CARES Safety Harness

I would call the airline - and document it!

Write down the date, time, the employee and if available employee id number. Then ask them about a harness. If they don't know, ask to speak with a manager and ask where to find the info in writing (ask if they can email it or fax it to you!).

It may seem like a lot of hassle, but I flew with a toddler and when the flight attendent approached me about the way that my child was flying, I had documentation to back me up.

Good luck, and I would recommend taking the car seat anyway, most kids are more likely to sit still in one. Plus, it can double as a feeding chair for snacks in the hotel room.

Hi L.,

Both my sister and I have traveled extensively with our kids all over the world (my daughter is 2 1/2 also) and I would HIGHLY recommend the Joey Safe "FreedomRide." (www.joey-safe.com) It works very well and provides a level of safety that you can't get from a lot of the other safty gear that is out there. Plus, it's approved nationally and internationally for both planes and cars. The straps can be a bit tricky at first, but once you see how it goes together, it's really easy to use. Good luck, and feel free to respond back to me if you have any questions.

H.

I just used the CARES harness with my 2 year old son and it was a lifesaver!!! I was flying alone with my two kids, Evan 28 months and Samantha 3 months. It kept him in his seat rather than up and down and I didn't have to bring a car seat (we had one where we were going). I can not say enough about them! They are very safe and easy to use! Well worth the $80.

I have traveled with my son quite a bit. I always brought his car seat when he was younger, but once your child is over 2, they can just sit in a regular seat with a seat belt. I have never used the harness. They seem very expensive for what you get.

Have a great trip!

J.

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Hi L.. Why don't you purchase one of the car booster seats from Wal*Mart that cost about $20? Then you will have a seat that is safe for her in the plane as well as in any car you rent/use while you are on vacation that will fit on the shelf in any hotel closet when not in use? Just an idea. Have a great trip!

Hi L.! I just flew, by myself, with my 2 year old son to Chicago from Philly. I purchased the only airline approved car seat from Britax and used it on the plane. It worked great and the airline staff helped me with it. I saw those harnesses and AA actually reccomends those also. They seem like they work but they are costly around 100. Have a great trip!!

Hi L.. My advice as a flight attendant is to put up with lugging around and tripping over your daughter's carseat. I couldn't say even say whether the CARES harness is FAA-approved for taxi, take-off and landing or just cruising, but you can check the FAA website for that. Typically a harness that works with the seatbelt is for inflight use only, leaving your child unprotected during the critical taxi, take-off and landing. Regardless, the carseat is the safest place for her. I wouldn't fly without my kids in their carseats, just like I wouldn't drive around without having them in their carseats. Turbulence is no joke - I know flight attendants who've broken their backs after being bounced off the ceiling of the plane or turning into a human projectile. If you have already been willing to pay for her airfare don't scrimp on her safety for minor conveniences. Have fun on your trip!

Hi L.. I purchased the CARES safety harness for my son when he was 1. We have used it several times now to fly to Mexico to visit his family. It works great! I wouldn't dream of using anything else.

J.

I recently ordered a CARES harness for our upcoming flight to North Carolina. I called US Airways first to make sure they allow them on their planes, which they told me they do. You might want to call your airline to check on this, although since CARES is FAA approved, I would think that most airlines would allow them - but it certainly can't hurt to double check. It seems to me that CARES should be worth the money in our case, since we are likely to end up using it at least one more time for a vacation next year. Also, we are renting a car in NC, and I requested one with a car seat.

I have not used the CARES thing with my son, however, we just purchased this lovely little connector for our carry-on. It's basically just a t-shaped strap that connects the carseat to the carry-on so your hands can stay free, but you can still use the carseat. It was only $15 from Amazon (and when you see it, you're going to wish you had thought of it first!), but it really works well! This way your daughter can be comfortable in her carseat and you are dying in the airport...good luck! :)

My husband and I always felt that the safety a car seat provides outweighs the inconvenience of lugging one around. We traveled many times with 2 car seats, ne for each of ur kids, and would nt have done it any other way. If you don't have a car seat with you, what do you do at the other end...let yur child ride in a taxi or ther vehicle without one? (Often hotels have storage above where the hangers are in the closet...a good place for the car seats or other things you may not need to use much.)

We travel quite a bit with our kids (ages 5 and 3) and have always purhcased them their own tickets. I found that the sit n'stroll works the best. It is a carseat that is FAA certified (they always stop you to check the label) and has a hidden stroll underneath. We have literally rolled the kids through the airport (after security), onto the plane, pull up the wheels and put them straight into the seat. It fits through the aisles of most planes. It is so great not to have to wake up the kids to get them off the plane, you just stroll them out.

If this is not an option, I saw in ad in the skymall magazine last week for a harness that is FAA certified. I think the website is skymall.com good luck

Hi L.

I really hope you got your money back for the seat you paid for. I would call the customer service line for the airline and ask them. When we traveled with our kids the person from the airline we used was very helpful because I wasn't sure if one of our seats was approved for airline use, turns out is was with the optional base removed.

Good Luck