Air travel with older kid in harness/luggage cart

littleangelfire · May 26, 2010

Well, size wise it's not much different than the old Frontier, and I did seek out posts on here where one or two people have used the Frontier on the plane without issue, which alleviated those fears in me.

He is a big guy - but he has comfortably used both the FR85 and the original Frontier in my tiny 2 door Honda Civic without issue, even when someone is sitting in front of him.

Thanks for the link! I 'll check it out. I'm hoping it's not a problem - b/c I don't want to check the seat and he has to have one at the other end, he really needs harnessed at the other end, too, as we'll have a 3 hour trip at some point in the car.

ketchupqueen · May 26, 2010

littleangelfire said:
Glad you posted that, KQ - save me from looking dumb. lol I will ask if I can, though, since you'd think they'd rather have me have his seat installed and him and the seat all settled before everyone else wanders around.

Honestly I think if you walk up when they call for "families with small children" after group A boards, with car seat in hand, they won't blink an eye and you won't even have to ask to board then.

Because seating is open, they give priority to people who have A boarding passes-- often people are either in first class, or have paid for the A pass (if any are left after that, you can get one by doing online pre-check-in 24 hours before flight time. But if the flight has a lot of first class boarders, or people who have paid for the A boarding pass, then even that will get you a B, since there is a limited number of As.) Then, families with kids. Then B, etc. based on check in time.

If you get on the flight and it's already pretty full, and the window seats are all taken, turn to the FA nearest you and ask for help right away. They will probably offer people a free drink to trade to help you find a window seat where you can install your son's seat and an open seat next to it.

Oh, and I was able to fit in a rfing CA on SW coach seating. Not bulkheads either. So I think he might be fine if he crosses his legs or whatever, though if you see a bulkhead row, grab it (they will probably be full though.)

littleangelfire · May 26, 2010

Oh good. I saw their early check-in thing online, I'll have to look that up the day before we leave. I don't know what a bulkhead seat is.

He doesn't usually cross his legs (he doesn't seem to bend that way, lol) but I could picture maybe putting his legs over the side, open wide.

Athena · May 28, 2010

vonfirmath said:
One of the widely reported cases of mama and toddler being tossed off the plane was because the kid was saying "Bye bye plane" to a plane next to them that was leaving and freaked the Flight attendant out.

christi2705 said:
You just ask the 1st flight attendant that you see once you board the plane. We always ask to preboard to get them installed.

They still do that? I'll also be flying for the first time with kids soon and was wondering. Anyone know which carriers allow that because I'm hoping to fly one of them?

littleangelfire said:
I feel like such a dolt since it's been so long since I've flown. And I'm very worried about doing something wrong, or taking something wrong.

I'm looking at the same situation and feeling similarly myself so I sympathize and appreciate the info I found here on your thread. Thanks and good luck!

ketchupqueen · May 28, 2010

littleangelfire said:
Oh good. I saw their early check-in thing online, I'll have to look that up the day before we leave. I don't know what a bulkhead seat is. He doesn't usually cross his legs (he doesn't seem to bend that way, lol) but I could picture maybe putting his legs over the side, open wide.

The bulkhead seats are the ones right behind the division in the plane known as the "bulkhead." They have extra leg room because there's a wall instead of seats in front. If you look up a Southwest 737 (all they use) you can figure out where those are.

He won't have room to do what you describe. The wall of the airplane will be on one side. The other side will be intruding into your seat already (unless you get a row where you can sit on the end and leave the middle free. It will depend how full the plane is. On 5 legs of our last trip, I had someone next to me and had to sit in the middle on 2 occasions, on 3 I had an open seat in the middle.)

wendytthomas · May 28, 2010

Athena said:
They still do that? I'll be flying for the first time with kids too soon and was wondering. Anyone know which carriers allow that because I'm hoping to fly one of them?

Delta will announce it, but if you go up to just about any other gate agent and tell them you have a child and a carseat, they'll either let you on first, or right after first class. Some gate agents won't. We had to practically beg when I was using a cane post knee surgery and we had Piper's Radian to install. Ummm, thanks, dude. Others will wave you up and silently let you go on first without you needing to ask. It's a lot of variation. But go up to the gate agent and politely ask if they preboard. If they say no, make sure they see you have a carseat, and that you'll need extra time and space. If they still say no, that's it. But most will say yes.

Wendy

Athena · May 28, 2010

wendytthomas said:
Delta will announce it, but if you go up to just about any other gate agent and tell them you have a child and a carseat, they'll either let you on first, or right after first class. Some gate agents won't. We had to practically beg when I was using a cane post knee surgery and we had Piper's Radian to install. Ummm, thanks, dude. Others will wave you up and silently let you go on first without you needing to ask. It's a lot of variation. But go up to the gate agent and politely ask if they preboard. If they say no, make sure they see you have a carseat, and that you'll need extra time and space. If they still say no, that's it. But most will say yes.

Wendy

Thanks. I think Delta is one of our choices so hopefully that'll work. But if not, I will make sure they see our TWO car seats.

That should convince them.

vonfirmath · May 28, 2010

erg. Delta is the plane we flew on last that I felt was really car seat unfriendly. I had one attendant demand that I FF the seat so the person before could lean back their chair.

Coming back, the gate agent tried to get me to gate check the car seat (for a barely 2 year old I'd bought a seat for!) because "He doesn't need that" and "It takes too long"

littleangelfire · May 28, 2010

vonfirmath said:
Coming back, the gate agent tried to get me to gate check the car seat (for a barely 2 year old I'd bought a seat for!) because "He doesn't need that" and "It takes too long"

What crappy reasoning. Having not flown in so long, and only being able to go by what's on paper or online, it just surprises me so much that that attitude is present when all the experts and travel guides recommend buying a seat for every child of every age and bringing their car seat! I mean, don't they know what their own industry is saying? lol

Ketchupqueen - thanks for the lesson on airplanes, I'll look it up so I can see what's what. I'm not at all sure how it will work then, but since there isn't any other option to taking his FR85 - we'll make it work somehow. I know planes are cramped - but I do drive a pretty tiny car, so I'm hoping it won't be that extreme. I drive a tiny 2 door Honda Civic, older model, so he's definitely not used to having a ton of room around him.

Athena · May 29, 2010

vonfirmath said:
erg. Delta is the plane we flew on last that I felt was really car seat unfriendly. I had one attendant demand that I FF the seat so the person before could lean back their chair.

Coming back, the gate agent tried to get me to gate check the car seat (for a barely 2 year old I'd bought a seat for!) because "He doesn't need that" and "It takes too long"

I'm wondering how they'll act if I bring a seat for my (will be then approx) 4 yo (who they will probably think is 5) in addition to my (will be then) just 2 yo.

How common is that to do? I haven't flown for a while, but now that I think about it, I don't remember ever seeing a car seat on a plane and I did fly lots of times in the past. We'll not only be the people bringing young kids on the plane, but we'll also have car seats. Will everyone hate us?

wendytthomas · May 29, 2010

Most people won't notice if you have carseats or not, unless they're sitting next to you.

No one batted an eye at six year old Piper in a Radian onboard. Though she looked four at the time. But no one has said anything about her in a seat in years.

Wendy

silcarry · May 30, 2010

Thanks for that tip! Do I ask for one at the gate on the way in? (Yeah, I say that as though I even know what the 'gate' is. ) lol

I'd suggest that you call the airline and ask them to put the request on your record. THEN when you get to the gate, remind the gate agent that you have requested an extension for the safety belt (that said, most airlines generally keep seat extension in the plane, but I don't know about Southwest)

bubbaray · May 30, 2010

Are you going to have a car when you get to Disney? Because if you are taking the Disney express bus, it definitely does not have belts (at DL and I'm 99% sure it d/n at WDW), so you can't install a carseat on the buses.

NO way would *I* take our FR on a plane. Just not going to happen. I also have a GN and I wouldn't take that either. Southwest flies 737s, which are definitely not the most spacious of planes. The pitch and width of the seats are the same on all versions, according to seatguru: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Southwest_Airlines/information.php

For a 5yo, I'd probably take a highback Turbo -- pack the back in checked luggage and take the LBB portion as a carryon on the plane (can't be used *on* the plane). I might take a RN, depending on how he fit in it (you said he's large, so maybe he d/n fit?).

littleangelfire · May 30, 2010

silcarry said:
I'd suggest that you call the airline and ask them to put the request on your record. THEN when you get to the gate, remind the gate agent that you have requested an extension for the safety belt (that said, most airlines generally keep seat extension in the plane, but I don't know about Southwest)

Thanks - I'll see about doing this.

Yes, we're picking up a rental car at the airport. My son doesn't fit in a GN, and I don't have one anyway. I don't have any other booster at all, b/c I knew most of them wouldn't last him long enough. There will be a 3 hour late night/early morning car ride during our stay, twice, so he needs a harnessed seat or he will be falling over. I didn't see any other way around using the FR85. If he fit in a Radian, I might have seen about borrowing one from someone - but I don't think he fits, and I wouldn't be at all confident I could get an install in a rental car that I've never worked with before. I'm going to check Southwest's site and see if I can reserve a bulkhead seat or something. And I may avail myself of the flight attendant and ask very sweetly if there's any way we could sit there b/c of his seat and how I don't want to bother anyone else.

My confidence is waning with the last couple posts on lack of space, eek, I had felt pretty good after reading this thread: here

ketchupqueen · May 30, 2010

How much does he weigh? Maybe you can borrow an RSTV?

littleangelfire · May 30, 2010

About 55lbs. I don't know of anyone near me who has an RSTV. It would make me somewhat nervous to have him in a car going 70mph down the highway for 3 hours without some side impact protection of some sort, anyways.

ketchupqueen · May 30, 2010

Well, it does have some SIP, in that it holds the child in place better than a booster.

You can also sit them in the middle, providing they fit by height, etc.

Anyway, 'twas just a thought.

Athena · May 30, 2010

ketchupqueen said:
Well, it does have some SIP, in that it holds the child in place better than a booster. You can also sit them in the middle, providing they fit by height, etc.

Anyway, 'twas just a thought.

As you know, I am also considering this device and if we use it, I am hoping to put her in the middle position, but she will have to fit right next to DD2 in a RF marathon. IS that doable with the vest?

ketchupqueen · May 30, 2010

Oh yes. The main issue is with an older child, who would need head support to the top of the ears. Some vehicles, especially older ones, have no headrests in the middle. And in a really old vehicle without tether anchors, sometimes the middle is lap-only; the vest needs either a lap/shoulder belt (tether optional) or a lap-only belt PLUS tether (mandatory for use with lap-only belt.)

Athena · May 30, 2010

ketchupqueen said:
Oh yes. The main issue is with an older child, who would need head support to the top of the ears. Some vehicles, especially older ones, have no headrests in the middle. And in a really old vehicle without tether anchors, sometimes the middle is lap-only; the vest needs either a lap/shoulder belt (tether optional) or a lap-only belt PLUS tether (mandatory for use with lap-only belt.)

We will be renting a car so it will definitely be a new model. Sounds like that would work then.

Air travel with older kid in harness/luggage cart

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