International Travel-Help me pick a seat!

My family has planned a summer trip to Italy, and I'm trying to iron out some of the travel details. My son will be 15 months at the time, and he will have his own seat on all of the flights (2 long and 2 short). We use the Advocate in my car, and there is no way that's coming with us!

Can you recommend a comfortable, reasonably-priced option, which can also be used in my mom's car after the trip? I like the idea of the Scenera, but I'm afraid he won't be comfortable enough in that for the long flights, especially after being used to the Britax cushioning. Maybe that's not an issue? I certainly like the price!

My son is currently around 31" tall (super long torso) and 24-25 lbs. The planes we will be on are the Boeing 757-200 and the Canadair Regional 700. We will also be utilizing a car service between the airport and the town we are staying in, so if there's anything I need to know about that, please feel free to offer suggestions.

Thank you so much for your help!

No thoughts?

Chances are he won't even notice the lack of padding on the scenera. Most kids don't. Maybe buy it before and use it in your vehicle to be sure it's ok. I have an Uptown for travel but they aren't made anymore, not sure what the slightly cushier option is after the scenera.

We have a tribute for travel slightly dearer than the scenera but still not over $100. We use a Peg convertible as our main seat.

As we have 4 long flights (also to europe) coming up so I tried dd in the tribute a few weeks ago, and she loves it more than her peg. So even though is has less padding and seems less cushy she seems happier in it. Crosses her legs and goes straight to sleep.

I also find it easier to install than the scenera which can need pool noodles a lot of the time. The seat belt install is easy aswell for if you get a car with no isofix(latch) while in Italy.

I live in Italy. Where are you going?

Most cars do not have locking belts so you'll need a seat with lock offs or a locking clip. If also avoid any seats that are known to require pool noodles or towels to get a tight install. Or I guess you could use the latch belts and install to the isofix anchors assuming your car service has isofix (ask).

Also, not all cars have top tethers.

Also, which airline(s) are you using? Some European carriers have restrictions on carseat use, and as far as I can tell, Alitalia doesn't allow them at all. Is the second flight a codeshare?

As newyorkDOC (is that short for 'denominazione di origine controllata' ?) mentioned, many European cars have neither automatic locking retractor seatbelts nor Isofix, in which case you will either need a locking clip or a carseat with lock-offs.

I personally find locking clips to be a pain, especially when you're dealing with an unfamiliar vehicle and are tired from the overnight flight. Most Britax seats have lockoffs, but if you're looking for something lighter and more compact than the Advocate, the Combi Coccoro does as well, and I think there are a few other options. The Coccoro is often described as a good travel seat, though clearly it will not last you as long as some other seats.

You could also ask the car service which vehicle they will be using and whether it has Isofix, but it's pretty common for car services to swap vehicles around without necessarily informing the customer, and a lot of people won't understand the nuances of carseat installation, especially when there may be a language barrier.

Good point that he may not notice the difference in padding with the Scenera, though the mention of pool noodles makes it sound less appealing. I'll definitely look into the Tribute as well. Seems in the reasonable price range for an extra seat.

We are flying Delta from Boston to Paris, and then a codeshare Delta/AirFrance/British Airways flight to Genoa. From there we plan to take the train to Monterosso. Unfortunately, the train isn't an option on the way back due to flight timing, hence the car service. I'll have to look into that further to see if they can give me any info on isofix, locking belts, etc. I know nothing about installation challenges, as I brought my car and seat to the fire department to install, and I never remove it!

The Combi Coccoro looks like it's comfy and has some nice features, but is definitely more than I'd like to spend on a travel seat.

cantabdad said:

As newyorkDOC (is that short for 'denominazione di origine controllata' ?).

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BRAVO! You're the first person to get that. So you either love Italy, are Italian, or are a foodie right?

newyorkDOC said:

BRAVO! You're the first person to get that. So you either love Italy, are Italian, or are a foodie right?

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I'm Irish-American, so I guess I'm 2 out of 3, though I've still never had a chance to visit Italy. We have vague plans for 2014 which is why I have been researching alternatives to Alitalia.

cantabdad said:

I'm Irish-American, so I guess I'm 2 out of 3, though I've still never had a chance to visit Italy. We have vague plans for 2014 which is why I have been researching alternatives to Alitalia.

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Easy. I fly Milan-NYC every year and generally use either delta (just make sure it's operated by delta) or AA. I hate changing on the "other" continent bc you've got to haul all your crap through customs and re-check it so if you need to connect, try to make sure it's on the same continent as your departure. I have a very string preference for direct flights with two kids though.