Flying with carseats?

Question

I'll be flying in a couple days with two of my children. My 1 year old is sitting on my lap during the flight. I will need both of their carseats on my vacation. Do I check them into baggage? Am I going to be charged for the putting the carseats in baggage? I am flying US Airways--if that makes any difference, I heard they are going to start charging?

Answer 1

These pages will answer your questions - there are a few more details I would need from you before answering directly, so it's best if you just look here:

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/tra...

http://www.usairways.com/awa/Content/tra...

Answer 2

It depends on the airline's policy. Here is the page for U.S. Airways;

http://www.usairways.com/awa/Content/tra...

It's different if you're flying international or domestic and the baggage fee is only if you bought your ticket after July 9th.

I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly a lot with my three children. We always have a car seat with us.

One of your car seats can be brought on board and used. Since it's a U.S. company, and the seat is FAA approved, it's your *right* to use that seat on the plane. It CANNOT be refused. Most car seats sold in the U.S. are FAA approved. Boosters are not, but if the seat has a hard back and an internal harness, chances are, it is. See this FAA page to be sure;

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...

The other seat would probably count against your baggage allowance but you might have to contact U.S. Airways to be sure (it's not clear on their site). One way to get around this is to try to take that seat onboard as well. Both the FAA and the AAP highly recommend using car seats on board for safety.

As a mother who is usually alone on 11 1/2 hour transatlantics with three children, it does make flying much, much easier as well. The youngest was calmer and more settled in her familiar seat. At age 4, she asks me to bring it.

http://www.aap.org/patiented/flyingbaby....

Find out if your flight is full. If not, ask that they "block" a seat next to you for your child. They will then only use it if absolutely necessary.

Take the seat to the gate even if they're not sure if you can get an extra place. That way, if you don't, your car seat will be "gate-checked", sent down with the wheelchairs and stroller NOT in the baggage hold where it could get crushed.

Of course I'm a big proponant of using car seats on board because babies in laps are not protected if anything goes wrong. They allow it because air travel itself is so safe and there's very little chance of anything happening but I've had to sit through all those hours of crash videos! Needless to say, that's why my children almost always have their own places and I bring the car seat ("almost" is because my seat has been refused by foreign airlines so I try to always book an American company).

It's highly recommended to NOT check car seats as baggage at initial check-in. Ask a car seat technician but checking them risks loss and/or damage. The airlines consider them to be "fragile" items and they wont give compensation if anything happens.

Last winter we arrived at our destination with only one of our four suitcases. Luckily, the car seat was with us so my daughter was safe on the 2 hour drive home. While searching for our things, I saw at least two car seats in lost luggage. I wonder how those people left the airport with their children.

Getting car seats through airports is not the fuss many think it is. Since it's so common these days, lots of products are coming on the market. I'm not promoting these websites but just to give you some examples. Be careful as not all products fit all seats.

http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_k...

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-...

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/...

I don't use any of the above but simply take a small metal luggage cart and I can secure my Radian65 with an extra bungee cord. Works great and is easy. My daughter can actually ride in it so we either skip the stroller or check it.

Some parents also get creative with securing their seats to strollers with bungee cords. Play with it at home and see what works best for you. Pack your purse and bring a backpack to keep your hands free. When I had two in diapers, I could also hang a diaper bag on the seat but with one in diapers, I only really needed the backpack. Have the older one bring their toys in their own small backpack and you'll be ready to roll!

If you're going to be alone and your car seats are both really big and bulky, if you can manage this, there is another option. If you are staying with relatives/friends, ask them if they can borrow a seat for your older child. Here is an example of a good, solid (but not fancy) seat that can be found for around $40 sometimes on sale. You could order it online to be delivered to whomever is meeting you at the airport. I used to fly with an older version and it's light and easy to carry. You may also consider simply buying it and keeping it as a spare seat for grandparents/babysitters, etc.

http://www.albeebaby.com/cosco-scenera-c...

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.

Feel free to visit;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

My contact information is at the end if you have further questions.

Have a good flight!