Using True Fit on airplane?

Ok, I've searched through the archived posts using the keyword "airplane" and although I found a few posts referencing the True Fit on airplanes, there wasn't much info about this particular seat and airplane travel.

So, has anybody used the True Fit rear-facing on an airplane? I'm worried about it fitting in the seat. We've used our Graco safeseat air-traveling in the past (it was easy to install with the seatbelt) and although my DD still fits in that seat, she's only 1 inch away from the limit, so I'm concerned she may grow out of it in the next couple months? The thing is that we're flying to Germany to stay for the summer and we'll need to make sure we have a carseat she can use over there the entire time.

So now I'm back to wondering about the True Fit and whether it's best to take it instead, even if more difficult. She rides in the True Fit rear-facing currently without the headrest, but we're really at the point where that needs to be put on too. Anybody have any experience with this?

DD is 16.5 months old, 22 lbs and 31 inches.
Thanks,
Melissa

I haven't used it, but it should be fine since it takes up less room RF'ing than the Marathon, and less room side to side than the EFTA, and I have used both of those RF'ing on planes with no problem.

Thanks for your response. So the TF is smaller than the Marathon and EFTA? (not familiar with the EFTA....is this an EvenFlow?). Is this because you are considering the TF without the headrest, or even with the TF headrest on it's still shorter and not as wide as those other 2? If so, that's awesome news and I'm glad to hear it will likely fit!

Finally one more thing... I was thinking about how to install RFing in the plane seat, With the Safeseat it was easy to just thread the seatbelt over the top of the seat through the loops intended for this, but with the TF, how would you install it? Is the only way by putting the plane seat belt through the same way you would if installing with the car seatbelt (under the carseat cover)? Just wondering as we found the TF really hard to install and get tight enough in our car using the seatbelt (I don't have latch) and I am wondering whether it will be the same pain in the neck to install on the airplane?

Thanks for your help!

MelissaMommy7337 said:

Thanks for your response. So the TF is smaller than the Marathon and EFTA? (not familiar with the EFTA....is this an EvenFlow?). Is this because you are considering the TF without the headrest, or even with the TF headrest on it's still shorter and not as wide as those other 2? If so, that's awesome news and I'm glad to hear it will likely fit!

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Hmm, I saw the TF and the Marathon next to each other in Target yesterday, and it seemed like the TF with headrest was taller than the MA...I could be wrong, though -- I didn't have a measuring tape!

I did dig up the following threads that may help you:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=77648
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=78667

Good luck!

The TF shell is taller than the MA, but it takes up less room RF'ing. That's due in part to the huge base that the MA sits on.

Yes, to install the seat RF"ing on the plane you'd just pull up the cover and put the belt through the RF belt path like you would a vehicle seatbelt.

An Aurora said:

The TF shell is taller than the MA, but it takes up less room RF'ing. That's due in part to the huge base that the MA sits on.

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Ditto. I have them installed side-by-side & the MA definitely takes up more room.

I'm taking mine on the plane in June so I've been doing some research. One Canadian mom used hers RF without headrest and she didn't think it would fit RF with the headrest. Another mom who was a tech, also thought it wouldn't fit RF with the headrest. Unfortunately neither had the opportunity to try it WITH the headrest. So, I will see in June!

That being said, is your child's head still within the top of the shell without the headrest? and are you flying soon? If so, I might make the parental decision to use it without the headrest seeing as the seat is used mainly to protect from turbulence, give you a way to transport your seat safely and have the child in a known comfortable spot.. Only because your DS is at the weight to add the headrest, and likely right around the height that the headrest is needed. If he weighed much more or was over the top of the shell, I wouldn't use it without headrest. You could pack the headrest (in your carryon so it makes it there with you!) so you have it at your destination for in the vehicle.

You can also forward-face it if you must use the headrest and if it won't fit RF (really, that will be your only option if you have to use the headrest and it doesn't fit RF). Again, the child restraint is used mostly to protect from turbulence, give you a way to transport your seat safely and have the child in a known comfortable spot.

Rear-facing has the advantage that the child can't kick the seat in front of them and their legs don't fall asleep from hanging over the edge of the seat! The drawback is that the person in front won't be able to recline their seat and if you have a crusty person in front, this could be a problem.

Thanks for the detailed post! I will be traveling in June too. Leaving June 9th actually. Are you traveling before that date?

I was wondering about whether I should try it with the headrest or not. I thought the same thing as you....if I couldn't fit it with the headrest on, without it still would be better than nothing. My daughter is right at the limit for the headrest. She is 22 lbs exactly (so she hit that marker) and her head is almost at the line (so we might be able to get away with it due to this). I think she might be ok for the trip out (in June), but maybe on the way back (in late August) she might have grown some and we'll be forced to put the headrest on then.

I was considering putting the headrest in our checked luggage, but we may have to carry it on like you said depending on what happens. I'm also seriously considering whether it's better to just take our Graco Safeseat as she still fits in it fine weight-wise (for a while...it goes up to 30), but we're about an inch away from the height limit (she's 31 inches and the limit is 32). I'm just worried what if she grows that extra inch while we're there for the summer. If we had the TF, it wouldn't be an issue.

I also thought about that option of forward-facing the TF if I couldn't get it to fit RFing, but I would really rather RF not only for the safety reasons, but also because I think she'd be able to fall asleep better that way.

In any case thanks for all your advice. It should be an adventure that's for sure!

MelissaMommy7337 said:

Thanks for the detailed post! I will be traveling in June too. Leaving June 9th actually. Are you traveling before that date?

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Yes, we are leaving before then. Not returning until later but we supposedly will have internet at the hotel so I should be able to post how things went before you leave.

Hi technogranola,

Sorry I wasn't able to post earlier, but wanted to say that would be great if you could post about your True Fit/plane experience before I leave. Because I don't know if I will be able to get online to this message board those last couple days, could you also just email me your experience too? I'll spell my email out so it's harder for the spammers to get. (Deleted this part....thanks TechnoGranola!)

Thanks so much!
Melissa

We flew yesterday, here is my story http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=86239

does she have at least an inch of shell above her head? The 32" is just there bc they have to put some kind of height, but a seat is ourgrown RFing when there is no longer an inch of shell above her head.