Question Car Seats on plane?

Our family is going on vacation over Christams..we are flying with SIX kids that should be fun. My concern is the car seat situation. I'm letting my 11,9,and 7 yo's and MAYBE the 5 year old use the regular seatbelts on the plane..but I dont know what to do with the 3.5 and 25mo. Mackenzie (3.5) is very mature and I know will sit still so im even wondering if I need one for her on the plane. lexi (25mo) for sure would be allllll over the place needs to be restrained lol. Shes your typical 2yo! Also, the rental car..I dont know whether to check( I heard that wasn't the safest thing to do)the car seats..or rent car seats..or what. Driving there is out of the question because its waay to far..so anyone have any suggestions?

Is your 5yo in a harnessed seat? If so, I would probably bring seats for the three youngest. I would not check any carseats. I flew last week and watched them toss around stuff pretty good. (I will never gate check a carseat!) It will be a pain to haul all of them through the airport, but at least you know nothing will happen to your seats.

I agree. I wouldn't check seats, so if you need seats at the other end I'd bring them. I'd probably bring no back boosters on board for whoever uses boosters and put them overhead.

Wendy

What seats do your kids currently ride in? How many adults are going with you?

Thanks,Yes my 5 yo is in a Radain 80 but there is no way DH and I will be able to carry three harnessed seats while keeping track of 6 kids through the airport. So I am going to let Brook (5) ride on the plane w/out a car seat It's just not possible for us to bring her Radian. Then Lexi and Mackenzie will be in Scerenas (are they FAA approved btw?)on the plane and in the rental car and the older kids wil be in backless boosters. I am having a hard time letting Brook ride in a backless booster though. Maybe I will buy a high-back one for her. But, still my question is WHERE to put the bb's. In the luggage? Or are boosters ok to check?

BW1426 said:

What seats do your kids currently ride in? How many adults are going with you?

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Me and my husband. Currently 11 yo is in Monterey, 9yo Monarch, 7yo Frontier, 5yo Radian 80, 3.5 yo Boulevard, 25mo rf boulevard.

wendytthomas said:

I agree. I wouldn't check seats, so if you need seats at the other end I'd bring them. I'd probably bring no back boosters on board for whoever uses boosters and put them overhead.

Wendy

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Thanks! Yes, thats what I will probably be doing. No back boosters over-head and 2 harnessed seats for the 2 youngest kiddos!

I wouldn't check the boosters. I'd bring backlesses for the 11, 9, and 7 yos and put them in the overhead bins. The Sceneras are FAA approved. All convertibles are. Very few seats aren't.

You could buy a Turbo high back for Brook, then put the back in some luggage and the base in the overhead. Or you could buy a Ride Safer Travel Vest for her and let her use that in the rental car. It could go in your luggage.

Wendy

NotJUSTamom said:

Then Lexi and Mackenzie will be in Scerenas (are they FAA approved btw?)

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yes

crunchierthanthou said:

yes

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Perfect, thanks!

Does the 5 year old ride in a booster at all? I'm not so much uncomfortable about no carseat on the airplane, but I'm pretty uncomfortable with a 5 year old being in a nbb. IIRC sceneras stack pretty well. What I would do is see if you can rig something up where you stack two scneras and strap them to an umbrella stroller. Your 11 yo should be able to easily push that. Then Either you or DH can carry the radian on your back or attach it to another stroller. Or, if you have a double stroller better yet. Wear the little ones through the airport.

I flew with four kids last year. This was our set-up:

Thomas (13), backpack, helped carry backless boosters when needed.
Sam (11), backpack, carried booster (tie a strap around it somehow, it really helps!)
Fighter, (9), backpack, carried booster
Macha (7), backpack
Dh (over 40 ) duffle, Radian with carry-strap
Me (not over 40!) duffle, helped with booster/Radian when needed.

Either me, dh, or Thomas could have pushed a stroller or two with a carseat on it, as well.

When walking through the airport, we put one adult at the front of the line, and the other adult at the back, and told the kids to "be ducks." They followed dh, I stayed in the back to make sure everyone kept up and stayed in line. We made a game of it. :thumbsup:

And a promised surprise once you get settled on the airplane never hurt for increasing cooperation

You could get a couple of luggage carts to put the seats on instead of using a stroller. Or even just one with the scenera's. But if you get one luggage cart for each carseat...they then double as strollers through the airport. There is a mom on here who is currently over seas(Korea, I think) and took a luggage cart and Radian for her 5 yr old. She has reported that her daughter has ridden in the Radian strapped to the cart when she has tired.

Susan

How much driving will you be doing once you arrive? If it's not much, I probably put the 5 year old in a nbb, but if you're traveling any distance or when your 5 year old might fall asleep, I'd bring the Radian, packing it in luggage if nothing else will work.

I would NOT EVER rent carseats... you never know what you'll wind up with.

What I would do is take boosters for the 5yr old and the older kids (if the older ones need them)

take the base as a carry on and pack the back (which I'd only do for the 5yr old... if the older ones still need boosters, they'll be fine with backless boosters) in one of the pieces of luggage... right on top, so you can pull it out and snap the seat together if you have time.

then I'd take the carseats for the two younger ones.

I would not ever check a carseat or gate check it if you can bring it with you.

I would not feel comfortable with them using the seatbelt unless you had seats waiting for you (that you had bought or had family/friends buy) or if they were old enough and big enough and mature enough for booster seats.

I'll tell you the strategy I used... but it only works if you're landing and being picked up by family members or friends.

I purchased the C.A.R.E.S. harness - they are about $75. I used them on the plane ride.

Then I had pre-purchased carseats and had them shipped to the people who were picking us up. I bought cheapo seats on albeebaby that I knew I'd get free shipping with and I knew they fit in.

We used those for the week, and I had pre-arranged to have them sold before we left.

Then I got home and sold the C.A.R.E.S. for $5 less then I bought them for on ebay.

Now is that easier then just bringing the seats... maybe not. But it worked that time and I didn't have any big luggage in the airport. And depending on how long your flight is, carseats are way more comfortable for the kiddos then the C.A.R.E.S. harness.

Kat_Momof3 said:

I would NOT EVER rent carseats... you never know what you'll wind up with.

What I would do is take boosters for the 5yr old and the older kids (if the older ones need them)

take the base as a carry on and pack the back (which I'd only do for the 5yr old... if the older ones still need boosters, they'll be fine with backless boosters) in one of the pieces of luggage... right on top, so you can pull it out and snap the seat together if you have time.

then I'd take the carseats for the two younger ones.

I would not ever check a carseat or gate check it if you can bring it with you.

I would not feel comfortable with them using the seatbelt unless you had seats waiting for you (that you had bought or had family/friends buy) or if they were old enough and big enough and mature enough for booster seats.

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Thanks Kat!
I was thinking about using a bb for my 5yo but..I just cant do it! She will be riding without a car seat on the plane, but I am going to do what you suggested for a hbb. The 2 and 3.5 yr old will be in seats on the plane and the rest are using boosters when we get there. So, I am taking 4 boosters as carry-ons. I'm still uncomfortable with Brook (the 5 yo) in a booster even at all ,but she fits fine and we won't be driving a lot so I'm sure she will be ok.

When dh and I went to CA last year at the car rental place they had marathons for rental, so if we had only one kid with us I probably would be fine with renting a marathon, but still your right, you never know what they have been through.

My other question is will I have a problem RF Lexi (25mo) on the plane, or should I just FF her? Iv'e heard they don't like when the kids feet touch the back of the seat? Is it even necessary to RF a 2yo on the plane??

for your 5 yr old, you could always get a ride safer vest, since you are nervous about booster use.

but most 5yr olds are fine for a booster as a spare seat (or even a main seat if they are total giants or a hwh seat isn't able to be afforded).

IMO, the vest would be easier to travel with than the booster, and you could sell it when you get back and get most of what you paid for it back, or just keep it if you will be traveling by plane again in the future.

with a kid who is able to be comfortable on the plane sleeping in a ff seat, I'd rethread the straps prior to the flight and put her ff if you want... turblance and even (god forbid) a plane crash is definitely MUCH different from a car accident and rf doesn't have the same benefits. For kids 1 and under, or who are riding in infant only seats, or whose parents don't want to have to adjust the straps, then it prevents misuse, then I would keep them rf.

If you know she won't complain, then you could avoid the potential fight with the attendant.

However, I do feel there is one benefit few think about (except us on this board, of course)

How likely would your 2yr old be to kick the seat of the person in front of her?

I'd rather her be kicking the back of her own seat than the back of the seat of the person in front of her.

Also, the seat will allow more shoulder room for the passenger (you or your hubby or older child) when the seat is rf.

So, if you do have it ff, you may find you want to place a child next to her instead of an adult, so that they aren't as squished. (like your oldest child, assuming they are patient, responsible, and get along with her).


But I agree putting her ff during the flight is something I'd consider doing to prevent arguing with attendants when traveling with so many in a group.



that's great that the rental place has Marathons, but, as you recognized yourself, you just don't know their history, can't guarantee that you wouldn't end up with an older model that is expired or has something broken on it, and it's just not worth the risk.



Oh... and with the rental car... if you can, find out what you will get ahead of time.

You may find you are more comfortable with the 5yr old in a hbb if it is a vehicle with locking shoulder retraters, because you can lock the shoulderbelt on the child (or have an older sibling do it if they are all sitting in the third row together).

My boys are both so in the habit and knowing that I like that it keeps the lapbelt snug on their thighs/hips that they lock their own seatbelts in their dad's car that has them. (of course, they don't know my other reason is because it limits the amount of fighting they are able to do)

I think the ultimate question is -- How long is your flight and do you have connections?

I just finished a total of 6 flights in 30 days with a just turned 5 year old. she's about 45" tall and about 43-45lbs depending. The long flights to/from Korea, she was in a lap belt per airline rules. I think she would have had an easier time sleeping in her Radian, but she was fairly good about sitting in her seat for an average of 9 hours each way. No highjinks, but I didn't have any other kids to focus on.

The 4 hour US flights-- she sat in her Radian and was much happier. The hour puddle jumper she was in her Radian. Also good.

The 25 minute return flight, she was in a seatbelt. That was the worst of all of them. Vinyl seat and she kept sliding even though she was snug in the belt. She also couldn't reach the tray table with her seatbelt on. And she was tired of travelling. Thankfully, i t was the end.

Here is a link to how I travelled with the Radian. Luggage cart holds 200lbs and is $30 at Target/Target.com.

This is DD on the plane. It was the first 4 hour flight.


She was happy coloring and listening to her stories until I told her it was 'rest time'. She had been up since 3:30am and we were travelling from Central to Pacific time. Managed about 20 minutes of sleep before drink carts going by woke her up. Having her seat helped her to feel cosy in a very strange environment.

hth and good luck with your Bivouac.