Travelling with carseats on the plane?

[pooh136]

We will be bringing and using our carseats on the plane when we go to Disney this weekend. My oldest just turned 3, and rides FF in a Radian 65, and my youngest is 21 months and is still RF in a Britax Marathon. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice for installing on the plane, and the logistics of getting both seats on/off the plane. We are flying Southwest if that makes a difference.

I remember reading somewhere before about having to flip the belt before buckling in the seat, to make it easier to unbuckle after the flight. I'm just used to installing the seats with LATCH and am a little worried about getting a good install using the seatbelt.

Should I have my RF DD sit behind my FF DD so that it doesn't effect the person in front being able to recline their seat? Or should I have my RF DD sit in front of my FF DD so that if she kicks the seat in front of her it is just her sister? Should we all get on the plane together, or is it better to have one parent go ahead and install the seats before the kids get on the plane?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[mom2faith]

MAKE SURE YOUR CAR SEAT IS APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT!!!

That is my only tip. Ours was not and we were forced to leave it behind with my parents (thank goodness they dropped us off at the airport). When we got to Orlando we had to go to Walmart and buy a booster seat for DD.

It was also not approved for Aircraft and was not approved in Canada, so we left it behind - what a waste!!

Good luck!!

Amy

 

[MegaDisney]

MAKE SURE YOUR CAR SEAT IS APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT!!!

That is my only tip. Ours was not and we were forced to leave it behind with my parents (thank goodness they dropped us off at the airport). When we got to Orlando we had to go to Walmart and buy a booster seat for DD.

It was also not approved for Aircraft and was not approved in Canada, so we left it behind - what a waste!!

Good luck!!

Amy

A booster seat requires both a lap and shoulder belt to work- that is why they are not approved for aircraft use. Why didn't you just check it? The 2 carseats the OP uses are harnessed seats and they are both approved for aircrafts (we have flown many times with the Marathon).

OP, I would definately have one adult go on first with the seats (if you can swing it). Do you have any extra adults traveling with you, or is it just you and DH? The reason being is that it's nice to have someone install the seats without the kids squirming all over you. Then whoever stays outside with the kiddos can board a few minutes later and you can strap them right in. This could be difficult if it is just you and DH though- those seats are big and bulky to be getting on the plane at the same time!

 

[tloveswdw]

Your seats are FAA approved...

So, you will have to carry them slightly above the top of the seats, that is the hardest part We traveled less than a month ago, four children, two car seats... totally worth it They were safe, and comfy.

We used Kidz Gogo and we had 10+ people asked where we got them... they were fabulous, and you can strap them right into the airplane seat.

I FF faced, but really reclind my nearly one year old, as I could not get a good fit, and the seat infront of us could not recline, or reclined and lifted up the seat. With no tether option, I decided FF was a better option for us.

Turn the seat clip, and it will be fine...

GL

 

[NotUrsula]

We will be bringing and using our carseats on the plane when we go to Disney this weekend. My oldest just turned 3, and rides FF in a Radian 65, and my youngest is 21 months and is still RF in a Britax Marathon. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice for installing on the plane, and the logistics of getting both seats on/off the plane. We are flying Southwest if that makes a difference.

I remember reading somewhere before about having to flip the belt before buckling in the seat, to make it easier to unbuckle after the flight. I'm just used to installing the seats with LATCH and am a little worried about getting a good install using the seatbelt.

Should I have my RF DD sit behind my FF DD so that it doesn't effect the person in front being able to recline their seat? Or should I have my RF DD sit in front of my FF DD so that if she kicks the seat in front of her it is just her sister? Should we all get on the plane together, or is it better to have one parent go ahead and install the seats before the kids get on the plane?

Thanks in advance for any help!

If the kids can walk on reins through the airport, you can put the carseats on their buggies; otherwise, you would be wise to buy a carseat satchel with backpack straps so that you can carry them (they should be able to nest in the bag.) If you have to carry them, I'd consider leaving the Britax and Radian at home, and purchasing a couple of Sceneras for the trip -- the Britax and Radian weigh a ton, and your back will be darned sore when you are done. Not to mention the difficulty of maneuvering such large seats down the aircraft aisle.

There are also a couple of frame attachments that you can put on the carseat to roll them, but as you'll presumably have only two adults in the party, be careful how many rolling things you try to take through the airport; you only have so many hands.

The seats have to go through the x-ray scanner.

It would be very difficult for one adult to carry on two carseats for installation, though that would be good in order to avoid injuring other passengers while carrying them onboard. The best way to carry them to avoid hitting anyone is to hold them upside-down, like the numbr 7. The thing is that while a man will normally be able to carry them overhead more easily, a woman will normally be better able to install them, because of the small space available to maneuver. I'd get on all together, with Dad carrying the seats and you leading the kiddies, then put the kiddies in one row while you install in the other, then switch the other child while Dad switches up a row.

Your younger one can be front-facing on the plane if you like; it is not nearly as important to rear-face past one year on an aircraft. It is also not really important to get the kind of tight fit that you want in a car. (You needn't kneel in the seat to get it really tight.) Flipping the buckle one-half twist will make removal easier, because that will have the lift of the buckle facing the rear of the aircraft rather than the rear of the carseat shell. The easiest way to get a good fit is to recline the aircraft seat all the way, buckle in the seat, then pull the aircraft seat back upright.

Both carseats must be in the window position if you have two adults travelling, and you cannot sit in the rows directly in front of or behind the exit row. Also avoid sitting in the rear row against the wall -- if the buckle of the carseat gets stuck you want to be able to go around behind the seat to reach up to undo it.

 

[mom2faith]

A booster seat requires both a lap and shoulder belt to work- that is why they are not approved for aircraft use. Why didn't you just check it? The 2 carseats the OP uses are harnessed seats and they are both approved for aircrafts (we have flown many times with the Marathon).

Umm....I never claimed to know anything about this, other than to check. We made an error and assumed that we could bring our seat with us. As for the one we bought in Florida, we knew that one was going to stay behind no matter what as none of them are stickered "Approved in Canada", and although it may be "safe" without the stickers it is not legal.


Never said the OP could or could not take her seats, just advised her to check and it looks as though many people are able to assist her.

No need to get catty now.

 

[marlynnp]

MAKE SURE YOUR CAR SEAT IS APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT!!!

That is my only tip. Ours was not and we were forced to leave it behind with my parents (thank goodness they dropped us off at the airport). When we got to Orlando we had to go to Walmart and buy a booster seat for DD.

It was also not approved for Aircraft and was not approved in Canada, so we left it behind - what a waste!!

Good luck!!

Amy

You can have them gate checked and taken with you to use in your car.

 

[mom2faith]

You can have them gate checked and taken with you to use in your car.

For some reason Northwest refused to Gate Check the car seat on the way down and we already had our limit of "free" bags (no longer free ) They were willing to check it and charge us the $25 fee each way - which is $50 total. We just bought a very simple booster (backless) from Walmart for $16 in Florida. DD was "on the bubble" for being safe in it. She was right height and weight, but I did not like it and this was not what she was using yet at home (she is now).

Again, when we bought the one in Florida, we could have brought it home, but it is not legally usable in Canada. We checked and the only approved stickers were for the US.

Anyways, it was just a tip so she could avoid the hassle when she got to the gate

Amy

 

[tloveswdw]

You can have two car seat in the same row, (BTDT four flights in the past few weeks, and the past 5+ years )... they will not allow more than one lap child in a row though.

 

[woodkins]

We used our Britax marathon on the plane when my daughter was younger and never had a problem. The flight attendents were always more than willing to help with the install and most times shooed us out of the way and installed it themselves. DD is now 6 and we check her booster car seat with our luggage with no problems. We fly Southwest from NY to MCO 2-3 times per yr and have never had an issue.

 

[NotUrsula]

You can have two car seat in the same row, (BTDT four flights in the past few weeks, and the past 5+ years )... they will not allow more than one lap child in a row though.

Yes, it's legal to put two in one row (window and middle), but most airlines will prefer that you do not do so unless you have more carseat-using children than adults.

In an emergency evacuation it is much safer to have an adult sitting directly next to each child, so as to free them quickly from the carseat and get them off the plane ASAP.

 

[mom2faith]

NotUrsula - I should've checked with you before we left - LOL!!! You are very good at all of this Thank you for being an asset to the DIS!!

Amy

 

[Kim68]

In December of 2007, we brought a car seat for the plane. We flew Air Tran. We orginally placed the seat in the middle of us (two adults). They told us it needed to be in the window so the adults could get across.

On our return trip, the flight attendant gave us a seatbelt extender to aid in installing the car seat. It was SOOOO much easier. It gave us extra length to work with and therefore we were able to get a better and tight fit.

Good luck!

 

[brergnat]

We just flew Southwest.

We have two kids, both in carseats still. We had one child (the older one) fly without the carseat, since it was a short flight. We brought the other carseat onto the plane for the 3y/o.

We have a Radian 80, which we brought on the first flight.

We also have a Britax Roundabout, which we brought on the return flight (after dealing with the Radian on the first flight, we decided to use the Britax on the return, because the Radian was a pain in the 'you know what' to lug through the airport).

SOUTHWEST's policy re: carseats is that the carseat MUST go in a window seat. Period. So, you and your DH will sit in two separate rows.

You probably won't be able to Rear Face the carseat on the plane. There's really no need to do that, and the seat will probably not even fit that way. Just put it FF.

They are VERY easy to install using the seatbelt. Just put it through where the LATCH belt is located on both seats (the same pass through).

 

[Phalene]

If you can have one adult go first and install the seats it does make it easier. When I was traveling with my mother and my 2 kids I went first. When I got to the plane the flight attendent said she couldn't leave the plane, but if I could hand her one of the seats she could carry it to our row for me.

 

[tanyaandallie]

If you have 2 rows I would have your ff dd sit in front of your rf dd. That way the rf seat is not an issue. You will need to flip the buckle so that it unbuckles more easily. Or you could request a seat belt extender.

I leave my dh with the kids and board early with car seats. Get them installed and have dh come with the kids as late as possible so they don't get antsy on the plane.

Getting the seats through the airport can be a pain. We use carseat bags but a luggage cart would work great. If you travel much at all the GoGo Kidz would be a good investment.

Do you have a baby carrier? I usually wore ds on my back to make things easier. DD walked.

 

[Mom2m&k]

I have used carseats on planes many times. We found the radian much easier to install on the plane then the Britax Marathon. We used carriers for the seats through the airport and DH always went in ahead to install them. The only time I have really had any problem was the first time on Southwest when we installed the Marathon rear-facing ..which was recommended on their website. The flight attendant made us switch it around ...I won't get into all the drama of it...but needless to say there was a letter written to Southwest in which they responded with an apology and a nice baby blanket and indicated that I was correct and the flight attendent was wrong and the carseat could/should have been rear facing for my 4mo old. We have traveled many times with 2 kids and 2 carseats and it is fine. Just give yourself enough time to get through and ignore people who give you dirty looks behind you at security!! Have a great vacation.

 

[tanyaandallie]

I have used carseats on planes many times. We found the radian much easier to install on the plane then the Britax Marathon. We used carriers for the seats through the airport and DH always went in ahead to install them. The only time I have really had any problem was the first time on Southwest when we installed the Marathon rear-facing ..which was recommended on their website. The flight attendant made us switch it around ...I won't get into all the drama of it...but needless to say there was a letter written to Southwest in which they responded with an apology and a nice baby blanket and indicated that I was correct and the flight attendent was wrong and the carseat could/should have been rear facing for my 4mo old. We have traveled many times with 2 kids and 2 carseats and it is fine. Just give yourself enough time to get through and ignore people who give you dirty looks behind you at security!! Have a great vacation.

WOW. They made you ff your 4 mos old? UGH. I swear the whole flying thing makes me nuts. You are sort of at the mercy of the flight attendants. If you pitch too much of a fit they can boot you off of the plane!!! Then you miss your entire vacation.

 

[erin327]

We flew Southwest a few weeks ago with my 22 month old rear facing in her Britax Roundabout.

We had no problems installing the seat rear facing on the plane. The seat in front of her would not recline (at least not much), but no one said anything on either leg of the flight. I have always found when installing it rear facing that a belt extender doesn't help me and it isn't necessary to flip the buckle. I think those are maybe tips for forward facing.

I carried the seat over my head and down the aisle of the plane. I think it would be really hard for one person to handle both seats down the narrow aisles.

The length of the fixed end of the plane seat belt made it so that the buckle was sort of under her leg under the seat padding. This bothered her a little bit at first. We used a blanket of hers tucked under one leg a little to give her some relief or at least she thought it helped.

 

[pooh136]

We plan on putting both of the carseats in the stroller travel bag (since the Radian can fold down they both fit), and DH will carry them while I push the girls in the stroller. Then we can swap out the carseats for the stroller to protect it when we gate check it. Unfortunately, it is just me and my DH so we will have to manage getting everything through the airport and on the plane ourselves.

I know that someone had recommended a Scenera as a lighter alternative, and I could borrow one from a friend for my youngest DD to use, but I'm concerned about getting a good install RF, both on the plane and in our rental car. My older DD has already outgrown the Scenera by height, and weighed in at 39.5 pounds yesterday at her 3 yr. checkup, so she needs the Radian.

I really feel strongly about keeping my younger DD RF, I know that she will be more comfortable and likely to fall asleep. I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but here is some info for anyone that might be interested on why RF is even more important on a plane, because the seats are so close together. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplaneRF.aspx

I think that we'll put our RF DD behind our FF DD, and DH will just have to make sure she doesn't kick the seat in front of her. We're hoping that they'll both sleep anyway, since we'll be travelling at nap time on the way there, and bedtime on the way home. I guess we'll have to see at the gate if they seem willing to help with getting one of the seats on the plane, if not we'll just all get on together and try to get them installed quickly. Thanks again for all of the responses!