What is the best option for flying?

emilia · Jan 30, 2007

I am flying alone with my 4 month old and my 2 year old next week. We have two seats on the plane (yes, two plane tickets), and one car seat waiting for us in my dad's car in NC. Is it worth it to bring the Radian? Or should I just check the Snugride?

Edited to add:
Is it okay to use Canadian car seat in US?
What if Radian doesn't install into a)plane b) my dad's Saab wagon?
US FF car seats do not require a tether? The saab doesn't have an anchor, it is a hatchback with fold-away floor?

lunita · Jan 30, 2007

I'm confused, when you say two seats on the plane and one waiting for you in your dad's car, do you mean you only bought two plane tickets?

I would travel with both kids buckled into car seats on the plane -- whatever FAA approved seats you own and normally use. Having just recently experienced horrendous turbulence that caused everything loose on a plane to go flying everywhere (I have pictures of breakfast trays cluttering the aisles) I shudder at the thought of a baby not buckled into a seat on a plane. My 4.5 year old did use the seat belt rather than a car seat on our flight, but I wouldn't do that for a 2 year old.

The recline trick for getting a tight install is really handy for quickly installing carseats on a plane, btw.

Your dad may be able to get a free tether anchor from saab by calling their customer service http://www.is-it-a-lemon.com/make/saab/index.htm

wendytthomas · Jan 30, 2007

You can use your seats here to visit, provided you're here less than three months.

The Radian is a BREEZE to install on planes. Seriously. It'll take you longer to get it in and out of the bag than it will to get it in and out of the seat.

I don't know about a Saab. I know I have yet to find a car I can't find some sort of acceptable installation in.

Seats here are not required to be tethered, but cars after 2000 have top tetehrs, and it's highly recommended to use them. What year is your dad's Saab? If it's newer it should have tethers somewhere, probably on the floor of the trunk.

Where in NC, btw? I'm outside of Raleigh.

Wendy

emilia · Jan 30, 2007

Yes, only two plane tickets! My dad paid for them since the baby flies free.... There are often extra seats, so I could hope to have two seats to put car seats into? But I think only the Radian is FAA approved and I could buy another one, but can you see me with two kids and two radians? Maybe best case is....RF radian for DS (4 months), DS (2.5 years old but the size of a 4-year old) in a seat belt? Anyone tried a Radian RFing on a plane?

emilia · Jan 30, 2007

We are going to Asheville- one of the nicest and prettiest places I've been to!

I am glad to hear the Radian is an easy installation on a plane (even rfing?). I am thinking I will leave the kids at the entrance to the plane in the double stroller with the flight attendant, go on the plane, install the seat, go back, get kids, put in seats. That seems simpler than what I was imagining.....

The Saab is a 2006....the floor is collapsable though? But if it has one, I will just have to find it!

wendytthomas · Jan 30, 2007

The Snugride is FAA approved. Most harnessed seats are, and I can't think off the top of my head of any RFing seats that aren't.

You should be able to get a pass for your DH to come to the gate with you, if he can. Or someone. Then he, or whoever comes with you, can stay with the kiddos at the top of the gate while you do installations, then you can come back for them and gate check the stroller along the way.

I haven't tried the Radian RFing on a plane. I haven't used it RFing. The removable foot for RFing make me wary. Plus it's a long straight seat, I don't know how well it would fit on a plane.

If the Saab is a 2006 then I can guarantee it has tether anchors. Have your dad check his manual.

Wendy

emilia · Jan 30, 2007

I didn't know the Snugride was FAA approved. Hmmm. Maybe I will just take that! That would solve my problem since it is much lighter and can be used with my stroller!

skipspin · Jan 30, 2007

It sounds like you will need a seat for your two year old on the plane. I would take the RN, but use it FFing on the plane and pack the RFing foot to use when you get there if you need it. Then, you could use the RN and the seats that's in NC when you get there.

If you think you might be able to get a seat for the baby in the plane (you can ask how full the flight is when you check in) then you could take the Snugride.

LEAW · Jan 30, 2007

On stroller - put snugride and then radian on top of snugride. Use both on plane, if they can give you an extra seat. Otherwise, gate check the snugride and the stroller.

Put baby in a sling, have toddler walk, have your dh get a gate pass to help you. At destination, ask gate agent for help.

Jewels · Jan 30, 2007

lisa2976 said:
On stroller - put snugride and then radian on top of snugride. Use both on plane, if they can give you an extra seat. Otherwise, gate check the snugride and the stroller.

Put baby in a sling, have toddler walk, have your dh get a gate pass to help you. At destination, ask gate agent for help.

Or put the baby in the snugride in the stroller and put the Radian in a backpack. If there are no available seats then gate check the stroller and snugride before you get on the plane. When gate checking the stroller and carseat, you can push the stroller right up to the plane where you then fold it and they just put it under from there. I would only gate check the snugride if there are no extra seats!

Does anyone know if a snugride would fit in the overhead compartment? Would this even be a safe spot to store a seat if there are no available seats to put it in?

groovymom2000 · Jan 30, 2007

I doubt the snugride would fit in the overhead, and if the flight was so full that there were no empty seats to use, then the overhead will be, too. Lately it really seems that they are packing them into planes--everything that I have flown in the past few months has been really full. Of course, when given the option of sitting beside a woman holding a baby and a 2 year old and switching seats around--I have found that most people will jump to get away!

Good luck!

Patriot201 · Jan 30, 2007

I agree with the others. Use the Radian FF on the plane and TRY to get a seat for the baby.

emilia · Jan 30, 2007

These are all great suggestions! It sounds like I may be able to get both of them on in car seats on the plane. I have a great sling and a walking harness for my older DS. So I could juggle around between carrying the Radian/baby in sling/kids in stroller.

But who gets the priority if I can only put in one seat? It sounds like everyone says to take the Radian on the plane, but which child should go in it?

People were scared to sit next to me when it was just the 2 year old! Its a whole other ballgame now! Can you imagine the poor person next to me if the flight is full? Neither of my boys are quite or calm either.

bensmom · Jan 30, 2007

The baby either needs to be held in your lap, or strapped in the seat. The two year old, per FAA regulations, must be belted in a seat.

Having said that, your 2 year old sounds similar in size to my 3 year old. I just flew with him this weekend and let him sit in a seat without a carseat. I'd be comfortable with that if he was mature enough to keep the belt buckled the whole time (I used the Safeguard Go at my destination, which doesn't work on the plane).

gwenvet · Jan 30, 2007

I have travelled with two kids, two car seats and a double stroller before...although I hadd DS to help, but it can be done alone. Here is my trick...I bought a MCLaren double stroller BAG and put both carseats in it. It has wheels and looks like a huge duffel bag. I slip the handle over the stroller handle and pull it behind me going thru the airport. So one stroller with two kids, one baby bag also over the stroller handles and the seats in the stroller bag. The hard part is getting thru security and installing the seats. At the gate, I remove the seats and put the stroller in for gate check. With DS there I preboarded with the seats and installed them while he came later with the kids. I honestly don't know how you can get on the plane with two kids and two seats AND install them. Maybe the gate agent can carry the seats to the plane and leave them on your seats, then you can board with the kids and hope that the 2 yr old will sit while you install seats. Good luck!

lunita · Jan 30, 2007

Children over 24 months must be in their own seats on the plane, so if you don't have an extra seat your baby goes in your arms and the two year old gets his own seat.

I just flew internationally with a 18 month old, 4.5 year old, and 7 year old. We paid nearly $1000 to assure that my baby would be in her own seat (well worth it, imo, for the 15 minutes or so of hellish turbulence on the way back) even though she *technically* could have flown free.

AS for the people near us... On one of the legs of our flight the guy in front of the eighteen month old started asking to be moved, offering to pay to transfer to first class, and requesting earplugs, all before the flight even took off.

flipper68 · Jan 30, 2007

lunita said:
On one of the legs of our flight the guy in front of the eighteen month old started asking to be moved, offering to pay to transfer to first class, and requesting earplugs, all before the flight even took off.

LOL - Love it! Me, I'd volunteer to sit next to you and play with the kids. [I even bring my own toys!

Post-it notes and travel Yahtzee - haven't seen a kid yet be able to resist 'stickers' or the beep of Yahtzee.]

Starlight · Jan 30, 2007

I'd bring both the snugride and radian. We've previously travelled w/ both seats bungee corded to a luggage rack (I have pics!), and I slung the baby, and held older ds's hand. We didn't take a stroller.

If there is an empty seat for the baby, load him/her into the Snugride, install that, and then put your older child in the Radian. It installs like a breeze. If there isn't, hold your baby & use the radian for your big one, and gate check your snugride.

The biggest problem is going to be the flight attendent trying to tell you that the carseat has to be installed in the window seat. A carseat is not allowed to block any other passengers exit. So, they'll want your baby in the window seat. IF they let you - and the regs aren't overly clear - put a FF seat next to it, in the middle seat, you have to be on the outside. I sincerely doubt they'll let you put a FF in the aisle. And - all this is counting on you have 3 seats in a row.

If we flew tomorrow, my baby would be in the snugride and my 4 yr old would be a regular seat kid, with his Radian gate checked. This way I could sit in the middle and not stress about it.

Starlight · Jan 30, 2007

I found this document, dated 12/01/06: http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/60d70126cf679d5a8625723b007841e7/$FILE/AC%20120-87A.pdf

That relates to the seating of kids.

"A window seat is the preferred location; however, other locations may be acceptable, provided the CRS does not block the egress of any passenger, including the child’s parent or guardian, to the aisle used to evacuate the aircraft."

and

"CRSs should not be placed in an aisle seat because this placement has the
highest risk of slowing down the passenger flow rate during an evacuation. For example, a parent or guardian traveling with the child in a CRS may step out into the aisle to release the child from the CRS or the CRS may impede flight attendants who may need to climb over the top of aisle seats to get past passengers in the aisle to reach an emergency exit."

and this statement on multiple children:
"19. TRAVELING WITH MORE THAN ONE CHILD. In the event a parent/guardian is traveling with more than one child in CRSs or is traveling with several small children, only one of whom is occupying a CRS, good judgment should be used regarding placement of the CRSs.
As long as these conditions below are met, the CRS could be placed in a seat other than a window seat. At a minimum:
• The CRS should be placed so it does not block any passenger’s (including the parent/guardian’s) egress to the aisle used to evacuate the aircraft
• The CRS should be placed so the parent/guardian can reach the child in the CRS to release and evacuate with the child, should an emergency evacuation be necessary."

WTH does that mean? It's a nice non-answer.

emilia · Feb 17, 2007

I just wanted to thank everyone who helped me through this! I ended up getting the baby in a car seat on 3 out of 4 of the flights!

The Radian was a breeze (especially with the recline tip), the snugride actually gave me way more trouble (those little planes are so tight for space). And I have trouble clicking and unclicking it from the base because the lapbelt closure was right in the middle of the base. There were several situations where I thought I just might not be able to get it out! And the person in front of me could not even think about putting their seat back. I'm not sure what I will do when he outgrows the snugride (very soon). I can't imagine a convertible seat RF on a plane!

Only one flight attendant told me that the carseats both had to be by the window. And that worked out since there was one row open with two seats on each side. Leaving buffalo two of the ticket agents gave me a hard time about putting them in car seats....it was going to take too long, did I have permission, who said I could, what was that person's name....etc. etc. But all the flight attendents told me they thought it was an excellent idea and they wished more people would do it! So there you go!

Anyway, we survived and the kids were as safe as possible. And the radian installed easily on every plane and car I put it in!

Thanks again for all the help.

What is the best option for flying?

What car seat should I take with me on the airplane?

Radian, lug it through airport, use on plane, use in NC

Snugride, check it, put ds in seat with seatbelt on plane, use in NC

or gate-check snugride and above

Make my dad buy another car seat!!!

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