Help re: Airtran!!!

[Momsquared]

Hi there!
Hoping someone can help me...
We're flying Airtran from Buffalo to Orlando next Saturday
Couple of questions...
I'm assuming it's okay to take a stroller on the flight with us? Can it come with carry on luggage or does it have to be checked? Mine is a Sit and Stand type ( not an umbrella stroller). Should I get an umbrella one or get one once I'm there?
We're wanting to bring our car seat on the plane for our 2.5 year old son. He would never sit otherwise!!!! Also have a rental car and want to use our own seat. Anyone have any issues with this?
I seem to be coming up with things to worry about!!! Any help would be great... THANKS!!!!

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

Airtran will gate check your stroller for you, so that way you can keep the kids in it until just before you board the plane. Then it will be waiting for you on the walkway when you exit the plane. That's what they did for us....

You should have no problem with the car seat since you paid for your sons
seat. Our DS will be 3 in November, and I think that I will be bringing his car seat too. He is a real little rascal, and I can't see him sitting there unstrapped for 2.5 hrs We are not renting a car though so his seat will just sit in our room... I hope that this helps. And enjoy your trip, are you stying at a hotel in Buffalo the night before? That's what we will be doing, just to start our vacation 1 day earlier Again have a great trip!!!

 

[Momsquared]

That does help, thanks!
I've flown with a stroller before, but a much longer flight and I wanted to make sure!
My little guy will be 3 in September and there's NO way he'll sit!!! My sister-in-law thinks I'm nuts, but I think the car seat will save us from nagging the whole flight!!!
Thanks for the help... feeling a bit better now (maybe I can finally go to sleep!!)
Enjoy your trip! It's our first time there as a family... can't wait!!!!!

 

[encinc]

Kudos to you for taking the seat on board. I wouldn't travel any other way with my kids, both for safety and for convenience.

On one of our recent Airtran flights, I was asked to show the sticker that shows that the carseat is approved for use on airplanes. Canadian seats don't have the exact sticker they are looking for, but all harnessed seats that are approved for use in Canada are approved for airline use as well. The FA reluctantly let me use the seat on board when I explained that. On the next flight, I showed the Canadian approval sticker, and had the manual open to the page where it says that the seat is approved for airline use. No further questions were asked of me.

Just a heads up, that you may want to have the manual available. FAA regulations clearly state that carseats approved by a foreign regulatory body can be used on board (and the maple leaf sticker on our seats show that they are CMVSS approved), so we Canadians are definitely allowed to use our seats on US airplanes. We just mess with the FAs "script" a bit, so it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

If you want more info about traveling with carseats, there's lots of info at www.car-seat.org.

 

[Jenroc]

I would like to offer a piece of advice in regards to strollers ..... I would buy/borrow an unbrella stroller. You will find if you are using WDW transportation they will require you to fold up all strollers most of the time -- especailly when it seems the most inconvenient to you (parks closings, early morning etc). This is for the safety of all passengers and to move as many people onto the bus as possible. The umbrella stroller is a breeze to handle comapre to the others ..... I did the other with a 7 month old. It was not a fun activity, day in, day out and when you have pacakages it is even worse !!!

But that being said ..... hope you have a "mic-tastic" time !!!!

 

[Momsquared]

Thanks for all of the info and advice! I will definitely be prepared now!
Can't believe we leave in 4 days!!!!