I'm flying solo with my 10-month-old next month from San Diego to London (11 hours) then London to Spain (3 hours) a few days later.
My daughter is very large for her age. Currently weighs 23.5 lbs and is 29" tall (97th percentile), will likely be a bit bigger by the time we fly. We have the Chicco NextFit and I assumed I could bring it on the plane, so I bought her her own seat.
However, British Airways has informed me that because the *top* part of the NextFit exceeds its maximum permitted dimensions of 17.5" x 17.5", I cannot bring it into the cabin.
BA cannot guarantee that they will have a safety device to restrain her, even if I reserve one "due to operational reasons," so I can't rely on them.
I will need a car seat to get to/from the airport in London; and I will need a car seat for the 2 weeks I am in Spain. BUT I also want my daughter to be safe while we are airborne.
So, I thought I'd buy a new car seat that fits the dimensions. However, I can't find one that is smaller than 17.5" at its maximum measurement that costs less than $200.
I'd consider a CARES harness, because my daughter meets the weight requirements, but not the age requirements. I also don't know if I can use it on an intercontinental flight because I don't know if the loop that goes around the seat back would interfere with the in-set TV screen of the person sitting behind her.
Safety is not something I am willing to compromise on, so I am unwilling to gate check a CRS. I know this is a hot topic (am I paranoid? is it safe? is it as good as crashed?) and even though I think it's *probably* fine, I'd rather have peace of mind by not using a car seat that has been gate checked before.
I'm really at a loss here. I already splurged on a separate seat for her, so having to shell out another $200 would really hurt. Not to mention, I already have a perfectly decent car seat that works just fine in a car!!
Any thoughts on what I could do to fly safely with her? Thank you!
Edited to add: BA on Twitter has informed me that they only permit a CRS to be gate-checked within Europe if the CRS is "Group 0" and "if the infant is in it." I think Group 0 refers to an infant CRS, but I can't be sure -- and there's no way of telling which US CRS's would be considered Group 0 without an official designation. The second part of their criteria makes no sense to me. Why would I gate check my CRS if my baby is in it? Urgh.
My daughter is very large for her age. Currently weighs 23.5 lbs and is 29" tall (97th percentile), will likely be a bit bigger by the time we fly. We have the Chicco NextFit and I assumed I could bring it on the plane, so I bought her her own seat.
However, British Airways has informed me that because the *top* part of the NextFit exceeds its maximum permitted dimensions of 17.5" x 17.5", I cannot bring it into the cabin.
BA cannot guarantee that they will have a safety device to restrain her, even if I reserve one "due to operational reasons," so I can't rely on them.
I will need a car seat to get to/from the airport in London; and I will need a car seat for the 2 weeks I am in Spain. BUT I also want my daughter to be safe while we are airborne.
So, I thought I'd buy a new car seat that fits the dimensions. However, I can't find one that is smaller than 17.5" at its maximum measurement that costs less than $200.
I'd consider a CARES harness, because my daughter meets the weight requirements, but not the age requirements. I also don't know if I can use it on an intercontinental flight because I don't know if the loop that goes around the seat back would interfere with the in-set TV screen of the person sitting behind her.
Safety is not something I am willing to compromise on, so I am unwilling to gate check a CRS. I know this is a hot topic (am I paranoid? is it safe? is it as good as crashed?) and even though I think it's *probably* fine, I'd rather have peace of mind by not using a car seat that has been gate checked before.
I'm really at a loss here. I already splurged on a separate seat for her, so having to shell out another $200 would really hurt. Not to mention, I already have a perfectly decent car seat that works just fine in a car!!
Any thoughts on what I could do to fly safely with her? Thank you!
Edited to add: BA on Twitter has informed me that they only permit a CRS to be gate-checked within Europe if the CRS is "Group 0" and "if the infant is in it." I think Group 0 refers to an infant CRS, but I can't be sure -- and there's no way of telling which US CRS's would be considered Group 0 without an official designation. The second part of their criteria makes no sense to me. Why would I gate check my CRS if my baby is in it? Urgh.
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