FAA approved car seats??

[Berrylady]

Hi everyone, I have a 2.5 year old daughter and we’re going to Dubai on an emirates flight, and I want to take a car seat with us for comfort for her, however unable to find any car seats that are FAA approved in the UK which have the aircraft approved sticker on the side of the car seat, anyone travelled with a car seat and have any recommendations?

I think there are very few that are approved by the FAA, but also accepted on the individual airlines.
If you do find one, however, please remember they can't be used on all seats. Some airlines specify window seats only for example, so the seat isn't in the way for any emergency landing. This would be a problem if you didn't have a window seat in your booking.

Yes it's probably challenging to find FAA approved car seats in Europe. But you can also bring a car seat approved by European aviation authorities, which should be significantly easier to find.
Emirates website: If you're bringing your own child car seat or safety harness, known as a child restraint seat (CRS) or child restraint device (CRD), it must have a label to show that it's approved for use in an aircraft by: Any Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)
JAA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Aviation_Authorities

JAA was disbanded in 2009.

Where are you flying from to Dubai? If it is the UK then FAA specifications do not at all apply as those are applicable only for US based airlines or carriers.

I would contact Emirates at least a week before you fly as they also state, "these devices can only be used on approved seat locations and in certain cabins."

Are you certain she needs a car seat?. Apart from anything else there is the task of actually carrying it onboard the aircraft to the seat row you are in. These things can be cumbersome to carry.

Well I was assuming that as Emirates is still listing JAA on their website, they meant the approval by countries that used to belong there is also acceptable.

Hey @Berrylady did you manage to find a car seat? We are flying with emirates next month and have the same issue!

The WayB Pico is an American seat, FAA approved and folding so you can slot it over the handle of your carry on suitcase to take through the airport and shove it up in the overhead locker should DC tire of sitting it in. Not cheap but it’s fantastic for travel. In the UK I believe you can buy it through Nordstrom, the big American department store, who offer international shipping.

Link for you:
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/wayb-pico-forward-facing-car-seat/5476412?color=EARTH

Not sure it would be worth £300 for just one flight for me though! I’d have to planning more to justify it.

I didn’t in the end, I took her normal car seat and checked in, and she ended up sleeping across 2 seats as it was a quiet flight xx

Doesn't exist on the European market unfortunately. You only really have a few not-great options.

Buy a second hand seat with TÜV approval (that's the EU org that does flight approvals for car seats). None are currently sold for this age group. Britax Eclipse is the easiest one to find second hand. Bear in mind the usual concerns with second hand car seats.

Use an R44 or R129 certified, belt fitted seat that has the physical possibility to be secured with a lap belt even though they lack plane specific approval. Most airlines don't need the specific TÜV approval but there is also no seat on the market any more which has lap belt fitting for cars, so you're crossing your fingers on a technicality here. Examples of seats I've seen used on a plane are Joie Steadi, Joie Tilt, Graco Extend. Cozy n Safe Fitzroy may also work here.

Find the largest TÜV approved infant carrier and squeeze your DD into it (this may not work as sometimes they only accept rear facing seats for under 2s).

Import or otherwise get hold of an American spec car seat. Lots are plane approved. Beware of counterfeit seats if buying online. Also you might need a locking clip to fit the seat because American seats are designed assuming there will be a car seat locking mode on the seatbelt. You can buy US spec seats in UAE but they're very expensive.

Take a CARES harness and a car seat in the hold.