Britax Grow-with-you ClickTight Plus on airplane

[waltsa]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any experience taking the Britax Grow-With-You Clicktight plus on an airplane. We're going on a 737 soon and I'm wondering if the Britax will fit or if we should bring a smaller car seat or just use a CARES harness and rent a car seat at the destination as we will have a rental car at the destination. Thanks!

Also, Delta customer service got super snippy with me trying to make sure my car seat fits on the plane seat. The guy was like "FAA approved" means it fits. From what I've read, it sounds like that's not always true and I don't want my kid's car seat sitting on my seat too. Planes are uncomfortable enough without getting smushed by hard plastic at the hips or shoulders.

 

[SafeDad]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any experience taking the Britax Grow-With-You Clicktight plus on an airplane. We're going on a 737 soon and I'm wondering if the Britax will fit or if we should bring a smaller car seat or just use a CARES harness and rent a car seat at the destination as we will have a rental car at the destination. Thanks!

Also, Delta customer service got super snippy with me trying to make sure my car seat fits on the plane seat. The guy was like "FAA approved" means it fits. From what I've read, it sounds like that's not always true and I don't want my kid's car seat sitting on my seat too. Planes are uncomfortable enough without getting smushed by hard plastic at the hips or shoulders.

Hi- what is the age and weight of the child, please? A CARES harness and RideSafer travel vest are easy travel options for a certain age and weight range, but there might be less expensive options for older kids in particular.

Technically, you can use the GWY CT on most aircraft as it is certified in harness mode. The main issue is that it is heavy and bulky to carry. There is also a chance that wider car seats like the GWY may not fit between armrests on some aircraft, but you'd have to check statguru or seatmaps or something to see if there might be an issue, as even different 737 models within the same airline fleet can vary somewhat. The GWY is widest at the shoulders and cupholders, so it could also be a comfort issue for an adult next to the car seat, especially if you have to raise an armrest to get it to fit.

 

[waltsa]

Hi- what is the age and weight of the child, please? A CARES harness and RideSafer travel vest are easy travel options for a certain age and weight range, but there might be less expensive options for older kids in particular.

Technically, you can use the GWY CT on most aircraft as it is certified in harness mode. The main issue is that it is heavy and bulky to carry. There is also a chance that wider car seats like the GWY may not fit between armrests on some aircraft, but you'd have to check statguru or seatmaps or something to see if there might be an issue, as even different 737 models within the same airline fleet can vary somewhat. The GWY is widest at the shoulders and cupholders, so it could also be a comfort issue for an adult next to the car seat, especially if you have to raise an armrest to get it to fit.

Thanks for such a fast reply! What you're describing about the variability in plane seats is the information I was trying, and failing, to get from Delta customer service!

Kiddo is 3.5 years old, about 40.75+" tall, and weighs about 37#.

I would really LOVE to use a CARES + RideSafer solution here, but had been discouraged from the RideSafer in a previous discussion. I was, at the time, asking about full time usage of the RideSafer rather than as a travel tool. The cost of the RideSafer is prohibitive for one trip. Kiddo will likely have grown out of it by the time we fly again. Plus, we just got the Britax and will be using it in Nanny's car to replace the Evenflow Sonus. We're working at staying away from chemical flame retardants. Kiddo still rides rear-facing in our car in a Clek Foonf, but will soon be too tall for that. We could travel with the Evenflow Sonus, but flame retardants.

I'm not excited about the idea of lugging the GWY around. I'm just not sure what to do here.

 

[SafeDad]

I think the Sonus is a reasonably lightweight option that is good for travel, both on the plane and in the rental car. If you've had the Sonus a while, it's quite possible the flame retardant has worn off at this point, especially if you've ever washed the cover;-)

While recommended, it is not essential for older kids to use a car seat on an aircraft. The main purpose is to avoid having a baby or toddler on your lap and then giving them a place to sit where they have a 5-point harness or lap belt to keep them in their seat during turbulence. For most kids above 4 years and 40 pounds who are mature enough to remain seated properly, it is a reasonable option to let them sit in the regular airplane lap belt for the flight and use an appropriate booster seat in the rental car on the trip. This may make it simpler and give you additional options to consider for your next flight.

2024 Recommended Carseats for Airplane Travel

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carseatblog.com

 

[SafeDad]

Also sorry for the typo in the previous message- I meant www.seatguru.com and www.seatmaps.com

 

[waltsa]

I think the Sonus is a reasonably lightweight option that is good for travel, both on the plane and in the rental car. If you've had the Sonus a while, it's quite possible the flame retardant has worn off at this point, especially if you've ever washed the cover;-)

While recommended, it is not essential for older kids to use a car seat on an aircraft. The main purpose is to avoid having a baby or toddler on your lap and then giving them a place to sit where they have a 5-point harness or lap belt to keep them in their seat during turbulence. For most kids above 4 years and 40 pounds who are mature enough to remain seated properly, it is a reasonable option to let them sit in the regular airplane lap belt for the flight and use an appropriate booster seat in the rental car on the trip. This may make it simpler and give you additional options to consider for your next flight.

2024 Recommended Carseats for Airplane Travel

Best Lightweight Car Seats for Traveling It's the travel season once again, and for many families with small children that includes flying somewhere. Since so many carseats are heavy and bulky, it makes sense in some cases to invest in a lightweight carseat just for traveling. Plus, this spares...

carseatblog.com

Fantastic. Thank you so much! Yes, I have washed the cover.

Yeah, kiddo will be over 4 and likely over 40 pounds by the next time we fly, so I'm not super interested in investing in much for this one trip.

Thanks again. You were super helpful!