Help with transport of 4 kids in carseats?!?!

[mommy.foster.6]

I wish you luck, that is a LOT of kiddos to handle and car seats to deal with. I didn't read the whole thread, but you can use bungee cords to attach the car seats to the carryon luggage to cart around the airport. I've done that before.

OK now first off before I start with the rest of this info I want to say that I'm a child passenger safety technician for SafeKids USA, so when I give an opinion on the rest of the situation its my professional opinion on the safety of the options I know you're deciding on. I know that it is a huge hassle to bring seats rather than rent, but I highly recommend NOONE ever rents from a company....you have absolutely no idea how those seats were treated, cared for, and whether or not they've already been in a collision. There is no way to visually inspect them and know that they are *safe*, its just not possible. We have people ask us all the time to *inspect* their seats....we can't do it....there could be weak plastic, or other issues and you wouldn't know it until it was too late and the seat failed to protect a child. This also doesn't account for the fact that car seat rental companies are not well known for checking recalls, expired seats etc. In fact out of curiosity on my last trip i checked out the rental car seats and out of the 5 seats, 3 of the offered ones were expired.
Ok so for the airport, I did read that you said you are having lap babies......obviously you've already bought your tickets and whats done is done but lap babies are extremely dangerous. Not only for them, but for other passengers as well. So if you must have a lap child, and are bringing along the car seats please please check them at the gate and NOT with your checked luggage. While neither option is *ideal* this is the lesser of two evils. The way they toss around checked luggage is the equivalent of being in a low impact collision and you have no idea what kind of damage could be done or how the seat will perform afterwards. As a CPST we never recommend checking a car seat. The gate it will be tossed around too, but not as badly....and try to put it in a carrying case if possible with some padding.

Like I said this is just my 2 cents, as a professional......so take it for what its worth and i hope you have a great trip!

 

[imtheluckyone]

I am feeling really overwhelmed! Lots of great information in this thread.
dates for rental vehicle(s) would be May 4-13 if anyone knows of a great deal. I am not sure I can justify $600 + in rental vehicles plus parking, tolls, gas, etc. There is definately value to not taking multiple strollers and kids on the hotel shuttle to the parks but I am willing to live with this to save myself $500. Van service from the airport to resort (roundtrip) is going to be about $150.
We have never put our children in carseats on the plane while flying in the past. I agree it's probably safer than sitting in the seat with a seatbelt, but is it really necessary? My line of thinking is that if the plane is going down, a carseat is not really going to change the outcome, right? I guess maybe the carseat would be helpful in the event of heavy turbulence?
So if we decide not to put the kiddos in carseats on the plane then I think I will buy inexpensive new carseats to be used in FL. Do you think I could order them online and just have them delivered to the towncar/van transport or rental car company? Honestly I can buy Costco or Evenflo seat for about the same cost to rent a carseat anyway. Then just donate the seats when we are done.

 

[ccgirl]

I am feeling really overwhelmed! Lots of great information in this thread.
dates for rental vehicle(s) would be May 4-13 if anyone knows of a great deal. I am not sure I can justify $600 + in rental vehicles plus parking, tolls, gas, etc. There is definately value to not taking multiple strollers and kids on the hotel shuttle to the parks but I am willing to live with this to save myself $500. Van service from the airport to resort (roundtrip) is going to be about $150.
We have never put our children in carseats on the plane while flying in the past. I agree it's probably safer than sitting in the seat with a seatbelt, but is it really necessary? My line of thinking is that if the plane is going down, a carseat is not really going to change the outcome, right? I guess maybe the carseat would be helpful in the event of heavy turbulence? So if we decide not to put the kiddos in carseats on the plane then I think I will buy inexpensive new carseats to be used in FL. Do you think I could order them online and just have them delivered to the towncar/van transport or rental car company? Honestly I can buy Costco or Evenflo seat for about the same cost to rent a carseat anyway. Then just donate the seats when we are done.

No need to feel overwhelmed. You will be just fine!

Bolded mine. That is exactly why, turbulence. In turbulence. the seat belts fit us adults properly. However, with a small child the seat belts don't really fit tight enough to keep them from getting tossed around. I will check out car prices for those dates now and post back. I justify the rental cost because my time is money and I want to be on my own time table. I don't have to wait around for shuttles or stand on busses. Some people don't mind though. In addition, I like to venture off property and be able to pick up things we forgot to pack for a reasonable price.

3 adults to 5 children is still a good ratio. That is fewer than 2 children per adult. I have flown with two toddlers (with car seats and strollers) by myself and managed just fine. As others have said, use the stroller to hold the car seat. Another option is to extend the harness all the way out and wear the car seat as a backpack with the back of the car seat resting on your back. That is the method I chose and it worked well. I used the car seats on the plane. It's a lot easier keeping them strapped in their seat than trying to sit in the seatbelt. Not to mention safer. When I did have a lap baby, I gate checked the car seat as well as the stroller.
Hope this helps.

ETA: you can get two SUV's for $250 each using BCD D454300 and coupon MUWZ023 though budget. SO, it would be $500 for the two vehicles. We always rent a car and I have never had to put more than 1/4 tank of gas in.

 

[imtheluckyone]

No need to feel overwhelmed. You will be just fine!

Bolded mine. That is exactly why, turbulence. In turbulence. the seat belts fit us adults properly. However, with a small child the seat belts don't really fit tight enough to keep them from getting tossed around. I will check out car prices for those dates now and post back. I justify the rental cost because my time is money and I want to be on my own time table. I don't have to wait around for shuttles or stand on busses. Some people don't mind though. In addition, I like to venture off property and be able to pick up things we forgot to pack for a reasonable price.

3 adults to 5 children is still a good ratio. That is fewer than 2 children per adult. I have flown with two toddlers (with car seats and strollers) by myself and managed just fine. As others have said, use the stroller to hold the car seat. Another option is to extend the harness all the way out and wear the car seat as a backpack with the back of the car seat resting on your back. That is the method I chose and it worked well. I used the car seats on the plane. It's a lot easier keeping them strapped in their seat than trying to sit in the seatbelt. Not to mention safer. When I did have a lap baby, I gate checked the car seat as well as the stroller.
Hope this helps.

ETA: you can get two SUV's for $250 each using BCD D454300 and coupon MUWZ023 though budget. SO, it would be $500 for the two vehicles. We always rent a car and I have never had to put more than 1/4 tank of gas in.

Thank you! I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Those rental rates are very good! I think I might be convinced to rent cars at that price...

 

[ccgirl]

Thank you! I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Those rental rates are very good! I think I might be convinced to rent cars at that price...

Little ones schedules can be so unpredictable, as you know, so we appreciate the flexibility the rental car gives.

I wish you a magical, and relaxing, trip.!

 

[pooch]

Little ones schedules can be so unpredictable, as you know, so we appreciate the flexibility the rental car gives.

I wish you a magical, and relaxing, trip.!

where on Cape Cod you live? My DBr lives in Teaticket (Falmouth) and I spend a great deal of time there!!

 

[ccgirl]

where on Cape Cod you live? My DBr lives in Teaticket (Falmouth) and I spend a great deal of time there!!

I'm about 15/20 mintues from there. Love the Cape. Can't imagine living anywhere else, even with the summer traffic.

 

[pooch]

I'm about 15/20 mintues from there. Love the Cape. Can't imagine living anywhere else, even with the summer traffic.

I have a summer home there (but let DBr live in it year round!!). He's been there so long, I know all the ways (when there are ways) around the summer traffic, feel like a local!!