We want to hold our precious children close- but on an airplane we actually place them in danger by doing so.
Flight attendants tell me there are 3 types of products parents carry onboard that are prohibited from use during take off, landing, and severe turbulence:
- Baby Carriers & Slings
- Baby Vests
- Booster Seats without a back or internal harness.
The reason they are prohibited from use on airplanes is because they have been tested and proven to be unsafe in regards to physics involved with air travel. It is not that airlines or safety advocates don’t like these products or don’t understand a parent’s viewpoint of wanting to offer some protection to children. I love the ERGObaby carrier for use at the airport and destination- but not in a moving vehicle.
These products are not built to offer protection against physics.
Parents get upset when told (often without proper explanation) these aren’t allowed and some even try to hide product use from flight crew even after being told the product is prohibited.
Parents are understandably defensive, often believing they are offering their child protection.
I do not believe there is enough information available to parents about WHY these products are unsafe in flight. Flight attendants have a job to enforce the FAA regulations, but due to time constraints and pressure for on-time departures, there is not enough time to educate every parent about the WHY.
And let’s be honest, as a mom with a child to care for, sitting in an airplane cabin is not the time for me to learn about these things…
I have decided to cover this topic in 3 separate posts (one for each product type). I’ll post these as I write them…
Booster seats without internal harness or backs
Baby Vests
Related Posts:
Is it safe to hold an infant or should I purchase a seat? http://www.jetwithkids.com/blog/lap-child-policy
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