3yo is 40" & 39lbs, carseat for airtravel?

d0ubtfire

New member
Hello,

I have a 3 year old who is currently rear-facing in a Clek Foonf, he's 39lbs without shoes and just at 40" (under it by an eigth of an inch without shoes). I REALLY don't want to travel with my Foonf because it is SO heavy. I also have a Britax Boulevard 70 that he may use for forward-facing - but it's still heavy IMO, so I don't want to travel with it either. We will be traveling in about 6 weeks, so hopefully he won't grow much between now and then. He will be 3 years old and 5 months at the time of travel. I have heard that the Cosco Scenera is recommended for travel, but I'm afraid he is/will be too big for it. What do you all recommend for this age/size? I will need a carseat for him while I'm in Puerto Rico, not just the airplane ride.

Also, I have a 1 year old who currently rear-faces in a Graco Snugride 35. I do not have a stroller for him that can carry the carseat. Also, I don't know if it can go in the airplane at all, and if it can, if it can go without a base? Would it be better to get a Cosco Scenera for the 1 year old and forward face him on the airplane? Please advice.

I have 10 year old who still uses a booster seat. She's small for her age, but I was going to just let her be without anything on the airplane and maybe get her a small booster for traveling around the island. Thoughts?
 
ADS

Lemonade

New member
Hello,

I have a 3 year old who is currently rear-facing in a Clek Foonf, he's 39lbs without shoes and just at 40" (under it by an eigth of an inch without shoes). I REALLY don't want to travel with my Foonf because it is SO heavy. I also have a Britax Boulevard 70 that he may use for forward-facing - but it's still heavy IMO, so I don't want to travel with it either. We will be traveling in about 6 weeks, so hopefully he won't grow much between now and then. He will be 3 years old and 5 months at the time of travel. I have heard that the Cosco Scenera is recommended for travel, but I'm afraid he is/will be too big for it. What do you all recommend for this age/size? I will need a carseat for him while I'm in Puerto Rico, not just the airplane ride.

Also, I have a 1 year old who currently rear-faces in a Graco Snugride 35. I do not have a stroller for him that can carry the carseat. Also, I don't know if it can go in the airplane at all, and if it can, if it can go without a base? Would it be better to get a Cosco Scenera for the 1 year old and forward face him on the airplane? Please advice.

I have 10 year old who still uses a booster seat. She's small for her age, but I was going to just let her be without anything on the airplane and maybe get her a small booster for traveling around the island. Thoughts?

The Scenera won't work for the 3 yr old as it has a 40 pound weight limit for both forward and rear facing. You may want to look at the Evenflo Sureride 65. It's got a 65 pound limit and the harness straps go nice and tall so it will last a loooong time. It's nice and light like the Scenera.

You can take the infant seat without a base on a plane and can use it in the car that way as well. If you have the manual, you can look up how to install just the carrier portion with a seatbelt. If the 1 year old still fits in the infant carrier, no need to get a scenera. They will weigh about the same and I'd rather have an infant carrier with a handle on it. Easier to install as well. If you want a stroller for it, the snap n go frame would be the easiest and lightest, though I think graco makes some light umbrella strollers that accommodate their infant seats now too.

As for the 10 yr old, she will be completely fine without a car seat/booster seat on the plane. Boosters are not airline approved anyway. I would bring a no-back booster for the car on the island. Or you could do a ride safer travel vest for her but the no back booster will be cheaper by far.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
Thanks! So, am I right that bringing the car seats that I do have would be way too difficult? The Foonf or the Boulevard 70? I saw some thing online about a Go Go Baby - or something - that would allow you to push seats around.... might it be compatible with my seats, would my seats even fit in the airplane? Anyone know? Anyone rear-faced on an airplane with a Foonf?
 

Lemonade

New member
Thanks! So, am I right that bringing the car seats that I do have would be way too difficult? The Foonf or the Boulevard 70? I saw some thing online about a Go Go Baby - or something - that would allow you to push seats around.... might it be compatible with my seats, would my seats even fit in the airplane? Anyone know? Anyone rear-faced on an airplane with a Foonf?

I don't know enough about the foonf personally but I know I would not want to drag that thing around! Check the manual and see what it says about airplane use or call the company (or another member who has more hands on experience with it will chime in maybe!). The BLVD wouldn't be as bad and it's nice and compact and easy to install so perhaps the BLVD and a go-go thingy would make a great "stroller" combo. Ordinary luggage carts and bungees work well too and are less $$$. If you've got it on the cart most of the time, the weight won't be much of an issue. The Foonf is between 10 and 15 pound more than the BLVD for comparisons sake.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
I don't know enough about the foonf personally but I know I would not want to drag that thing around! Check the manual and see what it says about airplane use or call the company (or another member who has more hands on experience with it will chime in maybe!). The BLVD wouldn't be as bad and it's nice and compact and easy to install so perhaps the BLVD and a go-go thingy would make a great "stroller" combo. Ordinary luggage carts and bungees work well too and are less $$$. If you've got it on the cart most of the time, the weight won't be much of an issue. The Foonf is between 10 and 15 pound more than the BLVD for comparisons sake.

Thanks for the tip about ordinary luggage carts and bungees.

Does anyone know if the Boulevard 70 or the Foonf would fit in the JetBlue seat? I'm worried about finding out last minute.
 

jjordan

Moderator
The BV 70 should fit in the seat. Though I think the size of the seat depends more on the aircraft than the airline... That is to say, the same airline might have differently-sized seats in different aircraft.

But! I think the BV70 is safe regardless. And if you are traveling in a group of two adults and the three children that you mentioned, I wouldn't bother buying a lighter seat for the 3 year old. Strap the BV70 to a stroller or luggage cart and go for it. :)
 

d0ubtfire

New member
The BV 70 should fit in the seat. Though I think the size of the seat depends more on the aircraft than the airline... That is to say, the same airline might have differently-sized seats in different aircraft.

But! I think the BV70 is safe regardless. And if you are traveling in a group of two adults and the three children that you mentioned, I wouldn't bother buying a lighter seat for the 3 year old. Strap the BV70 to a stroller or luggage cart and go for it. :)

I looked at the flight number and the type of aircraft - the seats are supposed to be 17.5 inches in width.... the BV70 is 18.5, no? I have read about people having to put the armrest down, and about people getting their Britax stuck on the airplane... and about having to use seatbelt extenders? Too many complications! Even the seat that Lemonade recommended, the Evenflo - it's also 18.5 inches in width, so I don't know how that would work.....
 

cantabdad

New member
We've done a Britax Marathon (admittedly a smudge narrower than the Boulevard) on JetBlue many times. Carseats that nominally are wider than the airplane seat will still fit, sometimes even with the armrest down (though you have the option to raise it if nec.).

And all the stuff about belts getting stuck and seatbelt extenders is really for certain of the older Britaxes where the belt path was closed off. It shouldn't be an issue for you.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
We've done a Britax Marathon (admittedly a smudge narrower than the Boulevard) on JetBlue many times. Carseats that nominally are wider than the airplane seat will still fit, sometimes even with the armrest down (though you have the option to raise it if nec.).

And all the stuff about belts getting stuck and seatbelt extenders is really for certain of the older Britaxes where the belt path was closed off. It shouldn't be an issue for you.

I responded earlier but I had forgotten to log in so it didn't post.... don't know if it is in waiting to be moderated or what. Anyway....

About the BV70. Mine is from December 2011. I'm not sure if that is considered old, but it does appear to have a more open belt path. It looks like the one in this video where you can pull down in the front and see where the seatbelt is at: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRBukacxRc"]BRITAX Convertible Car Seats: Forward Facing Installation using Lap Belt Only - YouTube[/ame]

So, I had been reading about Boulevards getting stuck on airplanes, and saw that it is recommended to flip the buckle on one side before buckling. Like this: this: http://thecarseatlady.com/hints-for-easier-travel-with-children/

But I was wondering, if I do that on my BV70, which I think is a "newer" one that wouldn't get stuck the regular way in the first place, if I do twist the belt and then tighten it, wouldn't it THEN get stuck because I wouldn't be able to "pull up" on the buckle if it's facing away from me (against a solid piece of the seat) and fully tightened?

Just trying to understand about seats getting stuck because I will be less paranoid if I fully understand.

Also, is having the armrest down ever required??? The BV70 should fit with the armrest up, right?
 

MoonRocket

New member
I've flown with the BLV70 a bunch- never had a problem. I don't even do a luggage cart. It fits perfectly upside down on my rolly bag. I don't strap it in and have never had a problem. Just flip it over on my bag and go to get through the airport. One hand on stroller, one on rolly bag- 3yo holding the handle of the rolly bag and walking along.

I have never had a problem with it getting stuck (I did with an RA50 classic) - just think about how you need to release it. The buckle seemed to end up in a bad position on the BLV70- so usually we ended up twisting the best a few times to get it not to sit in the middle the back. It is a really easy install since you can just reach under the cover.
 

cantabdad

New member
About the BV70. Mine is from December 2011. I'm not sure if that is considered old, but it does appear to have a more open belt path. It looks like the one in this video ...
Also, is having the armrest down ever required??? The BV70 should fit with the armrest up, right?

If your Boulevard looks like the one in the video (and my Marathon) then the FF belt path is easily accessed by lifting up a flap of fabric. There's really no concern about it getting "stuck" and thus no reason to flip the buckle.

Just feed the lap belt through, buckle & pull tight.

It's not required to have the armrest down, on any US airline that I'm familiar with. Certainly JetBlue will not give you a problem. (Armests on the aisles generally don't move up and down, but that's not relevant since carseats can't go in aisle seats.)

I can't *guarantee* that the Boulevard will fit with the armrest down, but it's a possibility. Sometimes the armrest needs to go up for installation, but then you can wiggle it back down. Either way, you will not have a problem.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
If your Boulevard looks like the one in the video (and my Marathon) then the FF belt path is easily accessed by lifting up a flap of fabric. There's really no concern about it getting "stuck" and thus no reason to flip the buckle.

Just feed the lap belt through, buckle & pull tight.

It's not required to have the armrest down, on any US airline that I'm familiar with. Certainly JetBlue will not give you a problem. (Armests on the aisles generally don't move up and down, but that's not relevant since carseats can't go in aisle seats.)

I can't *guarantee* that the Boulevard will fit with the armrest down, but it's a possibility. Sometimes the armrest needs to go up for installation, but then you can wiggle it back down. Either way, you will not have a problem.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that I am best off taking the BV70. Especially since it should be one of the easier ones to install when I rent a car at my destination.

I'm still worried that they'll try to stick it in the xray thingy.... This is my first flight since I was a kid. I don't really know what to expect! Thanks all for the help!
 

jjordan

Moderator
I'm becoming more and more convinced that I am best off taking the BV70. Especially since it should be one of the easier ones to install when I rent a car at my destination.

I'm still worried that they'll try to stick it in the xray thingy.... This is my first flight since I was a kid. I don't really know what to expect! Thanks all for the help!

Our boulevard has gone through the x-ray machine without a problem. I think that not all x-ray machines are the same size. Mention to the security person something like, "do you think my seat is too big to fit through your machine?" so that they take a closer look at its size. Then if it does get stuck, well, you tried to warn them! :)
 

ngs215

Member
I'm still worried that they'll try to stick it in the xray thingy.... This is my first flight since I was a kid. I don't really know what to expect! Thanks all for the help!

In my experience, they don't want your car seat stuck in the machine, anymore than you do. When we've flown out of a small airport, we asked, and they said they had no idea if it would fit and they hand-wanded it. At larger airports, they have sent us to a special family line. It was all strollers, car seats, wheel chairs, and anyone who looked like they needed extra time. They had a person dedicated to hand wanding and he grabbed the car seat before we got it out of the bag we were carrying it in.
 

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