Where are the lap-child oxygen masks?

 
Old May 29, 2008, 2:17 pm
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Where are the lap-child oxygen masks?

Just wondering if there was a list somewhere of which aircraft have the lap-child oxygen masks and life vests in which rows? After a couple of really unpleasant lap child experiences recently (including one in first whose mother thought it was "cute" when Junior grabbed at her coffee and spilled it all over me), I would really like to steer clear of little ones whenever possible. I am not trying to start another children-in-first thread (although I will rant about it gladly) and I know it's often the parents who are the problem for not supervising the kids, etc. Just trying to keep their world and mine separate if I can

So I know on the ERJ 170/175 that Republic flies for USAirways Express, the "extra" oxygen mask and life vest is found in even-numbered rows only, and I can book odd-numbered rows to decrease my chance of being seated next to a lap child. I know none of this matters if they don't enforce it but on some recent flights, they've been pretty aggressive about making sure the little ones are seated where the right safety equipment is. Anyway every little bit helps...

So anyone know where the exta oxygen masks and life vests are stationed on other aircraft types?

Apologies if the thread already exists--- it didn't turn up in my search

Thanks much!!!
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Old May 29, 2008, 2:30 pm
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In my limited yet vast expierence the extra oxygen mask have always seemed to be on the left hand side of the plane. So rows a-b-c
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Old May 29, 2008, 3:02 pm
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Originally Posted by dcpatti
Just wondering if there was a list somewhere of which aircraft have the lap-child oxygen masks and life vests in which rows? After a couple of really unpleasant lap child experiences recently (including one in first whose mother thought it was "cute" when Junior grabbed at her coffee and spilled it all over me), I would really like to steer clear of little ones whenever possible. I am not trying to start another children-in-first thread (although I will rant about it gladly) and I know it's often the parents who are the problem for not supervising the kids, etc. Just trying to keep their world and mine separate if I can

So I know on the ERJ 170/175 that Republic flies for USAirways Express, the "extra" oxygen mask and life vest is found in even-numbered rows only, and I can book odd-numbered rows to decrease my chance of being seated next to a lap child. I know none of this matters if they don't enforce it but on some recent flights, they've been pretty aggressive about making sure the little ones are seated where the right safety equipment is. Anyway every little bit helps...

So anyone know where the exta oxygen masks and life vests are stationed on other aircraft types?

Apologies if the thread already exists--- it didn't turn up in my search

Thanks much!!!
Actually on the 170/5 there are o2 masks in every row on both sides. The life vests are on the right side every even row. But and I do mean But, we can move the life vests to where ever the child is. Most of the F/A's that are new know that it can be placed where ever they are on the plane. Most of the Seniors that haven't been to recurrent training don't know that it can be moved. Also if the plane is not full meaning that there are enough seat cushions for each passenger and the lap child we do not have to move the vest to their seat.

On mainline aircraft I know that there are enough o2 masks on each side or 4 passengers on each side. I don't know about life vests.

Something that you can do if the F/A doesn't move them ask if you can be moved. I don't mind trying to find you or her another seat. I am generally proactive about getting families and parents towards the back. It may sound horrible to the "prefered" parents out there, but being able to quickly get to clean up materials benefits everyone. As well as water and juice.
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Old May 29, 2008, 4:16 pm
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Wouldn't it be pretty safe to just get in an exit row? Even if there is no space benefit to it, I think (and someone can correct me) that no lap childrean are allowed in an exit row. I think all the passengers have to be 16.
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Old May 29, 2008, 4:45 pm
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I'm pretty sure the 170's are put together in the same fashion as our 190's Each seatbank A/B and C/D have 3 oxygen masks in the over head compartments. That is why you won't see 2 lap children in the same bank as we don't have 4 oxygen masks only 3 masks.
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Old May 29, 2008, 8:14 pm
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It's been awhile since I've been on one but some of the mainline "west metal" (sorry, I really hate to but I have to differentiate) 737's have 4 oxygen masks on one side and 3 on the other side. Otherwise, the 319's and 320's have 4 on each side, meaning a lap child could be anywhere.

Go with the exit row.

I agree with you, it is the parent who should make the child behave.
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Old May 29, 2008, 10:36 pm
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I can only speak for mainline East airplanes, but sorry to inform you that there is an extra mask in every row. Basically 4 per row so I also vote for your safest bet being the exit row. There are even extra masks in every lav so it's not even safe to hide in there.
Infant life vests are located in the back of the airplane so that doesn't help your cause much either, sorry.
BTW, I concur that you should never see more than one lap child per row as there are only enough masks to provide for one extra person. However, the oxygen mask tubing is very long and can usually reach to the row in front of or behind you.
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Old Jun 5, 2008, 5:21 pm
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Twin two year olds

As the father of twin two year olds, in my research all mainline planes have four oxygen masks for each set of three seats. First class only has three masks for each set of two seats. So we had to sit on opposite sides of the plane when we were holding our boys in our lap. Now that they're older than two, we have to purchase tickets for them.
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Old Jun 5, 2008, 6:11 pm
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I always wonder when I see someone with a lap child on a plane. Would this person carry his/her child in his/her lap in a car or would the child be put in a child-seat.

I really don't understand the idea of a "lap-child" on planes. In a case of an emergency, turbulence or in the case of a hard landing your child will become a projectile you can't hold in your arms.
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Old Jun 5, 2008, 10:51 pm
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Originally Posted by caspritz78
I always wonder when I see someone with a lap child on a plane. Would this person carry his/her child in his/her lap in a car or would the child be put in a child-seat.

I really don't understand the idea of a "lap-child" on planes. In a case of an emergency, turbulence or in the case of a hard landing your child will become a projectile you can't hold in your arms.
This is likely an unwarranted concern. Can anyone cite any examples of a "projectile" lap child who injured another passenger on any flight?

A lap child in a plane is still way safer than one in a child seat in a car, or so says the FAA. Plus, the FAA "said its analyses showed that, if forced to purchase an extra airline ticket, families might choose to drive, a statistically more dangerous way to travel." This is a good read: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releas...ontentKey=1966
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Old Jun 6, 2008, 11:12 am
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Originally Posted by tommyleo
This is likely an unwarranted concern. Can anyone cite any examples of a "projectile" lap child who injured another passenger on any flight?
United 232 was a survivable crash for many, but a death trap for lap children.
However, you are correct that several reports determined that if a certain percentage of families that would have otherwise flown with lap children chose to drive instead of purchase a seat for the child on a plane, more deaths would likely occur.

EDIT: I did not find evidence that a projectile child injured anyone else in that crash.
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Old Jun 6, 2008, 11:17 am
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Originally Posted by caspritz78
I always wonder when I see someone with a lap child on a plane. Would this person carry his/her child in his/her lap in a car or would the child be put in a child-seat.

I really don't understand the idea of a "lap-child" on planes. In a case of an emergency, turbulence or in the case of a hard landing your child will become a projectile you can't hold in your arms.
I don't really understand all the regulations they have for car seats now. I was out of a car seat for all of my memory.

Comparing these policies is apples to oranges.
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Old Jun 7, 2008, 7:51 pm
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Originally Posted by tommyleo
This is likely an unwarranted concern. Can anyone cite any examples of a "projectile" lap child who injured another passenger on any flight?
Last summer, I can't remember the flight number but it was DCA-DFW in an ERJ and we hit the worst weather I have ever flown through; one of the FA's even fell (she landed half-in, half-out of a PAX lap and it would have been funny if it wasn't so scary)-- and you know the FA's never fall down. Anyway a lap baby did indeed become a projectile in that flight. He didn't injure another passenger but did have a pretty hard impact and got a nasty bump on the head. No permanent damage but that was just from severe turbulence. Probably wouldn't have happened if he'd been restrained. Probably would have been a lot worse in an actual crash/bad landing.
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Old Jun 8, 2008, 6:01 am
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Another good example is American 1420, crashed in Little Rock in 1999. A report from the NTSB states that a passenger in seat 24E with a restrained child "believed that it would have been impossible for her to hold on to her child during the crash had the child been seated on her lap"

See page 29 of this NTSB report:
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2000/aa14.../AA1420_6A.pdf
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Old Jun 8, 2008, 10:36 am
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The Sioux City accident is the only high profile incident where lap children were indeed killed due to lack of child restraint systems. However, as another poster stated, there have been numerous incidents where children have been injured when parents couldn't hold onto them in turbulence. Most people associate turbulence with just being bounced around a little bit, but for those of us that fly on a regular basis and in and out of different geographic regions we know how violent turbulence can be. I have the battle wounds to prove it! I have seen many people with infant children fall asleep on flights and when unexpected turbulence hits their arms are lax enough that the kids can literally fall on the floor. I've also seen people make their children hold onto infants and that is a big no no, kids don't have the instinct or strength to hold onto an infant in certain situations.
Just my opinion, but after seeing first hand and hearing about other incidents from colleagues what can happen to "babes in arms" I think car seats should be mandated.
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