# What happens if the airline looses your child’s car seat?



## jehb2 (May 11, 2007)

On a recent trip American Airlines lost my and my husband’s suitcase.  Fortunately, my 2 year-old’s suitcase and her car seat arrived safely.  My 2 year-old has taken 5 airplane trips in the past 12 months and it never dawned on me that her car seat might not arrive with us.  So now I worry what would happen if they did loose our car seat?  

I doubt the airlines keep extra car seats on hand in case they loose yours.  This past trip we arrived after 10pm so we wouldn’t have been able to pop into Target to get one.  I would feel terrible letting her ride in a car without one.  I also can’t imagine the police letting you off with a warning if you got pulled over.


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## Keitht (May 11, 2007)

Actually I would expect any policeman with an ounce of common sense to 'let you off' in those circumstances.
I would expect the airlines responsibility in the event of a lost child seat to be the same as for any other luggage.  As they have a responsibility to provide cash for emergency clothing I guess they would contribute towards a replacement seat.  That doesn't solve the problem when in your situation you arrive after all the shops are shut.


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## DebBrown (May 11, 2007)

I think most rental car agencies will provide you a car seat.  Obviously, I'd prefer my own.  I know how much wear and tear it has had and, most importantly, how clean it is!

One airline lost my mom's walker and they did provide her with a substitute.

I'm not sure if we ever checked car seats.  We usually use them on the plane for the child's comfort and security.

Deb


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (May 11, 2007)

I'm pretty sure Deb's right about the rental cars, I remember seeing them as an available option and I've rented a lot of cars this year. 

So. I guess your best bet would be to rent a car with a car seat until yours was found or you were reimbursed to purchase another one.

Liz


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## Eileen A. (May 11, 2007)

It doesn't matter if a policman would let you off.  A child should never ride without a car seat even for a short distance.  It is just not worth the chance.  Once my child's car seat did not arrive with us.  We were travelling from Florida to Phoenix on Southwest Air with a stop in New Orleans.  Somehow the car seat got taken off the plane in New Orleans.

Southwest did provide us with a car seat loaner.  We used it to get home until they found and delivered ours.  I'm sure the other airlines keep a loaner as well.


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## johnmfaeth (May 11, 2007)

I am a strong believer in seat belts and car seats. But in that situation, I would place the child in the back seat in the lap of a bucked up adult and carefully drive to the hotel from the airport. At 10 PM traffic should be decreased which helps too.

After all, each person on this BBS managed to survive an entire childhood without car seats (OK, just those of use over 30).


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## klynn (May 11, 2007)

*gate check*

When we traveled with car seats we would always just gate check the car seat along with the stroller.  That way there was no worry about it not arriving.


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## winger (May 11, 2007)

klynn said:


> When we traveled with car seats we would always just gate check the car seat along with the stroller.  That way there was no worry about it not arriving.



what is gate check?  We are travelling w/ two carseats in June and December and do not want to hassle w/ lost carseats


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## sfwilshire (May 11, 2007)

Ours did not arrive when we came home from Hawaii last year. The luggage department did have a couple to loan, but neither really fit our son. 

We thought there would not be one in the van when our son picked us up (those were his instructions) but he had failed to follow instructions and luckily there was an extra one.

Sheila


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## sfwilshire (May 11, 2007)

winger said:


> what is gate check?



We always use gate check for our wheelchair (and strollers when he had kids that age). You ask for a gate check receipt at the desk where you board. Then you leave your item at the bottom of the ramp and it gets loaded onto the plane. 

I've seen a lot of destroyed items coming off at the other end and in fact, lost pieces off the wheelchair ourselves once. The baggage handler was kind enough to go find the missing pieces and we talked someone in the airport out of tape to put it back together and get us to our final destination.

Sheila


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## Mel (May 11, 2007)

If it is of significant concern, you can get a belt positioner for an older child.  While not as safe as a carseat, these are legally acceptable in many places for children around 40 lb and bigger.  Because they are small, they can be packed in the carry-on luggage.

If you are travelling with a car seat, one would assume you are renting a car (yes, there is the question of losing it on the way home).  If renting a car, the rental agency might have a seat you can use - in which case I would insist the airline pay the extra cost of having the car seat.  

WHile I've seen penty of misdirected luggage, I have never seen a lost car seat.  I suspect the airlines are more diligant about them, along with wheelchairs, and other safety devices.

As for taking the car seats on the plane, most booster seats are not rated to be safe on an airplane, and the airline will make you check them.


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## Htoo0 (May 11, 2007)

I'm SOOO glad we never had children! How my 5 siblings and I EVER survived childhood riding around without car seats or even seatbelts is beyond me! Not that I'm advocating taking unacceptable risk with one's most precious cargo but the idea of being stranded in an airport or facing a fine/charges because of a lost car seat boggles my mind.


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## davhu1 (May 11, 2007)

When you file the missing luggage report at the airport, they should give you a receipt.  Police may let off with the missing luggage receipt.

When our ski equipment and luggage missed the flight, they allowed us to rent equipment if we have the rental receipt.  They also reimburse 50% of toilet needs and change of clothing.  Ask about car seats. You can probably find a 24 hour Walmart ot get one.

I wonder if car rental company would rent car seat only.  

When my kids were young, I had a FAA approved travel vest from a kids safety store (wonder if they still sell them).  It buckles in the the airplane seat and can also be used in the rental car.  I never worried the car seat not making the flight.

Looks like they still make something similar to mine:
http://www.elitecarseats.com/Safe-Traffic-Systems-Ride-Safer-Travel-Vest.pro#specs


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## elaine (May 11, 2007)

*I would make the airlines get one from rental car place*

even if police let you off---what if you had an accident.  No one "plans" to have an accident.  I would make airlines get one from a rental car place (open 24/7), or have airline rent a car with car seat in it.


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## julienjay (May 11, 2007)

JetBlue lost our kids' two car seats -- actually, the luggage was delayed, so they told us that the car seats would come in about 5 hours! The airline was fairly unhelpful and unsympathetic. I went from airline counter to airline counter asking if there were any loaner car seats...I think it was American who finally loaned us some. Then when JetBlue dropped off our luggage, they just picked up our car seats too.
Kind of an ordeal bc it took at least two hours to actually find and secure these "loaner" car seats...this, after a six hour JFK-Burbank flight.
Not fun!


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## Neesie (May 11, 2007)

jehb2 said:


> On a recent trip American Airlines lost my and my husband’s suitcase.  Fortunately, my 2 year-old’s suitcase and her car seat arrived safely.  My 2 year-old has taken 5 airplane trips in the past 12 months and it never dawned on me that her car seat might not arrive with us.  *So now I worry what would happen if they did loose our car seat?  *I doubt the airlines keep extra car seats on hand in case they loose yours.  This past trip we arrived after 10pm so we wouldn’t have been able to pop into Target to get one.  I would feel terrible letting her ride in a car without one.  I also can’t imagine the police letting you off with a warning if you got pulled over.



Honey, life is too short to take on a new worry; especially if it hasn't happened to you yet.  And you know what?  If they did lose the car seat my guess is that you'd go to a store and buy a new one and maybe attempt to make the airline pay for it after you got home from vacation.  Your generation is brought up to feel guilty about letting her ride in a car without one (even if it is an unforseeable circumstance).  But get over it, many of us grew up before car seats weren't around and we turned out okay.:hysterical:


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## JackieD (May 12, 2007)

We have always 'gate checked' our carseats and stroller, but of course the one time that we didn't, guess what, they lost it.  Delta did have a loaner seat which we got right away and they picked it up when they delivered our lost one.  The ironic thing is that is arrived via a United flight!


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## JackieD (May 12, 2007)

We have always 'gate checked' our carseats and stroller, but of course the one time that we didn't, guess what, they lost it.  Delta did have a loaner seat which we got right away and they picked it up when they delivered our lost one.  The ironic thing is that is arrived via a United flight!


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## sfwilshire (May 13, 2007)

Neesie said:


> But get over it, many of us grew up before car seats weren't around and we turned out okay.:hysterical:



As mentioned above, it's a miracle we're all here to have this discussion. I fell out of a moving car once as a child. Apparently scared my father to death. Had a pretty severe head laceration where I fell into a ditch onto a rock.

I never wore seat belts until I took a college industrial safety class. They showed a film that included a state trooper saying (in his best southern accent) "I've never pulled a seat belt off a dead person". Guess that got through to me, because I've buckled up every since.

NO ONE is allowed to ride in my vehicle without being properly belted or in an appropriate car seat if they are small. My kids never have and never will ignore car seat requirements. I've had to go through some hoops to get one a few times when plans changed, but we always work it out somehow.

Sheila


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## labguides (May 13, 2007)

Interesting to read all the messages about flying with carseat etc.  Our daughter will be flying across country with 6 month old. She is wondering how she will handle getting infant carseat installed in taxi for ride to airport AND how she will handle 2 suitcases, carseat, stroller and carry-on diaper bag at the airport. 

Her husband flew across country last week with the portable crib (pack n play), bedding and inflatable bathtub and toys.  At least she doesn't have to hassle with the pack n play/bedding.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (May 13, 2007)

Maybe it would be worth purchasing one of those combo car seat and stroller things, so that when she got off the plane she would just put the baby in the car seat and stroller, go to baggage and get one of those baggage carrying carts and hopefully a red cap to help. She could also ship things ahead so she would only have a carry on, either use those new luggage services or box it up in the express mail post office boxes and send things that way.
I wish her luck, it sounds difficult.
Liz


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## julienjay (May 13, 2007)

I've flown with two infants alone.
My advice to your daughter is to do curbside check-in and have her taxi driver help her with the luggage. Tip the bellhop twenty bucks and in the meantime get one of those carts to push your stuff around the airport. Gate check stroller and car seat base.
Good luck!


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## Jeni (May 14, 2007)

We don't bother with bringing the car seat, but we do reserve one in advance with whatever rental car agency we are using. DH is great at getting them installed "just right." This last time though, it was difficult, so we anchored it as tight as we could, and stopped by a fire station to have them tighten it up. Most offer this as a free safety service.

Also, if you have trip insurance, or you paid with a cc that contains coverage for lost luggage, etc. you may be able to be reimbursed for renting or purchasing one based upon the conditions of the policy.

Finally, I'm really shocked at those who said go without one. As a mom of a 2 year old, that is not even an option in my book. My son is my most precious "cargo"- so if that means being inconvenienced by having to borrow/rent/buy a new seat, so be it. It's a lot less "inconvenient" than potentially planning your child's funeral.


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## joestein (May 14, 2007)

My wife and I have travel car seats.  They are hard plastic backs, covered with the cushion that have a 5 point seat belt for the kids.  The car seat is tightly secured against the regular seat.  This will keep them in their seat in case of an accident.


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