Rental Car for TFP and Flying-Check it or no?

hhhmmm

New member
We are taking a trip in August flying from Minnesota to Rhode Island with a layover in Ohio. A couple questions:

1) What size rental car will we need to fit the Truefit? Small-Chevy Aveo Medium-Ford Fusion Large- Ford Taurus. We have a Subaru Outback so I have no idea no how it would fit in a car!

2) What would be best for the least damage to the carseat while flying? Checking it as luggage so we don't have to carry it through the airports or can we gate-side check it?
 
ADS

Jan06twinmom

New member
We are taking a trip in August flying from Minnesota to Rhode Island with a layover in Ohio. A couple questions:

1) What size rental car will we need to fit the Truefit? Small-Chevy Aveo Medium-Ford Fusion Large- Ford Taurus. We have a Subaru Outback so I have no idea no how it would fit in a car!

2) What would be best for the least damage to the carseat while flying? Checking it as luggage so we don't have to carry it through the airports or can we gate-side check it?

For question #2 - the only way you can guarantee that your car seat will not be damaged is to carry it on the plane and use it on the plane. This also prevents the airline from losing the car seat, which I know even happens when people gate check car seats.

How big and old is your child? Is the child riding rear-facing or forward-facing? That will impact how it fits in different vehicles.

Melanie
 

hhhmmm

New member
For question #2 - the only way you can guarantee that your car seat will not be damaged is to carry it on the plane and use it on the plane. This also prevents the airline from losing the car seat, which I know even happens when people gate check car seats.

How big and old is your child? Is the child riding rear-facing or forward-facing? That will impact how it fits in different vehicles.

Melanie

Unfortunately, taking the seat on the plane isn't an option as we already bought tickets and have DS as a lap child. I was thinking we could wait and see if there was an empty seat to use for DS in his seat, but with how booked planes are nowadays I didn't think we had a chance.

For rental cars, DS is 8 months so RF but upright. He can go all the way to 35 degrees no problem.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
Unfortunately, taking the seat on the plane isn't an option as we already bought tickets and have DS as a lap child. I was thinking we could wait and see if there was an empty seat to use for DS in his seat, but with how booked planes are nowadays I didn't think we had a chance.

Taking it on the plane may still be an option. Carry it with you to the gate. When it gets close to boarding time, ask whether there are any empty seats available. If there are extra seats, the flight staff will generally let you use a seat for your car seat. At worst you might have to move one of the adults in your party to the empty seat in another part of the plane so that the car seat can be used in one of your ticketed seats. If the flight is entirely full, then you can gate-check the seat, which is the 2nd best option.

We recently flew to Hawaii with my daughter as a "lap infant." We were able to use her car seat both ways. On the way back, the flight was nearly full. We reserved our seats ahead of time so that my husband and I were in the center section of the plane where the seats are 3-across. We each booked the aisle seat and left the one between us empty. Our boys were seated elsewhere on the starboard side of the plane (they're teens, so didn't need our supervision too badly). We got a gate check tag for the car seat just in case, but we took the car seat on the plane and put it in the empty seat between us. Had that seat been claimed, we would have had to give the car seat back to the flight attendant to be gate checked, but it didn't happen. Generally, unless there are NO other options on the plane, nobody is going to pick the seat that is in the middle of the plane between two strangers. I think our daughter ended up being in the very last empty seat on the entire plane. :p
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
FYI, the FAA doesn't recommend lap infants, and always recommends buying a ticket and using a carseat to 40 pounds.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

It's safer for your carseat to travel on board, it's safer for your baby not to be your airbag, and it's safer for others around you to not have a baby sized projectile coming toward them (nor would your baby appreciate slamming into someone).

I agree with the others, bring it to the gate and hope to hope there's an empty seat. Or see if you can buy a ticket now. I like the Traveling Toddler to get a carseat through the airport, but others like a GoGo Kidz, or just a folding luggage cart and bungee cord. That should make it easier for you to get a big seat like the True Fit through the airport without stress.

On board, you'll probably need to put the armrest up so it'll fit, so decline any bulkhead seats. Don't let the flight attendants tell you you cannot use it due to its width, it's FAA approved and says so right on the seat.

As for the rental car, for an eight month old who can sit fairly upright, anything should work. At eight months, if he's under the height and weight for the top headrest portion you won't have a problem fitting it anywhere at all.

Wendy
 

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