - mother of 3 http://flagrantdisregard.com/yahoo-news-child-seats-urged-for-air-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-33960 Liz - mother of 3 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:56:11 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php?p=131#comment-33960 I have been flying for 10 years with my children, and I have always bought each child a seat. I have seen laptops fly off tray tables in rough turbulence. What makes a parent think he or she can hold on to a small baby! I am furious today because I just found out that United has discontinued its infant fares (used to be 50% off). American really is not doing better since infant fares are now only available under the highest classes of service, guaranteeing that they are not reasonably priced. Shouldn't we be incenting young families to buy seats for their children? The whole thing is just shocking. Remember Sioux City....children in infant seats lived; children on laps died. Thanks for letting me vent! I have been flying for 10 years with my children, and I have always bought each child a seat. I have seen laptops fly off tray tables in rough turbulence. What makes a parent think he or she can hold on to a small baby! I am furious today because I just found out that United has discontinued its infant fares (used to be 50% off). American really is not doing better since infant fares are now only available under the highest classes of service, guaranteeing that they are not reasonably priced. Shouldn’t we be incenting young families to buy seats for their children? The whole thing is just shocking. Remember Sioux City….children in infant seats lived; children on laps died. Thanks for letting me vent!

]]> By: flying with baby http://flagrantdisregard.com/yahoo-news-child-seats-urged-for-air-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-13027 flying with baby Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:58:36 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php?p=131#comment-13027 I fly with my baby. she is under 2 and don't bother to buy a seat for her. she is perfectly fine with me on my seat. she is well behaved and travels well. I still don't belive in having to use a safety seat since just like what other say. if the plane crashes. it's not going to save anyone. that lap belt won't even save an adult. have you seen an adult in a lap belt survive a plane crash? and especially a plane crash in water? that baby in a safety seat will sink down to the bottom of the ocean due to the weight. I fly with my baby. she is under 2 and don’t bother to buy a seat for her. she is perfectly fine with me on my seat. she is well behaved and travels well. I still don’t belive in having to use a safety seat since just like what other say. if the plane crashes. it’s not going to save anyone. that lap belt won’t even save an adult. have you seen an adult in a lap belt survive a plane crash? and especially a plane crash in water? that baby in a safety seat will sink down to the bottom of the ocean due to the weight.

]]> By: Syd J http://flagrantdisregard.com/yahoo-news-child-seats-urged-for-air-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-7588 Syd J Mon, 28 Mar 2005 17:58:49 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php?p=131#comment-7588 We flew Delta with our two year old, and it was a complete PITB. Delta refuses to pre-board parents travelling with small children, so we had to get in the cattle call line with all the people who blocked the aisles playing with their laptops. Meanwhile, we're carrying a baby and a car seat. When our flight arrived late, Delta's gate agents flat-out refused to call the gate for our connecting flight, to make sure we could get there in time, so we literally had to run through Atlanta's massive airport, take escalators and trams to get to our connecting flight, with carry-on luggage for three people, a toddler, and a car seat. I'll never fly Delta again. We flew Delta with our two year old, and it was a complete PITB. Delta refuses to pre-board parents travelling with small children, so we had to get in the cattle call line with all the people who blocked the aisles playing with their laptops. Meanwhile, we’re carrying a baby and a car seat. When our flight arrived late, Delta’s gate agents flat-out refused to call the gate for our connecting flight, to make sure we could get there in time, so we literally had to run through Atlanta’s massive airport, take escalators and trams to get to our connecting flight, with carry-on luggage for three people, a toddler, and a car seat. I’ll never fly Delta again.

]]> By: Wiley Hodges http://flagrantdisregard.com/yahoo-news-child-seats-urged-for-air-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Wiley Hodges Thu, 19 Aug 2004 23:19:23 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php?p=131#comment-18 For what it's worth, I just traveled on Soutwest Airlines this past weekend with my 9 week-old son and had a relatively pleasant experience. SWA offers 129 each way infant fares even at the last minute, though you have to book them over the phone rather than online. The gate agents understood the drill with boarding us and our car seat and child, and since they don't have pre-assigned seats it was easy to get a window. I have to confess that I was never a fan of Southwest before, but this trip somewhat changed my thinking. Hearing about how unfriendly the 'Friendly Skies' have become makes me think I may be flying Southwest more often in the future... For what it’s worth, I just traveled on Soutwest Airlines this past weekend with my 9 week-old son and had a relatively pleasant experience. SWA offers 129 each way infant fares even at the last minute, though you have to book them over the phone rather than online. The gate agents understood the drill with boarding us and our car seat and child, and since they don’t have pre-assigned seats it was easy to get a window.

I have to confess that I was never a fan of Southwest before, but this trip somewhat changed my thinking. Hearing about how unfriendly the ‘Friendly Skies’ have become makes me think I may be flying Southwest more often in the future…

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