How do you pack up your carseat to check it on the plane?

[PEANUT1]

While I don't agree w/ having your 3yo in a booster, you can't use it on the plane so you have no choice but to pack it elsewhere. I'd personally put it in a bag and count it as a carryon. For the baby though, if there are open seats or she has her own ticket, it's much safer to have her in her seat and you will all probably enjoy the trip more. If you can't get it on the plane, I'd gate check it. It reduces the times it's handled and reduces the chances of it being lost. All 3 of my kids are still harnessed and all 3 of their seats will be on the plane, though we may just put AJ's in the storage bins.

I appreciate everyone's concern abou t a 3 year old in a booster. She will be 4 in December and is 40 pounds and 95% for height. The pediatrician said she can be in a booster (with a back of course). Also, different states have different rules in regards to this. I would NEVER do anything that would cause harm to my child.

 

[dhardawa]

I appreciate everyone's concern abou t a 3 year old in a booster. She will be 4 in December and is 40 pounds and 95% for height. The pediatrician said she can be in a booster (with a back of course). Also, different states have different rules in regards to this. I would NEVER do anything that would cause harm to my child.

Let me point out a couple of things. First, pediatricians are not car seat experts. Most know nothing about car seats and hand out some scary information. Second, state laws have nothing to do with keeping your child safe. Some states let 3 year olds ride with no seat. At her age, she is simply not mature enough to sit properly every second of every trip. Also, at 3 1/2 the bones in her spine and pelvis have not completely hardened so it is questionable as how her body would withstand crash forces. At her age, she needs to be in a five point restraint.

 

[dhardawa]

Just a quick note. Bags on car seats DO NOT protect them from the real damage in a plane which is damage to the shell of the seat. They don't help when the seat is dropped, when heavy items are piled on top of it stressing the plastic, or when it is run over by the luggage cart (yep, I've seen this one with my own two eyes). Sure, it may be cleaner, but it may also be destroyed.

 

[jodifla]

I appreciate everyone's concern abou t a 3 year old in a booster. She will be 4 in December and is 40 pounds and 95% for height. The pediatrician said she can be in a booster (with a back of course). Also, different states have different rules in regards to this. I would NEVER do anything that would cause harm to my child.

Good luck. It's impossible on these boards to please a lot of the car seat extremists.

For us, we gate checked car seats when we didn't use them on the plane, without any covering, and I put the booster seat in a plain duffle bag I got from the Army-Navy surplus stores and checked it through.

 

[Colinsmom]

I'd find a way to bring them on the plane if you can, or be prepared to invoke "plan b" if they don't arrive with you. We fly maybe 2x per year with the kids, and have had problems with both gate-checked items and baggage-checked items. The first time, on American, our stroller was gate-checked but arrived in Orlando over 48hrs after we did. The second time, on Southwest, our infant car seat base was baggage-checked (I used the carrier on the plane for the baby) and the base arrived in Chicago a day after we did (I knew how to use the seat without a base as a back-up).

The airlines will give loaners if your gear doesn't show up with you, but they are old and grungy IME and may not even be the right type of seat for your kids.

 

[Mommyoftwo]

We pack our car seats in car seat bags that we purchased from Babies R Us. Love them! And they have never counted as "check-in" pieces when we check them at the ticket counter or curb side. We always fly Northwest, so I don't know what other airlines do. And we always have extra room in the bags. So a few times when our luggage has been over the 50lb weight rule, we've been able to take some clothes out of the suitecase and put in the car seat bag, at no charge. They encourage you to do that. And on the way home, it's easy to put things in that car seat bag that didn't go down with you (souvenirs) and won't fit in your luggage!

 

[PEANUT1]

Let me point out a couple of things. First, pediatricians are not car seat experts. Most know nothing about car seats and hand out some scary information. Second, state laws have nothing to do with keeping your child safe. Some states let 3 year olds ride with no seat. At her age, she is simply not mature enough to sit properly every second of every trip. Also, at 3 1/2 the bones in her spine and pelvis have not completely hardened so it is questionable as how her body would withstand crash forces. At her age, she needs to be in a five point restraint.

I respectfully disagree.

 

[PEANUT1]

thank you very much to everyone for your help.

 

[teresajoy]

Let me point out a couple of things. First, pediatricians are not car seat experts. Most know nothing about car seats and hand out some scary information. Second, state laws have nothing to do with keeping your child safe. Some states let 3 year olds ride with no seat. At her age, she is simply not mature enough to sit properly every second of every trip. Also, at 3 1/2 the bones in her spine and pelvis have not completely hardened so it is questionable as how her body would withstand crash forces. At her age, she needs to be in a five point restraint.

I completely agree with you. I guess I am one of those car seat extremest. I can think of worse things to be! I became one after watching these videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw
Just watch them.

What breaks my heart is that these familes thought they were doing all they could to keep their children safe. Have your Kleenex ready.

 

[jodifla]

I completely agree with you. I guess I am one of those car seat extremest. I can think of worse things to be! I became one after watching these videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw
Just watch them.

What breaks my heart is that these familes thought they were doing all they could to keep their children safe. Have your Kleenex ready.

Yeah, I've watched them, and I can't believe how people allow themselves to be so totally manipulated by overwrought sensationalism.

But I guess that's why advertising works so well.

 

[AuroraBeauty]

Many flight attendants will likely have your car seat/booster gate checked and not allow it to be put in an overhead bin. Check with your airline!

We use this cover: http://www.barebabies.com/j-l-childress-car-seat-gate-check-bag.html

It's easy to see so it isn't accidentally forgotten. I added a shoulder strap to it so it can be carried over the shoulder since car/booster seats are somewhat bulky anyway.

Hope this helps.

 

[thepeach80]

Yeah, I've watched them, and I can't believe how people allow themselves to be so totally manipulated by overwrought sensationalism.

But I guess that's why advertising works so well.

Yup, that's why I'm a carseat tech, I love the sensationalism, oh an I'm an extremist b/c I care about my children and other people's as well. So be it I guess. Good thing most people don't 'but into' those stories and still choose to use their carseat wrong, we wouldn't want them to make their kids safer b/c they saw one of those videos.

 

[PEANUT1]

I completely agree with you. I guess I am one of those car seat extremest. I can think of worse things to be! I became one after watching these videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw
Just watch them.

What breaks my heart is that these familes thought they were doing all they could to keep their children safe. Have your Kleenex ready.

those video's were very sad. they seemed like they were adverstisements. I am not sure how I feel about it.

 

[all4fun]

those video's were very sad. they seemed like they were adverstisements. I am not sure how I feel about it.

The first one is about Kyle Miller. His parents started a charitable foundation called the Kyle David Miller foundation and they rely solely on donations so that they can provide low income families with higher weight limit car seats. Their site is www.kyledavidmiller.org and there is a lot of information there why a 5pt harness is safest.

Anyway, I think this thread definitely got a little off the track of what you intended however speaking for myself, my intent was not to make anyone feel bad but just pass along some information. Sure your dc is technically big enough for a booster but it's not the safEST option for her, kwim? According to SafeKids.org Car accidents are the leading cause of accidental death in children under 14 so you can bet my ds will be in a car seat w/5pt harness until he no longer fits in one (and then he'll ride in a booster until he passes the 5 step test for riding in just the adult seatbelt). Ultimately it's the parents decision but the way I look at it, riding in a car is the most dangerous thing my ds does and he does it almost every day, so why wouldn't I do as much as possible to keep him safe? JMO

 

[teresajoy]

Yup, that's why I'm a carseat tech, I love the sensationalism, oh an I'm an extremist b/c I care about my children and other people's as well. So be it I guess. Good thing most people don't 'but into' those stories and still choose to use their carseat wrong, we wouldn't want them to make their kids safer b/c they saw one of those videos.

It amazes me at the number of children who are put in their seats wrong, straps falling off their child's shoulders, and the seats moving all over the place. I went to a seat check the other year. I was the last one that they checked, and they told me that I was the ONLY one they'd seen all day that had the seats installed correctly. They told me that I should become a carseat tech as well. It made me feel good on one hand that I had done it right, but I was worried about all the other kids riding around not fully protected.

those video's were very sad. they seemed like they were adverstisements. I am not sure how I feel about it.

Their children died, and they are just trying to get the word out about something that would have saved them. Not an advertisement, just grieving parents trying to help others.
(see quote below)

The first one is about Kyle Miller. His parents started a charitable foundation called the Kyle David Miller foundation and they rely solely on donations so that they can provide low income families with higher weight limit car seats. Their site is www.kyledavidmiller.org and there is a lot of information there why a 5pt harness is safest.

Anyway, I think this thread definitely got a little off the track of what you intended however speaking for myself, my intent was not to make anyone feel bad but just pass along some information. Sure your dc is technically big enough for a booster but it's not the safEST option for her, kwim? According to SafeKids.org Car accidents are the leading cause of accidental death in children under 14 so you can bet my ds will be in a car seat w/5pt harness until he no longer fits in one (and then he'll ride in a booster until he passes the 5 step test for riding in just the adult seatbelt). Ultimately it's the parents decision but the way I look at it, riding in a car is the most dangerous thing my ds does and he does it almost every day, so why wouldn't I do as much as possible to keep him safe? JMO

That is really well said.

And, make sure you use that tether strap in the car guys!

 

[teresajoy]

I was just wondering though, to the pp who said that they've seen carseat mishandled at the airport. Do you have any suggestions for transporting my dd's Regent? I can't use it on the plane, it's not certified for that. Now, I'm worried what I'm going to do with it.

 

[thepeach80]

I was just wondering though, to the pp who said that they've seen carseat mishandled at the airport. Do you have any suggestions for transporting my dd's Regent? I can't use it on the plane, it's not certified for that. Now, I'm worried what I'm going to do with it.

The safest (definitely not easiest) would be to gate check. Though b/c of it's sheer size and weight, they're going to less likely to handle that one as rough as my 11# Scenera we use when travelling.