2.5 Year Old on a Plane & in Rental Car- Car Seat Help!!

Going on our first trip with 2.5 year old. We are flying about 5 hours each way. We have 3 MyRide's and a Graco that is 5 years old that my DH has in his commuter car that doesn't get used (see, I don't even know what it is but it is similar to the MyRide but older and smaller). I read that the MyRide's don't fit on the airplane seats... so what do I do?? Buy a new seat since we have to have one at our destination in the rental car anyway?? I read that it is scary to check the seats and scary to leave them at the gate. So, really, get a seat that fits on the airplane seat? I don't think we will be air traveling much, but if that's what I need to do, I will...
Any suggestions?
Thanks!~

A MyRide will fit in a standard coach seat.

The MyRide will fit. You might need to put the armrest up when you install the car seat.

Is the other car seat the Graco Comfortsport? It would be a smaller seat with a 30lb rf limit and a 40lb ff limit? How big is your toddler? If you have the Comfortsport, it's often outgrown by children when they are around 3ish. So if your 2.5yo is on the larger size, it might already be outgrown. However, if your child is smaller and still fits properly in the seat, then you might want to go ahead and take this smaller seat for the trip.

Melanie

I'd take the ComfortSport if the kiddo still fits in it. The MyRide fits but it's big and bulky, and big and bulky is not very fun to haul through the airport.

I would buy a Scenera. Its so lightweight and easy to travel with

It is installed so I don't want to uninstall it to look at the model but after looking at some pictures, it is probably the comfortsport. He is not 40lbs yet so we are still good to use it FFing. Maybe that's what I will take on the plane... Or get a Scenera. Sad to think he's almost outgrown it though- but it does expire in a year anyway... It was in grandmas car but she no longer needed it as she got a MyRide. We put it in the commuter car for emergency situations.

kalishea said:

It is installed so I don't want to uninstall it to look at the model but after looking at some pictures, it is probably the comfortsport. He is not 40lbs yet so we are still good to use it FFing. Maybe that's what I will take on the plane... Or get a Scenera. Sad to think he's almost outgrown it though- but it does expire in a year anyway... It was in grandmas car but she no longer needed it as she got a MyRide. We put it in the commuter car for emergency situations.

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You want to be sure his shoulders are not over the top slots as well.

Ok, I'll make sure of that before we haul it to Hawaii or rely on using it at all.

I had some trouble getting the MyRide uninstalled on a plane, but now, maddeningly, I can't remember why. I do remember I got it in there and then couldn't get it out and the captain who offered to help me made himself bleed trying to get it out. It was probably FF. I wonder if using the seat belt extender might solve whatever problem it was that I had that I can't remember.

Gee, I hope that's helpful and not just annoyingly vague.

kalishea said:

Ok, I'll make sure of that before we haul it to Hawaii or rely on using it at all.

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Good! Double check the shoulders in relationship to the top harness slots when you put him in the seat. That will give you an idea about how much growing space he has in the seat - or you can replace it now if it is already outgrown. Most car seats are outgrown well before children hit the stated weight limit.

Melanie

What would I replace it with? Another convertable?

Also, this may sound like a silly question but do I just haul it on the plane and install it like I would a car? It doesn't count as a carry on, does it (Just making sure I don't take too many other bags)? I am a little concerned that my DS will be uncomfortable in it for 5 hours. Luckily our flight leaves at 5:00 am so he may fall right to sleep for a while.

And, we are in a plane with three seats together in the row (aisle, middle, window) so it will be me, my DH and DS. Which seat should I put DS in??? Also, my parents will be behind us in two seats.

Would it be better to take the MyRide to so we can put him RF on the plane? Or get a Scenera (he would have 2 lbs remaining RFing, so he would be close within the next 5 weeks until we go)

He will have to go in the window seat. And yes, you just install it like you do in the car; no it does not count against your luggage or carry-on allottment.

There are some Sceneras (the Scenera 40RF) that RF to 40 pounds. I wouldn't take the My Ride, since it's bigger and bulkier. The Scenera is cheap and lightweight and you can RF that comfortably on the plane. He will be much more comfortable in his car seat than he would be just in the lap belt.

kalishea said:

Also, this may sound like a silly question but do I just haul it on the plane and install it like I would a car? It doesn't count as a carry on, does it (Just making sure I don't take too many other bags)? I am a little concerned that my DS will be uncomfortable in it for 5 hours. Luckily our flight leaves at 5:00 am so he may fall right to sleep for a while.

And, we are in a plane with three seats together in the row (aisle, middle, window) so it will be me, my DH and DS. Which seat should I put DS in??? Also, my parents will be behind us in two seats.

Would it be better to take the MyRide to so we can put him RF on the plane? Or get a Scenera (he would have 2 lbs remaining RFing, so he would be close within the next 5 weeks until we go)

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It doesn't sound like a silly question! It absolutely doesn't count as a carry on (and no one has ever batted an eye, but you can use the phrase "safety seat" or "safety item" if you get any guff). A 2.5 year old takes a while to gain 2 lbs, so you could gamble on the Scenera. I, however, did almost exactly that when one was on sale (but with longer than 5 weeks to go) and ended up giving away the Scenera. No big loss for me, but having done that once, and having lugged a MyRide successfully, I would just lug the MyRide.

The MyRide manual has a note about airplane installation, but it's just like using a lap only belt in a car (also in the manual). Bring the manual on the plane if at all possible. Put buckle through belt path, buckle, tighten, check for tightness. I'd ask for and use the seat belt extender.

You can install it RF or FF, but for a 2.5 year old I do FF on a plane and RF in the car, just for ease--I'm willing to fight with the person in front of me for a little kid, but planes aren't in collisions like cars, so FF is an acceptably safe option for me with an older baby or toddler on the plane. I've been known to tuck a cloth diaper behind a FF kid on the plane to cushion against the buckle, since it tends to hit in the back (can't remember if this is a particular issue with the MyRide). I'd never do that in a car (might make the harness too loose), but I'm OK with it on the plane.

If you're installing FF, you most likely need to move the harness up: I do this while I'm waiting to board, after going through security. If you have extra adults and one kid, my favorite trick is split parent boarding: one parent gets on with all the stuff and stows it and installs the seat and the other parent stays out of the plane with only the kid and the ticket. I stay off that thing as long as humanly possible (my son and I always board dead last). I do the same thing backwards deplaning, get off last, and then stop at the gate and adjust the harness back down for RF in the car so I don't have to do it at the curb.

I always put the car seat next to the window. My kid likes to look out and in many situations that's the only place it's allowed. If you want to do RF (for sleeping that has value on a 5 hour flight), you could put the kiddo in the window behind one of your relatives. Then the person not reclining would not complain.

Now, there have been some reported problems with Hawaiian Air and RF. Not sure if those got resolved?

Thank you to everyone! I am feeling better about flying with the seat now. One less thing to worry about before we leave. I put my DS in the ComfortSport yesterday and he is not grown out of by height or weight at this point. I think I'll plan on taking it unless something changes before February.

The flight attendants usually want to make sure the seat is airline approved, so know where to find the marking on the seat stating it is airline apporved.

I often just ask for the seat belt extender when I board with the seat. I've only needed it once but it is a hassle getting it later if I need it.

I'm also pretty bossy about getting pre-boarding. I hate to be rushed when installing my seat. I'm also often alone with my child who is then standing in the aisle while I struggle with the seat - not sure why they think I don't deserve to pre-board! I too have gotten a seat "stuck" and had to have the pilot help get it out. It happened because they did not allow me to preboard and I was in a huge rush to get the seat IN. Since then, I've taken the time to make sure I could access the latch in order to uninstall the seat! This is where the extender comes in handy, sometimes you can position them so that you can more easily access the latch to uninstall. Unlike a car seat where you just push the button, with the plane belt, you have to have room to flip the lever something like 45 degrees in order for it to unlatch.

Good luck and have a great trip!