Airline Travel Questions...

Our family will be traveling by plane this coming June from Texas to DC (~4hr plane ride). We are renting a car there. DS will be 4yrs in early May and DD will be 23mos at the time.

What do you recommend for seats when they travel? DS will have his own seat, but DD will be a lap rider. DS is FFing in a SafeGuard and DD is RFing in a BV (and will be for a LOOOOONG time as she FINALLY hit 20lbs at 18mos)

Do we lug those heavy seats with us, or do we just bring sceneras? DS is about 1/2 in below the scenera's top slot and I'm afraid he'll be too tall by then. Argh...both of those seats are just so heavy.

TIA!

Do you REALLY want a 23 month old in your lap that long?

Sceneras: Can you install them tightly in a variety of cars? We did the WA to DC trip with DS at 16 months and then TX to GA at 25 months. And neither time would I have wanted him on the lap because he would not have sat there. Does your daughter sit nicely on your lap for hours on end when at home? Or will you be struggling to keep her seated the entire flight? I found the car seat was an advantage on the plane because he is used to not being able to get up when in the car seat.

We took our child's regular seat on the plane for both trips. The ease of installing a Britax was invaluable when installing into rental cars, other people's cars, etc. Yes, it is a bit bulkier of seat to travel with. But we found it worth it. (The first time, I had my husband with me so he pushed the stroller/wrangled the kid and I carried the car seat. The second time, I was on my own so I used bungie cords to attach the car seat to the stroller)

I would probably vote, if myself in said situation, Ride Safer Travel Vest for eldest child and Scenera for youngest.

Have you tried your youngest in a Scenera? She fits fine height-wise?
Sceneras are reasonable to install for most vehicles. They tend to be hand/knuckle chewers, but not the biggest concern for an occasional seat. Their lightweight shell is ideal for traveling.

Double-check that the RSTV can be used on the plane - I'm not sure it can. If you opt to go that route, you may not have a seat for the eldest on the plane, but the RSTV is small/squishable and will fit into your carry-on bag.

I would make sure to double-check the rental vehicle before agreeing to that particular vehicle. For example, just make sure that it is new enough to have locking belts! (Scenera will be a PITA without a locking seatbelt OR LATCH.) Having a rental with LATCH is ideal, but top-anchors for the RSTV are a must.

If money is not an issue, you could purchase two Radians.

As far as I know, the RSTV cannot be used on the plane. It requires a top tether when used with a lapbelt. It might be a good option for your oldest if you don't want to lug a seat for him. (I am in the process of deciding if this is what I am going to do for my 5 year old on our upcoming trip.) Oh, is your son's seat the SafeGuard GO seat? If so, doesn't that fold for travel, so you could carry it on and put it in the overhead compartment? Or does he still fit in the Boulevard? It is heavy but if you bungy cord it to a luggage cart it isn't too bad to bring through the airport and onto the plane. Then he could ride in it on the plane. You could get the Scenera for your daughter and bungy cord that on top of the Boulevard. The Scenera sounds like it would be a good option for her and you since it is lighter for you to carry through the airport and on to the plane.

All that being said, do you already have your plane reservations? If you don't or even if you do I would seriously reconsider the plane seat for your daughter. I found that my children did so well on the plane in their carseats because it is what they are used to. I would not want to try to keep a wiggly toddler on my lap for an entire plane trip. Also, having a seat for your daughter means you can bring her carseat right on the plane and install it versus checking it, which is not a good option, since the carseat can be damaged during the checked baggage process.

I'm assuming SafeGuard Child Seat, which weighs about 20 lbs.

The RSTV is still a good option. It can't be used on the plane but honestly I'm okay with a kid that age in just a belt on the plane.

The Evenflo Maestro is another option. It has tall top harness slots and goes to 50 lbs., and is fairly lightweight. It's also cheap (around $80 with tax.)

Scenera or Avenue is a good choice for the little one.

We did a Southwest flight from DFW to VA recently (i.e. 3 legs, ugh), and I would definitely recommend taking lighter seats like Scenera if you can, b/c they are just easier to carry through the airport and other times during the trip.

There are products out there that can help if you do end up taking heavier seats. There is a strap that you can attach a convertible seat to a rolling suitcase ("Traveling Toddler Car Seat" http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JHN3AS) or just a platform to wheel around your convertible ("gogo Kidz Travelmate" http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14550-c26-g6-b0-p0-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate_.aspx), but even that won't help you actually carry everything on and off the plane (which was when we had the most trouble carrying everything), and you will most likely have to detach it to get through security, etc.

Good luck!

ETA: I would pay for an extra seat for your youngest if you can. If not, some airlines will give you an extra seat for free at check-in if the flight is not totally full, so be sure to ask.

Thanks for all your replies. It is a lot to think about. I have thought about having a separate seat for DD, but its almost $400....I just don't think that we have that extra money. BUT, I can totally see her being a PITA 23mo the whole flight. Sigh.

DS has the SafeGuard...not the SafeGuard Go. Where would I buy the RSTV at if I decided to do that? He will sit still and behave...but she could be a wiggler. Maybe I'll put her in the car seat and have him sit on my lap Just kidding.

When DS was 13 mos I flew by myself with him and was able to get a free seat since the plane wasn't booked. Maybe we'll cross our fingers for that.

You can order the RSTV online. Just google it (I know at least elistecarseats.com sells it).

Personally, I'd do a RSTV and a scenera too. We travel a lot and getting the seats through the airport is the biggest pain!