flying solo with a True Fit ??

MAggie Boston

New member
I’m looking at flying solo with a 9-month old. He currently weighs about 18lbs at 6.5 months. We have a True Fit, and he is not using the headrest yet. We also have a umbrella style stroller (Graco Mosaic).

My sister at my destination almost definitely will have a carseat I can use while I’m visiting, so I possibly could just leave the True Fit at home.

I can wear him in a carrier most of the time.

If I do take my own carseat, backpack straps or attach to rolling luggage? Or is there some sort of stroller frame (Coccoro Flash) that might work with the True Fit?

Options:
Don’t take any car seat on flight and borrow at destination
Pros—less to mess with in airport;
no risk to car seat getting damaged
Cons—pain to ask sister to get borrowed car seat to destination airport

Take True Fit on flight.
Pros—already know how to install;
know child is comfortable and will sleep in it;
will have it at destination airport
Cons—have to haul through airport (backpack straps or attach to luggage?)
Risk getting damaged when gate-checked

Buy cheaper and lighter weight car seat for flight.
Pros—will have something available at destination;
no risk in getting TF damaged
Cons—cost;
Haul through airport (even if lighter weight than TF) (backpack straps or attach to luggage?)

Are there other options I’m not thinking about?
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I'd take it, use a Traveling Toddler to attach it to your rolling luggage, and use it on board the plane. A nine month old needs a seat on board. Everyone does. It's safer (in case of emergency you're not holding your baby on your lap, you have somewhere to put baby in case of turbulence, and after a collision or severe turbulence, baby is where you expect him to be, not injured 10 rows up) and it's insane not to (he doesn't understand, "hold still," and you'll have room to eat, read a book, and put him when he naps.

We just flew to my mom's last week. Laine had a seat. The baby across the aisle (17 months old) did not. I spoke to the mom before take off about her son slamming into me and my kids in a collision, and she put him in her seatbelt with him. And then I saw her looking at my carseat (with my sleeping baby in it) while my older daughter and I watched the movie together and snacked. She put him in the empty seat next to her, but he got right out. Wiggle wiggle wiggle. I didn't say a word or talk to her about it, but the difference was obvious, and I'm glad I was me and not her. Besides the fact that in a collision (runway emergency) she would have crushed him to death. My baby would have been perfectly safe in her seat and I would have simply scooped her up and left after the fact. She would have squished him to death sharing a seatbelt with him, and if he wasn't using a belt he would have hurt or injured me, her, or the people around us by slamming into us (I'd guess he was 25 pounds, and in a 150 mph collision that's 3750 pounds of force slamming into her, me, my kids. We'd be injured, he'd have been injured).

So take your seat, or buy a Cosco Scenera, use a Traveling Toddler, and use it on board. The seat is safe, your child is safe, and your sanity is intact.

Wendy
 

MAggie Boston

New member
OK, so I should have added a major "con" to not taking any carseat on the flight. :)

Would it be worth spending the $50 on a lightweight carseat that will probably only be used 2-3 times a year rather than taking the big, wide True Fit?

Honestly, I'm more worried about navigating through an airport that I'm unfamiliar with pulling a heavy suitcase (with heavy carseat) and carrying a heavy baby.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Navigating with the luggage isn't difficult. Especially a carseat strapped to one. You just pull it and don't even think of anything.

I'd get a travel seat if you're going to travel that often.

Wendy
 

jnamommy

New member
**I am not a tech**

I flew by myself with my two kids and two carseats in April. This was the first time I took the carseats on board the plane, becasue I did not know any better before. This last trip was actually the easiest by far, even with two carseats. I wore one on my back and used a GoGoKidz for the other (although some people prefer luggage carts, either one would work). For the carseat on the wheels, I could either sit my dd in it and use it as a "stroller," or I could put the diaper bag in it and wear my dd. Either way worked great. And having the kids in carseats on the flight was a lifesaver - they knew they had to sit in their seats and did not squirm all over and try to run up and down the aisles :twocents:
 

chay

New member
I travel with 2 seats strapped to a luggage cart and honestly it isn't that bad. You don't really notice the weight because it's being pulled.
- 1 big suitcase on wheels
- 1 luggage cart with 2 seats strapped on
- toddler hanging onto the cart handle (small backpack on his back)
- baby in carrier on my front
- carry on backpack on my back (reverse the last 2 for a bigger baby)

In most airports you get to ditch your big luggage pretty quick and don't get it until close to the exit (unless you have to clear customs or change carriers at a connection...). If you can get help to the check in counter at drop off and have someone meet you at the baggage pick up that will make your life easier.

I've never had problems with a wide seat (other than having to take them off the cart to get them in the plane - only my Radian is narrow enough to wheel down the isle and it just barely fits so I can't imagine anything else working).
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I wheeled my luggage down the aisle of a 757 with my CCO strapped to it.

I got the impression the mom wasn't checking luggage, like us. I have everything I bring with me -- kids, carseats, luggage, carryons -- right in the cabin with me. Actually makes it a lot easier to get stuff around the airport.

Wendy
 

chay

New member
Cool - we don't have the CCO up here so I've only seen them in pictures.

Ah, I'm always going for at least a week (sometimes on my own) so bringing everything on is distant memory for me ;)
 

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