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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, your 3 YO can fly with just the seatbelt.  On a flight earlier this year, we forgot to pack the CARES harness and I had to do just that for my then 3 yo.  It's not as safe as children are more susceptible to injury from the seat belt alone than for a harness, but it's not mandated, only strongly urged.

CARES harnesses are good until 44 lbs.  Our kids' weight gain has slowed enough that I figure we'll be using these for years, and we travel by plane at least 2-3 times per year, so it was worth it to me to buy them (got them on ebay for like $25-30 each).

The CARES harnesses are really easy to use and the kids actually like having the shoulder straps.  They especially like them when landing when the straps help hold them back against the seat during deceleration.  And they are so much easier than car seats to install and use and the kids prefer them to the car seat.

Although the FAA "strongly urges" and does not have actual mandated requirements for you to use either a car seat/booster seat or CARES harness for 20-40 lbs, some airlines may not allow your child to fly only in the seat belt.  You should contact your airline carrier to see if they have child restraint restrictions.  Also, if you choose to buy a harness, make sure you actually buy a CARES brand harness and not a knock-off.  On our recent Alaska Airlines flight they asked to see either the label on the harness or the instruction documentation that it was FAA-approved.  The flight attendant who checked said that if we didn't have documentation that it was FAA-approved (it had the label and I had the instruction book in the carry bag, so I was doubly covered) then the airline policy was that it would have to be removed and the child would have to fly with only the seat belt.[/quote]

British Air's policy is to allow the "AmSafe System" (same as CARES from what I can tell) for ages 1-4. I think we're flying AA back, which hopefully will also allow CARES (although I think would also allow the car seat). BA does not allow a car seat for children 3 and over, so I presume if they allow a harness and disallow a car seat, they would allow the seat belt only.[/quote]

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