Would you take a mArathon travellling?

Mel281

New member
I would like another seat. One that is safest and comfortable and easy to install. I can get a cheap MA, but would that be good for a plane?
 
ADS

Jan06twinmom

New member
I've traveled with a Britax Decathlon - similar in size to a Marathon. It's definitely comfortable and easy to install. It will fit on the plane both rear-facing and forward facing.

However, it is a big seat so it's more difficult to deal with through the airport and carrying on the plane. When we used the Britax convertible, we did so because it was one of the seats we already owned. It's definitely not among my top picks for a travel seat.

How old and big is your child? What seats do you currently own? Maybe something you own would work better. Also, would you be buying the Marathon brand new? If you are open to purchasing a new travel seat, what is your budget?

Melanie
 

Mel281

New member
Re: Would you take a marathon travellling?

I currently own three EFTA (the 50 pound version) and 1 Radian XT.
My kids:
DS: 4.5 YO and roughly 39" tall, 35 pounds, seated torso height of 15"
DD: 2 years 2 months, 23 pounds, and no idea on height, but she is little. She is RF in the RN.

The MA would be used from Craigslist.
 

Mel281

New member
Also, there is no budget really as he will be outgrowing his EFTA in 1 inch or less. He is on the highest harness setting, so we will need new seats soon.
 

Jan06twinmom

New member
Re: Would you take a marathon travellling?

We would definitely recommend not buying a used car seat from Craigslist. You won't know the history of the seat and whether the seat would be safe for your child to use.

The Radian is actually one of my favorite airplane travel seats for older children who are riding forward-facing. Our DS was able to sit in his car seat and use the tray table on the airplane.

Could you give your DS the Radian to use as his primary seat? If so, I would also make it his travel seat for flying. If you cannot give him the Radian to use or if you want a second/travel seat, I would look at the Evenflo Maestro. It's a lighter weight seat so it's easier to travel with.

I would keep your DD in the EFTA since she'll have plenty of growing room. If you want a lighter, easier to use travel seat, I would look at the Cosco Scenera for her.

Melanie
 

Mel281

New member
Thank you for the response. The radian sort of has to stay with DD (at least for the primary vehicle situation) as it is a girly print and I am happy with how DD fits in it for RF (her legs are comfortable for her) as well as the fact that I can RF tether her.

I guess DH is adamant about NOT bringing the car seats onto the airplane seats. "If the plane goes down, there is no way they are going to survive it anyway." He is insistent on gate checking them.
In that case, I guess it really doesn't matter what seats we bring.
I wanted a spare or two anyway for the babysitter's car, so I was hoping to get something that would meet all of those needs. Wishful thinking I guess!
 

Eclipsepearl

New member
"If the plane goes down, there is no way they are going to survive it anyway."

Your dh is wrong, wrong, wrong. According to the NTSB, 97% of passengers in aviation accidents survive. Having a car seat can and does make a difference whether a child makes it or not.

The attitude "We're all going to die" has become a self-fulfilling prophecy when passengers panic and don't follow instructions. No, this information is not released to the families, but we were told in Flight Attendant training. The "could have" survived. Sad.

If you beat the stats, and are in an incident, you get yourselves and your kids out. Only follow crew members' and emergency personnels' instructions and don't try to take any bags. Enough said.

The fact is, if you convinced him to get the seats to the gate, you might as well take the seats the last few yards to your places and use them on board. Seems silly to risk your seats for the sake of a few steps...

Gate-checking is better than checking the seats as luggage at the counter but stuff does still happen to them. Some airports use chutes so gate-checked items are basically tossed to the tarmac.

My Radian fits down the aisle when strapped to a small, metal luggage cart. Too easy to bring it to our seats!
 

Jan06twinmom

New member
I guess DH is adamant about NOT bringing the car seats onto the airplane seats. "If the plane goes down, there is no way they are going to survive it anyway." He is insistent on gate checking them.

I actually think the most compelling reason for using a car seat on the plane is to make sure that the seat is not lost or damaged by the airline. One concern is that the car seat will be damaged in a way that is not easy to see and that the car seat will then fail when it is subjected to the forces in a car accident.

I am also concerned about airlines losing car seats, which I know has even happened when car seats were gate checked.

Melanie
 

mom2livnbon

New member
It will fit both FF and RF on the plane. I find it very easy to install in cars. Would I travel with it? No. I know lots of people do, but the one time I did it I found it too difficult for my liking. It is bulky, heavy and hard to uninstall from the airplane seat when you install it FF without a belt extender. I guess you're supposed to flip the buckle so that you can release it easier. IDK because after the first time I never tried again.

I went to Walmart and bought a Cosco Scenera as my travel car seat. It installs beautifully on airplanes and is lightweight. I travelled with it for 3 years and never ran into any problems.
 

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