Flying with the Nautilus (and the GGK)...pics

So far I've flown one-way with the Nautilus. It wasn't so bad. We flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco (55min flight) on Virgin America Airline. The plane was NICE. DS enjoyed the in-flight tv and spent the time watching Phineas and Ferb and coloring. I bought him the Fisher Price car seat tray from BRU and it fits very well on the Nautilus.

My only problem was the couple that boarded ahead of us had the GGK with a BLVD on it for their 20mth old. After getting through first class, they discovered that it didn't fit down the aisle. So instead of trying, I just took DS out and carried the seat over my head. I didn't realize how heavy it was until the next morning when my arms were burning like I had been litfing pianos all day. I think the GN may be an inch more narrow than the BLVD, so I think next time I'll try and see if it fits.

The only way to make it through the airport. DS was in the seat with his carry-on on the handles. I had another backpack on my shoulders.


From THIS thread - The GN headrest is on the second setting from the bottom. With the plane's headrest, it created this gap, which didn't cause an installation problem, but might cause a comfort issue for the kid in the seat at a higher setting


And just because he's cute and had fun...

Hmm... travel tray you say.

We're flying next week, and I think I'm bringing the Nautilus instead of the Radian. DS is used to being able to use the plane's tray. That might work well for us too... :scratcheshead:

Thanks for the post! :thumbsup:

He is just the cutiest! Everytime I see a picture I just think how cute he is.

That is good to know about the nautilus. MIL is a flight attendant and is thinking about taking the boys on an airplane this summer/fall. I was wondering how the natilus would be.

I love that tray. Do you think that would be safe for in the car? My sister takes alot of road trips.

The tray is soft all over. It's nothing but foam covered vinyl. I'll get a pic later of how it connects to the seat. Even if it DOES become a projectile, it's not going to hurst anyone. The hardest part is the thin plastic insert that makes the surface more firm for writing. But if you're worried about it, it comes out, and is supposedly dishwasher safe (But I'm pretty sure it would melt or get warped in some way).

LOVE the pics!!

I concur... that tray is great and definitely safe (whack your hubby in the head with it and you'll see why we say so)

Ok, So I just got home and our return trip was a little more smooth. The seat, indeed did NOT fit down the aisle. No biggie, though.

As I finished installing the seat and was un-reclining the plane seat, this overly chipper FA came by and asked to see the FAA statement. I grumbled, uninstalled and handed it over. We had pre-boarded and they were just starting to let others on. She spent a whole minute holding up the flow searching for the darn thing. And finally I remembered, IT'S ON THE BOTTOM!!! Grrr. Why could'nt it be on the side?

I cringed at the number of backless boosters I saw people gate-checking for the tiniest of kids, and the free-flowing lap babies.

BabyKaykes said:

Ok, So I just got home and our return trip was a little more smooth.

Click to expand...

Glad to hear it! Sorry about your FAA moment... I've had those too - I've even had to uninstall with my sleeping child in the seat.

I ended up buying the same tray as you yesterday - thanks for the tip!

How did you find attaching the GGK to the NAutilus? I flew with the EFTA and the GGK in February and fought like the dickens to get the GGK attached when I was in a hurry.

If I thought that I could easily do it with another seat, then I might consider bringing one. How did the Nautilus fit between the armrests of the seat and what was it like to sit beside?

I will be flying in june with 2 kids, 5yr old and 2.6yr old. I will be taking the Graco Nautilus for the little one. Was it easy to put the carseat on and off the GGK? It will just be me and 2kids. I was planning on straping the car seat on a stroller but if the GGK was easy then maybe ill invest in that for the trip. Dont worry my 2.6yr old will not be riding in the GN when we get to our final destination, she will be RF in AO and my 5yr old will ride in the GN.

Honestly, I wish the screws were a bit shorter. It did take a minute to get it on, but not too long. What I did is leave one side of the GGK screwed in, then just put it in place, looped the strap through the belt path and then I only had to screw in one side. I'll be taking the GN out of my car later for cleaning, so I'll take pics of how I strapped it to the GGK (because the instructions I got online left me VERY confused) and see how long it takes to get it on there - although I doubt it's more than a minute.

I've also used the GGK on a Scenera and an Uptown and (I think it may have been because of the headrest on the plane seats) but this was the first time I had to remove the GGK to install the seat. I know you're supposed to take them off, but seriously, if we end up a firey wreckage at the end of the runway, I don't think the GGK is going to make a difference.

I did have to raise the armrest between me and DS. But with him using the travel tray, he couldn't use the armrests anyway. Which made it perfect for me to lean on. I also had no problems sitting next to it, as it fit completely on it's own seat and wasn't invading any of mine. But to be honest, I'm about the size of your average 13-14yo, so take that for what it's worth.

I like that tray better than the traditional tray pointed to around here. It can be used as a pillow as well!

I'm eager to hear more comments.