Talk to me about lap babies while flying.

We will be flying in January with 4 kids.
Youngest will be 13 mos at the time.
When I booked our flights they put her as a
Lap baby because she is under 2?
I am also nervous about checking our seats.
My gramma asked why we wouldn't rent seats down there?!
One last thing. I had additional tts installed in our gc 3rd row van. Any rental we get won't have these.
I will have
Dd1 7.5 yrs 65 lbs hbb ( Nauti without harness or diono Monterey )
Ds1 5.5yrs 41 lbs ff in a Nauti or radian
Ds2 2.5 yrs 27 lbs rf or ff in radian or ff in old graco cargo booster.
Dd2 7 mos 17 lbs rf in either a snug ride 32 or a trufit.

You're right to be worried. Lap babies are not safe, and are not recommended by the FAA, AAP, NTSB, and technicians. They're a danger to others as they are projectiles. Or they'll be your airbag. It's also just simply harder to share your three cubic inches with someone else who doesn't understand, "the seatbelt light is on and you need to sit still now."

It's also not safe to check carseats. They'd be considered crashed, as they're generally thrown around many times between when they leave your arms and when they arrive back (if they're not lost in the process, just like any other luggage). They're a lifesaving device. You put your kids in them to potentially save their lives. Are you just going to trust every single person between the ticket counter and the baggage claim to treat them like you'd treat them?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzmJr1a-BHU&feature=player_embedded"]Mistreating luggage - YouTube[/ame]

See the pile of carseats to the left?

I'd call the airline back and book another ticket.

Rental seats are not known for being clean, well cared for, not expired, not recalls, and who knows who has eaten/peed/pooped/puked in them, and if so, how were they cleaned. We rented a seat on one trip (actually two seats since it was a two legged trip) and when we got there with 10 WEEK old Piper they brought out a booster seat. I sent it back, and after many many minutes they found me an infant seat without a base with no instructions, no stickers, no DOM, no nothing. To this day I have no idea what it was. On our second leg they gave me an infant seat with a base and some stickers. Much better, but still not good. We never traveled without a seat of our own again.

I'd probably get two BubbleBums or Lite Riders for the older two kids to travel with. Take them on board and put them in the overhead. Then I'd put the two year old in the Radian forward facing on the plane, but rear facing at the other end. Bring the rear facing foot separately. Then I'd bring the baby's infant seat. That way you don't need any top tethers at the other end, so no need to worry.

The two year old and baby will go next to the windows (if it's a 3/3 configuration I'd just book six straight across if you can), then either a parent or an older child, then the other person on the aisle.

Let us know what strollers/luggage you're taking and we can help you figure out how to get the seats through the airport. Probably the easiest thing to do is to get backpack straps for the Radian and wear it, and put the baby in the Snugride in a snap n go or stroller. Have the older kids carry their boosters, or put them in the stroller's basket, or if you get BubbleBums, in a carry on bag.

Wendy

I agree with everything that Wendy said, other than I personally prefer one row in front of the other instead of all across. I find it easier to pass things back and forth, and I prefer to have my harnessed toddle behind a sibling so I don't have to worry about kicking (or the RF seat behind a sibling so I don't have to deal with someone complaining about not reclining).

Not a big deal though.

I too prefer to have two rows instead of sitting across the aisle.

You wouldn't need more than one top tether with those kids and seats, so any rental you get would work.

We prefer to sit across the aisle. But it's a YMMV thing

Ok so I booked a seat for dd2
I am concerned though because the last time we flew we boarded with 3 kids and 3 car seats. They made us stow 2 of them at the front of the plane. The stewardess told us every carseat needs an adult directly beside it and I couldn't install the other seat on the isle so I could be beside 2 at once.

I called the airline and they told me that there is no such rule.?!

We will be traveling 3 adults 4 kids.

We will have probably 6 suitcases a graco double stroller. Whatever 4 seats everyone thinks we should bring. A pack and play and a small carry on for each person.

I'm also interested how we should arrange the seat in the rental van probably a dodge gc.

Also would it be bad to reharness dd1 s seat for the flight to avoid checking it?
She is hovering at 64-65 lbs

We have 2 of the cases with straps for the 2 radians

I'm also in Canada so not sure if I can buy the bubble seats here?

Typing in phone with sleeping kid in me, pardon typos...

Prnt the FAA policy and the airlines policy before you go and know where your FAA sticker is on the seat. We had issue last time as they tried to move our seats and putt an unaccompanied minor with us-- I guess they thought we wouldn't notice?! But we just said no, we booked seats together and they need supervision.

If you have trouble ask the FA to show you their policy manual if they want an adult next yo each seat-- there is no such policy, obviously.

I would take a booster for the oldest, I might even see how 5.5yr old does with a booster as well. I believe from reading on here take the bottom part of the booster as carry on and pack the back in the suitcases, so I would look at getting two Graco Trubo boosters. Than RF the younger two and you won't even have to worry about tethers pack some AA and bring the two Radians maybe get carry straps for those or buy a luggage cart you could strap them too. For the flight I might just ff the two year old though to make things easier.

Just wondering...your trip is in January, will the two oldest actually be about 8 yrs and 6 yrs? Not sure if the ages you put are current or when you travel.

In that case certainly like Nimommy said ,either just take two NBB for them or take HBB that allow you to take off the high back, put it in your suitcase padded with clothes, and have the kids carry on the NBB parts. That way if your luggage gets lost at the worst you would have the NBB portions to travel safely with. And carseats for the youngest two. That way you can have an adult to sit next to each if they give you trouble and less to haul to the gate.

As far as installing the seats in a 3 across seat situation, they must be window -- car seat -- car seat or person -- car seat or person -- aisle

If there are 2 seats, you cannot sit in between the seats, it has to be window -- car seat -- car seat -- person -- aisle. This is in the US as far as I know, not sure about canada.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Car-Seat.Org

What airline are you flying? If its Air Canada, they are brutal. WestJet is better. Bubble bums are not sold here.

Never heard of any sort of rule like that. I no longer fly but I doubt it. There is the remote chance that an airline could impose their own rule but again, they need to show you that such a rule exists. My guess is that a child can't be alone without an adult and the Flight Attendant got it mixed up. That happens (there are so many rules, it's easy to confuse them).

Wendy is right about rental seats but she didn't mention what happened to me. They didn't have one. At all. I had to ride with him on my lap. Pressured by family, FTM and never again did I make that mistake! There is no obligation for them to provide a car seat. The small print resolves them of this and you can have bad news at the counter, after arrival. Fun-not!

bubbaray said:

What airline are you flying? If its Air Canada, they are brutal. WestJet is better. Bubble bums are not sold here.

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We are flying Canjet we flew Air Canada last time.

Aside the pita of them not allowing me to install on the plane what is the benefit of having the older 2 in boosters?
From what I can tell they won't let you store boosters overhead just checked?

I'm not worried about making it through the airport with the seats. We did it lasttime with 2nautis and a trufit. This time we have an extra adult too.
I would just as soon never have my seats leave my sight. Last time the seats we couldn't use got stored on the plane in the stewardess storage area not under the plane as the had already closed it ?

Tbh that's another $150 I'm going to put out for seats on the trip and I really don't want ds1 in a booster until he has outgrown his seat and shown that he can sit properly 100% of the time.

Ds1 still falls asleep and I know after long days at Disney he certainly will.

They will be 6 and 8 at the time and I know I'm paranoid. I would even switch ds2 back rf if I could figure out a way the older 2 could get out around 2 rf carseats.

I figured the bubble bums were not sold here when I did a search and didn't find anything for Canada.

Well my understanding is there isn't any evidence of this point that long term harnessing is safer than a properly used booster. I just suggested turbos as they are easy to use fit most kids well and are cheap to buy. I would definitly not put the oldest in a carseat but if thats how you feel comfortable you could.

I flew Air Canada at Christmas switched planes two times each directions and had no problems installing my daughters carseat on all planes so I don't think Air Canada is that brutal.

You can put boosters in the overhead. We do it all the time. I wouldn't use one that's been checked. Or put them in a carryon suitcase and put THAT overhead. I've done that too (in fact, I did both on the same trip when I bought a booster while traveling and had to get both home).

Wendy

mommy24babes said:

We will be traveling 3 adults 4 kids.

We will have probably 6 suitcases a graco double stroller. Whatever 4 seats everyone thinks we should bring. A pack and play and a small carry on for each person.

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Are you sure you can't borrow a pack-and-play at your destination? Many hotels have them too (they are hit-or-miss in terms of quality and biohazard level, but we've been pleasantly surprised or lucky).

We just went cross-country (2 adults, 2 kids) and I highly recommend you limit your carry-on items as much as possible (by checking 1-2 large bags instead of several smaller carry-on bags). It will free your hands for the car-seats and wrangling the kids, and reduce the stress of finding overhead bin space for everyone's bags.

I also recommend a bag to cover your stroller before you gate check it. I know JL Childress makes a simple (and affordable) one for double strollers, it's available on Amazon with good reviews.

Last time we went they had cribs to borrow and they were horrible.
That's why I planned on bringing one this time.

Are you expecting them to sleep in the car?

I would personally bring the 2 radians on luggage carts, the SR for the baby (rolling trough on the stroller) and a booster for the oldest. I would probably also take the opportunity of the next few months to booster train the 5yo and trade the radian in for a booster as well if they do well. Although since you travelled do well with the TF and Nautis I am totally impressed with your patience and you could probably handle the radians as well. Thank heavens you have 3 adults. If you don't expect the kids to sleep in the car I would probably get harmony backless boosters. It's what we travelled with for my 7yo and it was an awesome travel seat. Only drawback was no support for sleeping. So either they need to install next to a ff seat to lean a bit on or I would get a turbo and pack the high back portion in the checked luggage. No way would I be carrying something do heavy and clunky as a Monterey or nauti to booster in in vacation.

mommy24babes said:

Last time we went they had cribs to borrow and they were horrible.
That's why I planned on bringing one this time.

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This has been my experience as well...one trip we had a lovely, metal-frame, daycare-quality, clean crib with wheels. One trip we had a crib that wouldn't have sold at a yard sale--it was dirty and rattly with loose screws. I should have taken a picture! Toddler slept in our bed that trip.