United Overhead Bin and Booster seat

[mmouse50]

Haven't flown United in a long time. Can you put a car booster seat (just the seat portion not with a back) in an United overhead bin or do I need to check it? I really didn't want to wait for it to come off the plane in a separate location from my luggage, like Southwest does sometimes.

 

[reddog21]

Can’t specifically speak to united however we had no issue with southwest or delta. I can’t imagine overhead bins are that much different between carriers.

 

[EACarlson]

It should be checked or that would be counted as part of your carry-on allowance. I had a BubbleBum for my kids when they needed boosters for rental cars but not while on the plane. Those rolled up very small in either my carryon or my checked bag.

 

[woodys_girl]

Haven't flown United in a long time. Can you put a car booster seat (just the seat portion not with a back) in an United overhead bin or do I need to check it? I really didn't want to wait for it to come off the plane in a separate location from my luggage, like Southwest does sometimes.

A booster seat will fit fine and I have never been made to check one. I don't believe car seats/boosters count towards your carry ons, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

A booster seat will fit fine and I have never been made to check one. I don't believe car seats/boosters count towards your carry ons, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Don’t count with checked bags but can count as your carry on as they take up your overhead space.

 

[SirDuff]

What type of plane? There are MASSIVE difference between the size of overhead bins depending on the plane type.

 

[woodys_girl]

Don’t count with checked bags but can count as your carry on as they take up your overhead space.

According to the United website you can bring car seats (which I assume includes boosters) onboard for free in addition to your personal item/carry on. We've always brought 2 or 3 and have never been asked to check them or consolidate. We usually fly united, but this is also true when we've flown Delta and SW.

 

[focusondisney]

According to the United website you can bring car seats (which I assume includes boosters) onboard for free in addition to your personal item/carry on. We've always brought 2 or 3 and have never been asked to check them or consolidate. We usually fly united, but this is also true when we've flown Delta and SW.

When you say you bring car seats onboard, are your children sitting in them in their seats? Coz that makes sense to not count as a carry on. If you’re brining it on & putting it, or them, in the overhead bin, seems it should count. Not right if you’re putting carry on bags for each person plus multiple car or booster seats into the overhead bin.

 

[woodys_girl]

When you say you bring car seats onboard, are your children sitting in them in their seats? Coz that makes sense to not count as a carry on. If you’re brining it on & putting it, or them, in the overhead bin, seems it should count. Not right if you’re putting carry on bags for each person plus multiple car or booster seats into the overhead bin.

I agree that that is what makes sense, and I've done both things-- car seats with kids in them and boosters in the overhead. I don't know if "officially" the boosters are counted the same as carseats, but because you can bring other kid related stuff in addition to normal carry-ons for free, I would think they would. However I can report in my experience that we've been allowed a booster for each child in addition to whatever else we were bringing on and no one counted, made us check anything, or asked us to consolidate. Whether or not it makes sense, there are different rules for kid stuff.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I agree that that is what makes sense, and I've done both things-- car seats with kids in them and boosters in the overhead. I don't know if "officially" the boosters are counted the same as carseats, but because you can bring other kid related stuff in addition to normal carry-ons for free, I would think they would. However I can report in my experience that we've been allowed a booster for each child in addition to whatever else we were bringing on and no one counted, made us check anything, or asked us to consolidate. Whether or not it makes sense, there are different rules for kid stuff.

It has been years since I had to bring a booster on plane. Yes we could put in overhead but it did count as a carryon. Since she did not have another carryon we had no problem and we had the whole row but friends traveling with us had to check theirs cause space was already taken by other in row. Other carryon plus their carryon highback booster didn’t fit

 

[NotUrsula]

FWIW, I always found that if the armrests of a seat-only booster are adjustable, you can pop them off and put them in your carryon, which means that the rest of it can fit under the seat in front of you.