I'm just trying to see myself managing her, her stroller, and her car seat. I mean, the stroller is easy enough, she rides in it til the end of the jetway, then take her out and park the stroller there for gate check.
It's after that that seems daunting. Managing her and her car seat (carrying them both down the aisle of the aircraft...along with the diaper bag), what to do with her while installing the seat, what to do with her while uninstalling, how to wrangle the diaper bag, her, and the seat to get off the plane...
Maybe this seems so overwhelming because I haven't ever done it this way. She's always been a lap child. And on a few flights I've been able to take her in her infant bucket and take a seat up for her. That was easy...carry her in her carseat with diaper bag on back...collect stroller, open it, pop her on top (travel system). That's the beauty of the travel system, I know, but alas she has grown bigger. Lol.
Last time we flew I gate checked her car seat both ways. I know that's not the safest option, and while she is booked as a lap child, I want to be prepared to take her seat on with us and use it If they offer that to us.
Obviously, lots of advice needed.