Airplane travel..2 kids..WWYD?

Hi all,

I am flying to Florida in September with my DH, DD 2 3/4 (32 #/37"?), and my yet to be born son who will be about 2 months at the time of the trip. We have only ever flown with DD and I have always bought her a seat and did for both kiddos this time as well. My question is about carrying on 2 seats. We are renting a car, so we'll need their seats. DS will be in a Snugride and I would really like to have his base in the car, but what do you do with it for the plane? Do you bring it on the plane, gate check it, store it? DD never flew in an infant seat, so I'm not sure what to do there. I always have taken her umbrella stroller and bungee corded her AO to the stroller to get her through the airport and then we gate check her stroller and install her seat on the plane. This system has worked well for us. But now with 2 kids, do I bring the double stroller (Sit and Stand), can you gate check a double? I also have a Graco Quattro with DS's stroller or a Chicco umbrella one. Not sure I want the bulk of a double with all the luggage, etc. I've never been a sling person, didn't like the Bjorn, but am willing to try it out if it's easier for the trip. We will be flying Southwest into Tampa (which I heard is a nightmare to get to the rental cars with 2 kids and a bunch of stuff).
My other question is for DD. I have only ever had her in an AO on the plane, but was considering buying the Go for this year's trip and using it when we travel and at home when she outgrows her current seat. We travel every year to Florida, so I'm definately getting it, just not sure when. If we get it this year, she will be in a belt only on the plane. I don't have a CARES and don't really want to spend the money on it if I don't have to. Would you let your nearly 3 year old ride without a seat on the plane? We would carry on the GO. Alternative would be holding off another year for the Go and taking a seat (options are a standard AO or a Scenera, she fits in both still FF).
Any advice to make this trip easier is appreciated..thanks!

Kelly
CPST-I

Hello Kelly,

We are used to flying quite a bit but I never took 2 seats on the plane. What I would do though is take 2 carry on luggages with wheels and no stroller (or if you really need one once you get there, check it in so you won't have to bother with it when you go through security). I would carry both kids with a baby carrier ( I have a beco butterfly II, here is more info, I know it's not cheap but a lifesaver IMO when you travel the strollers are really a PITB to go through security, an umbrella stroller would be the max http://www.becobabycarrier.com/features-description.asp and your DH could carry your 2 yo in it no prob, super easy to go through security as it has no metal part, and as you already have a bjorn, I would carry the baby in it).

Now for the seats, we have an orbit baby and we travelled with it in Europe and what we did is buy this great accessory: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JHN3AS/ref=oss_product"]Amazon.com: Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory: Baby[/ame] it worked wonders with our seat, I hope you have a seat that has LATCH and a top tether... Actually if you can use that accessory you could put your 2 yo in the seat while you roll the luggage so then no need for the Beco and for the SnugRide, we would just put it on top of one of our carry on or you could use a bungy rope to keep it on it and go like that. I never took the base with me, too complicated... sorry I cannot help there...

Don't hesitate to ask for more info, I would be more than happy to help! For sure I wouldn't put either baby without their car seats in a plane, you never know... In the airline business, they call babies that sit on their parents' lap a flying babies... no need to tell more... So keep them secured especially during take off and landings, also another tip make sure they drink or eat something or suck on something during the ascent and descent to help them equalize, that would help avoid some pain for those little ears...

Good flight

I will be travelling (by Southwest), no DH, with my just Turned 3 year old in August and there is NO WAY I would put him in just the seatbelt. He'd never stay sitting!

We're probably taking our Maestro, to see how it works for airplane flying. If not, we'll take the Roundabout 50. Attach with bungee cords to a luggage cart or the stroller. Etc.

Most likely your infant seat will install baseless, with the seatbelt. That's what I would do. If you are going to be in one place for a while/going to be in the car a lot on the other end, you might ship the base ahead (This is what we did the christmas we flew with the infant seat. Took the infant seat plus snap and go stroller on the plane, sent the base ahead to where we would be staying so we only needed to install baseless at the airport. But we could have done the entire vacation baseless as well, just fine). You have two adults -- take two single strollers if you want strollers. Much easier to deal with than a double, IMHO.

It is totally do-able! I did it several times by myself I would clip the infant seat inti the Sit & Stand and get a cheap, lightweight Cosco Scenera for the todfler. You can bungee it onto the seat portion of the stroller or let the straps out and use it as a backpack while the kiddo rides in the stroller. Or you can take a single stroller with the infant seat, and clip the Scenera or AO onto a cheap luggage cart and pull that with either your carryon piled on top or the toddler riding in it.

What I would do, is clip the infant seat into the stroller. Gate check the stroller and use infant seat on plane. Put the infant seat base in a rolling carry on. Use a Travelling Toddler (or make your own, there's a thread on doing that, but I thought the TT was well worth $15 to us not to have the hassle of going to the hardware store) and clip the 3 year old's seat (whatever seat you decide to bring) to the rolling carry on. Voila!

There's a picture of us using the Travelling Toddler to pull our daughter's car seat (and daughter-- but you could also throw a diaper bag on top of the car seat and use it to pull that while your daughter rides in a stroller) in this thread.

@ketchupqueen..

Which stroller would you suggest, the double (sit and stand) or the Graco? Will the infant seat work bungeed in the umbrella stroller, I'm sure I can rig it just haven't tried. Also, can I just keep the base attached and use it on the plane and not deal with putting it in a carry on? It would take up too much room, and we bring alot of junk carried on, laptop, pillow, DVD player, etc, not to mention diaper bag for 2 now. That traveling toddler looks cool, I will look at that but I don't have a rolling carry on so I'd have to get one. What size should I look at to fit the carry on rules? We usually just use my backpack.
I guess I could also consider putting the baby in a convertible, depending on how big he is by that time. Then I wouldn't have to mess with a base at all. I'm just not keen on the idea of not taking a base when I don't know what car we will have and how it will install baseless, needing noodles, etc.
Thanks!

If you at all want to have the option of the 3 year old in the stroller, I'd bring the Sit N Stand.

I wouldn't try an infant seat in an umbrella. Convertible yes (but not with a kid in it) but not infant.

The problem with using the base on the plane is that the plane has those buckles that go right in the middle of the belt path. You'll not be able to click the seat onto the base. And you can't just carry the base on unprotected, at least I don't recommend it, so you need to have it in a bag. I'd pack around it the extra clothes, toothbrushes, etc. that I always make sure I have with me in a carryon in case my baggage gets lost.

To be honest though, you may still need noodles or a towel with the base in some rental cars (unless you're using a Keyfit) so I'd throw a towel in the carryon with the base! NOT bringing the base would be easier and many infant seats install well without the base in most cars, and you don't have to use noodles or towels at all for that-- just pick the angle you want and push in instead of down. :thumbsup:

To use the Travelling Toddler you need a sturdy carryon that is at least almost as tall as the seat you are taking. If you use one too small, you will end up dragging the seat on the ground, not fun. I got ours at the thrift store and paid $6 for it instead of $70. :thumbsup: One outside zipper was slightly ripped but I don't use the outside pockets anyway since a car seat is going on top of it so what did I care?

I just saw this:

An Aurora said:

let the straps out and use it as a backpack while the kiddo rides in the stroller.

Click to expand...

I do not recommend this. Most car seat manuals warn never to carry the car seat by the straps, and even if they don't, it's not a good idea.

I hardly think it will do any more damage than buckling a kid in it.

It does because an adult weights more than a child. It could really pull on the slots too, in a way that's not designed.

They sell contraptions that allow carrying a car seat on the back. Something like this;
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Cheeky-Monkey-Designs-9277-Back/dp/B000GIBYQ0/ref=pd_sim_ba_29"]Amazon.com: Cheeky Monkey Pac Back: Baby[/ame]

Normally, I don't recommend taking a roller board as a carry-on, especially when flying with children. It's just an awkward suitcase to stow and to get stuff out of during the flight. I recommend a backpack, perhaps oversized one for a long flight. You need something you can put at your feet and quickly whip stuff out of.

But if you put just the infant seat in it and then use the roller board to transport the bigger seat, you could then gate-check the roller board if there is not room on board to stow it (which there often isn't because everyone brings one and there is just no space afterwards says this former Flight Attendant).

As far as which stroller to bring, I recommend the one you need for your trip, not specifically for the flight. WN will gate-check whatever you bring. Don't inconvenience yourself for your entire journey because of the flight. Make sure to double-secure your stroller with an extra bungee cord so that it doesn't pop open en route.

The best way to decide is to put it together at home and try it out. Using a roller board, luggage cart or stroller, play with it and see what works best. If the luggage cart or roller board work better, check the stroller as luggage. I believe it's free on WN and they're good in general about baby items.

Yeah obviously an adult weighs more than a kid but the adult isnot sitting in it. The Scenera weighs what, 12 pounds? So that's the force put on the straps.

Either way, dont do anything you are not comfortable with. I have never carried a seat that way since I have the luggage cart but I have seen it done and it's a way to keep your hands free.

Sorry if any of this is a repeat - I was reading quickly.

I wouldn't put the infant in a convertible - I don't think you'll be able to get enough of a recline for them because there isn't enough room. On the planes I'm usually on my then 12 month old had major head slump because it was so upright. I would take the infant seat and pack the base in my luggage and pad around it. Worst case scenario they loose the luggage but you can still install baseless in a car so you aren't stuck.

There is no way DS would have sat in a seat at 3. The seatbelts are WAY too easy to get off and he's much more comfy in his car seat which fits him and if he actually sleeps there is no way he'd be upright in a seat on his own.

I travel quite a bit (and often alone) with my 2 kids and 2 car seats. I strap both seats onto a luggage cart (I've done this with a bucket/convertible as well as 2 convertibles). I have a backpack carry on on my back, DD on my front in a MeiTai carrier (reversed this as they got older so DD is on my back in the same carrier, bag on front), one hand for the luggage cart and one hand for DS. I personally can't survive an airport without my carrier.

FWIW I've seen some crazy huge double strollers gate checked in my travels but of course every airline has their own rules and some are pickier than others so I'd check with them to see what they will allow.

An Aurora said:

Yeah obviously an adult weighs more than a kid but the adult isnot sitting in it. The Scenera weighs what, 12 pounds? So that's the force put on the straps.

Either way, dont do anything you are not comfortable with. I have never carried a seat that way since I have the luggage cart but I have seen it done and it's a way to keep your hands free.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Scenera is one that warns against carrying by the straps in the manual. I'm rather uncomfortable with the idea just because of that; don't they know better than us what the webbing can potentially handle?

Like I said, don't do anything you're uncomfortable with

It was my understanding a CPST can not make their own decision on what is and is not safe enough to be suggesting to other parents to do, but needs to follow the manufacturer's manual (Even when they think it doesn't make sense, like the CA height limit)

There are plenty of things I am comfortable to with even if they're technically outside the rules. Some of them I'm comfortable telling a parent I'm comfortable with, and some of them I keep to myself, lol. This is one I'm not comfortable with doing myself because I've SEEN damage to straps occur where people were carrying a seat around by the straps, at least that was the most likely cause we could figure out for the damage, and I think that constant, hanging stress, esp. while walking, is very different from the one-time jerk of a crash (akin to how the constant-pull test used to test LATCH anchors is very different than the forces in a crash, and the way they are tested actually means they'll withstand more than they're "tested to" in terms of forces because the constant pull wears them down much differently.)

I don't see how walking through an airport constitutes "constant wear." Either way, don't do it if you're not comfortable with it.

Obviously not. I'm trying to explain WHY I'm not comfortable with it. And I mean "constant" as in "prolonged over a period of time" (in this case, trips through several airports, from the time it is put on until it is taken off) vs. "incidental" as in "one time."

vonfirmath said:

You have two adults -- take two single strollers if you want strollers. Much easier to deal with than a double, IMHO.

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I agree. When there are 2 adults, 2 single strollers (whatever single your infant seat snaps into plus an umbrella stroller for the older child) is much easier than a double, at least IME. It makes it easier to divide and conquer for the bathroom/diaper changes.

My kids started sitting in just the airplane seatbelt around 3 (and I took the Go). I think that it depends on the kid.

I often carry the Go as a carry-on for the outbound flight and then check it on my way home (since I don't need it in my car for the way home).