Air Travel with Toddler - need safety advice re WizzAir and EasyJet!

[MrsFlax]

Does anyone have experience of travelling with EasyJet and using a toddler car seat? I cannot find an 'approved' one narrow enough to fit in their seats (44cm)

Also, does anyone have experience of travelling with WizzAir with a toddler? They don't seem to allow any kind of car seat for over 2's to sit in during the flight, and they don't allow any extra seat belt type devices (e.g. Amsafe CARES harness) on board. Their call centre said they provide some kind of 'child' seat belt, but couldn't tell me anything about what this was like!

Any info anybody has would be much appreciated!

xxx

I've never travelled with a carseat onboard ever. If you need it at your destination put it in the hold

We fly since DD is just over 1, driving to see family is just not easy. We never had any issues and all car seats went into the hold.

I fly about 15 times a year and am 54 and have never ever seen a carseat actually on the plane.
Under 2s go on your knee with an orange seatbelt fastening them to you Over 2s get their own seat.
Carseats are all left at the bottom of the steps or checked in.

I didn’t know car seat on planes were a thing? Is it to save cost of putting them in the hold?

I can’t see that they’d do much for safety, I mean if the planes going to crash, a car seat won’t be much help.

Honestly OP, if the plane crashes you're fucked, your Maxi Cosi isn't going to make an ounce of difference.

I’ve always been quite philosophical about transporting my children on aeroplanes.

If there’s any kind of accident, the chances are - any kind of strap will be utterly pointless - we will likely all be wiped out.

Accept what they provide and accept that it will likely do bugger all in the event of an emergency but no worse than a car seat

Is it so your toddler has a 5 point harness and therefore can’t wriggle out of the buckle?
I’ve very rarely seen car seats for infants on long haul flights, that’s more a comfort thing than a safety thing.
I’d probably take the cares harness, if flight attendant showed any interest then show her the approval label.

The car seat advice Facebook group has some advice on this. They tend to recommend the diono radian as it's slim and flight certified. Good to keep little ones safe if there's turbulence.

Yep over 2 have normal seat belt they keep you in with turbulence a car seat isn’t going to help

Our toddlers been on a few flights - up to 2 on a lap with the extension and over 2 in a chair - I think they checked the seat belt was going small enough last year when they gave her a life vest for under the chair and had an attachment we didn’t need but can’t think of anything worse than having a car seat wedged in a chair with her and us..

I've only once seen a dc on a plane with seat with a harness but that was due to sn.

anyone have experience of travelling with EasyJet and using a toddler car seat? I cannot find an 'approved' one narrow enough to fit in their seats (44cm)

Have flown loads with EasyJet. Car seat into hold, never taken it onboard, what do you want to?

Their call centre said they provide some kind of 'child' seat belt, but couldn't tell me anything about what this was like!

It will be an approved for flight one. That's all you need to know really.

Never known an airline to offer car seats to be used during the flight, always stored in the hold. Why would you need a car seat during the journey? A lap belt is all that's required

We took ours back in the day on ba but never seen one on a cheap airline, their turn around times are so quick I'm not sure they could cope with them. 2 year olds have to be on their own seat for take off with the standard belt, haribo and a new CBeebies magazine I found were perfect bribery combo

Is the Britax Eclipse narrow enough? We had one when DD1 (now 8yo) was a toddler and it was approved for airplane use but we never used it.

We flew regularly from when DD2 was 2.5 and she liked curling up into a parent, including lying down if she wanted to sleep (5hr flight)

I travel for work - maybe 20 flights per year - and have never seen a car seat on a plane. In fact it's only via Mumsnet that I have learnt that it's a thing.

It’s common in American to do it- the FAA actually recommends it and the airlines have to accommodate any FAA approved seat (which is most of them). Saves possible damage to the seat in the hold I’m guessing? I also saw BA staff trying to jam one in the locker last long haul flight I did with them; presumably the kid had had enough of it. My colleague did it for a 4 hour flight recently and regretted it. It’s a silly idea that way more trouble than it’s worth.

You can't take a care seat on for an over 2. I sometimes took the seat when my daughter was tiny but I still had to take her out of the seat and put her on my lap for take off and landing.

Over 2s just sit in the seat with the adult seat belt

We just travelled with the Britax eclipse. We used it on Singapore airlines though - their seats may be wider. To be honest, it was just annoying having the toddler car seat so for the return journey we put it in the hold.

I think the britax eclipse is the only toddler one on the market that is faa approved.

For what it’s worth we used it with a 2.5 year old. 6 months ago we managed to squeeze him into one of the baby carrier type car seats for a long plane ride.

Why would you want to take a car seat on? Cramped enough as it is!

I'm struggling to imagine the benefits of squashing a nearly 3 year old into a baby carrier in an already tight space

I have never seen a car seat on any flight I have taken either.