How to travel with a car seat?

[jcsbama]

Do you check the car seat with your luggage? Gate check it? Take it on the plane? If you check it, do you put it in a big plastic bag? Is there an easy way to carry it through the airport? It seems like I've seen people somehow carrying it on their backs. Is that something special to buy?

Please help! We leave in a week and this is the first plane trip with DD. She turns 2 on the 28th and will have her own seat on the plane. What would be the best thing for me to do? This is the one area I'm most nervous about on the trip and need all the advice I can get.

Thanks,
Jamie

 

[JERSEYGIRLINSI]

We traveled with a car seat for the first time with our ds 23 months in February. We took both our stroller and our car seat ...So we took the car seat & put it in the stroller through the airport. This whole process was easy for us to manage. We gate checked the stroller as we were boarding, and the car seat we took on the plane. My ds doesn't have a problem with being in his car seat, so it was not a problem with keeping him in it. We flew Jetblue, so it was all about playing with the tv buttons & eating chips he otherwise would not be able to eat. Have a great trip & don't waste time over thinking this whole process like we did.

 

[ctc917]

Babies r Us for about $20(I think) and we have been using it for our trips the last few times because my son who is 35months old now hates his car seat so we never use it on the plane but need it for the rental car.

I dont know if you can gate check it I would say most likely and if she loves her car seat you can put it in her seat and have her sit in it but it has to be a regular car seat not a booster seat. Also if you are staying on Disney and not renting a car then you most likely won't need it because I have never seen any straps on the buses. Hopes this helps

ctc917

 

[beattyfamily]

I second the carseat bag that you can get at Babies R Us for $20. I can fit both of my no back booster seats in it (or one full size carseat) and then some!

So its great for some extras on the way home after buying souvenirs! I've even fit a sleeping bag in it and our Halloween costumes.

It's great to carry the carseat through the airport and great for checking the carseat with the rest of your luggage.

 

[shafke]

I would bring the car seat on the plane. When DD was 2 she slept the entire flight down to Disney. If she were not in her car seat I doubt we would have gotten that much. As long as you car seat is FAA apporved (there will be a sticker on the seat) I would say bring it on the plane.

 

[MemaT]

My daughter has a car seat bag. We always check the car seat bag with our luggage. On the way to Disney the bag has the car seat, booster seat & lots of other stuff in it, like loads of diapers. On the way home it has the seats & things like dirty or wet clothes in big zip lock baggies. We also bring a stroller and gate check that. This is what we have done for 5 years now. My oldest granddaughter is 7, grandson is 4, youngest granddaughter is 2.