Flight with almost 3 year old

[kjpotter]

I'll be taking my daughter on her first flight to Disney World. I'm trying to figure out whether I should take her car seat on the plane.

She'll be three one month after our trip. I think that she'll sit in a seat belt fine, but I'm wondering what everyone else thinks?

FYI, she's tall for her age and weighs around 32lbs.

 

[Mrs D]

I have DS4 and DD2.5,we just traveled to WDW in December and in Sept 08 (DS was 3 and DD 14 months).

Because we have no need for a car seat at WDW we do not bring them for the flight. It is a pain in the keister to lug it around for the flight only.

If we go anywhere else where I will need the seat then we always bring them and use them on the flight. DS is fine sitting in the seat now, but DD is a handful! I only did the lap baby thing on 1 flight and said it was worth it to pay for a seat!

I'd actually prefer to have DD in her car seat on the flight, but since we have NO other need for it at Disney we don't bring it.

HTH a little!

 

[kjpotter]

We are staying off site, so I'll need the car seat when we get there. I was planning on checking it.

I guess I'm most concerned about the car seat fitting. And then if she's going to easily be able to kick the seat in front on her. She's a kicker and I know that I'll be after her the entire flight.

She has her own seat paid for.

Also, I'm traveling with my 6 year old also. What would the best seat config? Should I plan on sitting in the middle?

My DH can't come this trip, so it's just me and the kids.

 

[Mrs D]

Have you flown with DD before? My DD wouldn't sit sitll wanted to be up & down in & out and when I had to buckle her back up threw a fit. That's why I wished she could have been in her own car seat.

What kind of car seat does she use? You can got to car-seat.org - a great site that give reviews on car seats. I bet you could find other people review using your brand of car seat on a flight.

Yes, she probably will be able to kick the seat. I would forewarn the person in front of her.

I would sit in between the 2 kids putting DD by the window.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

We did this on our long haul flight to WDW when DD was 20 months thinking it would be sensible for a 10 hour flight. Well the airline wouldn't let her sit on it for take off or landing as although I had phoned them in advance they then decided on the flight that the attendants didn't think it was reasonable with the harnesses or seatbelts. It then had to be stowed in the overhead locker and surprise surprise wouldn't fit (really????) obviously she didn't need to sit in it during the flight as when seatbelts were off she wandered and when they were on she wasn't allowed it. We didn't hire a car so it sat at the CSR for a week - coming home we asked them to throw it in the hold!!!

I guess that's a no from me then.

 

[Hannathy]

I would most certainly check the car seat for a couple of reasons.
1. It will be a tremendous pain in the behind to drag it thru the airport with 2 small children by yourself-believe me I KNOW btdt.
2. It will be a pin to lug onto the plane with 2 small children, carry ons etc by yourself. btdt
3. She will definitely kick the seat in front at that age and espec. if she is a kicker and warning the person in front is NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!! she can't do it, it is up to you to make her not, I don't care if it involves duct tape she can't kick the person in front. If you insist on bringing the seat then you must put your son in front of her and not disturb a perfect stranger.

At 3 she will fit in the seatbelt, mine always did and they were always small kids. give yourself a break and check the seat with the luggage.

 

[dudspizza]

I did the exact trip you are describing (DD was 1 month from being 3). We brought her car seat and regretted it. We vowed we would never bring it again..... she traveled seatbelt only from that time on and all has been great!

Duds

 

[kjpotter]

Our flight is 2.5 hours, so I think that I"m leaning toward no car seat.

I'm going to do a "practice" flight at home and walk them through what will be happening. I'll stress that you MUST stay in your seat with the seat belt fastened. If not, NO DISNEY FOR YOU!!!

 

[kenny]

we checked ours for our dd at that age but she was in a booster seat by then. Just made it easier to not have to lug the seat on the plane.

Also just note that if you bring the seat she has to sit in the window seat. FAA rule. Not sure if that makes a difference to you or not.

 

[Hannathy]

Our flight is 2.5 hours, so I think that I"m leaning toward no car seat.

I'm going to do a "practice" flight at home and walk them through what will be happening. I'll stress that you MUST stay in your seat with the seat belt fastened. If not, NO DISNEY FOR YOU!!!

Just tell them it is like the car. You have to stay in your car seat and buckled in in the car when it is moving and you have to keep your seat belt on the plane EXCEPT for going to the bathroom and always when the pilot tells you to by way of the light. Mine got so good at looking for the light that they would be buckling up and yelling at me to get mine on if I hadn't noticed the light come on. Kids feel very grown up not having to use a car seat and usually cooperate very well.

 

[gigi1313]

we checked ours for our dd at that age but she was in a booster seat by then. Just made it easier to not have to lug the seat on the plane.

Also just note that if you bring the seat she has to sit in the window seat. FAA rule. Not sure if that makes a difference to you or not.

interesting about the "FAA rule" of window seat... we were told on half of ds' 8 flights w/a carseat that he had to sit in the middle seat... the most recent a few weeks ago...
edited to add: just checked out the FAA website... it says: A CRS should be placed in a window seat so it will not block the escape path in an emergency. note it says "should" not "Must" so it's a recommendation, not a rule...

as far as the seat-kicker goes, i agree that warning the pax in front doesn't make it "okay"... perhaps you should attempt to get the bulkhead row so there is no one in front of you...

 

[kjpotter]

I'm hoping that without the car seat she cannot reach the seat in front of us as easily to kick it.

But fear not, I will make sure she is not kicking that seat if I can help it.

I'm really hoping that both girls are good.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I flew many times with my kids in the toddler and preschool years. They always did great in just the lap belt. Carseats are VERY confing and are okay for shorter distances but not so much for the duration of a flight in my opinion. I also have seen that you are correct that car seats tend to put children in very easy kicking range (even kdis who are not trying to kick have a hard time avoiding it sometimes from within a car seat). Lugging it through the airport while you are also alone with 2 kids will be no picnic either

If I were you I would check the carseat. I would also wait to board until near the end of boarding so that hte kids do not have to be still and quiet for as long. As far as how to seat yourselves: remember you can switch in fliht if needed/wanted. Sometimes I would put my two next to each other when they were little so they could play a game together (now they alwasy ask to be seated 2 nad 2 and sit together playingg cards), on other days they were not so congenial and I would sit in between. I pretty much always decided that on the spur of the moment.

Oh, and THANK YOU for being considerate of the passener in front of you.

 

[Texasmomof3]

Another thing to consider is usually with a car seat the tray table becomes useless. So if they want to color etc they have to do it in their laps. I have a 12-8 and 4 year old we usually check the carseat in order to have the traytable for the DVD player and coloring books etc. At 3 they are able to understand keeping their seatbelts on a little better than at 2.

 

[jrmo]

When we flew with my daughter at that age, she was still rear facing (most seats go to 35 pounds), and remained that way on the plane. It keeps them from kicking the seat in front of them quite effectively. It also makes it much more pleasant for them to sleep, since they are reclined, AND they are easier to entertain since they are facing you and fallen toys "fall" onto the seat, not the floor. Plus it's their own clean seat, and much safer in the event of turbulance.

Do you own a lightweight seat like the Cosco Scenera? They are GREAT for travel! They're only about $45 at Walmart if that is an option.

I personally NEVER check carseats. I've seen way too many get cracked and damaged and subsequently have to be replaced (on your dime).

 

[mwmom]

Check the car seat and take an iphone, ipod or itouch so she can watch her favorite Disney movie. That keeps my daughter from kicking. If you don't have one, see if you can buy a used ipod because they are cheap now that iphones and itouches are the thing to have. My daughter was actually too short to kick without the car seat, but could easily do it in her car seat.

 

[MycatlovesEeyore]

interesting about the "FAA rule" of window seat... we were told on half of ds' 8 flights w/a carseat that he had to sit in the middle seat... the most recent a few weeks ago...
edited to add: just checked out the FAA website... it says: A CRS should be placed in a window seat so it will not block the escape path in an emergency. note it says "should" not "Must" so it's a recommendation, not a rule...

In all of our experiences (we only fly SWA unless otherwise necessary) the carseat/booster had to be placed in the window seat. But I guess the wording of the FAA would leave it up to the flight crew. They are in charge in the sky.

That being said...I would just check the carseat and take it out of the mix. If it goes on the plane, you have to install it. Who is going to manage the kids while you are busy with that? It just seems like an awful lot of stress.