Car seat as luggage

We are flying and need to take an infant car seat with us, but can't take it as hand luggage into the cabin (it's too big, and we didn't buy a seat for the baby).
How should we protect it as luggage? We probably could gate-check it, rather than putting it with the suitcases. We may also be taking a low-back booster.
Are there ways of protecting it from bumps and falls? Should we label the bag to have the luggage handlers treat it more carefully?

Sadly, even if you label it, they are under NO obligation to treat it nicely.

If you must, I'd have a sturdy, well-fitting box, tape, and bubble wrap ready to pack it as well-protected as possible. If you check- or gate-check it unprotected, I would not plan on ever using it in the car again, as even if there is no visible damage it may no longer be crash-worthy after the way they handle stuff. (I've seen car seats thrown down onto the tarmac, the person "catching" miss, it BOUNCED, and they just picked it up, brushed it off, put it on the cart...)

If at all possible find out if there's an extra seat you may use to use it for the baby on board, if there's no possible way to buy another seat at this point. It's safer for the car seat, and safer for the baby (most injuries occur during takeoff and landing, though some also occur during severe turbulence; in all these situations, an infant in a car seat is well-protected while a lap baby may go flying.)

I strongly encourage you to re-evaluate your decision not to buy a seat for your infant. It's not an advised decision for a number of reasons.

Here's a good blog entry on the whys

http://carseatblog.com/?p=6599 part 1

and

http://carseatblog.com/?p=6635 part 2

I wish I could buy a seat for my infant, but it's just not at all possible. However, I'm doing the best I can by taking my own carseat for her to use for the taxi ride to and from the airport.
Of course we will check if there is an available seat on the plane, in which case I will, of course use the carseat as I have every time I have flown with a baby or young child for whom I have been able to purchase a ticket. However, if I cannot get a seat for her, and I can't fit it in the overhead bins (which is our second choice)i, I will need to protect the carseat when I gate-check it, and was hoping that someone here would know of an effective way to do so.
I've always found this forum to be supportive and kind, and really hoped to avoid getting a guilt-trip lecture from every reply.

Well, I did give you information on the ONLY way I would consider packing a car seat to be checked or gate-checked on a plane.

We're not trying to guilt-trip you. We're trying to educate and inform, not only you, but anyone else who might read this thread. We need to include the fact that the safEST thing to do is not to check the seat, while we're giving you information on what may be a safer way to do it than checking it unprotected.

Well, the thing is that we have to provide facts. Technicians can't tell you that, "Oh yes, it's perfectly safe to have a lap-baby and check your seat." It's our duty to relay that to you, the same way we would if, say, you came on line and said, "My baby is 12 months old today. What's the best forward facing seat for her?"

We would have to tell you that even though it's legal to forward face, it's not advised, and these are the reasons why.

The fact is that both the baby and the seat are in danger if you choose to not purchase a seat. Your baby is at risk of sustaining injuries due to being unrestrained. Your seat is at risk of being lost or damaged by careless baggage handlers.

You could arrive at your destination and have no car seat at all. You could arrive and have a badly damaged or broken car seat. Worst case scenario, you could arrive at your destination and be given a car seat that appears to be fine, but has sustained invisible damage. And you don't know it....until you are in a car accident and the seat doesn't protect your baby the way it was supposed to.

These are all facts. They aren't terribly pleasant ones, but they really aren't intended to guilt trip you. They are intended to make you fully aware and informed of the risks you take by making your decision. In the end, that decision is up to you, and ONLY you. No one can make it for you...(and no one can make you feel bad about exerting your right to make a decision.)

I am sorry you feel like you were guilt tripped....I am sure that was not the intent of the previous posters. They were just making sure you were fully informed.

The advice on packing the seat given by KQ is also the only way I would be comfortable checking or gate-checking a carseat. I think if you absolutely have to check it (and sometimes you just can't buy a seat for the infant.....I get that) I would wrap the crap out of it and have it in a sturdy box just like KQ suggested. Luggage handlers just aren't very gentle so the more you can protect it the better.

I'm not sure if it will fit but someone once mentioned buying one of THESE from UHaul. They are double walled so the box is stronger but I don't know if the seat itself will fit. Protect the heck out of it if bringing it onboard is definitely not an option.

What aircraft(s) are you flying on? I know the SR22 will fit in the overhead bin of most larger aircrafts when it's flipped upside down.

WN only has 737's, so there's not a whole lot of stowage space on board.

By contrast, WN is good with letting you use on board if they're sure there is an empty seat. The only problem is if there are stand-by's (usually company employees) who can occupy that seat.

To get it in an overhead bin, put the handle down and flip it upside down. Some infant buckets can be squeezed in that way. Hopefully, not everyone and their roller boards have taken all the overhead space!