Car Seat & Airplane Trip

For safety reasons, I always take a car seat on the plane for my son. So far we've taken a Snugrider infant car seat and stroller frame, for babies up to 20 pounds. Soon we will start using a stroller that's designed for Britax car seats called the gogo Kidz Travelmate, which leads me to believe that Britax will fit on planes. We have one of the smaller Britax seats, and it is FAA certified.

I've been looking into this too because my husband travels a ton for work and my 8.5 month old daughter and I are going to be joining him over the next couple of years. We just took her on her first overseas flight last week. She had her own business class seat and her Britax car seat fit fine. Not sure if it would fit on a regular seat. But in the future we may just check the car seat because she barely sat in it! When we put her in her carseat she cried so we ended up holding her or playing with her on the floor for most of the flight. I think on overseas flights some airlines require kids to have a seat, so next time we do that I think I'll try the CARES harness mentioned below. On domestic flights, I'm thinking it's not worth the money to buy her a seat.

Also, someone mentioned the GoGoKidz travel wheels for wheeling the carseat through the airport. We used them and they were fantastic. They basically turn the car seat into a stroller. My daughter didn't mind riding in it through the airport one bit. We bought a carrying case for our regular stroller and checked it with our bags. At security I asked them to wand the car seat because it didn't easily fit through the x-ray machine, and that was no problem either.

Hope this helps and have a great trip!

Hi, just wondering, why do you have to bring the seat onto the plane? It's not required, and since he is under 2, you can hold him during take-off and landing since he would be young enough to qualify as a lap child. And if he were two or over, you could buckle him into the seatbelt in his seat.

Having traveled many times via plane with my toddler, there are times when I think having the seat on the plane would be helpful, but I can't imagine having to lug that along with everything else and the baby by myself, let along trying to get it strapped in with the baby there while other people are trying to get on board too. I have the Britax too, and I don't know if it would even fit on some airline seats unless you're flying 1st class.

I just always check my carseat.

Good luck!

we have the britax marathon and it fit on a southwest chair.

It depends on the size of the plane that you will be taking. The car seat should fit no problem on the bigger planes. However, I recently flew to Tulsa on quite a small plane (I don't know the type, but it only had 2 seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other)and our car seat did not fit. The flight attendents were wonderful enough to check it through for me and it turned out that I had an easier time comforting my son without the car seat. We were able to have a good cuddle by raising the arm rest. Maybe check the size of the plane and ask the airline at check-in if it will fit or not. That way you don't have to lug it through the airport for no reason in case it is too big.

C.,

We have Britax Marathon carseats for our twins and they fit fine. I agree with putting her in it because it's easier to keep her entertained. Our twins were 25 months on our last trip and it was much easier than holding them on the 14 month trip the prior year.Don't forget to put on Huggies overnights and bring an extra change of clothes.Also , I would recommed you change the baby on the seat rather than in the small icky bathroom:)Good luck!

It will fit fine. All of the Britax convertible seats are certified for airline travel. I have a Britax Decathlon and it fit with no problem. I didn't even have to move the armrest.
When you get on ask the flight attendant for a "seatbelt extender".
If you secure your carseat with just the standard belt it may tighten up great but then be impossible to lift the lever to release again.
If you use the seatbelt extender you can make sure that the release lever is on the side of the seat where you can reach it.
Also I highly recommend getting a GoGoKidz. It attaches really easily to Britax seats and will save your back and your sanity when cruising around the airport. Depending on which Braitax you have it may be too big to fit through the X-ray. Just ask that they hand scan it, it's so easy!
Good luck and have fun!

this is a link to the GoGoKidz
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2658824

Also wanted to commend you on getting your son his own seat. It is so much safer for him to be secured in his own carseat. Most kids are familiar with their seats and are more relaxed in them anyway. My daughter is a nutty high energy toddler and she slept for 2 hours of our 4 hour flight to Arizona!
Also, nobody wants to sit near you if you've got the squirmy kid that doesn't sit nicely in your lap LOL
The car seat will save you lots of nasty glares from the people in neighboring seats!

Hi C., just a thought -
I just flew to Europe a month ago and was flying around Europe, total of 5 airplane flights in a month and I was debating about taking the car seat. I ended up not taking it and good thing because car seat is not necessary. I also had a seat for my daughter 18m at the time and car seat would just be an extra thing to have to drag around with me. The airline gave me special seat belt that attached to my seat belt to strap her in for the take off and landing and that worked great. She would sit on my lap a little and on her own seat a little...
The only thing that really was helpful to have is stroller which can be gate checked - you take it all the way to the plane and collapse it right there, once you get off the stroller will be waiting for you.

Look at the side of the car seat. There will be a label where written in red, it says that it is approved by the FAA. We fly alot and on every flight they have checked for this label. Most Britax seats are not approved due to their size.

http://kidsflysafe.com/index.php

This is the neatest thing out there. I have been traveling wiht my child since he was 5 weeks old. My family doesn't live here. Since he was a year old he has his own seat. I am not sure how big he is, I believe you have to be 22 pounds and 1 year old. Once they are big enough, I would suggest this, then you don't have lug the seat on the plane and try to make it work!

I want to clarify the statement "I have to bring a car seat". Are you sure? I have never purchased a seat for a child under 2, and I have never taken a carseat on an airplane for a 2 year old. Does the airline require it? I understand the logic of it, but is it required.

Just for the lugging around the airport, I also recommended not dealing with the carseat (I recently traveled with my 2 1/2 year old), bring an umbrella stroller you can leave at the gate and perhaps look into the straps already recommended.

Good luck with your trip.

Yep, it'll fit. I've flown two roundtrips with my baby/toddler, and I wouldn't fly without the car seat. He's comfortable, in familiar "surroundings", and each time slept through most of the flight.

Make sure the gate agents know your child has his own purchased seat. I got a lot of grief from one who assumed he was a "lap kid" and was extraordinarily rude to me -- she also didn't give me his boarding pass because of this!

We recently traveled to Hawaii with a two year old. We brought the car seat on the first leg of the flight, they checked it the rest of the way. We were required to put it next to the window (had aisle/center/window)so only the person next to her could actually assist her with anything. She got squirmy after the first hour and ended up sitting on our laps the rest of that leg. The next leg, we put her between us without the carseat and she was much happier. You can check it with your luggage or at the gate and it is not considered one of your alloted bags. We checked at the gate on our second leg and with our luggage on the return trip. It was one less thing we had to lug around.

We flew once with our Evenflo Triumph, and it was awful. While the base fit, the top hung over into my shoulder area. Between that and my husband, I had to lean forward the entire flight. We have taken several trips with my mom's carseat, which is a Cosco Scenera. It is the cheapest convertible carseat at Target. It is GREAT for the plane. It fits completely in the seat, doesn't hang over anywhere. It is half the weight of the bigger seats (big plus in the airport). Safety-wise, it is fine. You are not compromising your child at all. It does sacrifice the convenience of the Britax or Evenflo, but man was it easier to lug around and to tolerate for the flight!

Hi C., most manufacturers will tell you if the car seat will fit an airplane seat. And I believe unless you have a huge "Cadillac" car seat, then it should fit. You can also call your airline. They should be able to help out too. I have a pretty large convertible carseat, the base is big. It fits even in the bulkhead seat,(front row, armrests are attached and cannot e lifted.) Also, request the bulkhead row if you can. Not only do you get extra legroom, you won't have someone in front of you reclining their seat into your little one's legs. Also, since there's no seat in front of you, your little one won't have to be reminded NOT to kick it. Another bonus, you usually get to board sooner in the bulkhead, since you need to put everything in the overhead bin for both takeoff and landing. I'm not sure how old your son is, but when they are 3-5 (label says 1-5, but that's too small I think) you can rent or purchase a harness-type belt to attach to the airplane seat and existing seatbelt, so you can check your carseat instead of lugging it on the plane.
I hope this helps (I'm a Flight Attendant who travels with my 20 month old and my 3 1/2 year old every month).
Good luck! Oh, and bring food and toys, and you might want to get milk at the airport (if he's not on formula) because a lot of airlines stop catering milk or cater only a few cartons.

i have taken the marathon and roundabout no problem
you will want to strap it to a rolling suitcase or in the stroller they get heavy luggin them thru the airport
but i find them extremely important, they sleep better can see out the window better, you need one to get tot he airport and once you get to the destination anyway, i do not recommend checking a seat with luggage they get damaged to easily

J.

Hi C., first off enjoy your trip! Second, I too traveled when my daughter was 18 months. I brought my carseat as well and to be honest I did not even use it she was too envolved wwith the surroundings and what was happening around her. I was all pumped up and curious as how I was going to handle the flight by myself, but it was awesome. My daughter slept on my lap I brought a little pillow and her blanky with and of course her simple snacks for her and I and my flight was great. Good luck and hope all is well.

Yes it will fit. You'll probably have to put the armrest up, but you do for most any car seat. You just won't be able to sit in a front row where the armrests won't go up. If you find yourself in that row, the flight attendants will re-seat you.

How old is your son? We traveled to Hawaii with my daughter, who is 2, and she had her own seat - no car seat necessary.

I've traveled a lot with my kids and the Britax seat will fit. However, it usually takes a little time to get it in so be prepared to put your child on another seat until you are finished strapping in the car seat. I highly suggest car seats for children on airplanes because it keeps them confined :-), they are comfortable in the seat they are used to sitting in and they are higher up and can see much more.
Good luck.

Check with the airline. Some airlines require you to use their car seats. I would suggest you dont bring one at all but being that he is only 1 years old he is probably still in the carry seat- which does get heavy at times. Good Luck & Have fun on your trip!!