Travel tray to use on airplane

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niccig

New member

• Mar 9, 2008

• #1

We have a LONG flight to Australia in April. 13 hours, thank goodness we can now fly direct as it's better than 17 hours with layover in Auckland.

But, our travel seat is the Safety first Uptown and we can't use the plane fold-down tray. Has anyone taken a travel tray, like this one, on a plane?

http://www.familytravelgear.com/page/FTG/PROD/car-snack-play-travel-tray

Is it too bulky to carry on with you? PITA to take on/off?

DS will need to eat a couple of meals and be occupied with activites for a large part of the flight.

We want to take the car seat as he sleeps better in it. We're flying with QANTAS and I don't believe they've approved the CARES harness, but I'll call to double check.

THanks. Nicci

 

MomToEliEm

Moderator

• Mar 10, 2008

• #2

We haven't taken our trays on the airplane, but we have two of these trays for use in the car during long trips. It works pretty good in the car and very little falls off the tray. It is soft enough and light enough that I am not too concerned about it being a projectile in a car accident (just have to make sure the items on the tray aren't going to become projectiles). This tray is pretty easy to use so I don't think there would be any issues using it on the plane. You probably would have to take it off during take-off and landings though.

 

Morganthe

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #3

Honestly, I'd go with the Fisher Price Travel Tray

It's a smaller area that would match the limited space of an airline. The 'plastic top' that makes it firm, just pops right out. It's thin & small to slide into a bag. The rest of the tray squishes down for compactness. But it's still firm enough to rest food on it.
(I just checked mine to see what it would do). And with the padded bottom, it won't lean downwards or interfere with anyone else's seating.

Anyway, just an idea :shrug-shoulders: I've never even thought of taking it on an airplane. DD's always managed just fine without any tray access. Of course, our longest flight was 10 hours and she spent most of it sleeping because she was so exhausted.

Ask me again after we hop from Seattle to Korea and back again this fall along with a leg to/from TX

 

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niccig

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #4

I saw the Fisher Price one, but some reviews said it was too small for anything. Do you agree, or is it fine for colouring, etc

 

Morganthe

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #5

My dd used it in the car for coloring, playing with magnets, eating, and other small fiddly stuff. Sheets of paper work, not books. In fact, the paper would stay in place when I popped the plastic out and folded the extra paper up under it. (hope that makes sense). No, it's not anywhere near as large as the other tray, but it's supported and fits within the limited confines of the actual seat.

I used it with a Regent. Buckled well with that. :shrug-shoulders: I definitely would not want to use anything larger, but that's me. :shrug-shoulders: Ours was used during an extreme road trip that was over 4,000 miles r/t with a packed to the gills sedan.

I purchased my travel tray from Target.com. I think they're having a buy 2 & get free shipping sale currently, so you might just try it out for practice.

good luck

 

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niccig

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #6

Thanks. I will try it from Target - easy to return if we don't like it. DH is hoping that the tray on the plane will work - international planes always seem to have more space than domestic planes. I really just need something for 2 meals, and to colour, do worksheets etc. Other flights have been 5 hours, so no tray has never been an issue - this is 13 hours though, he won't sleep for all of that. Now, I'm wishing I got a Radian when I was in the market for a seat last year. I did make that suggestion to DH and seeing we already have 2 spare seats, he shot it down. Mmmm, wonder why.

 

AdventureMom

Senior Community Member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #7

The tray won't work with the Uptown? Really? Hmm. We traveled with our MA and it didn't work with that, but it did work with the Radian. I was counting on it working with the Uptown. Does anyone know if it works with a Scenera? I don't want to get a second Radian.

 

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HEVY

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #8

Morganthe said:

I used it with a Regent. Buckled well with that. :shrug-shoulders: I definitely would not want to use anything larger, but that's me. :shrug-shoulders: Ours was used during an extreme road trip that was over 4,000 miles r/t with a packed to the gills sedan.

Click to expand...

I was looking at it thinking I counldn't use it the the Regent, how did it buckle? Doesn't it have to buckle under the seat.

 

Morganthe

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #9

HEVY said:

I was looking at it thinking I counldn't use it the the Regent, how did it buckle? Doesn't it have to buckle under the seat.

Click to expand...

It clips directly to the netting on the sides of the Regent. Fit fine :shrug-shoulders: One side snaps open/shut from a plastic sort of buckle, so you don't have to always fiddle with with the side clips.

It's plushy except for the thin flexible plastic inset for the table, so I"m not worried about it as a projectile hazzard.

 

H

HEVY

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #10

OOO I get it, TX.

 

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niccig

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #11

AdventureMom said:

The tray won't work with the Uptown? Really? Hmm. We traveled with our MA and it didn't work with that, but it did work with the Radian. I was counting on it working with the Uptown. Does anyone know if it works with a Scenera? I don't want to get a second Radian.

Click to expand...

We've used the uptown on a couple of flights and we can get the tray part way done, but not flat enough to put the DVD on it, or use for colouring in. But we normally fly in the cheap ol way back seats, so less leg room there. It might work on a different plane. I'm hoping it works on QANTAS international jets. If not, we'll have this tray to use.

 

Morganthe

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #12

niccig said:

We've used the uptown on a couple of flights and we can get the tray part way done, but not flat enough to put the DVD on it, ......

Click to expand...

Now that you mentioned it, I had to go and try it out.
Yes, my 10" DVD player fits into the Fisher price tray. Tight fit with the battery in it, but it is possible. :thumbsup:

You probably have a smaller player -- mine had to be large enough to see from a little distance on the treadmill, so it's kind of ubersized.

 

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niccig

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #13

Thanks for trying that for me. We'll probably keep the DVD on teh tray beside DS even with the lock set, he still tries to fiddle with things. He's getting into activity work sheets etc, and I've got ideas for us to do that will need a flat surface. So this table should work for that. And here's hoping he sleeps ALL the way. I can dream can't I!

 

Morganthe

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #14

niccig said:

And here's hoping he sleeps ALL the way. I can dream can't I!

Click to expand...

Actually, that would be my nightmare after the flight.
Re-Energized child + exhausted sleep deprived parents.
I suppose on one side you're visiting someone who could fill in the gap while you rest, but what about on the return?

 

jka1217

New member

• Mar 10, 2008

• #15

AdventureMom said:

The tray won't work with the Uptown? Really? Hmm. We traveled with our MA and it didn't work with that, but it did work with the Radian. I was counting on it working with the Uptown. Does anyone know if it works with a Scenera? I don't want to get a second Radian.

Click to expand...

Scenera sides are higher than the Uptown sides, so if the Uptown is borderline on working with the tray, I'd say the Scenera probably won't work with the tray table. We're flying with our Uptown next week and I'll probably put DD FF. I'm curious to see how it works on the planes we're on.