Traveling with Car Seat & Booster

[pluto10]

We are traveling SW next month and will need to bring a car seat and booster seat. I am planning on checking these things with the luggage. What is the best way to "package" them? A plastic bag? Any input from anyone with experience with this is helpful. Getting nervous about getting 3 kids through the airport smoothly!!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

A plastic bag is fine; sometimes SWA has these at the check-in desk. You can also buy car seat bags. Do use some type of protection; the seats can get really banged up. You can also gate check, if you want to carry them to the gate.

 

[jjatwdw]

When my kids were still in car seats I purchased a car seat cover. It was well worth the money. It kept the car seats safe and clean and there was always extra room so I could throw beach towels or bags of laundry in there.

 

[CarrieR]

Honestly -- I wouldn't check them at all. Car seat bags/covers/plastic bags do little to protect the seats from damage. The below video shows what happens to checked car seats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzmJr1a-BHU

The pile of items to the left of the belt, that the handler is throwing more items onto, is a pile of carseats. Yikes!

The best case scenario after checking luggage is that there is *visible* damage so that you know you need to replace the restraint -- worst case is that there is *invisible* damage and the seat fails to protect your child in the event of a crash.

When I am doing carseat checks with parents (I'm a CPST,) and am determining whether the child's safe is safe for continued use, my list includes, "Has your child's seat ever been... dropped, thrown, checked on a plane..." It just subjects the seat to damage and stresses it is not intended to endure (outside of crash situations, after which it should be replaced.) Not a gamble I'm willing to take with my child's life.

What is the age of the child in the carseat? Assuming the ages of the children in your sig are correct and it's your 3yo, I would carry the seat on the plane with you and use it. For the booster, if it is backless, I would carry it on the plane and stow it in the overhead bin. If it has a back, you can pack the back, well-padded, in luggage. You can strap the car seat to a rolling luggage cart, or attach it to a rolling carryon with something like a Travelling Toddler or Go-Go Kidz Travelmate, allowing your youngest child to ride in it through the airport.

I know that's not the info you asked for -- but hopefully you understand why I provided it and it is helpful to you.