Wednesday 27 March 2013

One World


Information regarding Car Seats for One World Alliance

Air Berlin (AB)
Passengers travelling with children may use their own child safety restraint systems on board airberlin flights, provided that the restraint systems are certified and marked as such. The following child seats are suitable:
  • Child seats that have been approved by a member state of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Transport Canada for exclusive use in aircraft and are marked accordingly or
  • that are approved in accordance with safety standard ECE-R44/03 or a later version for use in motor vehicles or
  • that are approved in accordance with Canadian standard 213/213.1 for use in motor vehicles and aircraft or 
  • that are approved in accordance with US standard FMVSS no. 213 for use in motor vehicles and aircraft and that carry a sticker with the following statement in red:
    "THIS CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS" (and if appropriate also: "THIS RESTRAINT IS CERTIFIED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT").
  The child restraint systems must be approved for being secured by means of a two-point (lap) belt, as they are fixed using the seat belt attached to the aircraft seat and must remain in this position throughout the flight (including during takeoff and landing).The cabin crew will check  on board before departure whether the child seat can be fitted.
Maxi-Cosi Citi is on their list of Car Seats that have found to be useful, it is the only specific car seat on the list available in the UK :-) Others on the list are Maxi Cosi Mico, Storchenmühle Maximum, Römer King Quickfix and Luftikid duo. These are car seats that have been found to be particuarly suitable.

American Airlines (AA)
All child seats must bear a label showing compliance with the safety regulations of the manufacturing country or of the United Nations. U.N. approval is designated by a label with a circle surrounding the letter "E" followed by the distinguishing number of the country which has granted approval
Children weighing more than 40 pounds are not allowed to travel on a child seat. There are no height restrictions
If carried on, the child seat must be secured to the seat. During take-off or landing, the child or infant must remain in the child seat or be held by an adult

British Airways (BA)
If you decide to purchase a separate seat for your infant for a child fare, or you're travelling with a child who is less than three years old, you may prefer to use your own forward facing car seat.
The car seat:
  • can only be used for infants over six months old and children up to three years old
  • must be designed to be secured by means of a normal aircraft single lap strap and face the same direction as the passenger seat on which it is positioned
  • must have a 5-point restraining harness
  • must not exceed the dimensions of the aircraft seat, and should fit into an area of 45cm x 45cm (17.5ins x 17.5ins)
Two part car seats, (a seat and separate base) are not suitable for use on aircraft seats.

Cathay Pacific (CX)
The infant/child car safety seat is required to have the following characteristics:
·         The car safety seat is designed for carrying an infant/child who has reached 6 months of age but is under 3 years old
·         It is forward-facing
·         It is in operational condition
·         It has a well-defined shell (e.g. a plastic frame), and if there is a separate shell and understructure, they must be securely attached to each other
·         It is designed for easy and quick securing and removing of a child
·         It has a single-release-type harness that secures a child’s lap, torso and shoulders
·         It has a single-release-type harness designed to prevent easy release by the child occupying the seat
·         It has harness straps that have a minimum width of 1” (25 mm)
·         Any adjusters on the harness straps that are lift-type must be designed to release only when it is lifted to a positive angle, to prevent the child from easily adjusting and loosening the harness straps.
Installation requirements of the infant/child car safety seat:
·         The car safety seat must be secured to a passenger seat throughout the flight
·         A car safety seat with an integral harness must not be installed such that the adult safety belt is secured over the infant/child
·         The buckle of an adult safety seat must not lie on any sub-frame member of the car safety seat after tightening
·         The car safety seat must sit securely on a passenger seat -- whether its lower part is a shell or understructure, it must not extend unreasonably beyond the passenger seat.  
Car Seats are also not permitted on all CX aircraft, The table is helpful in demonstrating use in different cabins! (CRS = Cares Harness)

First Class (FCL)
Business Class
Premium Economy Class (PEY)
Economy Class

Infant seat
Infant seat
Infant seat
Infant seat
747-400 (3-Class without PEY)
CRS only
Not applicable
CRS only
747-400 (4-Class with PEY)
CRS only
CRS only
777-300ER (4-Class with FCL)
CRS only
777-300ER (3-Class without FCL)
Not applicable
CRS only
777-300 (with Regional Product)*
Not applicable
Not applicable
777-200 (with Regional Product)
Not applicable
Not applicable
A340-300 (2-Class without PEY)
Not applicable
CRS only
Not applicable
CRS only
A340-300 (3-Class with PEY)
Not applicable
CRS only
CRS only
A330-300 (3-Class with PEY)
Not applicable
CRS only
A330-300 (with Regional Product)
Not applicable
Not applicable
Finnair (AY)
You must obtain confirmation from Finnair before bringing an infant seat on board. You must present the seat’s usage instructions when you board the aircraft, so that we can check its safety certification labelling. We cannot, however, guarantee that your infant seat will be compatible with the aircraft seat you have reserved for your child – if your infant seat does not fit into the aircraft seat or it cannot be safely secured, we will place it in an overhead locker or the hold of the aircraft.
Infant seats must be equipped with a three or five-point harness and will be fastened to the aircraft seat facing backward. Infant car seats must be equipped with a five-point harness and will be fastened to the aircraft seat facing forward.

Your infant seat or infant car seat must be a certified child restraint device - it must be approved for transport use in one of the following ways
·         The seat is approved for use in motor vehicles according to UN standard ECE R44.03 or later series amendments.
·         The seat is approved for use in aircraft by a JAA authority, the Federal Aviation Administration or Transport Canada (on the basis of a national technical standard), and is marked accordingly.
·         The seat is approved for use in motor vehicles and aircraft according to Canadian standard CMVSS 213/213.1.
·         The seat is approved for use in motor vehicles and aircraft according to US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, and manufactured according to this standard after 25 February 1985. US-approved child restraint devices manufactured after this date must bear the following labels in red lettering: (1) “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards”; and (2) “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft”.
·         The seat is approved for use in aircraft according to the German qualification procedure for child restraint systems for use in aircraft (TÜV Doc.: TÜV/958-01/2001).
Iberia (IB)
IB appears to have no specific information on types of car seats however if you purchase a seat for a child under 2 you have to provide a car seat (would be interesting to hear from anyone with experience of using a car seat on IB and which types!)

Japan Airlines (JAL)
BUCKET TYPE(Forward/ Rear facing type and Convertible type)Child Seats which satisfy either one of the following standards may be used onboard.
  • Child seat is set by guardian following maker's instruction.
  • At the time of fixing the child seat to the installed aircraft seats, even if the child seat is of a suitable type, there may be times that we decide that it is unable to be safely fixed depending on aircraft configuration or installed seat types.
    In that case we ask your understanding that the child seat may not be used.
  • (1) Satisfy Japanese standards (apparatus type with specific standards) and is affixed with the prescribed mark.
  • (2) Satisfy Western standards (ECE,FMVSS) and is affixed with the prescribed mark.
  • (3) "TSO-C100b" is shown on Child Seat.
  • (4) The aircraft seat belt buckle (2.5cm thick, 6.5cm wide, 6.5cm long) can be slipped through the hole of the Child Seat belt.
  • (5) The infant/child can be seated in the Child Seat and does not exceed the weight limitation shown on the Child Seat. 
JAL also has a rental seat service for those wishing to purchasing their child a seat but who either do not have a child seat (either at all or that fits to JAL's regulations) These need to be booked either 3 days in advance for Domestic Flights or 96 hours in advance for International
  • * We use "Roundabout" manufactured by BRITAX.
  • * The customer is requested to make a reservation for one infant and pay child fare to occupy one seat.
  • * They suit children under 3 years old, weighing 2.318kg and less than 102cm tall.
  • * We will ask the age, weight, total height and the hight from the seat to shoulder of your child at reservations.
  • * The seat direction differs depending on the child's weight.
    2.3-9KG, or under 1 year old : Rear facing
    9-18KG : Forward facing
  • * In order to adjust the position of the shoulder belt in advance, we will ask the hight from the seat to shoulder of your child.
  • * For childen with difficulty maintaining an upright position on the seat, a Child Seat can be rented free of charge as a supportive device
Lan (LA)
Infants travelling in an assigned seat should have a certified seat for use in planes or one that has an infant safety device (only for minors weighing between 10 and 20 kilos), which states explicitly on the manufacturer’s label that it is “suitable for use in airplanes”.

Malaysia Airlines (MH)
 Car Seat use on Board
United States
US FMVSS #213
or
Federal Aviation Authorities (FAA)
Manufactured after 26 February 1985; red sticker bearing text "This restraint is certified for use in Motor Vehicles and Aircraft" and “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.”

Manufactured before 1985; it must state “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.”
Canada
Transport Canada
 
European Union
Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)
 
Germany
TÜV: TÜV/958-01/2001
 
U.N.
United Nations ECE R 44-03 (or later versions)
 
If your device does not have the labels noted above, you will not be allowed to use it during take-off, landing, and surface movements.

Qantas (QF)
The only information available from Qantas's website indicates that if you're wanting to use a car seat on board with them you have to have your car seat approved with them a minimum of 24 hours before your flight, to do this you need to contact your local Qantas Office! This same pre-approval must be shown to staff at the airport to ensure use of car seat on the plane

Royal Jordanian (RJ)
Passengers traveling with infants 6 – 36 months may use a airplane certified car seat if seats are available. (Passengers must pay full fare for the seat containing the child’s car seat.)

S7
It is possible to book a seat for an infant, what i can't find is any information either on their website or through google about the use of carseats! If anyone has experience of S7 and car seats it would be useful to know! 

ah first posts...

I have often noticed when looking for tips for travel with children that the majority of sites (that i have personally come accross) are American based and so some information given (especially for plane travel) is confusing particuarly when it comes to the use of carseats on planes.
Being UK based i am very aware that car seats approved for airtravel are few and far between and that the rules on types of car seats on UK and Non US Airlines vary greatly.

So primarily I have set up this blog for general information on what carseats (or not) are allowed on the Aircraft of the 3 Major Alliances (One World, Star Alliance and Sky Team) as well as 'Budget' and 'Charter' Airlines accross the EU.

I am a parent, i have a daughter who is now 6, oddly enough (considering my interest in the car seat on planes debacle) when my daughter was under 2, she generally flew as a lap infant. A few reasons for this, one i don't drive so didn't own a car seat, secondly i've only flown alone with her so i wasn't going to have use for a car seat abroad as i don't drive i wasn't going to be using a car anywhere and thirdly the airline we used primarily for TATL travel was Virgin Atlantic (VS) who don't allow use of car seats in the cabin. I've also only become more aware of reasons for not having lap infants since i started making use of various travel forums, long after i had to buy my daughter a seat when flying, while making use of airlines with basinets and skycots and getting lucky with spare seats on planes plus with not owning a car seat I saw very little reason to purchase an additonal seat, lack of information outside the US is not particuarly helpful!