emailed airtran regarding checking car seats, here's the response ....

[mommy2princesses0309]

"Car seats and strollers may be checked at the ticket counter free of charge; however, any other items would be subject to excess luggage fees (i.e. portable crib high chair...etc.)."
I emailed airtran and asked them if car seats get charged as checked baggage, apparently they are free to check. I'll be printing out the email and taking it with me when we check in, but that's good to know. I've been stressing about lugging the car seat and being charged $15 to check it, atleast it will be free

 

[savannahcat]

Airtran has always allowed us to check our car seats for free at the ticket counter. If you check in online or use the automatic kiosks, be sure not to include the car seat in your checked luggage count, or you will be charged for it.

 

[donaldsgirl]

Go ahead and check your regular baggage and keep your car seats and stroller with you and do a gate check. It is free and you can pick them up as your get off the plane. Plus you dont run the risk of your car seats coming up missing. We do that everytime we fly now.

 

[mommy2princesses0309]

I am so stressing out about how we're going to manage everything, I don't know if we could carry the car seat to the gate and gate check it. I'll talk to dh about it, since he'll be the one carrying the car seat bag. I really wish we had decided to drive since the baby is still so young but when we drive it cuts 4 days off the trip - 2 days out and 2 days back - and we didn't want to lose those days. I am sure I am stressing for nothing and it'll be fine!

 

[bumbershoot]

I'd gate-check too. Mainly because I've watched my carseat, and many other peoples' carseats, come tumbling with huge force down the conveyor belt and onto the carousel, and it makes me ill to think of what's happening to the foam underneath. Made me want to replace the seat, frankly.

Yes there are possible forces being put on the seat while being loaded into the plane, but at least you're not adding the additional forces of getting through the airports on top of that.

To get it through the airport to the gate....Just take it slow, get there well ahead of time. Don't get frantic or stressed. Just stay calm.

 

[Iggipolka]

I traveled by myself from California to WDW and checked the car seat with the rest of my luggage. I had it in a car seat bag and it came through just fine. I could not imagine hauling the car seat along with the baby, gigantic diaper bag and my carry-on, through security and to the gate. Plus, then having to haul all of that when we had to switch planes in Denver. Ugh.

On our upcoming trip to WDW, we're going to check the car seat again and just not worry about it.

 

[AmandaK]

I just e-mail them myself to get my own proof that I can take with me! Thanks for posting this info!

 

[savannahcat]

We have checked a car seat with our luggage on 24 separate flights and have never had a problem - all on Airtran except for one flight on Southwest.

 

[justhat]

We've carried many carseats to the gate and it isn't bad at all. I even did it myself with my kids, 2 carseats, and diaper bag when my kids were 2.5yo and 2 months. I brought both carseats on the plane so not carrying them wasn't an option, but if I could manage it on my own, you'll be okay with your husband to help.

 

[supersuperwendy]

That's really great to know! Thank You!

We always fly airtran and just found out today that we are taking the baby with us. My mom was going to watch her, but she unable to now. She will be 6 months old...I was thinking about just having her on my lap for the flight since it's only about 1 1/2 hr. long and gate checking her stroller. Have any of you flown with a baby on your lap before??? How did it go? I've never flown with an infant before so I'd love to hear first hand accounts!!!

 

[Iggipolka]

I flew to WDW with my then 4 month old and she did great! I held her on my lap and while it was cramped, it wasn't too uncomfortable. I did get a bulkhead seat, so that helped a lot.
I brought some toys for her to chew on, fed her often and she had a nice nap. The only tricky part was diaper changes as the plane bathrooms are super small and only one of them had a changing station in them. I ended up changing her on the toilet seat (yuck) and then her pants fell onto the floor into a puddle of someone else's pee. (GROSS). Thankfully, I brought a change of clothes for her, but it was still nasty.

I also brought a nursing cover for privacy, which also worked great to cover her up while she was napping. I wish I had brought a shirt for myself as she spit up on me towards the end of the flight, but I'm used to wearing baby spit now.

Flying with an infant is soooooo much easier than flying with a child who is mobile.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Thanks for the input Iggi!

I flew with my oldest when she was 19 months and OH BOY she was restless!

I think between myself, hubby and our two older daughters when can all take turns holding Leah!

I wonder if Airtran has a limit as to how many strollers they will gate check? Flights from Philly to Orlando tend to have lots of little ones so I imagine they get a lot of gate checked items!

 

[2thfairy]

we use air tran everytime we fly. we have checked 2 strollers and car seat at the gate check with no problems. we usually just carry the baby or now he walks and we load the stoller with the car seat. way easier to carry the baby then the car seat. I'm sure we looked like a circus amusement act with everything we had piled on the stroller but it made it way easier. Then right before we would board the plane my dh would take the car seat and one child an i would do the other or he would board first and get the seats in and then i would come in a few minutes. It was way easier then i was thinking it would be. You will do great and it always works out!!
melinda

 

[bumbershoot]

I wonder if Airtran has a limit as to how many strollers they will gate check? Flights from Philly to Orlando tend to have lots of little ones so I imagine they get a lot of gate checked items!

Gate checking just means they take the items at the gate, take them down the stairs, and put them in the cargo hold. Then at the destination they take them out, bring them up the stairs, and have them for you on the ramp. There shouldn't be a limit, as they aren't on the passenger part of the plane; they are still going into the cargo hold. They just aren't also being slammed around inside an airport!


For those holding babies on planes...my experience is...your arms will be horribly tired and you will swear to NEVER do it again.

And after having had that experience, I realized how glad I am that we had no sudden, unexpected, violent turbulence, as I would not have been able to hold onto my son, and I am sick in retrospect to think of what might have happened.

Should we have another baby, baby will be in carseat on airplane, b/c the "what ifs" I thought of after-the-fact are too scary, and the reality was really rotten (start off a big vacay to San Diego and DLR with arms that didn't feel normal for 2+ days from keeping a kidlet in lap).