MA and DC and airline travel

am traveling this summer with my twins (one in a MA and one in a Decath). I have a few "logistics" questions ...

1) anyone use the tote-a-tot and/or the gogoKids? which do you prefer? how easy are they to use? attach? disconnect? how balanced are they w car seat AND bubs in seats?
2) if i use the gogokids, do i have to "disconnect" everything before i install the seats in the airplane? or do i just pop off the wheels?
3) ok ... 3 kids, 2 in car seats (one preschooler) and two adults. WHERE are they going to put us??? i've read that car seats should be installed in window seats, but our plane config is 2 4 2 ... ... so how we gonna do that? any suggestions?
4) to use EITHER tote-a-tot or gogokid, do you have to "connect" first before strapping the kids in, or can they be IN the carseat adn then you connect?

any advice here is greatly appreciated!!!

I have used the Traveling Toddler, and I love it. I've used it with a Roundabout and a Marathon.

I find the TT to be very sturdy with my son it it, but this can also be affected by the quality of the peice of luggage you are using it with. (don't use it on a $15 carry-on).

It is my understanding that the GoGo Kids must be removed to go through security, and that this requires unscrewing a long screw. The TT also has to be removed, but that is fairly easy to do. I would suggest practicing with it at home though.

The Marathon is too wide to wheel down the aisle of most planes, but I've never been in a plane like the one you described. 2-4-2 So I don't know if that will be an issue for you. What I do is disconnect the seat from the luggage at the door of the airplane, stow my luggage in one of the closets at the door of the plane, then carry the seat down the aisle.

How old are your twins? Are they rearfacing or foward facing? If they are still within the limits to rearface, I would definately rearface them on the plane. They will sleep better, cannot kick the seats in front of them, and it is easier to feed them and entertain them this way. How old is your preschooler? How big is he/she? What does he/she normally ride in, and do you plan to bring a seat for her? I'm sure you know that you cannot use a booster on a plane, but if she still fits, she may be more comfortable in a harnessed seat on the plane as well. How long is your flight?

The basic premise to using a carseat is that the carseat cannot block other passengers from exiting the row. See paragraph 19 in the link below:
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/60d70126cf679d5a8625723b007841e7/$FILE/AC%20120-87A.pdf

Without really knowing the ages of all three of your kids, I would be inclined to seat you all like this:

Window - Seat A - Seat B--Aisle -- Seat C (mom) - Seat D (Twin A) - Seat E (Twin B) - Seat F (pre-schooler) - - Aisle - Seat G (Dad) - Seat H

Editing to add: Installing the seats on the plane will be faster and easier if you request seatbelt extenders from the flight attendant. If you do install the seats forwardfacing, (and if you don't have a seatbelt extender) be sure to flip the female end of the plane buckle before tightening it. Otherwise, the part that you have to lift up to unbuckle the buckle will be against the black harness guard on the back making it nearly impossble to unbuckle.

Also, I have been able to uninstall my son's seat when we got to our destination (with him still in the seat and asleep); hook him up to the luggage with the traveling toddler; use the restroom, order food at the food court and make it to my next gate all before he woke up. He was about 2 years old at the time.

sorry .. twins are 15mths and SHOULD be rearfacing, but the airline only allows FF ... (i've checked w them already) ... if i want RF then we wont' be allowed to use carseats .. NICE HUH!!

my older son is 4.8yrs and 22 or 23kg. he rides in a regent, so i won't have a car seat for himi on the plane (we have a booster in canada w my parents which they'll bring to the airport)

config is for an airbus 340-300. i could be wrong, but the config i found on seatguru.com was 2-4-2 ... at the moment they've got us booked in window aisle, aisle, middle, middle (A C ---D E F) ...

flight is 14hrs .. and that's after a 3hr connecting flight and then another 2hr onward flight :-D .. YES I'M A BIT CRAZY ... (but am breaking the whole journey into 2 days)

what is a traveling toddler? i haven't seen it before?

zamcan said:

sorry .. twins are 15mths and SHOULD be rearfacing, but the airline only allows FF ... (i've checked w them already) ... if i want RF then we wont' be allowed to use carseats .. NICE HUH!!

my older son is 4.8yrs and 22 or 23kg. he rides in a regent, so i won't have a car seat for himi on the plane (we have a booster in canada w my parents which they'll bring to the airport)

config is for an airbus 340-300. i could be wrong, but the config i found on seatguru.com was 2-4-2 ... at the moment they've got us booked in window aisle, aisle, middle, middle (A C ---D E F) ...

flight is 14hrs .. and that's after a 3hr connecting flight and then another 2hr onward flight :-D .. YES I'M A BIT CRAZY ... (but am breaking the whole journey into 2 days)

what is a traveling toddler? i haven't seen it before?

Click to expand...

Which airline are you flying on? Is it an american based airline? Are you flying out of the US, or another country? If you are flying on an American based airline and are flying out of the US, then the FAA regulations should govern. See paragraph 18 of the link I attached in my previous post. It states that the seat can be used in the forward or aft position as recommended by the carseat manufacturer. This means that you can RF on the plane. If you are flying on a US airline out of the US, print out the Circular and bring it with you.

The Traveling Toddler connects the carseat via the LATCH connectors to a rolling carry-on.

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Attach-Rolling-Carry/dp/B000JHN3AS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1208196203&sr=8-1



With your current seating arrangements, I would put one carseat on the window, then an adult on that aisle. then put the other carseat in the middle of the row with the other child and adult in the other seats. The carseat can be in the middle since there are two exits for passengers in the middle row.

thx so mcuh for all this help.
we're flying cathay pacific ... it's based out of Hong Kong. We'll be flying out of HK to vancouver. ...

I remember years ago with my 4yo i brought on our graco infant seat for rear-facing adn they refused. I checked their website today and it states only forward facing ... i'll bring on the FAA circular, but won't hold my breath ... just having them all in their own seats is a BIG improvement!!! last year we had to hold them the whole way (only gave us 1 bassinet) noooottt easy with 3 boys who want to sleep wiht their mama while onboard! <:-O

our seats "seem" to be what you've described ... 2 and 3 ... i just know my 4yo is NOT going to like not having one of us wihtin arms reach ..... but what can you do, right?! ... maybe i'll be lucky and the other seat beside me will be empty and he can move over to me (so we take up those 4 middle seats)

i can dream, right