Experience with Radian on the plane

BlueDragon

New member
I took our new Radian on a plane trip last weekend -- 1.5 hours plane ride so a good test drive.

Actually, we ended up not using it on the plane. We boarded, started installing it, then realized how different the seatbelts are from cars. I gave up pretty easily because I wanted to get it in overhead space before we lost that space and were forced to check it in.

The problem is that the seatbelts, both the left and right ends, are several inches long. In cars, the female end is typically just a piece of plastic, almost flush with the seat. So, when you buckle, the buckle can be seen. With airline seats, and I guess I had forgotten this from when we traveled with our Wizard on board long ago, the buckle would end up being inside the carseat somewhere. Maybe this is not true for all planes and that is why I didn't have memory of it. In any case, when you are trying to buckle the two pieces and they are inside the seat, it is not very easy. I suppose you could pull one end through all the way, buckle, then pull it back inside, but it is far from ideal (the female end on a plane seatbelt is bigger than that of a car). Again, I really didn't want to have to check the seat so I gave up fairly rapidly.

We also bought the carrying case. I'm not too impressed. I still prefer having the case as opposed to not having it -- just to protect the seat and the fabric a bit. The problem with the case is it is just too tight. You have to push and shove and heave and ho and huff and puff to get the seat in there. And that is if you were lucky enough to put the seat in exactly the right orientation inside the bag. Then as you zip it, things are so tight you worry about catching the fabric in the zip. Oh why oh why didn't they make it just a tad bigger? We also bought the Safeguard Go and that carrying case (comes free with it) is quite roomy. In fact, many things about the Safeguard Go are really well planned out.

Nonetheless, I was glad to have the seat. We were told our cousins would have seats for us, but there was a Marathon and a backless booster. I put my 4-year old in the Marathon and her brother in the Radian and was happier that way. Just don't like backless boosters.

Also, despite it's weight, my DH didn't complain too much (of course I carried it, but I thought he would complain anyway about having the extra stuff). I also installed and uninstalled in the unfamiliar car pretty easily -- that can be a dealbreaker when you are with people that think you are paranoid about safety and taking up too much of their time...

I did think the Radian fit well in the plane -- a narrow seat and a low seat is precisely what you need to make it fit right (so you can get the tray table down, so it is harder for the kids to kick the seat in front of them, etc).
 
ADS

bensmom

Admin - CPS Technician
Thanks for the review. I haven't travelled with my Radian yet, although I know others have.

I haven't tried it, but maybe a seatbelt extender (you can usually get one from the flight attendants) would help on the installation issues on the plane - to get the buckles in the right spot?
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Several regular posters on this board have used the Radian on planes and have really liked it. I can see what you are saying, though. The seatbelts are different! :)
 

scatterbunny

New member
The Radian was designed and advertised as a great travel/plane option, so you'd think Sunshine Kids would design it to work well with plane belts. :confused:
 

Morganthe

New member
Thanks for posting, especially about the optional bag. You just saved me the extra money since I was considering the purchase in a few months. I have enough bags around my house for travel stuff which should work just as well and be sturdier.

Airlines have various types of belt straps, so other than configuring for a general lapbelt, I'm sure that SK couldn't ensure that every single style would fit perfectly with their carseat. The problem I see about 2 long ends -- male & female is that the buckle would sit just behind the child's back which would be painful over time.

Too bad you can't do something similar to a Britax long belt path where it loops over the side, through a slit in the back, around the back, and then back over the other side. The buckle could be on the rear of the carseat where it wouldn't really matter to anyone.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
We just traveled with ours this weekend. The seatbelt DOES go into the path. But with the openings for the bottom to fold up you can simply reach behind the cover and pull it tight. FAR easier than the Wizard, which had a tight plastic beltpath and was too small to actually open the buckle back there. Piper has never complained about the buckle being behind her back, either in the car or on the plane. I love installing it on a plane. Push the seatback down a bit, put the Radian down, loosen the belt and then put it behind the cover, click it buckled, tighten it, bring the seatback up. I'm done before people are on the plane, practically. Ball up the bag and put it down below or in the overhead.

Were you on big planes? We were on an Embraer Jet, a Dehavilland Dash 8, and a Canadair Jet this weekend, in addition to a nice big Airbus A319 (for the shortest flight from Charlotte to Raleigh, we had three seats for the two of us) and the Radian would not have fit in the overhead compartments of the smaller planes. I gate checked our carryons and just brought the seat onboard.

I was surprised that not one but TWO people asked if I had a seat for her for that. Ummm, yes. FAA requires a child older than TWO have their own seat, and mine is four. She's small, but not that small! Though no one asked what that was, or asked me to check it, they all seemed to know it was a carseat (maybe the "Radian, the only folding carseat" on the bag gave it away. LOL).

Wendy
 

Schwa

New member
I am flying with the Radian tomorrow, and I am planning to install it on the plane, increasing visibility by opening up the Velcro sides so I can see what I'm doing. LOL, I hope it works! We have 2 planes each way (too much $ for a direct flight--would have been $3200 for the 4 of us).
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
We flew with the radian from Rhode Island to Utah and back, stopping in Chicago both ways. So, 3-4 hour legs. The radian was a breeze to install. Know how I know that? DH did the install on 3 of the 4 legs and in mere minutes! When I checked the install, it was in there perfectly! DH is not allowed to install seats because he just doesn't pay close attention to everything he should be doing. I do them all, so if he can do it, anybody can do it. (The velcro openings make it easy to get to the belt path and pull the belt tight.)

The buckle behind DS did not bother him at all, even though I though it would. THere is actually a still piece of plastic on the cover right where a buckle would hit to protect the child from feeling the buckle. Way better than the cargo we have that has the open belt path and no extra protection. Kids sit in gracos, evenflos, and coscos with open paths on planes all the time and don't complain. At least the radian has that extra plastic piece!
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
I've posted this before -

Ask for a seat belt extension. This puts the buckle release somewhere you can access it, and not stuck in the middle back where it's difficult to release.

It saved time and my skin with a MA.:)

Here's hoping you're connections don't involve Denver! :eek:
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I've posted this before -

Ask for a seat belt extension. This puts the buckle release somewhere you can access it, and not stuck in the middle back where it's difficult to release.

It saved time and my skin with a MA.:)

Here's hoping you're connections don't involve Denver! :eek:

I don't think an extender would help a Radian. You can simply reach behind the cover and unbuckle, and since it's just the cover and air over it, it opens easily. Plus the Radian's beltpath is so tiny relative to the HWH Britaxes that an extender may give too much seatbelt. The Radian's beltpath is much lower, and shorter than a MA. There's a lot of tail on the seatbelt for a Radian installation. I agree that an extender is great for a HWH Britax, but I'd be surprised if it helped a Radian in the least.

Wendy
 

BlueDragon

New member
Thanks for posting, especially about the optional bag. You just saved me the extra money since I was considering the purchase in a few months. I have enough bags around my house for travel stuff which should work just as well and be sturdier.

If you have a bag you know the folded car seat fits into, you are right, definitely use that. The Radian bag seems sturdy enough, but I can't help thinking those zippers are going to give out if I keep forcing them the way we had to to get it shut.

I don't agree that the installation of the Radian is a snap like some of you say. I did say that I gave up rather easily because I didn't want to lose the bin space and people were all piled up directly behind us on an oversold flight. I will try again, maybe pulling the cover back more (I had undone the velcro of course -- you have to to fold it). I found, and I don't have large hands, that it was just difficult to get it through the slots on both sides. The LATCH is much much easier. These were quite large belt buckles too, which could have made a difference.

Mostly I just didn't want to mess around with it with people pushing past us, my kids squirming around, people literally dropping stuff on us, etc. Depending on the flight, it can be a very chaotic time.
 

skipspin

New member
I think it's pretty easy when you "open" up the cover and reach inside to buckle/unbuckle it. That's how I adjust my LATCH strap too, so I am used to it. Definately easier than a FFing convertible!

I think it's also easier than my Chase, although the cover can be moved out of the way on that seat too.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
If you have a bag you know the folded car seat fits into, you are right, definitely use that. The Radian bag seems sturdy enough, but I can't help thinking those zippers are going to give out if I keep forcing them the way we had to to get it shut.

I don't agree that the installation of the Radian is a snap like some of you say. I did say that I gave up rather easily because I didn't want to lose the bin space and people were all piled up directly behind us on an oversold flight. I will try again, maybe pulling the cover back more (I had undone the velcro of course -- you have to to fold it). I found, and I don't have large hands, that it was just difficult to get it through the slots on both sides. The LATCH is much much easier. These were quite large belt buckles too, which could have made a difference.

Mostly I just didn't want to mess around with it with people pushing past us, my kids squirming around, people literally dropping stuff on us, etc. Depending on the flight, it can be a very chaotic time.

Did you preboard? Piper and I are usually the first on the plane. And if the plane has two classes I've got her installed and in her seat before the rest of the coach passengers board. Even on the smaller jets she usually hangs out in an empty seat until I'm ready, then she's small enough to move around people or climb over seats to come back to me. She can't get off the plane, so I just let her find a spot to hang out. That gives me room to work on the seat, and preboarding gives us time.

If you travel with your DH all the time then you can preboard and leave him at the gate. You get the seat in before they get on board. You bring the seat and a little luggage, DH brings the rest. That way you haven't got so much to deal with on top of the seat, and the plane is still empty. I rarely travel with my DH, so we don't have a system worked out for the two of us with Piper, though I've left them at the gate once. She and I travel alone, though, and we have the system worked out for both of us.

Wendy
 

Morganthe

New member
I'd love to be able to pre-board. The times I've flown with dd, I've been refused. Apparently EVERYONE had to go on in their assigned groups regardless of kids. What a miserable experience and those planes were not completely full.
If you're curious, the last 2 times, it was American Airlines in DFW & SEA-TAC.

Same thing with going through security lines. I've seen parents with other children my dd's age & older detoured to special lines that provide more space and time to process. Except for Baltimore, I get a couple of evaluating looks up and down, they stare at my dd, and say she's too old or not fussy enough. HUH???? Just because I carry her on my back or she's holding my hand, you think we're speedy?

My solution is to take all the time that's necessary for us to get unassembled and then put us all back together again before we move. The ones I feel sorry for are those poor people behind us, but there's nothing we can do. Security has spoken.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I'd love to be able to pre-board. The times I've flown with dd, I've been refused. Apparently EVERYONE had to go on in their assigned groups regardless of kids. What a miserable experience and those planes were not completely full.
If you're curious, the last 2 times, it was American Airlines in DFW & SEA-TAC.

Same thing with going through security lines. I've seen parents with other children my dd's age & older detoured to special lines that provide more space and time to process. Except for Baltimore, I get a couple of evaluating looks up and down, they stare at my dd, and say she's too old or not fussy enough. HUH???? Just because I carry her on my back or she's holding my hand, you think we're speedy?

My solution is to take all the time that's necessary for us to get unassembled and then put us all back together again before we move. The ones I feel sorry for are those poor people behind us, but there's nothing we can do. Security has spoken.

That's at the gate agent's discretion. I've been told no by one and yes by another working at the same gate. I just stand there, and rarely when I have a child bouncing around and a carseat on my back and a suitcase in hand will they refuse me when I'm handing them my boarding pass. Now I go up to them before they start boarding and ask that I may preboard so I have time and space to deal with her carseat. Most of the time they don't care, sometimes they tell me to come on after first class has been called, and other times they don't even need me to ask they wave me on before they even announce that they're boarding anyone. This weekend, though, there were announcements that anyone needing extra time or help, those who needed assistance walking or with small children, may feel free to preboard. This weekend was USAir. American is our normal airline, and I've had more hit or miss with them, but usually hit. Most people are pretty good about it.

Wendy
 

Lys

Senior Community Member
Maybe it's just me, but when I've flown with the kids, I HATE to preboard. It's just that much more time the kids are stuck in their seats. I'd rather have then at the gate where they can run around and burn off some energy before boarding.
Also, I NEVER get a direct flight, always connecting. Gives the kids to opportunity to get off the plane and stretch, get something to eat, go to the bathroom.
 

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