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  Traveling with children can be a rewarding and stressful experience, but traveling with children by air can also be confusing. The Federal Aviation Administration has set forth rules and regulations for child restraint products when on an aircraft, and flight attendants are trained to spot such devices and properly install them.
  
  

Approved Child Restraint Systems

• Federal Aviation Regulation 14CFR 21.305(d) states that a child restraint system must meet motor vehicle safety standards and must display "approved for aircraft use" in red lettering. This disclosure can be found on the bottom of a car seat or on the straps of a harness. When boarding an aircraft, flight attendants are trained to locate these statements and may require you to allow them to inspect the CRS. If the red lettering indicating that the device is approved for aircraft use is not found on the product, flight attendants will check your CRS to your final destination.
  
  This regulation also prohibits the use of booster seats, vest restraint systems and lap restraint systems. The law is in place because of the harm it can cause a child in an accident at a higher speed than a motor vehicle.
  
  

Location

• Installing and placing a CRS on an aircraft seat can be quite difficult, but regulations are in place that dictate exactly where one can be installed. CRS devices cannot be installed one row before or one row after of an emergency exit. This is because of the high traffic surrounding the row in the event of an emergency evacuation. In addition, a CRS cannot block or trap a fellow passenger in the window seat. If you wish to place a CRS in a middle seat, a family member must be in the window seat.
  
  

Installation & Seating

• It is important to remember that the FAA also regulates how a CRS is installed and who sits in it. For example, if a a CRS is designed for a 25-pound child, a 30-pound child may not use it. These devices are built to ensure the safety of the child only as long as they fit the standards printed on the device.
  
  Additionally, if you are using a CRS for a child under 20lbs, it should be installed with the child facing the rear of the aircraft. If a child is 20-40 pounds, the CRS should be installed to be forward facing. If a child weighs 40 pounds or more, they should be secured using the aircraft's seat belt.