Airplane travel questions

We will be traveling to Hawaii in March and I am sure I will have lots of questions before we go . Our nonstop flight to/from Hawaii is on US Airways (I believe a 757-200). We will be using Hawaiian Air for interisland flights.

I have available: Nautilus, Maestro, CA LX, and a couple of Radians. I have a Go Go Kids and backpack straps for the Radians.

What would be your suggestions? For ds, I am thinking either a Maestro on the GGK, or a Radian. For dd, either the Radian or the CA LX. Pros/cons of either?

Will I pretty much have to FF dd on the flights? Interisland I don't think I care, but the long flight over and back (especially during the night) I am worried about how upright she will be and if she can sleep). But it seems like even if I install the Radian RFing w/o the boot (on the plane only), it will still be really upright? Is the CALX more reclined, if it even fits RFing? And if she does FF on the plane, do I adjust harness straps heights for the plane vs the rental vehicle?

And we will be renting either minivans or full size SUVs. Does this make the Radian or CA LX a better choice, in terms of compatibility?

So many questions

thanks

I love the Radian as a travel seat. My DS was able to use the tray table to eat and color when he was riding ff in the Radian. However, the Radian is heavier than the Maestro. If weight is an issue, I'd go with the Maestro for your DS.

If you take the Radian for your DD, I do think you'll need to forward-face it on the plane. My guess is that the CA will fit rear-facing. We've installed our Evenflo Triumph (old version) and the Britax Decathlon rear-facing on airplanes without any issues. Our kids were able to sleep in their car seats, even though I know my DD had more head slump on the plane than in the car.

When we had 1 rf and 1 ff child on the plane, we took the window/center seats on two rows. My DS sat ff with DH in the front row. My DD sat rf in the second row behind her brother and I sat behind DH. This made it easy since DS didn't need to recline his seat and bump into DD's car seat. It also was easier for my DH and I to pass things back and forth. And when DS dropped something under the seat, I was able to get it

Melanie

One option would be to carry-on the radian for your DS and just not install it on the plane. I would be fine with a 4.5 year old using the plane's seatbelt, or CARES harness depending on how big he is. The thought of installing two seats on the plan makes me want to cry for you.

I've done this before and the radian fits fine in the OH bins of any standard aircraft.

I understand your concern about your youngest needing to sleep and think, out of the options, the CA will be the best for that too.

If it were me, I'd probably FF the youngest on the plane in the Maestro and stash the radian in the OH bin and then when you get to the vehicle use the stashed radian for DD and use the Maestro for DS. I am not a person that frets the safety of a FF seat for a 2.5 year old on a plane because I think the seat is mainly protecting you from turbulence (my belief anyway). My thought process would be to get the lightest possible seat to use on the plane. A scenera would work too and fits in an umbrella stroller because it is narrow.

But, it might not solve your whole sleeping dilemma as the maestro is pretty straight.

Keep us posted on what you do.

If your flights are long and you're counting on your children to sleep, USE the radian. I miss having that option so much. :crying:

DD was 6 last year when we flew 10 hour flights, in an adult seatbelt, and never ever could get comfortable enough to sleep. (She's tall and outgrew her radian the summer before) She was up for around 30 hours total each time. The fallout for the next few days were rough on us both. Before, she'd used her radian FF'd and would sleep as long as she had a pillow to lean against. It was so much easier.

We're doing another flight this upcoming summer and I know enough now she isn't going to sleep. I'll just embrace the suck. :sigh:


Installation -- if you're travelling with your spouse, whoever installs seats, go on board the aircraft first. Then have the other follow with the kids afterwards.
Getting seats in the rear also helps -- you're the first to board and the last to leave without blocking anyone else. :shrug-shoulders:

You're not going to want to use a radian rear facing with boot. It's just too tight with that stupid boot for most econ class seats. They might not even allow you to do so because the passenger in front won't be able to recline.

1) You can choose to go against manufacturer's instructions and use a rolled up towel believing in the fact that it's been tested without and passed + aircraft safety considerations are much different,

or

2) Face your dd forward
-- pop out the bottom, and install on a natural recline.

Installing a radian in aircraft is relatively simple. Lean the aircraft seatback-back... bring through the seatbelt on the belt path. IIRC, I'd twist one end, so the fastener would be closer to one side or another. Tighten down as much as possible. Then make the aircraft seat back upright. Voila, ready to go.

One great fact about a ff radian is that the child can easily use the tray table. :thumbsup:

hth and good luck

My ds regularly sleeps in his radian FF on the plane. I install it a little bit reclined, and then once we are up in the air, recline the airplane seat as well. I bring his carseat poncho which I sometimes stick by his head if needed as a 'pillow'.

I LOVE our radian for travel, its why I bought the seat and has worked out wonderfully.

I definitely think I will install a seat for both of them on the plane. I think ds will sleep much better in his seat than the airplane seat (which is why I finally decided to haul a second seat instead of buying an RSTV). And I think I would have war if I tried to put dd in ds's seat...from BOTH of them

We have six seats (three in one row, three in the row behind that), so *if* dd is RFing, she can go behind one of us so no biggie about not reclinging the seat ahead.

Has anyone installed a CALX on this airplane, to know if it fits RF? Decisions, decisions!

I'd do the Maestro and CA simply because they are the lightest...

Jan06twinmom said:

I love the Radian as a travel seat. My DS was able to use the tray table to eat and color when he was riding ff in the Radian. However, the Radian is heavier than the Maestro. If weight is an issue, I'd go with the Maestro for your DS.

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My son was able to use the tray table when using the Maestro as well. I still held drinks on my table though.