Question about travelling home from airport without car seat?

Question

Hello All,

We have a 1.5 yr old and we will be travelling to the US from India. My question was that we need to travel from the airport to home without a car seat with the baby strapped to the mother. I know this is unsafe but we don't have an option till we buy the car seat. Has anyone done this before ? What if you get pulled up by cops, will the excuse that we just landed from an international flight work ?

Please advice.

TIA

Answer 1

no it wont work plus dont put the kids safety in danger no cop will let you off so get it organised before you go on trip

Answer 2

It is still illegal and dangerous.  Most accidents happen close to home.  Dont do it..have a friend meet you at the airport with one if you don't get one before boarding the plane.  However, I think that would be easier and safer...Good luck!

Answer 3

No, that excuse would not be valid.

Have someone already in the U.S. buy a carseat before you arrive and meet you at the airport with it.  

Or take a bus (or multiple buses, or a combination of buses and trains, or whatever) from the airport to somewhere within walking distance of the house.  (Carseats are only required in cars, not buses or trains.)

Or take separate flights (with one parent on the first flight and the child and the second parent on the second parent) and have the parent on the first flight buy the car seat and return to the airport with it to meet the parent on the second flight, who will have the child.

Answer 4

get a car seat before you board the plane, problem solved.

Answer 5

Actually, for a 1.5 year old, he needs to be in a car seat on the plane.  You aren't required to, but its a really good idea to take one. Kids do better when they have their seat on the plane, same as in the car. They are less likely to want to run around and such since they are used to being put in a car seat whenever traveling.  And believe it are not, they are safer. Should turbulence happen, they are less likely to be injured or scared.

Another thing to consider: will you be doing any traveling by car once you get to your destination? Then you will need the car seat anyway, or you will have to purchase one when you get there. Do not rely on a car seat from a rental company! Its dangerous. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, and are not safe if not taken care of properly. It must never have been in a wreck, never dropped, include all the original pieces and manual, and be installed correctly, something the rental staff will not help you with. On that note, remember too, that it is better NOT to check car seats as luggage. Think of how your luggage gets banged around - well, if your car seat gets banged around, it is no longer safe to use. A car seat is only made to withstand being dropped/in an accident once! And if it gets dropped and you don't know about it, you unwittingly put your child in danger. Better all around to take the seat on the plane.

And the airline is very unlikely to replace the seat if they do damage it. Just check to make sure that your car seat is FAA approved for aircraft use, should say so somewhere on a label on the seat.

Also - if you are planning on having your baby as a lap baby, you should know the truth of what can really happen, check the links below. Flight attendants refer to lap babies as MISSILES!!!! That's right, b/c missiles is what they become when there is heavy turbulence or other problems or rough flights. They give the count as "127 pax (passengers) and 3 missiles". Is a missile what you want your baby to be?

So - take his seat on the plane, make sure its FAA approve d(most are - it will say so on one of the labels on the seat and in the manual.) Traveling with baby strapped to mom is not a safe option. In an accident, the weight of mom's weight being thrown against the baby could kill him. Not worth the risk - so I'd find an option to make work.

Answer 6

Anand, don't do it. There is no need to risk even a short journey. And no, your excuse WILL NOT work on a peace officer.

Also, you must consider the fact that most airlines REQUIRE a child's seat for a little one that age. They cannot sit in a regular airline seat (unsafe) and you cannot expect a 1.5 yr-old to sit in their mother's lap for that long of a journey.

Don't risk it.

Answer 7

Nope it will not work and you can and will be fined for doing this as well as being fined for putting you child in a dangerous situation......