At this time the vests are not FAA approved for use on airplanes. The XS (22-40 pound) size vest may be FAA approved soon. At which time an Aircraft Attachment Strap accessory will be released to go through the guide on the vest and wrap the airline seat to provide upper body support.
The manufacturer has tried for many years to get all sizes of the RideSafer vest FAA approved. However, FAA says it doesn’t fit into their categories because of the higher size ranges. They have to rewrite some policies to accommodate the vest and so far they have not done so.
If you decide to let your children sit in the airline seat without a car seat, the RideSafer is wonderful for keeping in your carryon and having available as soon as you reach your destination. Since our kids were 4 and 5 and started using the RideSafer, they attached it to their backpack and stuffed it under the airline seat.