1 adult, 2 carseats on a plane

[Mom2Jack]

So I will be flying (my myself ) with DS (2 1/2) & DD (8 months).
I think I have figured out getting thru the airports (luggage cart w/2 Sceneras bungied, DD in the Ergo & DS on his backpack harness) but if anyone has any suggestions, tips, etc I would appreciate it.

My concern is when I go to install the seats on the plane. This is the first time I've flown with both kids. In the past, I could put DS in an empty seat near me while I installed his carseat. However, I can't install either seat with DD in the Ergo. So, what do I do with the kids while I am installing the seats? DS *might* sit still if I tell him to, but DD is just crawling & never wants to stay still. I can easily see her taking a header off the seat, even buckled with the lap belt.

If it matters, we are flying American Airlines and they have usually allowed me to pre-board. The planes are small - 1 seat on one side & 2 seats on the other.

Thank you for any suggestions!

 

[vonfirmath]

Is it at all an option to take the infant bucket for the 8-months old and a stroller to click it into?

If so, I'd put the 8-month old into the infant bucket while you install the Scenera nearest the window.

Then put the 8-month old in the Scenera while you install the infant bucket. Then put the 8-month old back in the infant bucket and the 2-1/2 year old in the scenera

If you can't take the infant bucket, i think i'd still use the extra car seat to contain the wiggly one safely -- but I'm not sure the Scenera will stay safely upright on a seat like the infant bucket would.

 

[Wiggles]

What about getting a backpack harness that you can put on her and tie to your belt while you install the seats? Take a sheet or something and put the baby down on that on the floor in front of one seat, tied to your belt so she can't crawl off and get stepped on, install the baby's carseat, put the baby in the seat, install other seat, put older child in seat, sit down yourself?

 

[Carrie_R]

This may sound simplistic, but could you make a friend around you who could hold your DD while you get her seat installed? It's possible a FA would help you (although that's not their job,) but I'm sure another passenger would be happy to snuggle your baby for the couple of minutes it took you to get her seat in, if you were comfortable with that.

 

[NVMBR02]

I have flown with both kids by myself many times since ds was 3 months (dd would have been 25 months) I always put him on the plane seatand had dd stand next to me. I got ds's seat loosely installed and buckled ds in it. Then I would get dd's seat installed and then put ds in it. Then I would make sure his seat was correctly installed and then put both kids in their proper seats. It sounds a lot more difficult then it was. Once I figured out how to do a back carry I just had ds on my back and had dd stand by me (in the aisle) while I installed her seat. Then she would sit then while I got ds's seat installed. Sometimes we have been lucky and there was a FA to help, other times they were busy with other things.

This summer I am flying with the 3 of them on my own, thankfully my older 2 are much older now and I will only need 2 carseats on the plane (dd will be in a booster when we get there)

 

[Mom2Jack]

Is it at all an option to take the infant bucket for the 8-months old and a stroller to click it into?....I'm not sure the Scenera will stay safely upright on a seat like the infant bucket would.

It isn't an option to take the bucket, but that would have been a good idea. And, no, the Scenera will not stay safely upright with a child in it but not installed (I was a horrible mommy the first time I flew w/DS and did this while I was getting everything settled - it did not end well :thumbsdown

What about getting a backpack harness that you can put on her and tie to your belt while you install the seats? Take a sheet or something and put the baby down on that on the floor in front of one seat, tied to your belt so she can't crawl off and get stepped on, install the baby's carseat, put the baby in the seat, install other seat, put older child in seat, sit down yourself?

Not a bad idea & I will have to think on this one. I just worry that the plane is so small, the length of the harness would get her to the aisle.

Once I figured out how to do a back carry I just had ds on my back and had dd stand by me (in the aisle) while I installed her seat.

How did you manage installing seats with him in a back carry? What carrier were you using? I feel like I bend, twist and turn too much to have her on my back in the Ergo while installing.

Oh, and it doesn't matter which seat installs first (or where) - at least as of right now they are both on the same harness slot so there is no "assigned" car seat.

 

[ketchupqueen]

If an FA doesn't offer to hold the baby, I'd buckle her in, set the Scenera in FF, and buckle the airplane belt over it just to keep it there while you put the other one in right quick. Then put her in the installed one while you get the other one in. Either way buckle the 2.5 year old into a lap belt and bribe him to not undo it.

Sceneras on planes are an easy install. Just unhook cover, thread through, buckle, push down, tighten, voila. It usually takes me about a minute, minute and a half.

 

[NVMBR02]

It isn't an option to take the bucket, but that would have been a good idea. And, no, the Scenera will not stay safely upright with a child in it but not installed (I was a horrible mommy the first time I flew w/DS and did this while I was getting everything settled - it did not end well :thumbsdown

Not a bad idea & I will have to think on this one. I just worry that the plane is so small, the length of the harness would get her to the aisle.

How did you manage installing seats with him in a back carry? What carrier were you using? I feel like I bend, twist and turn too much to have her on my back in the Ergo while installing.

Oh, and it doesn't matter which seat installs first (or where) - at least as of right now they are both on the same harness slot so there is no "assigned" car seat.

I just had him in an wahm mei tei. I will say I had dd forward facing on the plane so I was able to easily install her seat, then plop him in and buckle so he couldn't roll/crawl then installed his seat rear facing.

I'll keep my fingers crossed you get lucky with a helpful FA.

 

[Mom2Jack]

Sceneras on planes are an easy install. Just unhook cover, thread through, buckle, push down, tighten, voila. It usually takes me about a minute, minute and a half.

I must just completely suck at installing it. After 7 trips and a total of 20 flights, I still have issues every.single.time.
Maybe this is a silly question (or I just need to play with my seats more), but what good does unhooking the cover do?

 

[ketchupqueen]

Unhooking the cover on one side lets you pull it back. You then have open access to the rear-facing belt path, can see what you're doing better and reach things better, and can pull from inside the belt path to tighten, which makes it much easier to tighten. I almost always pull back the cover on Dorel convertibles, and teach the parents I serve to do so, as it's so much simpler that way. Try it and you'll see what I mean! There's a little loop of elastic right under the "lip" on the outside of the seat, you just unhook the elastic and pull that side up. When you're done you can just thread the elastic right back through and hook it back on.

 

[lanwenyi]

I've flown by myself with 2 kids and 2 carseats twice. I've always found a friendly face and asked them nicely to hold the baby while I put the carseats in. I buckled DD (barely 2 and 2 yrs 4 mths on the two trips) in an airplane seatbelt while I worked. 2 times, the FA offered to hold the baby (3 mths and 7 mths). 2 times I had to find another passenger. Be sweet, seem frazzled, and look around for eyes with the BTDT look. People will help.

GL

 

[Mom2Jack]

Unhooking the cover on one side lets you pull it back. You then have open access to the rear-facing belt path

I just played with the seat last night & see exactly what you mean.
I have had a Scenera for over 2 years & never realized this
Can I just say that the numerous flights we have been on, and installs in random vehicles, would have been greatly helped by this knowledge... Even the techs I have had check the install on several occasions never mentioned that when we were struggling with the seatbelt install

So, PSA for anyone who has a Scenera - take ketchupqueen's advice & unhook the cover :thumbsup: