CARES Flight Harness - Information /Updates

Remember to Carry Your In-Flight Documents When You Fly

Unlike the early days of CARES when travelling with children, there are very few complaints now that flight attendants are trying to keep parents from using CARES. Most flight attendants have been through annual  "update" training  that includes CARES  - probably several times by now.  But we do get the occasional complaint, so best to be prepared:  First, know where the FAA certification tag is on the red loop;  Second, always carry a copy of the FAA website "Child Safety on Airplanes" in your CARES carry bag. This short document can be downloaded from the in flight documents section of the kidsflysafe website. Finally, if there is still a problem, insist that the flight attendant check the Flight Manual that is in the cockpit of every plane and updated annually.  It identifies CARES as an FAA certified child restraint that parents have the right to bring on board for their kids. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS APPLICABLE TO US AIRLINES

CAA Approval

Please find the following extract from the CAA Web Site:

Regulations require that all passengers be secured by means of the seat belt provided whenever the seat belt sign is on. In the case of infants under the age of two years this must be achieved by the use of a child restraint device (CRD) acceptable to the airline and the CAA.   Examples of CRDs include:

In the International Sphere

As you know, CARES is certified  by the aviation authorities of Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand in addition to the US. You can use it on any plane certified under the jurisdiction of these countries when travelling with children, no matter where you fly to or where you fly from. Also, we continue to hear from parents that they have used CARES with no problem on nearly all the airlines of Europe and Asia. The notable exceptions that we know of are Lufthansa, Aer Lingus,  and ANA, which continue to deny parents  the use of CARES. Please keep us up to date on which international airlines you have used (or been denied the use of)  CARES. We know it has recently been used on Ryanair without any problems.

International Airlines That Permit CARES

• Air Asia
• Air Baltic
• Air France
• Air Jamaica
• Air Lingus
• Auringy
  
• British Airways
• BMI  BMI Baby BMI Regional
  
• Cathay Pacific
• (On Cathay Pacific CARES is only approved for Economy section seats. CARES should never be used in any airplane seat with an airbag.)
• Condor
  
• Czech Airlines
• El Al
• EasyJet ( mentioned on their website)
• Emirates
  
• Etihad Airways
• KLM
• Korean Airlines
• Lufthanas
  
• Malaysia Airlines
• Monarch
  
• Olympic
• Royal Flight Oman
• Singapore Airlines
• Thai Airlines
• Thomson
• Tui Fly
  
• Virgin Atlantic (CARES recommended on their website)
  

Our CARES owners report that they have also used CARES with much supportive interest from flight attendants on the following airlines:

• Brussles Air
• Batavia Airlines
  
• Augsberg
• Brussles Air
• Croatian Airlines
  
• China Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Iberia Airlines
• Jet Star (Australia and Indonesia)
• Nature Air (Costa Rica)
• All Nippon Airlines (Japan)
  
• SAS
• South African Airlines
• Ukrainian Airlines
• Ryanair

National Transportation Safety Board Panel Advocates Use of Child Restraint Systems

Participating on the Aviation Child Passenger Safety panel at the NTSB's forum on child passenger safety Thursday, AFA-CWA International President Pat Friend reiterated the union's longstanding call for separate seats and restraints for passengers less than two years of age. "As flight attendants, we are required to secure all items in the cabin, galley and lavatories; from carry-on bags to coffee pots. We do this because we are trained that in an emergency loose items can be dangerous if flying through the cabin. A lap child has the potential to be one of those 'loose items' that may not only suffer serious injury themselves but also injure others," said Friend. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in her opening remarks that the forum marked the beginning of a year-long effort by the Board to promote child passenger safety across all modes of transportation. "Safety for our smallest travelers should not be considered optional or a luxury," said Chairman Hersman. For over 20 years, AFA-CWA has advocated for the mandatory use of child restraints in aircraft and supported the NTSB's recommendations that the Federal Aviation Administration require all infants and small children use safety seats during takeoff, landing and turbulence. Unfortunately, the union contends, the FAA's decision to continue allowing children under the age of two to be held on a parent's lap gives many parents the false impression that this practice is safe.

Use of Child Restraint Systems Should Be Mandatory Says Panel at National Transport Safety Board Forum

Participating on the Aviation Child Passenger Safety panel at the NTSB's forum on child passenger safety Thursday, AFA-CWA International President Pat Friend reiterated the union's longstanding call for separate seats and restraints for passengers less than two years of age. "As flight attendants, we are required to secure all items in the cabin, galley and lavatories; from carry-on bags to coffee pots. We do this because we are trained that in an emergency loose items can be dangerous if flying through the cabin. A lap child has the potential to be one of those 'loose items' that may not only suffer serious injury themselves but also injure others," said Friend. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in her opening remarks that the forum marked the beginning of a year-long effort by the Board to promote child passenger safety across all modes of transportation. "Safety for our smallest travellers should not be considered optional or a luxury," said Chairman Hersman. For over 20 years, AFA-CWA has advocated for the mandatory use of child restraints in aircraft and supported the NTSB's recommendations that the Federal Aviation Administration require all infants and small children use safety seats during takeoff, landing and turbulence. Unfortunately, the union contends, the FAA's decision to continue allowing children under the age of two to be held on a parent's lap gives many parents the false impression that this practice is safe.