Having a baby car seat that is airline-approved means you can safely use the seat for your little one whenever you decide to travel by air.
While some car seats are FAA-approved, others are not. You need to be sure if yours is certified for use on aircraft before embarking on a journey with it.
Our focus in this article is on Britax car seats. We want to know if Britax car seats are airline approved or not. If they are, which Britax car seats are FAA approved and which are not?
We will also talk about some airline policies you need to know before heading to the airport with your child.
Related: Are Britax car seats any good?
Table of Contents
Are Britax Car Seats Airline Approved?
Although most Britax car seats are airline-approved, there are still a few of them that are not certified for use on aircraft. If you own a Britax harnessed car seat, you shouldn’t have any problem using it on aircraft.
All Britax infant car seats and convertible car seats have harnesses, thus, they are approved by FAA. Also, if you have a Britax car seat that can be converted from harness to booster, you can use it on aircraft.
However, if you have a Britax belt-positioning booster seat, it is not airline-approved and should be used for your child when traveling by air.
To use a belt-positioning booster seat, a shoulder and lap belt is required to secure your child. Planes usually have only lap belts, thus, making them not suitable for belt-positioning booster seats.
Recommended: What car seats are compatible with Britax strollers?
How To Know A Britax Car Seat That Is Airline Approved
To know if your Britax car seat is FAA approved, there is always a label on the side of the seat that indicates that.
Simply look for the sticker on the side of the seat that reads “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards” and “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.”
If what you have is Britax rear-facing infant car seat or a convertible car seat with harnesses, it is certified for use on planes.
Is Britax One4Life FAA Approved?
If you are using the Britax One4Life car seat with the harnesses, it can be used on aircraft. However, if it’s converted to a belt-positioning booster seat, it is no longer certified for use on planes.
Britax One4Life car seat can be used for babies from 0 to 10 years. Thus, the Britax One4Life car seat has harnesses for rear and forward facing, and can also be converted to a belt-position booster seat.
You might want to read this: Are Britax car seats compatible with other strollers?
List Of Britax Car Seats That Are Airline Approved
We expect that, with the explanation given above, parents should be able to identify FAA-approved Britax car seats. However, it is expedient that we list Britax car seats that are certified for use on aircraft.
Below is a list of Britax car seats that are FAA-approved:
- B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit+
- B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit
- B-Safe Gen2
- Endeavors
- B-Safe Ultra
- B-Safe 35
- All Harness-2-Booster Car seat
- One4Life ClickTight All-in-One (with the harness only)
These are the popular Britax car seats you can use on a plane. As long as you are not using a belt-position booster car seat, you should be fine to use it on aircraft.
Are There Any Other Airline Policies You Need To Know?
Even though your Britax car seat has a label that says it is approved for use on aircraft, you may also want to contact the airline you wish to travel with before prior to your flight with your child.
Airlines have policies that may vary from one to another.
Just make sure you put a call through to the airline a day or two before your trip to get any information you might need. Doing that would save you from stress or any impending inconvenience.
Must You Use A Car Seat For Your Baby When Taking A Flight?
While it is not compulsory to use a baby car seat for your little one during an air trip, doing so would relieve you from stress. If you have an airline-approved car seat, it is always recommended to use it when traveling by air.
while traveling by air, having your child on your lap is not the most convenient way to do it. Most recent car seats are lightweight, thus, making them easier for you to carry around.
It shouldn’t be burdensome to check in the car seat at the airport, and most airport staff are friendly enough to assist you if need be.
Conclusion
All Britax car seats with the harness system are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. However, you can’t use a belt-positioning booster seat on aircraft because aircraft only have the lap belt.
Before traveling with a car seat, it would be nice to put a call through to the airline you wish to travel with. Doing so would clear every doubt you might have.
