Britax Marathon carseat in Airplane?

[SusanSeng]

We are leaving on Saturday and we are deciding which carseat to take. I was wondering how the Britax Marathon fit in the airplane seats. It is a rather large carseat. We could take our other one but it is just not as nice and more difficult to get tight in a car. Also, if anyone has flown with this carseat, where on the seat does it say that it is airline approved. It states it in the book but shouldn't there also be a sticker on the seat.

Thanks!!

 

[Brina]

I have taken the Britax Marathon (2 in fact, I have twins) on many flights. It fits into airline seats fine forward facing. Unless you are flying business or first class it is not possible to install it rearfacing. While cumbersome and bulky to take, I highly recommend flying with the seat that your child is most used to, as if it increases their comfort, it is likely to help their behavior on the flight. We stopped using our seats on board just this past year when my twins wer 4, as we were returning from a ski trip where I broke my collarbone, and I didn't want my dh to have to deal with both kids, all the luggage and two carseats. When I flew solo with my boys this summer I again checked their seats, and when we boarded, they complained about not having them.

 

[justhat]

We have a Marathon and a Roundabout and flew with the Roundabout since it's smaller and easier to transport. My daughter was 9/10 months on our trips so we put it rearfacing and it fit without a problem (on Continental, Airtran, and Southwest). On one Airtran flight, the flight attendant told us the seat had to be forward facing so my husband and I said that she's under a year and only 18 pounds so she's supposed be backwards and she raised her eyes and huffed off, sent another flight attendant back who asked us if our seat was belted in and asked to see it and then walked away. I guess they thought we just rigged it in there backwards, who knows, but ultimately we left it that way and it was fine. The 2nd Airtran flight (where I was alone with my daughter because my husband and mom mistakenly were booked on a different connecting flight) the flight attendant insisted I show her the FAA sticker at the door to the plane (while carrying my infant, diaper bag, and wearing the carseat on my back in a carrying bag) or she would not let me board with it. She said she could not come to my seat to check it (though I was in the 2nd row) and I had to show her there. Talk about a hassle. And our bag is one that has to be like totally unzipped to get the seat out, so all the toys and tissues fell out all over the plane and everyone was held up. But anyway, my point is that the sticker is on the side of the seat, the right side I think. It's in red lettering on a sticker with lots of black writing about the safety of the seat, etc.

We flew with her infant seat up until Christmas since it's much lighter and easier to carry, but she hated that seat and is much happier in the Britax seats, so even though it's harder will used it. Of course soon we won't have another option as she'll be over the weight limit for her infant seat anyway (she's been over the height limit for a few months, but the car seat tech said it was fine for airplane use since she was under the weight limit).

 

[JennsBabySky]

Yes, your Marathon should fit in most planes (both forward and rear facing). The passenger in front of you might not be able to recline if the seat is rear facing, but I would still install it that way if my baby still needed the rear facing seat. Many flight attendants react poorly to a rear facing carseat (I don't think they see it very often), but in fact if your child still needs to be rear facing, it is totally legit to install it rearfacing.

Good luck,
Jennifer

 

[kldmom2000]

We just flew SWA in December and brought my 2 yr old DD"s Britax Marathon-it fit fine and because she was comfortable with her own regular carseat, she managed to nap the entire flight down and back (2.5 hours each way) which is highly unusual since she never naps!LOL!

 

[justhat]

I have to add that the person seated in front of my daughter has never been able to recline, not with the infant seat (Snugride) nor the Roundabout. I usually mention it to them now in case they want to switch to another seat (if possible) because previously people would just try to keep forcing the seat to recline while giving me dirty looks. One person even said "Your child is blocking my seat from reclining." As though I should have removed her carseat from the seat that I paid for her to have just so this woman could be more comfortable. I apologized but did not move the seat.

Also, my daughter has napped on every flight since we took her Britax seat, which shocked me after 9 months of flying with her wide awake. She even stayed up on nonstop flights from DC to Vegas and DC to Anaheim at 6 and 7 months! So it's definitely worth bringing the seat your child is most comfortable in.