2 car seats plus me in back of Ford Edge

We're flying to visit my in-laws next month and I'm trying to figure out what to do about car seats for the trip. DS1 is almost 5 and a peanut, ~30lb, rides FF in a Radian at home. DS2 is 2.5 and ~26lb and rides RF in a Radian at home. I wanted to bring the Radians, use them on the plane, and in MIL's car (a Ford Edge) while we're there. The drawbacks to that plan are that it wouldn't make much sense to bring the RF base for DS2's Radian (and it wouldn't fit RF on the plane anyway) so he'd have to ride FF in MIL's car while we're there. Also, the Radians are heavy. We don't have the extra straps to wear them as backpacks. We were hoping to not bring a stroller (though that's not set in stone) so there's no way we'd be able to carry the two Radians through the airport and be able to scoop up the boys if needed. DH is big and strong but I'm tiny and also will be 20 weeks pregnant.

DH is suggesting we leave the Radians at home (also because we return home at 11:00 at night and don't want to have to deal with re-installing them to drive home from the airport), use no car seats on the plane, and have MIL pick up some car seats before we arrive. If we go that route, I'd have her get Cosco Sceneras. I know kids are much safer on planes if they're in a car seat.... But realistically, and totally morbid I know, if the plane goes down, we're all going to die right?

So, if we go with plan #2 and end up with two Sceneras in the back of a Ford Edge, will I be able to fit my pregnant self in back with them? It was a tight squeeze to sit between the Radians in the back of our Taurus wagon, so I'm a little concerned. It's a 1.5 hour drive to and from the airport.

Oh, and if anyone has any other suggestions we haven't thought of, I'd love to hear them!

But not every one dies if there's an accident on the runway or strong turbulence, that's where having the kids in carseats keeps them much safer!

I would either take 1 Radian, have your 2yo use it on the plane FF and have MIL get a Scenera for you to use when you get there (RF - have her get a pool noodle or bring a rolled towel also for installing it). Get a Scenera before you go and have both kids use seats on the plane (the Scenera is small enough to easily RF on the plane). Take both of your Radians and pack the boot in one of your bags.

And it will definitely be easier to fit between two seats if at least one of them is RF. I would try to put both seats side by side, which will also probably be easier if one is RF.

A 30 lb. peanut is very unlikely to fit the plane's belt properly, unfortunately. Heck, my long and lanky 47 lb. 7 1/2 year old didn't fit the belt properly last summer.

Why not get a luggage cart and strap the Radians to it? You could even strap the boot on, too. Luggage carts, and bungees if needed, are pretty cheap, cheaper than reimbursing your MIL for new seats probably (even cheap ones) and the boot could go under the seat in front of you so if you wanted to use it when you got there, you'd have it.

If you don't mind spending a bit more, you could get Sceneras, and a luggage cart, use them on the plane and in MIL's car, and then on the plane on the way back, and then just chuck them in the trunk or wherever on the way home without having to install seats, and have spares for riding in other people's cars in the future.

Thanks for the replies! After a little more googling, I definitely am going to fight with DH to use car seats on the plane. Would a radian fit RF on the plane? And I'm trying to think of a creative way to carry them through the airport. We travel so infrequently that I think DH won't want to spend money on a cart, even if it is cheaper than having MIL buy carseats (she'd probably just pay for them anyway).

What airline are you flying? If you have an Angle Adjuster it will fit on some airlines, but not others. If you need to, though, just throw the boot under the seat in front; at 2 I'm ok with FF on the plane even for kids who are usually RF in the car, when it's not practical to RF on the plane.

There are decent carts for $20-ish. I don't see that as a huge expense if it spares his back, but hey, if he's the one carrying them...

We're flying Delta. And, a friend of mine has two car seat carrying cases with wheels that she said I can borrow! It still may be a little annoying to wheel them through the airport with a carry on and the two kids, but that's what I'm going to suggest to DH. The only "problem" still will be having to reinstall them in our van for our super-late drive home from the airport.

My IL's have an edge, I have rode in the back seat on a trip with 2 radians and there was plenty of space so I bet you can fit fine with 1 radian and 1 scenera if you go that route.

You can order a Traveling Toddler for $15 on amazon. It's a strap that allows you to hook a carseat to a rolling carry-on and then you can put your younger child in it to wheel through the airport. I've used it with a Scenera and it's worked well. I'm not sure how it handles the radian's size. It can be a PIA going through security, but what isn't?