Flying with a 21 month old alone - help!

My parents have a house in Florida and I was thinking of taking my son there in a few weeks. My mother will be down there already and I'll be flying with my son from New Jersey but hopefully I'll be flying back home with my mother. So here are my questions.

1. Am I crazy to be flying down there with him alone.
2. I don't really want to purchase a ticket for him but I'm trying to book a flight that would have extra seats.
a)Should I take my Boulevard or FPSVD with me in the hopes that they would let me take it on the plane.
b)Go without the carseat and have my mother buy a Cosco Scenera to use down there (she has a Cadillac SRX sport utility - Maybe 2005)
3. Should I get a go go kidz or just use a stroller. We'll be doing the theme park thing. Should I just get a stroller for down there?

I'll probably be traveling with a suitcase, diaperbag, and anything else (carseat/stroller based on advice). This will be our third trip (the other times I've traveled with other and he was in his safe seat so it was easy to strap him in and pop it in the stroller) so I'd imagine other trips will be in the future.

TIA

First off we had a SRX on our recent trip and our BV installed great in the center with a lap belt (tether was kinda tricky but doable)!!!

Anyway, I would recommend buying a seat for him on the plane (safer and easier IMO, especially since you are going to be flying alone). I would get a carseat backpack put it on my back, put the baby in the stroller and the diaper bag/carryone on the back of the stroller.

If this seems like too much or you decide not to buy a seat then I would honestly have your Mom get a Scenera. After seeing my stroller bag trashed (bought a Chicco Capri for the trip), I would NEVER take the chance I would have to gate check my BV (if they didn't have a seat for you).

HTH and goodluck!!!

I agree with the previous poster. I just wanted to add that I flew alone with my son when he was about 22 months old as a lapchild and it was a NIGHTMARE. He would not sit still, not that I could blame him, and he bothered the people around him by squirming and trying to get down and walk around. I would never do it again, for safety reasons as well as convience. I know he would have been much more comfortable in a car seat, and it would have kept me sane during those two flights from Phoenix to Texas

I would purchase a seat for him. Anytime I have previously purched a seat for my under 2 kid they have been significanly less than my ticket price, so it wasn't that bad. I would bring your seat and set it in your stroller, depending on what you have it can be done. Then place the child in the carseat and push away. Otherwise, don't bring the stroller and strap your carseat to your rolling carryon with some luggage straps, and strap your child in the seat that way. I have done both. I would highly reccommed purchasing him a seat. I have traveled with one kid on more than one occasion and both kids by myself. I have always purchased them seats and let me tell you it's not easy, but I know they are safer that way.

I agree with purchasing a seat. I travel alone with both kids every 4-6 months and life is so much easier with them in their seats. When I just had dd I put her in the sling or mei tai and put the carseat and my carry one in the stroller. I usually checked my suitcase since most of the trips with just her were 3-4 weeks long.

I agree about purchasing a seat. Piper and I traveled alone for the first time when she was 10.5 weeks old from Seattle to NC, but that wasn't planned (Nathan ended up heading back to San Fran rather than home with us) and she was a lap baby. So it was ungangly to get me and her and my big nursing pillow around by myself, but people were helpful.

When she was older I put her carseat on my back and her in a sling on my front. They balanced out that way.

When she was older still and her Wizard didn't fit the backpack I put her Wizard on a luggage trolley and strapped her into that. A $25 version of the GoGo Kidz. If the Traveling Toddler had been around then I would have gotten one in a heartbeat. A friend of mine used it to take her two kids to Japan with her and she just raved about it. So that's what I would have done. I hate checking luggage. Right now what we do is I carry the Radian on my back and Piper rides on the luggage. I carry my purse, Piper wears a backpack, and the DVD player is wrapped around the handle of my suitcase.

In your case I'd probably get the seat onto the luggage, put your son in the seat, and then put the diaper bag on your shoulder. If you can fit your purse into the diaper bag then great, or into your suitcase. Just somewhere easy to store it. Take your ID and money out and put them into a pocket, though.

As for BLVD vs FPSVD, I'd probably bring the BLVD, but that's just because I know that one better. Whichever would be easier for you, bring that one. Oh, don't let them make you install it FFing. It's unsafe, and they're a BEAR to uninstall FFing. RFing is safer and it's so much easier. Just put the seatbelt on top of the cover. Put the armrest up.

Have fun!!! This is a good time of year to head to Florida.

Wendy

I agree with the PPs.

You are not crazy to fly alone. But you are crazy if you think you can do it with a lap baby.

I have the traveling toddler and absolutely love it. I flew alone with my son when he was 31 months. I had his Marathon hooked to the carryon, with him in it. I used a backpack as a diaper bag and put my small purse in it. DS had a child size backpack with snacks & activities in it. I stacked it on top of the carry-on with it sort of standing between the handle and the top of his carseat, and I secured it with one of those cheap rock-climbing style hooks.

I would suggest gate checking the carry-on, because it can't be rolled down the aisle, as the carseat is too wide.

What I did was let DS out of the seat at the gate, and had him run down the aisle of the plane while I carried his carseat.

As far as the stroller and the theme park, I would just rent a stroller at the theme park.

Dittoing the other posters, I would not dream of not purchasing a seat.

buy a seat for him, i flew with a 22mo lap baby and while he was good, it was entirely too cramped, i would have killed for a seat for him, not to mention, its safer. i did bring hois seat and stroller and gate check them and had no problem getting around with everything

The travelling toddler looks great! I would just have to make sure I could pack all of our stuff in a carry-on - that might be tough. I use cloth diapers but I might have to breakdown and use sposie to lighten the load. I keep hoping that I could find a empty flight so I don't have to pay for him but I think you guys are right that I should get a seat for him.

dluciew said:

The travelling toddler looks great! I would just have to make sure I could pack all of our stuff in a carry-on - that might be tough. I use cloth diapers but I might have to breakdown and use sposie to lighten the load. I keep hoping that I could find a empty flight so I don't have to pay for him but I think you guys are right that I should get a seat for him.

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It is doable to make it with only the carry-on and a backpack. When I flew with my son we used the space bags to pack clothes (I used the kind that you rollup to get the air out so you don't need a vaccum.) I couldn't have done it without the space bags. (I think mine were eagle creek brand). My trip was for 8 days too. We just did laudry while we were their, and my friend bought diapers, so I only had to bring enough for the flight over there. (I took extras of what she bought with me for my flight back.

I have flown alone with ds several times 17 months - 4.5. I always get him a seat. I take his stroller, especially if you are doing the theme parks - the strollers are large, upsright, and plastic. Ds has medical and food issues, so I pack heavy. Coming home from Orlnado last trip was a bit tricky - I didn't have enough cash left for curbside check in, and we had two weeks worth of laundry and souvenirs!