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Forum -> Children's Health
Scared to take baby on plane w/o carseat



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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 12:28 pm
I generally believe in the policy of, if you don't have enough money to buy tickets for everyone including babies, you can't afford the trip. The 2 things that worry me about flying with a lap baby is both that a baby really does need to be in a car seat to be safe on board, and that car seats can be thrown around so much when they're checked they might as well have been in a crash.

We are not doing well financially now at all & job opportunities just came up for both my husband and myself in another city. They are paying to fly us out for interviews but definitely won't pay for the baby. She has to come with us because she's exclusively breastfed- anyway we don't have anyone to leave her with.

I really don't know what to do. We honestly cannot afford a ticket. We also can't afford not to try to get these jobs. Do I need to just trust in Hashem that if we really can't afford it He will protect the baby? Chizzuk/advice please!
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 12:31 pm
Did you ask them if they would pay the baby's ticket? Explain that she is ebf and your pediatrician said she can't fly without her own seat.
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 12:35 pm
BTW there is a safe way of bringing the car seat if necessary- pack it up in its original box, or a similar corrugated cardboard box with something to cushion it inside. They should allow you to check it with your luggage at no additional cost.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 2:40 pm
We had similar dilemma and my husband pointed out if anything happens to the plane we'll all die together. Car seat or not. No way she's surviving a plane crash because of a car seat.
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myself




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 2:41 pm
Wouldn't car seats be mandatory if it were that unsafe without?
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 2:42 pm
amother wrote:
We had similar dilemma and my husband pointed out if anything happens to the plane we'll all die together. Car seat or not. No way she's surviving a plane crash because of a car seat.


OP here. True. But there can be runway emergencies which is like a car crash between planes, at 150 mph. Or really heavy turbulence and you can't hold on to your baby.

I am starting to wish I didn't know what I know but I do Sad
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 2:44 pm
myself wrote:
Wouldn't car seats be mandatory if it were that unsafe without?


One would think! I hope someday they will be.

The AAP and FAA both recommend them for any child under 40 lbs.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 2:55 pm
I often have this dilemma and end up choosing to drive if possible. Which is ridiculous because I am pretty sure driving is statistically far less safe then flying. Here in europe they give you little baby seatbelts which I guess would be helpful in a turbulance situation but in the states the don't.

In your situation I would do whatever you think best. If you feel very strongly borrow the money. People have very strong views on this...personally I think the chances of being in a crash where a carseat would help are pretty low. But maybe I'm wrong.
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 4:25 pm
Raisin wrote:
I often have this dilemma and end up choosing to drive if possible. Which is ridiculous because I am pretty sure driving is statistically far less safe then flying. Here in europe they give you little baby seatbelts which I guess would be helpful in a turbulance situation but in the states the don't.

In your situation I would do whatever you think best. If you feel very strongly borrow the money. People have very strong views on this...personally I think the chances of being in a crash where a carseat would help are pretty low. But maybe I'm wrong.


Those belts are actually not legal in the us because they are so unsafe- instead of the baby flying out of the parent's arms, he basically turns into the parent's airbag. The highest risks while flying are severe turbulence or runway accidents- a crash is very rare. Although there are actually stories of babies surviving plane crashes in car seats.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 4:57 pm
The likelihood of anything c"vs happening is very very very very very slim. Like maybe 1 in a million.
Daven & I'm sure everything will be fine. Smile
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acccdac




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 5:06 pm
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-BAi.....14236

look into that, I do not have it and have not tried it but seems to be the only product of this type approved by FAA
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 5:13 pm
acccdac wrote:
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-BAir-Toddler-Flight-Vest/dp/B000058DQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416175509&sr=8-1&keywords=plane+vest+baby&pebp=1416175514236

look into that, I do not have it and have not tried it but seems to be the only product of this type approved by FAA


It is actually not approved for takeoff, landing or any other time the seatbelt sign is on...
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Peanut2




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 5:38 pm
You can also bring the car seat to the gate and try to see if there is an extra seat you can use with it, and if there isn't check it in before boarding. They don't throw those around as much/at all, from my experience.

Not all flights have extra seats, but it's worth a try.

You may want to hide the car seat when checking in, but at securtiy and before boarding no one counts, IME.
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 5:54 pm
Gate checking is taking a real risk Sad we have had more than one stroller pretty damaged that way. You can watch videos on YouTube of the handlers literally throwing the strollers and car seats many feet down to the tarmac.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 5:54 pm
Peanut2 wrote:
You can also bring the car seat to the gate and try to see if there is an extra seat you can use with it, and if there isn't check it in before boarding. They don't throw those around as much/at all, from my experience.

Not all flights have extra seats, but it's worth a try.

You may want to hide the car seat when checking in, but at securtiy and before boarding no one counts, IME.


if you bring a snap and go type stroller it counts as part of the stroller. Or even if it clips into your stroller.
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dancingqueen




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 6:03 pm
Peanut2 wrote:
You can also bring the car seat to the gate and try to see if there is an extra seat you can use with it, and if there isn't check it in before boarding. They don't throw those around as much/at all, from my experience.

Not all flights have extra seats, but it's worth a try.

You may want to hide the car seat when checking in, but at securtiy and before boarding no one counts, IME.


This has worked well for us too.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 8:37 pm
Peanut2 wrote:
You can also bring the car seat to the gate and try to see if there is an extra seat you can use with it, and if there isn't check it in before boarding. They don't throw those around as much/at all, from my experience.

Not all flights have extra seats, but it's worth a try.

You may want to hide the car seat when checking in, but at securtiy and before boarding no one counts, IME.


OP here. I am trying to decide if I should do this (from what I've read online, seems like in past years this was more of a possibility but these days they book flights pretty full) or if it would be better to just leave the car seat in our car at the airport and borrow one at our destination (and avoid it getting thrown around in case we did need to check it). What do you think?
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 9:11 pm
You asked in your OP if you should trust in HaShem and that you wanted chizuk. So how about thinking of it like this. Hashem has, at the moment, limited your finances. He has also given you interviews in another state. He is giving you free airfares, but not enough $ to pay for the baby to have a seat. I am not a Posek or a navi and maybe I don't know anyhing, but it seems to me that He wants you to trust Him on this. Truth is that if He chas vashalom wants to damage anyone (incl your baby) he can do it with or without a carseat. So the question becomes- 'is paying extra and bringing a carseat necessary hishtadlus in this case, given all of your personal circumstances'??? My answer to that would be 'NO, Hashem does not want me worrying and stressing and asking heaps and heaps of people about it. That is yetzer hara. I can tell because it is making me nervous and dragging me down'. But you may have another answer. I'm just suggesting that you frame the question in a slightly different way to how you posed it. Should you trust in Hashem??? yes of course. Is this necessary hishtadlus ?? Is it dragging me down or lifting me up? That's for you to decide.

Once you have decided then just to with it
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