Planes and car seats, I have questions

Hello everyone! I will be riding on a plane in a few weeks with my 2 children. DS is 22 months old and riding in a Safety 1st Intera with the base off and DD is 7 weeks old and riding in a Graco Snugride. I have a few questions about having car seats on a plane.

1. Will I be able to use the base for the infant seat on the plane or will I have to use the car seat only?

2. Will DS' seat fit on the plane?

3. Will there be someone to help me load my stuff on the planes (carry on bag and car seats)?

I will be alone since I am going to my DH's graduation. Thanks for the answers and I would appreciate any tips you may have!

I doubt the base will fit, unless you are flying first class. You don't need it, the SR installs great with just the lapbelt on the carrier itself. If you want the base for your destination, pack it with your checked luggage.

Yes, the SR should fit fine. check www.seatguru.com for more info.

Sometimes FAs will help you with your stuff, sometimes not. Depends on the airline, the crew and the alignment of the planets. Try to pre-board, though some airlines no longer allow this (Bah, Southwest).

Some airports will allow someone without a ticket to accompany you to the gate, others do not. However, a SR is pretty easy to travel with. Take a stroller it fits into (gate check the stroller), use a backpack for your carry on. Take a sling/soft carrier of some sort too, if that works for your baby. The stroller and carseat (and all the usual other stuff) has to go through the x-ray machine at security. If they won't fit, they have to be hand-scanned, which sucks. If baby is in a sling, some TSA people make you take them out, others do not.

If you bought a ticket for baby :thumbsup:, they get their own luggage and carryon allowance. However, if you are flying alone, I HIGHLY recommend only taking one carry on. Pack as many diapers as you can, an extra change of clothing for you and two extra changes for baby. Couple of receiving blankets, lots of gallon ziplock bags for any accidents.

ETA -- I need more coffee -- I missed that you have 2 kiddos. The intera should fit fine, again check seatguru and your airline. Do you have a double stroller? Bring that, bungee the Intera to it through the airport. Or, if you want to only bring a single stroller, get a Gogo kids set of wheels for the Intera. Leave lots of time through security b/c you'll likely have to have the double hand-checked.

You *might* get grief from the FAs for having 2 children side by side if you are in a 3-seat configuration. Technically, they can give you grief for that -- the FAA recommends child seats only on the window, but AFAIK, the regs don't say you can't put 2 child restraints next to each other in the same row (ie., one on the window, one middle, parent on aisle). If you are in a 2 seat configuration, you'll have a problem b/c if the plane is full, you'll have you and one child in 2 seats, then a stranger and your other child on the other window seat. Obviously, this isn't ideal, but they won't allow you to put the child on the aisle if the window seat is occupied. If you're in a 2 seat configuration, I'd be inclined to put the baby by themselves and you sit with the older child, as the older child will need more of your attention -- hopefully the baby will just sleep the whole flight!

GL!

when i flew yrs ago with my infant seat i used the base on the plane. i just carried it through the airport with the base attached. it was heavy but do-able. as far as an intera i've never used one.most likely though there won't be anyone to help you. i would bring a double stroller if you can and wear your 7 week old and put ds in the stroller then strap the intera and the infant seat on the stroller. ask if you can board first with the people who need assisitance so you can get the seats installed. the infant carrier base is easy so do thet then get the 7 week old in while you leave ds just seat belted in another seat. then get his intera installed. if you board early a flight attendant may help you carry the seats on. then wait till last to get off the plane. good luck

Thanks for the advice! I have a Graco DuoGlider. How do I strap the Intera to the double stroller? I will have DD (infant) in my ring sling and if I bring the double stroller I can put the infant car seat in it and DS in the front. Not too mention I will be strolling a suitcase. Just a small one that can be carried on. Thanks!

ETA: Can my 22 month old 25lb son still ride rear-facing on a plane? I will definitely print out info to take with me.

I have flown a couple times by myself with two kids in carseats. Only once did I have an issue with a flight attendant not wanting me to install the seats together in a row. Due to the possibility that you might get an unknowledable flight attendant, it is best to travel with the printed FAA document. It has a section dealing with multiple children in a row. As long as you are in a family unit and not blocking another person from exiting the isle, then you should be able to install your carseats on the plane.

Here is the FAA regulations to print out:
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/60d70126cf679d5a8625723b007841e7/$FILE/AC%20120-87A.pdf

When I flew by myself, I was able to to get a pass for my DH to travel through security to help me to the gate. He wasn't allowed on the plane though so I needed to get my carseats and baggage all ready to go once they started boarding the plane. Sometimes if I ask, I can pre-board, but often, they won't let me.

If you ask for help, hopefully someone will help you. The pilot on one of my last trips actually helped me carry the seats off the plane (I was one of the people off the plane). Once I am off the plane, I then regroup and get my carseats back on the luggage cart, kids in slings or backpack carriers and then head off to the luggage pickup area.

You should be able to rearface both seats on the plane since your kids still fit within the guidelines on the seat. The flight attendant might not like it though. That is when you pull out the FAA regulations to point that it is okay to do.

Don't count on help from FAs. I flew Hawaiian alone with my 4 kids and 2 seats. It was really a struggle even getting the seats back through the plane. At one point my MA got stuck in the aisle and I had to go back to our seats, leave my kids there, and come all the way forward and unstick the MA. The FAs just watched and looked annoyed at me for blocking the boarding process. So much for the aloha spirit...
Jessie

I don't see why you can't use the base on the plane, but you won't need to. You technically don't even need it for your destination since you can install the seat alone--but you'd probably want to practice that, first.

I believe you can install the seats next to each other on the plane. They don't want the seats blocking other people from getting to the aisle, but I think if you're all in the same party, it's ok.

LISmama810 said:

I believe you can install the seats next to each other on the place. They don't want the seats blocking other people from getting to the aisle, but I think if you're all in the same party, it's ok.

Click to expand...

This is what we do. I just did it on our way out to CA and will on our way back. I have had very good luck with FAs helping. They wont install the seat or anything but more than once they have helped me carry a seat or hold a childs hand that was scared to walk down the aisle. Of course they are not required to help so it all depends on who you get.

Thanks ladies!