What Carseat Do I Use

When I flew last Feb. there were two couples accross the isle with two year olds. They did not have a car seat. Actually a car seat won't fit into a plane seat unless you are planning on flying first class. That is probably why the airlines won't tell you what one to get. Because there really isn't one that will fit in the seat. If you need the car seat when you get where you are going you can pay extra to have it put in luggage. But a lot of places now when you rent a car they will provide a car seat if needed.

I carry our car seat and check it at the gate with the stroller. My son sits in his seat on the airplane without a car seat. I bring the car seat because the ones you rent at the rental car place are expensive and the seats look cheap and flimsy. Be sure to pack a portable DVD player with favorite DVD's...that's a lifesaver on any trip. I usually pack a new DVD he's never seen, too.

If you buy a cheap $20.00 luggage cart it makes transporting your car seat through the airport so much easier. Good Luck and Happy Traveling.

Hi A.- The best way i can answer this is by telling you the types/features NOT allowed. Basically though any car seat will have a federally mandated sticker on the side that says "this car seat is approved for use in all motor vehicles and aircrafts." That sticker is what a flight attendant will look for and is your 'golden ticket'. FYI 2 yrs old are not required to have a car seat on the plane but must have a purchased/ticketed seat. Of course we know as moms it is easier to keep our kids content (and secure) in their familiar car seat. Booster seats or any backless booster seats are NOt permitted. Also any "seat" without a harness (its own straps

I have flown both ways, with & without the carseat. At 2 years old there just really isn't room for the kid to sit in the carseat without kicking the seat in front of them, and as you know 2 year olds like to move... I've flown with my son just sitting in the airplane seat and he was much happier. Also, I gate checked the carseat (had a back pack carrier for it) instead of having it as "luggage". That way you leave it at the plane door and get it back at the plane door and don't have to worry about it getting lost or severly beat up. Good Luck!

First of all you do not have to use a car seat for her. If she is small you may want to but it is a pain in the butt to bring one on the plane. That said, you have to check your seat to make sure it is approved to use on planes. NOT booster seats! It has to be a four point harness one and it will see say on it somewhere that it is approved for airplane travel. I took my 2 year old on the plane 2x last year. Once with his seat which was nice for him but a pain to get on and off the plane. The second time I checked his seat (it was free) because I just had too much stuff to carry it and hold his hand...Our flight was less than 2 hours and I think he liked the freedom to be able to move around more than in his seat.
If you have to take the seat then either check it or make sure it is approved. IF there is not a sticker on it that says it is approved the attendants may not let you use it anyway!

I second Tami's advice. The last time we traveled, my oldest had turned two, so we decided that we would rent a car seat with our car rental when we got to our destination. That way we just had to deal with the smaller infant car eat for our baby, and she rode in that the entire way, as we got one of those base strollers that held the car seat so that it was the seat of the stroller. The only time we had to carry the car seat is from the door opening of the plane to the seat and back again.

I suggest you check your seats or rent car seats when you get to your destination. You will find traveling a lot easier on yourself!

K.

Hi A.
I am very happy that you wrote this. I just brought my son on the airplane in his Britax carseat. I used the GoGo Baby through the airport. That was fabulous! I loved it but I will tell you with a carseat my son's feet were right at the seat in front of him. He was doing well but did kick the seat in front of him a few times and this horrible man in front of him had his wife call the filght attendant about my son touching his seat. The attendant then asked me to take my son out of the seat. I paid for a full flight seat for him so now I ended up holding him with a big carseat next to me. He then was really upset. It was horrible and I felt very unsafe the entire flight. I think the next flight I will get the CARES 5 point harness for sure. Well hope this helps.

B.

Your seat should have a sticker placed on it by the manufacturer that says if it is "FAA Approved" for use on aircraft. It might be in tiny type within a long piece of text. If you have a gigantic seat, you might check the web site of your airline to get the seat measurements on their planes. We have a huge seat, and it was fine on the plane, but almost impossible to fit through the security check conveyor belt thing. So go EARLY and ask for help through security. For my child, it was absolutely imperative that he be in his own seat with the 5 pt harness, or he would have been out of the regular seatbelt in a minute, and climbing and running all over the plane. It would have been impossible! Go with your gut if you need the seat or not. Flying with a small child is such a nightmare. Grin and bear it. Over prepare, and it might just not be that bad :-) Good luck!

I definately would bring her carseat for the plane ride. Yes, it is more work for you, but it is FAR safer for your child to be secured in a carseat versus just being held on your lap. Heavy turbulance or a really rough landing would send a small child or infant flying and possibly result in unthinkable injury. To me it's not an option to pick the easier route that is most convenient when it comes to the safety of my kids. Additionally, kids are used to riding in their seats whereas being loose on your lap makes getting down and running around more tempting, and even more unsafe.

You will need an airline approved carseat. If you aren't sure if yours is, check all the stickers on the seat or look up the model number online. To make things easier, you can get a zip up carseat bag that has rolling wheels on the bottom to use when dragging it through the airports. I have traveled alone with my daughter when she was 18 mo and again at 3 and have used her Britax Marathon each time without hassle.... Happy Traveling!

Use the same carseat or booster seat you use in your vehicle. Just buckle it into the plane seat.

I took my then, 2yrs 4mos old son, on a lengthy flight to Hawaii this past September and we took his Britax Marathon on the plane. We used the GoGo Babyz "cart" that hooks onto it that has wheels and it made it a breeze to push him around the airports. Luckily my husband was with us, so he was able to help with lifting and installing the seat. Once on the plane, though, my son barely had any room between his legs and the seat in front of him. A couple people reclined their seats back and that made it worse. I do have to say he was definately more comfortable in his own seat when he slept, but during our 8hr flight, he only got a 2 1/2 hr nap. So, this Thursday, my son & I are taking a much shorter flight to VA (2hr) and I decided to try the CARES FAA approved flight harness that you use in conjunction with the airplane seat's lap belt. I found a link on EBay where I can rent one for $13.99 + SH vs purchasing one for $70-80. It is quite small and only weighs about a pound and has it's own drawstring carry bag. You can look it up on amazon to read reviews. So, if you are taking a longer flight, a car seat is more comfortable in flight, but is a pain to lug around. A shorter flight, I would recommend going without a seat. Good luck!