Checking Car Seats, Q about TED

[schlepsnort]

I've looked at the United website and it's about as clear as mud. I hate to call because I always get the one person that barely speaks intelligable English.
So hopefully someone here can help!
We are going to be renting a car and bringing our 6mo old's own car seat for use in the rental. How do I need to package the car seat in order to check it in? In a bag ( a clear one I'm guessing?) in a box? Not on a fox but would it eat lox? oh sorry couldn't resist.

Also has anyone flown with an infant on TED and used the infantino type baby carriers, was this ok with them? I read online that they say no but I am not sure as to why?

TIA!

 

[Tara]

Did you purchase a ticket for the baby? If so, then you'll want to carry the seat on board as a ticketed child under 2 must be in a car seat. If you *didn't* purchase a ticket, you might consider taking the seat with you to the gate area anyway. Once you get to the gate, let the gate agent know you are flying with an unticketed infant -- if the flight isn't full, it is my experience that they will do what they can to move you so that you have a seat for the baby and can use the seat. If it is full, you can simply gate check the seat.

That said, there are bags sold for car seats to be carried/transported in. I know for sure that Target sells them for $19.99 as I just bought a new one last week for my son's booster seat. Some airports will also have big heavy-gauge plastic bags to put car seats in, but be warned that a) not all airlines in all airports will have them in stock and b) they don't necessarily hold up all that well. In June we had an emergency situation on a trip to SC and had to check my son's car seat without the usual bag. The airline bag was torn in half when we arrived, and when we were returning home, the SC airport didn't have the bags at all. Well, the US Air counter didn't.

As for the infantino-type carrier -- are you talking about a front carrier? If so, the FAA is pretty clear that they are not allowed during take-off and landing. This is one that I've actually seen enforced a number of times. My hunch is that Ted won't allow you to use one, but I could be wrong.

 

[funcinderella]

We flew Delta last year and I never even thought about a bag. I just handed it to them (this was a booster seat). I think they did wrap them in some type of plastic though when I retrieved them.

 

[seashoreCM]

Let's start a fad!

If the customer service agent appears not to speak English and appears not to understand your question, repeat the question using the same words in the same order. The aim is to get the person whom you first talked to to fetch a supervisor without your asking*.

If you are not renting a car and don't need a child seat on the plane, you don't need to bring the child seat at all.

Advantages of bringing the child seat all the way to the gate:
(1) mentioned above RE: non-full flights,
(2) If you have to check the child seat it won't count against your free baggage allowance.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

*Also has the beneficial long term effect of making heads upstairs roll regarding the undesirable practice of hiring into front line customer service positions people who cannot communicate readily with customers.