Annette T
I'll soon be travelling from Kuwait to Amsterdam and from there connecting to LAX. All flights are KLM/ NWA. I am travelling with my hubby as well as a two year old and five month old. We've purchased a ticket for the two y.o. and reserved the basinnet for the baby. KLM ticketing agent said that she could block out a fourth seat for the baby. This of course depends on whether the flight will be full or not.
Question is, should we bring the car seats for both or not? I can't find any stickers on either of the carseats saying if they've been approved for aircraft use. The seat for the 2yo is a MaxiCosi and the baby's is a rear-facing Graco Snug Ride. I've read lots of posts where parents ended up having to check the carseats at the last minute and it ended up being more of hassle than it was worth. The KLM website says that kids with tickets are welcome to bring their carseats aboard as does theKLM ticketing agent, but I know that sometimes this doesn't always end up happening on board.
Your thoughts?
On the way back, I'm on my own, so I don't really know how much I'm going to want to deal with two kids, carryons, stroller and carseats.
We'll be doing some internal flying within the States, all on United, so any thoughts on this would be welcomed also.
We obviously have to bring the carseats with us, the question is whether we ought to check them or carry them on board.
Answer
I'm a former flight Attendant and I fly a lot with my three children. We always bring a car seat.
Here is what their website says;
"If a seat has been reserved for your child, you may bring your own (car) child seat aboard on the condition that it fits between the armrests of the aeroplane seat (42 cm/16.5 inches). Only childrenâs seats that display no defects and that carry a visible seal of quality awarded by the European Union or other official government agency may be taken aboard. A seat for a second baby or the use of a (car) child seat should be reserved in advance by contacting KLM Reservations or your local KLM ticket office.
The following seals of approval will be accepted aboard:
UN Standards ECE R44-03 and 44-04
US FMVSS no. 213
Canadia CMVSS 213/123.1
German TUV/958-01/2001
Types marked approved by transport Canada
Types marked approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Types marked approved by Joint civil Aviation Authority (JAA)"
http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/travel_information/travel_planning/children/index.htm#4
They are pretty generous as far as which approvals they accept.
It is not recommended that you check car seats as luggage. They can be lost and/or broken too easily. I've walked off an international flight to not find all my bags. The real risk here is being stuck at your destination without your seat, or have it in a condition that you can't leave the airport.
It can be brought to the gate and "gate checked" with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is slightly better than checking them in at the gate.
If you are unsure of the approval, write Graco and Maxi Cosi. I wrote about my Radian 65 and heard back right away that it did have universal (UN) approval, although it is only sold in N. America. You can then print up the reply and bring it with you.
Look in your owner's manual and this information might already be there. I bring mine with me when I travel, if only to show them that the seat is designed to be used on planes (even though they left out that fun fact about the UN approval).
To get your seats through the airport, there are all sorts of gadgets sold. Here are just some examples (not to promote any of them specifically). A browse through any travel-with-children website will usually have a selection. Not all fit all car seats (or budgets) so buyer beware!
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html
http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Attach-Rolling-Carry/dp/B000JHN3AS
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/363756.html
I simply strap mine to a small-but-sturdy metal luggage cart and use an extra bungee cord. Some parents get creative with the stroller, either wedging it inside or strapping it to the back.
There is a car seat alternative, the CARES harness;
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
They actually suggest using their product and checking the car seat, incurring the wrath of more than one car safety organization. But it is an alternative. At $75, it's a little expensive for something that can only be used inflight. It might have good resale value or you could take advantage of those on Craigslist and Ebay who are renting this gizmo.
I believe EU approval is pending. Perhaps check with KLM before purchasing to be sure you can use it.
The problem is that if you need your car seat at your destination, than you will end up checking it. You could organize yourself, such as arranging a car seat in the U.S. You could buy a cheap but reliable seat like the Scenera and using that on your trip. You could order it online and have whomever is picking you up at the airport bring it. At the end of your American adventure, you can simply leave it behind for your next visit.
I actually do this with my booster seats for my older two and had an extra seat at my parents' for years, used only on our visits.
Once on board the aircraft, simply be nice about it. If you run into problems, don't lose your cool and ask to talk to the chief purser (head honcho) about the seat.
I too have had seats taken away from me on European companies (Iberia, Air France, some U.K. companies). I bring mine and try anyway. You aren't guarenteed to use them as you are on U.S. companies so once in the U.S. on United, as long as your older boy has a seat, he can use his car seat.
One airline (low cost, Irish) even didn't allow car seats at all but usually it's fine. My experiences have mostly been with Lufthansa and it only happened once with them (and didn't have to if I had only brought the documentation about the UN approval-grrr!)
About eight years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children based on both my practical and professional experience. Later, I expanded it and put it on a blog so parents would have access to non-commercial information on the subject. Many have in turn contributed their tips.
My contact information is at the end if you have further questions.
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
Have a good time in the U.S.
I'm a former flight Attendant and I fly a lot with my three children. We always bring a car seat.
Here is what their website says;
"If a seat has been reserved for your child, you may bring your own (car) child seat aboard on the condition that it fits between the armrests of the aeroplane seat (42 cm/16.5 inches). Only childrenâs seats that display no defects and that carry a visible seal of quality awarded by the European Union or other official government agency may be taken aboard. A seat for a second baby or the use of a (car) child seat should be reserved in advance by contacting KLM Reservations or your local KLM ticket office.
The following seals of approval will be accepted aboard:
UN Standards ECE R44-03 and 44-04
US FMVSS no. 213
Canadia CMVSS 213/123.1
German TUV/958-01/2001
Types marked approved by transport Canada
Types marked approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Types marked approved by Joint civil Aviation Authority (JAA)"
http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/travel_information/travel_planning/children/index.htm#4
They are pretty generous as far as which approvals they accept.
It is not recommended that you check car seats as luggage. They can be lost and/or broken too easily. I've walked off an international flight to not find all my bags. The real risk here is being stuck at your destination without your seat, or have it in a condition that you can't leave the airport.
It can be brought to the gate and "gate checked" with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is slightly better than checking them in at the gate.
If you are unsure of the approval, write Graco and Maxi Cosi. I wrote about my Radian 65 and heard back right away that it did have universal (UN) approval, although it is only sold in N. America. You can then print up the reply and bring it with you.
Look in your owner's manual and this information might already be there. I bring mine with me when I travel, if only to show them that the seat is designed to be used on planes (even though they left out that fun fact about the UN approval).
To get your seats through the airport, there are all sorts of gadgets sold. Here are just some examples (not to promote any of them specifically). A browse through any travel-with-children website will usually have a selection. Not all fit all car seats (or budgets) so buyer beware!
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html
http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Attach-Rolling-Carry/dp/B000JHN3AS
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/363756.html
I simply strap mine to a small-but-sturdy metal luggage cart and use an extra bungee cord. Some parents get creative with the stroller, either wedging it inside or strapping it to the back.
There is a car seat alternative, the CARES harness;
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
They actually suggest using their product and checking the car seat, incurring the wrath of more than one car safety organization. But it is an alternative. At $75, it's a little expensive for something that can only be used inflight. It might have good resale value or you could take advantage of those on Craigslist and Ebay who are renting this gizmo.
I believe EU approval is pending. Perhaps check with KLM before purchasing to be sure you can use it.
The problem is that if you need your car seat at your destination, than you will end up checking it. You could organize yourself, such as arranging a car seat in the U.S. You could buy a cheap but reliable seat like the Scenera and using that on your trip. You could order it online and have whomever is picking you up at the airport bring it. At the end of your American adventure, you can simply leave it behind for your next visit.
I actually do this with my booster seats for my older two and had an extra seat at my parents' for years, used only on our visits.
Once on board the aircraft, simply be nice about it. If you run into problems, don't lose your cool and ask to talk to the chief purser (head honcho) about the seat.
I too have had seats taken away from me on European companies (Iberia, Air France, some U.K. companies). I bring mine and try anyway. You aren't guarenteed to use them as you are on U.S. companies so once in the U.S. on United, as long as your older boy has a seat, he can use his car seat.
One airline (low cost, Irish) even didn't allow car seats at all but usually it's fine. My experiences have mostly been with Lufthansa and it only happened once with them (and didn't have to if I had only brought the documentation about the UN approval-grrr!)
About eight years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children based on both my practical and professional experience. Later, I expanded it and put it on a blog so parents would have access to non-commercial information on the subject. Many have in turn contributed their tips.
My contact information is at the end if you have further questions.
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
Have a good time in the U.S.
Travel probes with kids ?
Hey my 10yr old girl and me and my dog and my dad are going to missasip in 2WEEKS we are from st Louis so ya we have a hando sivic so ya she is boured all the time we have a iPhone for her and that it so eny cheap ideas for my girl ffrom her getting bouerd
Answer
Tell her all about the other children in the world who have no car,no house,no food,no holidays,no electrical gadgets of any kind,get no education,get no healthcare and after that if you have not sent her to sleep with boredom listening to you,you could play I spy.
If you can download an Ap for her I phone on how to speak and spell English correctly,she could give you some much needed lessons.
Tell her all about the other children in the world who have no car,no house,no food,no holidays,no electrical gadgets of any kind,get no education,get no healthcare and after that if you have not sent her to sleep with boredom listening to you,you could play I spy.
If you can download an Ap for her I phone on how to speak and spell English correctly,she could give you some much needed lessons.
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