What is that magical contraption??

On the flight to Guam we had an entire row to ourselves- 5 entire seats! With all that kind of room we decided to take the car seat on the plane and once Jordan was asleep we could tuck him in for a nice sleep...boy were we wrong!

As soon as we got on the plane we buckled in the car seat to one of the aisle seats. Joe, Jordan, and I occupied the three seats on teh other aisle. Flight Attendant #1 (FA1) comes over to ask us if we need the seat this moment or if she could put it in the overhead bin. (Mind you that this is in very broken English and very difficult to understand). Joe and I agree we don't need it right this instant but explain it is buckled to the seat and it won't move. FA1 doesn't buy the safety of the seat and begins to pull at it violently. The seat does not budge. "Excuse a me" she pleads and scurries away. Joe and I stupidly think that will be the end of it.

FA1 returns with FA2 and FA3. They all study the seat and take turns pushing and pulling at it. FA2 musters up the bravery to ask if it is bucked to the airline seat. Yes we reply, it is infact attached and will not move unless we unbuckle it.

FA4 joins in. They talk rapidly in Korean. The four of them sound like a fight might break out between them. FA2 and 3 take turns yelling and jerking at the seat showing how it doesn't budge. They inspect the buckles that would hold Jordy. They run their fingers along the fabric. I expected one of them to climb into the carseat when finally the FA3 declares it is safe, and away they all go.

Finally the matter was settled...

Until 1 hour prior to landing...

It seemed like an entirely new crew of Flight Attendants had arrived. I don't know where the ones that we started with went? Perhaps they parachuted out of the plane, or had as suicide pact if the car seat made it off the ground...I don't know... but what I do know is that we had an entirely new crew of Flight Attendants investigating the chair again.

The only thing different about this inspection period is that I had Jordy screaming mercilessly while the FA1 demanded that the chair that the car seat was bolted too be in the full and upright position. Mind you that also at this time Joe is having a panic attack and feels he may pass out (he's not a good flier). So I yell at the FA1 to hold her horses! One of the nice things about being in a foreign country is you can say whatever you want- nobody understands if you speak quickly. Joe springs into action and unbuckles the seat entirely, but moves the airline seat to the full upright and locked position.

Now a small army of flight attendants investigate. They all agree that the chair is in the proper position. None of them notice that the car seat is not bolted down and it may jettison into the air at any time, not important...

Meanwhile, while all flight attendants are having a near coronary over the car seat reclined seat fiasco, there is a woman leaning over her seat back trying to console her baby who is sitting in her husbands lap direction behind her. She is bobbing along with all the turbulence, once even striking her head on the ceiling...not too worry though- our seat is in the full and upright locked position!!

Miraculously we landed without anyone dying d/t our car seat.

I really don't understand what the big deal was- have they never seen a car seat? Then I remember that in South Korea I once saw a woman riding a moped holding an infant in her lap! No these people don't use car seats regularly, so maybe they had never seen one!

Next time we are checking the damned thing!