Car Seat on the Airplane?

No, you do not need to take a car seat for the plane. She will be required to sit in her own seat. Any car rental company will also rent you age appropriate car/booster seats that meet with that particular states requirements.

Hi G.!

No you don't "have" to take your car seat. They can sit in the seat next to you with a seat belt. Obviously it's safer to have the car seat, but I totally get the inconvenience. We've traveled with both our children, from before the age of 1 and up... We never brought a car seat. Another plus though of the car seat is the fact you can strap them in and they can't get out :) Is your daughter old enough and heavy enough for a booster seat. You can just bring the bottom and not the back of it, like the Graco version, to use in your rental car. That is what we do. Or the rental company charges you per day for the car seat normally.

Good Luck and have a great vacation! We are traveling in April to Florida, woo hoo, can't wait!!!
J. in Macomb

We travel very often, and you do not have to bring your carseat. I know which seat you have and it is pretty big and would probably be a tight fit. Car Rental companies do rent carseats, you just have to ask when you book your car.
Bring something she really enjoys to do on the plane, coloring, portable DVD player, stickers.
Plan to dress casual, make sure you have easy on and off shoes, carry on a little as possible it makes it easier to get thru the airport. Make sure you understand what you can and cannot take thru security, that will make your visit better. Have your daughter get a back-pack one small enough for her to carry and put her things in it, she is old enough to help and understand.
I have traveled with my daughter since she was 9mths old so if you have any questions you can send me a private message.
Also try to fly when it is good for your daughter don't get a flight that leaves at 8pm as that will interrupt her bedtime and cause a few days on your trip of bad behavior.
Good Luck don't get too nervous about it just understand the policies, parking etc and you will be fine. If you don't go to the airport maybe take a trial drive to see how long it takes and where parking lots are etc. knowing where you are going usually helps
HAve a great Trip - we are going to FL in Feb

Your car seat will have a sticker on it, or say in the manual, if it is even allowed on airlines. Boosters are no longer allowed and car seats that separate into boosters are not either...

We frequently travel, my son has been on a plane every 3 or so months since he was a little over 2 months old - and I would like to think we've gotten pretty good at traveling with little people! Obviously, she will have her own seat... if you think she would be comfortable in the seat by itself you are allowed to do that. We have done the with and without seat with my son (who prefers no car seat, just the plane seat) and I would say no car seat is easier as he is less able to kick the seat in front of him. It is, however, not as safe. He can remove the buckle of the seat belt and doesn't always get the whole must stay put during take off and landing. Just a few things to consider. You can also check with the airline, they should be able to tell you the width of the seat and you can figure out it yours will fit - most of the Britax are wider than an average airline seat if I remember correctly.

Check with your car rental company, they will give you the daily rates for car seat rentals with the car. If possible, I would take your car seat with you (even if you don't use it on the plane) as you know its safe. I know all car seats are held to the same standard, but who knows how clean they are, how recently they have been updated, etc. You can check your car seat at the gate (drop it off right as you walk through the doors to the plane) so it wont cost you anything to check - and then you know its there and safe and fits right.

I would suggest getting a lot of books, and wrapping a few small toys and hiding them in your own bag and breaking them out when you really need them. Works wonders for us (my son is REALLY into trains, so we wrap up one train and one matchbox car and then he has one per leg of our typical flight and we have peace). Good luck!!

G.,
We took my daughter on a plane to Florida when she was 11 months old, 23 months old, and will again this spring just before she turns 3. The first year, we didn't want to pay for the extra plane ticket, so we checked the carseat [Airlines allow you to check a carseat at no extra charge, and it doesn't count against your "allowed" baggage]. What a nightmare! She would not sit still! The trip there, there was room on the plane so she had an extra seat, so it was OKAY, but still she kept wanting to get up and move around. The trip back the plane was full, so we had to hold her on our laps and it was dreadful. Last year we took the carseat on the plane and she had her own seat. SUCCESS! My daughter has always been good in car rides, and so having the carseat on the plane I believe helped her to realize she has to stay still and be a good girl. We will be taking it again when we go this spring. Yes, it is a pain in the butt to carry it around the airport, but in my opinion, its worth it once you're on the plane.

Good luck!

You have a few options to avoid taking the big seat. If you are renting a car, you can also rent a carseat. If you are not renting a car, you can use a private baby rental place that will deliver the seat to whoever will be picking you up. (just do a search for Flordia baby rentals to find one near where you are staying. There are tons of places all over the state). Or, depending on how long you are planning to stay, it may be cheaper to buy her booster seat now and take that with you (as long as she is over 30 pounds). With all of that said, though. I do find it easier to keep my son seated and calm on a plane if he is strapped into a car seat on the plane. But we have a roundabout which is considerably smaller. Another idea is see if one one your friends with a smaller seat will trade with you temporarily so you have a smaller one to take with you.

Have a nice trip.

As far as the carseat - check with your airline about checking it. I travel often and the airline I fly most often allows me to gate check both an infant carseat (he's under age 2 so I could hold him - he didn't have his own seat) and the stroller. They did not consider these 2 items as checked baggage - so I did not incur extra costs. Gate check simply means they take the items from you just before you step on the plane - at the bottom of the gangway (the hallway that takes you from the airport to the plane itself). They stow it under the plane for the flight and bring it back to you upon landing. I've seen some people with larger carseats that get a little attachment that turns it into a stroller of sorts so they don't have to lug it. Just a thought.

For the flight itself - bring something for her to drink on takeoff and landing. The swallowing will help her ears pop so she is not in pain. Gum works for older kids/adults but she's a bit young for gum chewing. If she still uses a pacifier or something that would work, too. Obviously you'll want to have lots of stuff for her to do during flight (books, small games, dvd player, etc...). Don't forget snacks too. Let her sit by the window so she can see outside - that in itself will help keep her occupied - it's fascinating and you can talk about what you see.

Check out www.flyingwithkids.com for more travel tips...

I was just going to post this same thing. I was told that the booster had to say "FAA Approved" or it couldnt go on the plane. We leave on Tuesday and I've decided to vito out the car seat....I think my son will have more room to stand up and stuff without it. I'm praying this is a good plan. I'll have to "repost" after the flight.
:)

I recently flew with my daughter (6 mo) at the time. She sat on my lap (I know that's not an option for you). But I did take her carseat because I would need it down there. Airlines cannot charge for strollers and carseats and you are allowed to bring them with you. You bring them right to the plane, they will give you special tags and they will check them for you. As far as a carseat for actually sitting on the plane, you'll have to check with the airline as I'm not sure on the policy. I think children just sit in the regular seat. You'd have to check with the rental car company to see if they rent carseats, I've never done that. One piece of advice that was passed onto me is, for take off and landing everyone recommended I give my daughter a bottle to prevent her ears from popping. I don't know if you want to try a sippy cup or something else for your daughter because she's older. Good luck!!