I need a car seat for my 21 month old son for our overseas flight?

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Lovewilltearusapart

Most child car seats require a car seat belt to fasten them securely and correctly. Planes only have lap belts so I think the best you will find is a booster seat. The square pad type they just sit on. To be honest you will be lucky to get a 21 month old to sit down for a long period of time. When we took my twin daughters on a plane for the first time they were 2 years old and for the whole flight they were passed around between mum, dad grandma and grandad. They just did not want to sit still for 5 minutes! Eating the in flight meal was impossible! As your doctor to prescribe phenergan liquid. Its for travel sickness but it makes them really sleepy. Is ok for short term use. I would use it just for the flight. Good Luck!

BizTravelMan

Between 6 and 36 months you may pay for a child seat ticket, which you have done but this will not be a bassinet (baby) seat. At 21 months, your son would (probably) be too big for a bassinet anyway as they are basically an oversized cardboard box. You will need to buy a car seat but bear in mind that:
1. The seat must not be a "rear facing" type.
2. It must be a purpose designed seat, in good condition with a 5 point harness and must not exceed the dimensions of the (flight)seat purchased. Further details available from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Kingsway, London.

Now, you must take the seats instruction manual with you (!) and you must advise the airline before you arrive at the airport (ie now would be good) by requesting a "BSCT" which must be duly recorded in the booking (actually BSCT is a bassinet seat designator but explain that you will have your own child seat) It is very important that you do advise the airline and that they include this information in all the relevant "sectors" (both the there and back, in other words.)

Go to one of the bigger retailers, Halfords for instance, they will advise you.

dcgirl

First off... thank you SO MUCH for being one of the few responsible parents who actually worry about placing their children safely in a car-seat on the plane instead of carrying him in your lap! Your child will have a safer and more comfortable flight!

That said, if you already have a carseat and it is less than a few years old, it will be fine. If you don't and don't want to buy one, check with your local fire department to see if they will give you a free one. In the US and in some parts of the UK the fire stations accept donations of used car-seats when kids outgrow them, and give them to anyone in the community who asks for them.

To make sure it fits, check with the airline to see what model plane you will be flying on. You should be able to find this out online. Then take that info to http://seatguru.com and search by the airline and plane model to get the seat dimensions. That will ensure a proper fit.

Most car-seats should have a label or sticker on the back saying they are approved for air travel. In the US it's an FAA approval, not sure who the governing agency in the UK is...

peanutz

Check with the airline staff you are flying with. They should be able to provide you with a bassinet for your child for the flight.

tiz

Contact the airline they will probably be able to advise you. Have a good trip.

Carol B

wont the airline provide one?safe flight. where are you going?

Sir Ed

You should buy one. Car rental and othe companies rent them, but they are expensive and you don't know how clean they are, or how well they will fit your child. The seat should say it has been approved by the goverment for airlines.

phoenixcookiemonster

Why would you need a car seat if you're going on a plane ?.
Children under 2 years old don't get classed as taking a seat on the plane, because you're supposed to put the infant in your lap.
You would have to ring the airline to find out if they have any booster seats or attachments you can use, or if you bring your own can it be used with their seat. There's a safety issue in it. The airline may say it isn't safe to use a seat of that type on their aircraft.
You should have thought about this or enquired about it before you booked, as now what will happen is the kid will have to sit on your knee for the entire flight, screaming and crying all the way to your destination, making you stressed and p**sing off the rest of the passengers in the process.

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