Look for the words “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft” on the seat, which the FAA says a car seat needs on a US plane. Buying your child a ticket is the only way, the FAA says, to be sure you can use it.
The label to look for
The FAA says a car seat must have that sentence printed on it, or be approved by a foreign government and carry that country’s label. Read the seat’s manual as well: if the seat can’t be secured properly in an airplane seat, you may be asked to check it as baggage.
| Where it was made | Label it needs |
|---|---|
| Made to US standards | “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft” (in red), and the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards label |
| Made in Canada | The National Safety Mark, CMVSS 213 or 213.1 |
| Made to UN (ECE) standards, as in the UK and EU | ECE R44-03 or later, and a label for use in aircraft |
| Made to Australia and New Zealand standards | AS/NZS 1754, and a label saying it can be used on aircraft |
WestJet asks European and UK seats for two labels, the UN standard (ECE R44 revision 03 or later series and ECE R129-02 or later series) and a “For Use in Aircraft” qualification under Germany’s TÜV procedure.
Booster seats and baby carriers
The FAA doesn’t allow baby carriers, booster seats or backless child seats during taxi, takeoff or landing. Delta and Frontier let a booster seat be used during the flight but not at those times. Air Canada says a booster seat is made for a car’s lap and shoulder belt and isn’t approved for use in an aircraft, and WestJet doesn’t permit booster cushions on board.
Will it fit the airplane seat?
| Airline | What it says |
|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | Can’t promise a seat wider than 16.3 inches |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Can’t promise a seat wider than 16.3 inches |
| Frontier | Narrowest seats 17.4 inches (A319, A320) and 16.5 inches (A321) |
| Allegiant | A car seat wider than 17.88 inches is unlikely to fit |
| Ryanair | Car seat no wider than 17 inches (43 cm) |
The FAA says car seats generally must be installed in a window seat, can’t go in an exit row, and mustn’t block an escape path in an emergency. American also keeps them out of the rows just in front of and behind an overwing exit, and Southwest out of aisle seats. If your approved, ticketed car seat doesn’t fit one seat, the FAA says the airline must find it another in the same class.
The CARES harness
AmSafe’s CARES is a harness used with the airplane seat belt. The FAA certifies it for children up to 40 inches tall who weigh 22 to 44 pounds, can sit upright alone facing forward and have their own seat, and for every part of the flight, taxi and turbulence included. Check that it reads “FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only” or “FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Amd 21.50 6-9-1980, Approved for Aircraft Use Only”.
The FAA warns of fake CARES harnesses sold online and says to buy direct from the maker. Delta, Frontier and easyJet name CARES on their own pages, and American accepts harness devices that show the FAA aircraft approval label.
Flying with a lap child
A child under 2 may ride on your lap, but the FAA strongly discourages it and recommends an approved car seat in the child’s own seat for the whole flight. You can still use the car seat on American if there’s an empty seat next to you, and on Delta if there’s an open seat in your row. Otherwise it’s checked at the gate.