Use what i have or get a new seat

I'm traveling with my 11month old 25lb baby boy on southwest air.
Flight will be about 5 hrs of travel time; one stop but no plane change.
I will likely be maneuvering the airport alone.
I have purchased a seat for him on the plane and plan to have him ride in his carseat.
I plan to wear him in the airport.
We will need a carseat for him when we get there though I don't know what kind of car we will be in. (I expect it could change throughout our visit, depending on who is transporting us.)
I am currently using the Britax B safe infant seat. (Which still fits him)
We got this because he HATEd the peg infant seat. He still doesn't like his seat. But we have resorted to having someone ride in the back with him.
I also have a convertible Britax (pavilion-I think: it was very spendy) that we have only used occasionally.
Q: 1)
will the B safe fit? It is heavy and maneuvering could really suck, and it may be not fit in the seat...
Recommendations, suggestions? Should I use the convertible?
I am totally open to getting another carseat based on recommendations.
Q: 2) Also, I plan to have him rear facing, but after reading posts I'm not sure if that is recommended/allowed by the airlines, specifically, Southwest.w
Q:3) to get a stroller or not? We currently have a Bob which is a beast and i would not travel with it. Family members have strollers at our destinAtion, but I wonder if I should get something that I can use to,haul things (i.e. carseat!) and potentially him and when we get where we are going, so i know there is actually a workable stroller for us. If so, recommendations? Website recommendations for traveling with a baby and what I really need to take?
Q: 4) Finally, since I will get to preboard, what seats should we select or avoid? Front, back, middle? Bulkhead seat is my first thought. suggestions/thoughts?

Thanks so much for any guidance! (And for having such a great site!)

Hi and welcome! I would probably bring whichever seat is easier for you to install, especially if you will be switching vehicles often. I'm not sure if the B Safe would fit front to back, but the convertible can be installed much more upright. No matter what the flight attendants tell you, your seat can be installed rear facing. There are documents you can print out verifying this. I'll see if I can find the link.

I wouldn't bring a stroller, just because it is really hard to carry/wear a baby, push a stroller, pull a suitcase and deal with diaper bag/carry-on. Much easier to strap the carseat to the suitcase to get through the airport, especially when travelling alone. It's best if you have a rolling carry-on to strap it to, then you can have it beyond the check in counter. Just remember that you do have to unhook everything and send it all through the x-ray machine individually.

If you wear your son through the airport, you don't have to remove him to go through security, they'll just swab your hands after you go through the metal detector. And they won't make you go through the full body scanners either.

As far a choosing seats, while the bulkhead seats have more room, they usually don't recline and the rear-most won't either. There will be more noticeable motion the farther back you go in the plane, and right over the wings can be very noisy. Just remember that you cannot be in an exit row, or the rows directly in front of or behind one.


ETA: Found the link for one of the brochures. Pretty sure there is another one too, maybe someone else will chime in with it.

Question 2- There aren't any seats that your son can legally forward face in at less than 1 year of age, and because Southwest is a US carrier they are bound by FAA regulations which permit your son to rear face- this blog should be helpful http://carseatblog.com/22134/flying-with-a-car-seat-know-your-rights/ Southwest is usually very friendly. When you check in they'll probably offer to check your seat for you, just let them know your son has a ticket and will be flying in his seat.

Question 4- You will board between boarding groups A&B unless you check in online and end up with an A boarding pass, so the bulkhead seats will likely be taken by the time you get on the plane.