Random thoughts on checking carseats...

So we just returned from another flying trip, and have four days at home before we fly again. I'm seriously thinking about the wisdom of carrying my seats on board (not suggesting at all DS should travel as a lap baby - not that he could any more anyway.)

I bashed that poor seat around running from one end of the terminal to the other to catch our connections. I'm rougher than I'd like to be on board with it because of time pressure, and also at the other end when I'm putting it in the car. I seriously wonder if even the worst baggage handler in the world could damage my seat any more than I might.

Part of my problem this trip around was that DH forgot the luggage cart for the seat, and we did a "carry-on only" trip (which means we had the maximum amount of carry-on per person.) and DS missed his nap, AND we were late to the airport. This meant I had to RUN through the airport with a child who wouldn't walk and didn't want to be carried (but had to be) carrying both his luggage and mine AS WELL AS the darn heavy Radian. It was the trip from h#ll.

The CARES harness (and a checked carseat) is looking more and more appealing.

Thanks for "listening"

You know, if you could make it work from a carrying standpoint, you could even store the Radian in the overhead bin - it would eliminate the install factor and you wouldn't have to worry about checking it. Your ds is old enough and big enough that CAREs would work perfectly fine for him I'm sure. And if you fly often enough to a consistent destination, there's always the option of leaving a seat at the other end for him that you just use when you go to visit.

I don't think you have to worry about damaging your seat from racing through the airport, but I certainly understand the difficulty involved of carrying all those things. I'm impressed that you did it actually. I probably would've been fumbling everything.

snowbird25ca said:

I don't think you have to worry about damaging your seat from racing through the airport, but I certainly understand the difficulty involved of carrying all those things. I'm impressed that you did it actually. I probably would've been fumbling everything.

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It's not the racing, it's the banging into everything I pass in my rush (elevator doors, escalator rails, the other suitcases, armrests... )

I am considering buying a seat for my parents' place so we don't need to travel with DS's any more.

Thanks for the compliment

LOL, I'm impressed too.....we tried one of those carryon only trips March Break - note to self.....a 5 year old can not be expected to carry a suitcase plus backpack thru the airport, and I cannot carry 2 suitcases, a backpack, a laptop bag AND the Radian, plus drag the 5 year old

My mom dropped my Roundabout in an airport and broke the EPS foam and I had to order replacement foam so I totally see what you are saying.

Yeah, I think I would definitely consider buying a seat at your destination and using the CARES harness or doing what snowbird suggested and putting a Radian in the overhead bin. Don't they have a bag of some sort for it? It's not any bigger when folded than some of the crap people lug on board and stuff in an overhead bin. Good luck and get some rest!

groovymom2000 said:

Yeah, I think I would definitely consider buying a seat at your destination and using the CARES harness or doing what snowbird suggested and putting a Radian in the overhead bin. Don't they have a bag of some sort for it?

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Personally, I wouldn't bother buying the CARES harness unless you're flying a lot! :shrug-shoulders: Too expensive for something that can only be used a short time, imo. The company seems to place a top limit of 40" and that was met by my dd when she turned 3. Anyway, it's up to you.

A warning -- You have to be cautious about putting a carseat in a bag. The airlines I've travelled in the past counted it as one of my checked bagged allowance and would not let me carry it on board.
Granted, after I learned this at the counter, I stuffed it full of clothes, pillows, and blankets to support the seat, so it wasn't useable if it had been an FAA approved seat anyway. But they also were counting strollers if they were in a protective bag too.

I figure I"ll be using the Radian in the fall to travel with dd. We have a small shuttle flight, then a long leg from/to DFW - SeaTac. I'll have to install the Radian for the shuttle or else they'll put it in with checked baggage, but I'm debating using it for the longer leg or not. It depends. If I don't, I'll stow it in an overhead bin.

I was going to take a booster seat, (NOT FOR THE PLANE ride! ) but there is a chance we might be going on some bus tours which I suspect are lap belt only.... so Radian it is. I'm getting an inexpensive luggage cart (thanks whoever posted the Target link), not the one designed specifically for carseats, which I read on their website that the Radian is not one of them

And I have to think small/compact carrying everything since I"ll be taking the bus afterwards to my grandmother's house. All this with a 5 year old and away for a whole month

But the Radian will not be bagged since I don't want any chance of it counting as part of baggage allowance, instead of an included carseat. American Airlines just changed to ONE 'free' checked bag last week for domestic flights. $50-65?? for the next one. So it definitely matters.

Morganthe said:

Personally, I wouldn't bother buying the CARES harness unless you're flying a lot! :shrug-shoulders: Too expensive for something that can only be used a short time, imo. The company seems to place a top limit of 40" and that was met by my dd when she turned 3. Anyway, it's up to you.

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Ooops, looks like DS is already too big then. Thanks for tip!

I took my friend to the airport yesterday and went in with her to help her out until she got to security. She was traveling by herself with her two kids, one in a carseat, one rides in a booster. So she had to check the booster, but I was actually really impressed by the way the staff handled it.

She had it (a Parkway) in a carseat bag, and when we got up to the counter to check in, the clerk immediately spotted the "carseat bag." She said she would waive the "extra baggage" fee since it was a carseat, and then we had to take it over to a different area. I asked if that was because it's considered "oversize" and the guy said "Oh no, we just don't want it on the conveyer belt getting tossed around with the other luggage." :thumbsup:

I know that's still not as safe as it would be as a carry-on, but the Parkway won't fit anyway, and I was impressed that they were clearly paying attention to this issue.