Air travel recommendation

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laurenandalex

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #1

We are taking a last minute trip next week to see family. We will be flying-two short legs each way. My 5 year old (to be 6 in June) has always flown in a car seat. At home she is harnessed full time and will be for the foreseeable future (she is kinetic and impulsive). Once at our destination, I anticipate minimal car travel like to/from airport (30 minute trips) and maybe 1-2 short trips. Probably in a mid size sedan-and we will need to put an adult and our 2 year old. (RFing radian) in a 3 across situation.

She weighs 45 pounds; has a 17" seated torso height; 27" seated height. She's tall-but I'm not sure of her standing height. Wears a 6x/7 shirt; 6 pants.

We have a Frontier 85 and Frontier 90. She has outgrown our radian and classic marathon by torso height.

Our 2 year old will be in the radian. FFing on plane and RFing in the car. We will have two adults and minimal carry on luggage.

1. How feasible is it to install either Frontier on the plane?

2. Other alternatives? Would she still fit in a Sureride? Or should we do a booster for car travel? High back? Low back? Recommendations?

Thank you in advance. There is plenty to panic about regarding this trip. And I'm trying to simplify the carseat portion of the equation!

 

1mommy

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #2

If you are having minimal travel a booster for your 6 year old sounds easier, especially for a 3 across. I would try her out in a booster before you leave if you have time to see if she can sit still for short trips, and with an adult sitting next to her reminding her how to sit I don't think it would be a problem. I don't know much about boosters so I can't recommend a lightweight skinny one but I'm sure others can.

I think the Frontier will be a pain for you to drag on the plane because it is so heavy and bulky, where with a high backed booster you can pack the back and just bring the seat part on the plane to put in the overhead bin. But if you really think she can't sit still even for the short trips then I think a SureRide would work well for you.

 

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cantabdad

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #3

I agree with '1mommy' above -- you don't have much time to do booster training with your daughter, but having an adult next to her in the backseat will probably do wonders for her squirminess and ability to sit in the correct position. Especially just for short daytime trips where she's unlikely to sleep.

A BubbleBum inflatable booster or Boostapak backpack booster might be good for this situation, since they are both lightweight for schlepping through the airport, plus narrow to facilitate a 3-across in the car. I was initially skeptical of anything like an inflatable booster, but my daughter has been using a BubbleBum since she was 4 for occasional taxi rides and it has always worked well. That being said, a conventional low-back booster is not that heavy, either. Just make sure that the vehicle you'll be riding in has adequate head restraints in the backseat.

FAA's recommendation is that kids over 40 lbs. are OK in the regular lap belt, so you are fine there, though some people on the forum have said that occasionally the lap belt fit is not great on certain airlines for skinnier kids. I tend to think you'll be OK with a 45-lb. 5.5-year-old. And if you've already got a heavy Radian that you'll need to get between gates at your connecting airport, you probably don't want another huge seat like the Frontier.

 

Last edited: Apr 11, 2014

aeormsby

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #4

I agree with the PP's I'd go with a NBB for this one. If you were doing longer trips and wouldn't have an adult back to help remind how to sit I'd probably have a different answer.

We used a Bubble Bum for the first time on a trip a week ago. It worked great for my 8yo and was so easy to take with. I saw them at our local target in store recently. Otherwise I really like the Harmony Youth booster from Walmart (it's only $13, fits even smaller kids well and is lightweight).

The other option you could look at are the travel vests, I've never used them but they function more like a harnessed seat.

 

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kookaburra

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #5

We're using a RideSafer Travel Vest with our 5 year-old on a trip right now. And it's working pretty well with me sitting beside her. She normally rides harnessed in a FR85. The vest has a top tether option, which would make it more like a harness, but we haven't tried it yet because I couldn't figure out where the top tether points were in our rental vehicle. (I plan to study the car manual today.) On the first (long) ride in the car, I was not sitting next to her and had to constantly remind her not to lean over, etc. On subsequent, shorter trips, I've been sitting next to her, and she's been fine. The RSTV has been a good choice for us in terms of portability, although I find it more time consuming to get her buckled in using the vest compared to a harnessed seat and what I presume it would be like to use a booster.

 

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HappyHoo

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #6

With a 17" torso, I would think she would just still fit in a Radian - and if you have one without headwings, this is a situation where I might consider using it even with shoulders above the top slot if it's not by much (and tips of ears are below the top of the shell) if you feel she really does need a harnessed seat.

Otherwise, I would try a booster since you will have an adult in the back too.

 

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laurenandalex

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #7

Thank you all. Ack ! I'm not emotionally ready to booster her-but I think that's where this discussion is leading me!

Our Radian is an SK XTSL. So headwings-and maybe I mismeasured her torso this morning, but she has definitely outgrown it. We used it in a pinch a year ago and she was at or slightly above the top slots (which I know SK, Diono says is fine, but...)

I had thought about an RSTV or the bubblebum or just a HB. I'm not sure if there is a grand difference given that an adult will be next to her, she's not a car sleeper, and all trips as far as I know will be short. I'm a little unsure about her unharnessed on the plane-but she's finally over 40 lbs and though skinny, should be ok.

How heigh are top slots on the Sureride? How wide is it? How well does it puzzle with a radian? I need another car seat like a hole in the head...but...

Off to Amazon to look at the options!

 

bubbaray

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #8

Another vote for a booster. At age 6, my kids switch to LBBs for travel. I move them to HBBs at 5/40.

 

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laurenandalex

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #9

Ok. I think we will booster. Help me narrow my search:

I'm looking at the bubblebum and RSTV.
Other narrow easy to use lightweight LBB?
What about Narrow HBB?

 

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rew829

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #10

We have a harmony booster pp mentioned and it is super easy for travel. Super skinny! Love it. I can fit dd7, an adult, and the my ride in my Civic. It's not comfy, but for travel its do able.

 

bubbaray

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #11

We use Harmony LBB for travel. Highly recommend.

 

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laurenandalex

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #12

Which Harmony?

Amazon shows a 'carpooler', an 'Olympian', and others

 

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laurenandalex

New member

• Apr 11, 2014

• #13

Thank you all. I went ahead and ordered a bubblebum for Sat delivery so we can practice this weekend. I appreciate your knowledge and wisdom!

 

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laurenandalex

New member

• Apr 13, 2014

• #14

One more question: we did a test run yesterday/and I am amazed by how good the fit looks ! We are using the shoulder belt guide. Do I lock the seat belt or not? The manual mentions nothing of it-but I seem to recall reading somewhere that you are supposed to, maybe?

 

aeormsby

New member

• Apr 13, 2014

• #15

It's usually not recommended to lock the seatbelt with a booster. There are a few that specifically prohibit it even. And with the strap shoulder adjuster on a NBB locking the seatbelt may change the way it lays at the shoulder.