Does under-2 need a car seat on EasyJet?

[SkyFlyers]

Doing a slightly longer flight with EasyJet soon and a bit confused by their rules on infants having their own seats - and have had different answers from customer services.

The website seems to suggest an under-2 needs a car seat on board if they have their own seat.

Can you not have them on your lap with belt for take off / turbulence / landing - and they otherwise just sit in the seat?

I would prefer to not take a car seat with me if I don’t have to.

For context my child is 22 months so is able to sit up happily - I’ve booked the seat because they’re too big to be on my lap!

Anyone had experience of this?

They have to sit on your lap for takeoff/landing /turbulence or in a suitable car seat. On the flight they can sit separately

As suggested by PP just sit them on your lap for take off and landing.

You can't take any car seat on an airplane, it has to be one that can be fitted using a lap belt only because that's all an airline seat has. That type of car seat is very rare and expensive in the UK.

Thank you @LIZS

Have you had this experience on EasyJet recently?

I’m concerned about turning up with no car seat and them making an issue over it - but, I also really don’t want to take one if I don’t need to. It seems unnecessary - and other airlines have never asked!

The people at EasyJet don’t seem entirely sure either, and my online research is equally conflicting!

Your child is much safer in a plane approved car seat than on your lap for turbulence. Why would you want to take that risk?

@Pineapplewaves you can take a car seat on a plane - indeed, in the US it’s very common. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do it outside the US.

Easyjet’s website suggests a child under 2 in flight its own seat does need a car seat on board - however, it’s not clear if them being on your lap when the seatbelt sign is on, means this is no longer necessary.

Easyjet are a stickler for the (their) rules so getting it wrong could be problematic.

Never seen a baby or toddler in a car seat on a plane and I fly about once a month!! I can't believe they would require this.

@Ponderingwindow it’s fine for a 2 year old to use the lap belt, so why not my 90th centile 22 month old?

And - it’s pretty unusual for people to bother paying for an extra seat for their lap infant. So 99% of parents travelling with infants on planes take that risk, and I can’t recall any incidents of infant injury during turbulence due to not being in a car seat.

Do you have anything to back that up? What do you mean by ‘much’ safer?

Because if it was actually true, it wouldn’t be the policy of every single airline for under 2s to be on a lap during turbulence

Yes you can take a car seat onto an airplane but it has to be one that can be fitted using a lap belt only. Can your car seat be fitted with just a lap belt? It will tell you in the manual. If it can't you'll need to buy a new car seat.

Car seats that can be fitted with a lap belt are very common, easily available and cheap in the US which is why you see them on airplanes a lot.

When we looked into buying one a few years ago, we were looking at paying £300.00 for the required car seat so we decided to save the money and just have DS on our lap.

EasyJet should be able to give you a list of the car seats they will allow on board. For safety reasons the cabin crew need to fit it to the seat not you.

@Pineapplewaves

is that you can have a car seat though

or you must have a car seat

I am v happy to have my infant on my lap at those moments - I just want the extra space for playing etc when it’s feasible to do so!

Mine traveled in car seats but mine had faa approved seats (lived in USA)

This chat might be helpful.
Not mine.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/car_seats_chat/4932347-car-seat-for-easyjettap

But I have seen people saying about the joie tilt before. It can be used forward facing on the plane and rear facing in the car. The joie tilt did have a problem of not lasting rear facing very long due to low height limit.

Some of the car seat groups on Facebook will help as well.

You do not need a car seat to travel with an under 2. You will need to put them on your lap whenever the seatbelt sign is on, using the special belt.

I’ve looked at the website and can’t see where it is confusing, perhaps you could share the section that’s worrying you?

Full information is on the easyJet website, not required

We booked our 20month old a seat for long haul. We rented a CARES harness that works like a 5point harness and stops them escaping. There was no discussion about car seat or lap from Virgin. I think you need to speak to easyJet and ask for it in writing.

Op Where are you seeing this? Please post a link because I don’t believe it’s necessary unless it’s if you buy a separate seat for an infant (which you def don’t need to do.

you can absolutely take a car seat for free, but it goes in the hold!

@SaltyGod @anothernamechangeagainsndagain

On the website:
Infants sitting in their own seat will need to use a car seat for take-off and landing, and any time when asked by the crew. We don’t have car seats on board so you will need to bring your own. It’s your responsibility to make sure the seat is suitable for your child. Only forward facing seats are allowed on board and the crew must be able to secure it safely to the aircraft seat. If you don’t intend to use your car seat on board please check it into the hold at the Bag Drop desks.Please remember, each adult can travel with a maximum of two infants. If you're travelling with two infants, you'll need to buy an additional seat for at least one of your infants, who'll need to sit in a suitable car seat.

A child under two sitting in their own seat will have to sit in a car seat for take off and landing.

A child under two does not need their own seat, they can sit on an adults lap for the whole flight.

So the easier and cheapest thing to do is have your child on your lap for take off and landing then sit them in the seat next to you for the rest of the flight. They may ask you to sit your child back on your lap if there's any turbulence and the seat belt sign comes on, if they think the lap belt isn't secure enough.

I've been on lots of flights where people have let their baby walk/crawl up and down the aisle and have a good nose around so you'll be fine.

You can call Easyjet Special Assistance for clarification. Unfortunately EasyJet don't have a list of airline approved car seats so you'll have to source your own and hope it's acceptable. You have to hand the seat to the gate staff and they will pass it to the cabin crew to fit before boarding. If the cabin crew aren't happy with it then you can't use it.

@Pineapplewaves
this is just wrong

this is what the Easyjet website says. The car seat thing is only required if you have two infants for a grown up.
Infants have to sit with adults. Your infant can sit on your lap for a fee (see Fees and charges). It is recommended that an infant on an adult’s lap be forward-facing or in the cradled position for take-off and landing. On all of our aircraft we can allow up to one infant on a lap for each row of three seats. You can also buy a seat for them if you feel they’d be more comfortable. You can’t book these seats online so please contact our Customer Service team.Please remember, each adult can travel with a maximum of two infants. If you're travelling with two infants, you'll need to buy an additional seat for at least one of your infants, who'll need to sit in a suitable car seat.

@StillWantingADog

https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/boarding-and-flying/flying-with-children

“Infants sitting in their own seat will need to use a car seat for take-off and landing, and any time when asked by the crew.”

This is confusing. It suggests they must have a car seat - whereas as a lap infant they would just use an infant lap belt.

need being the confusing word I suppose.

If you had an empty seat next to you, I can’t imagine they’d be insisting it wasn’t ok for your infant to sit in it.

Customer services have told me both I need one, and I don’t. I suppose I’m interested to know if anyone’s managed to get on an Easyjet flight without one,
unchallenged.

Will need means the same as must, surely?

@SkyFlyers
i understand now, it’s referring to if you are buying a separate seat for them. Which you are not I don’t think.

I’ve had an empty seat next to me on easyjet and sat my under 2 in it when the seatbelt was off. Didn’t book it though. Not sure the carseat thing is an option anyway since there aren’t any airline approved toddler seats currently on sale in the UK.

@StillWantingADog yes I am buying them their own seat. I can have them on my lap for take off etc though.

@Doggymummar I agree. It sounds like they must, or they won’t be allowed to have their own seat.

However, a lap infant doesn’t need a car seat. And they can sit on my lap
for take off / turbulence / landing anyway. Is it just bad wording? Hence wondering about others experiences.

And… if you had a spare seat next to you they wouldn’t insist upon a car seat. I’ve flown on other airlines without one and no one has ever questioned it.

I understand your point @SkyFlyers
surely they can just sit in your lap for take off and landing and then plop them in the spare seat in between. The car seat bit might be a technical rule that in practice is ignored.

I happened to have a spare seat next to me on an easyJet flight and just plopped them there without a car seat (except for take off and landing) and nobody said anything. Really not sure how that’s different! I have seen many many infants on planes and many of them on seats but never seen a car seat anywhere other than at check in and the baggage carousel (I know that USA is different)