Car seats on BA flight

[jdc22]

I am travelling overnight to Cape Town on a British Airways flight in March with a 9 month old and a 2 year old. I have booked seats for both of them, and was thinking of taking car seats on board to fit into the seats - does anyone know which car seats fit on the BA seats and have any experience of taking car seats on board. Also, I understand there is some kind of gadget which enables you to attach wheels to the car seat to get them through the terminal, does anyone know the name of it or where you can buy it? Thank you!

Not sue about the gadget with wheels but your car seat should fit as long as they have a certain symbol on (probably an aeroplane picture). Without this I don't think the airline is meant to allow them on board to sit in. Have a good trip

Taking your own seats may be more hassle than its worth and its likely that your car seat won't fit the 45 by 45 cm dimensions required. I have seen the infants seats BA supply and they look okay (also they fit the seat)

From BA's website in their information section:-

Extension seat belts and extra seats
An infant aged 0 to less than 2 years may sit on the parent or guardian's lap using an extension seat belt.
Alternatively, if an extra seat is purchased, an acceptable forward facing car seat may be used for an infant aged 6 months to less than 3 years. The infant child restraint device AmSafe System can be used for a child aged 12 months to 4 years.
For children over 2 years an individual seat is required.

Infant seats and carrycots
We can supply specially designed carrycots so that your infant can sleep on board, particularly useful for longhaul flights. We can also supply an on-board infant seat that attaches to the carrycot positions.

The carrycots and infant seats cannot be used when the seat belt signs are on.

We have a limited number of carrycots and infant seats, which are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Please request them from the cabin crew on board the aircraft.

The infants seats supplied by British Airways are:

ideal for ages from 6 months to 2 years, but can also be used from birth
adjustable to a variety of positions from horizontal to vertical
available for infants who weigh no more than 13kgs (29lbs)
available on all longhaul flights, except in First Class on Boeing 777 aircraft, where only carrycots are available
Car type safety seats
You may prefer to use your own car type seat for use by infants with a minimum age of six months to a maximum age of three years.

The seat must meet the following standards:

The seat must be designed to be secured by means of a normal aircraft single lap strap and face the same direction as the passenger seat on which it is positioned.
A purpose-designed children's car seat must have a 5-point restraining harness.
The car seat must not exceed the dimensions of the aircraft seat.
The maximum dimensions of the seat must fit into an area of 45cm x 45cm (17.5ins x 17.5ins).

Please note: Two part car seats, where there is the seat and a base are not suitable for use on aircraft seats.

Thank you! Looks like I might be best off sticking to the BA infant seats.

Travelled many times with BA with little ones. Your 2 year old will be fine in seat with lap belt. Does your 9 mo have own seat or on lap? If on your lap, get bulkhead seat and use their seat for older babies in bassinet position. They're great and both of mine slept well in them. We bought seat for DS aged 10mo but the staff didn't have clue about the car seat thing. Nobody seems to do it. Even if you have car seat your 9mo will still have to be in your lap for take off and landing anyway. Pm me if you have any more qns about BA and babies as happy to help.

I have travelled with my LO several times on BA. I have had him in his own seat- from 6 months onwards- in his car seat.

We have been allowed to have him in it during take off and landing.

This is the carseat that we've used. I believe that this complies with the regs:
reviews.argos.co.uk/1493-en_gb/3763681/reviews.htm

It reclines, and I have set it in the reclined position when we've strapped it in onboard, which has made for a comfier flight for him.

We trug it through the airport using this
www.walmart.com/ip/JL-Childress-Car-Seat-Travel-Bag-with-Wheels/7812701

• but had a friend bring it back from the States.

I've enjoyed having it- as it has been easy to feed him in it/allow him to rest without having to pick him up/put him back all the time.

My hubby works for the airline so we fly a lot and saw this as an essential. Having said that, we travel on standby most the time- so haven't been able to pre-book many of the things they offer (i.e. bassinet etc.) so can't comment on the range of things BA offer to commercial passengers.

Thank you for the replies. Not sure I can face trugging through the airport with 2 car seats, so think I might stick with the BA seats as they don't sound too bad, and then hire car seats when we get there.

The BA issued seats are not for use in an actual seat, they are for infants without their own seat and are attached to the bulkhead bassinet position if you are seated there.
You can use a normal forward facing car seat( in the upright position only for take off and landing). They also have the added advantage of not requiring dc to be lifted out during turbulence. Plus you can use them wherever you end up in the cabin.
I have seen people use those trolley wheel things and a bungee octopus thingy to wheel car seats through the airport.

BA have a thing shaped liked a car seat that attaches to the bulkhead which would have suited your 9 month old but I see you have bought a seat. Given you have done that I doubt you will get the bulkhead unless there are unreserved seats.

I phoned BA today (July 2013), as the situation is still not clear from the BA website.

1） The width MUST be 45cm or less (because this is the max width of an economy seat)

2. The depth of 45cm is based on the size of an economy seat, but its OK if the car seat is SLIGHTLY deeper, e.g. 48cm

3. They suggested check Britax website, as many of their seats are "aircraft approved". e.g Britax Eclipse is 43cm wide x 48cm deep, Britax Versafix 44cm wide x 46cm deep.

4. The Amsafe/Cares product is also OK, but not compatible with Premium Economy seats.

5. Other requirements, such as needing a 5-point harness are ESSENTIAL, despite claims by Kiddy Energy Pro that their design is better and safer and also "aircraft approved".

6. Check BA website for the current rules on child-seats for upto 3 years old. (They might change)

7. Impression is they will be reasonable at departure if seat "looks like it fits the rules" and is not too wide, so it fits in the economy seat OK. They won't measure everything with a tape-measure before boarding.

8. Suggestion - grab a second-hand Britax Eclipse on eBay for 15 pounds.