First Time Plane Ride with 4Yr. and 2Yr. Old

I just traveled with my 2yr old and I didnt take a carseat on board, you can always rent it with the rental. My son sat in my lap and when he fell asleep I held him and when he was awake, I just got him to sit in the seat assigned to him and he looked out the window, I brought the laptop for movies but he was more interested in looking out the window, he had snacks and you can always bring books and coloring books for them.

I have rented car seats from other rental companies with no problems. I don't know what kind of rental car you are getting, but some minivans come with a built-in car seat (there are straps built into the seat that can be uncovered). This is nice, because you would only have to rent 1 carseat (I have done this). I have twins and renting always seemed easier than trying to lug around 2 carseats and manage 2 small children.

Have a nice trip.
- Jen

J.- we have flown with a 5 year old and 9 monthold and we always took our carseat and checked them at the gate or the zone is what they called it. we never covered them because they always were so good with them. the thing is you always want to zone your stroller,carseats and small bags if possible so you can use them when you get there. the seat belts on the plane are safe no worries there. make sure that you are able to sit together this also helps out. make sure to have snacks, drinks, other food items, lots of activities to do and things they like to do on a plane. also make sure to have them help you pack a bag for the plane so they have the things they like to do. another idea is to have them pick out a vacation bag and then let them pack a special thing that helps them during the trip like stuffed toy,blanket,pillow and so on. make sure to have gum for them to chew during take off and landing. T.

Hi J.,
Happy traveling! We took a trip on SW recently and they put our car seat in a large plastic bag to protect it from getting too dirty, so that was nice, and it didn't get broken or anything, but with the way folks throw luggage, you never know. However, it's much easier to rent the car seat....we've rented a car seat twice and they were adequate seats...nothing overly nice, but they get the job done, and it's one less thing to try and keep track of getting to/from the airport.

Good luck!
R.

I have traveled many times with a car seat for my daughter. One time we checked it and it was fine- she didn't need a ticket at the time so she sat on our laps. The other times I have taken it on the plane- well worth it especially as it will help the flight with the 2 year old. As far as the booster, I would see if you can rent one or check it.

I would take the big car seat on the plane. It helped my son when he was 2 feel more comfortable and he fell asleep as well. I would check or rent a booster. Also bringn a variety of things for them to do. Good luck.

Hello!
When we travelled with my 2 yr old a couple of years ago, we took the car seat knowing we would need it when we got to our destination. It was a pain getting it through security and we carried it on our stroller (so our child had to walk). We strapped him in once on board, but his feet would kick the seat in front of him. After we took off, he wanted to be held, and we did so (for almost 3 hrs) until we were about to land. We checked it in on the way back and it was so much better for us. He couldn't reach the seats in front of him to kick them, and I could lift the arm rest and allow him to lay on me and still keep his seat belt on. Our seat came back just fine, but I know it was more durable than a booster seat. I know it's safer when they're in the car seat, but this is how it happened for us. Good luck on your trip.

Check with your airline.

Angela

We just got home from Disney and flew with my 11, 10, 8 and 7 year olds. We checked the booster for the 10 year old and we took the seats on the plane for the 8 and 7 year old. They are in High weight harness seats that go to 80 pounds. They also fold flat and fit on your back as a back pack. We had no problem with the seats on the plane. I am sorry, but I dont understand letting your child run around on a plane that goes so much faster than a car ever would!! Check out some of the flight attendants stories about having crash landings and the small children being killed of hurt because the were not restrained. I would not check the seats, you are not supposed to use the seats if they have been in a crash and you have no idea how much they are getting thrown around in the luggage area. Also, same with the car rentals, how do you know if the seat has been in a crash?? I am a Child Passenger Safety Instructor for the state and the if they can be in a seat, they should, every trip, every time!!

You can buy or rent a harness belt that goes over the airplane seat. It looks like the two shoulder straps in the car seat then it has two loops at the bottom that the airplane seat belt slips through. Benefits that it buckles like a car seat, but not the bulk. I would check your own carseats with your lugguage. When you get to the car rental they don't always have the seats there. We went to Montreal, and requested a car and carseat from Budget. When we got there they only had 2 rentals, a SMART car and a minivan, no carseat. Luckily we decided to take our own carseat at the last minute.

Dear J.,
I've flown, literally over 50, times with my son who is 5 years old. Bring on the carseat and check the booster. If you have the old box for the booster this works THE BEST! If not, I think they sell covers, or you can take a trash bag to the airport to put it in after they inspect it. You are always taking a chance at damage, but I've always gotten mine back fine. DO NOT rent carseats. I've found they can never find them, don't know how to install them, and they are FILTHY!! Hope you have a really great trip :)

We travel quite a bit with our boys (3 and 1). We use the big carseat bags and check them. We have never had a problem with them being damaged. It also makes it easy to carry as they have a huge strap we sling across our body. You could probably just get 1 carseat bag and the booster would fit in it along with the carseat. We also end up shoving other items in the carseat bag since we usually go over the weight limit for our other bags. Then on the flight I bring lots and lots of snacks for the baby. My 3 year old is easily entertained by the flight itself. We also bring his little TV (bring the cord too in case you have a delayed flight) and those dry erase books you can buy at Toys R Us. Good luck and have fun!

I remember when we travelled with our (then) 2 and 4 yr-olds, and we took both car seats on the plane. It was a HUGE hassle, and was a great cause of stress to us. I never did it again. I'd just recommend bringing whatever snacks are allowed these days, and lots of activities to keep your kiddos occupied during the flight. Heck, my boys slept most of the time anyway. Safe travels to you!!

We traveled with our 3 year old and 5 month old last summer. I was fearing the worst! We checked her booster and took his car seat on the plane. (Honestly we had not had the foresight to look into the fact that her booster was not going to be allowed!) We have traveled many times with the 3 year old and have always checked her stroller. I have never been disappointed when we get her stroller or the booster back after a flight. Something to consider, renting the booster from Hertz is an added expense. True you have the hassle of carrying the booster off the flight, but the airline won't charge you to check it. Plus, our peace of mind in knowing your booster and your 4 year old's comfort with his/her own booster may be worth any added effort!
Hope your flight goes well! J.

We usually take both car seats to the gate and do a gate check of them. I do not trust airlines to keep them in one piece if we check them at the check-in gate. You can walk right down the ramp and leave them where you would leave a stroller so that you can pick them up as soon as you get off the plane. We have tried renting car seats from the rental car companies too. They are fine, but they kind of gross me out because I am always thinking about what other kids have done to them and if they have been washed! If the 2-year old is a good sleeper in the car seat and it is an airline-approved seat, it sounds like it might work better for you to take that seat on the plane and gate check the other one. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Do yourself a favor and do not take your own carseats or boosters on the plane. Unless there's been a regulation change with the airlines that I'm unaware of, they aren't required on the plane. Rent carseats/boosters from the car rental company and save yourself having to lug those items throught the airports. We flew to Florida three years ago with our then 4 & 2 year olds. We did not take a carseat on the plane for the 4yo, but did take one for the 2yo. It turned out that he would have done fine without it and we wouldn't have had to haul it around.

Is the 4 year-old in a booster or car seat? Check the car seats to see if they're approved for air travel. If they are, you don't need to check them. Just carry them on (they don't count as carry-ons) and use them in the seats. If they can't be used for air travel, then take advantage of the machines they have for wrapping things in plastic. Wrap them together (I've wrapped them with my stroller before) and check them as one item. The weight should be fine.

BTW, I highly recommend a Ride On Carry On if you're going to be trying to catch connecting flights. They're seats that strap onto your carry on luggage so you avoid the need of a stroller in the airport. Kids love them.

www.rideoncarryon.com

hey J., I recently traveled with my 3 yr. old without car seat and she was fine.
you can gate check both items, so you wont have to worry about they condition.
the seat belt on the plane was enough for my kid, she loved it and didn't wonna seat unbuckled.
get plenty of activities for them (books, games etc.).

Hi J., we are also flying with our 17 mo in a few days, so I'm basically reading your responses! We flew with him when he was 4 mo with no problems as a lap child, but he wasn't mobile and full of energy then, so I'm a little nervous also. He has his own seat but we are getting the carseat with the rental car, which we've done before from Hertz, and that works great. With all the new fees for baggage, and just the general hassle, I'd recommend just getting the car seat with the rental car. Good luck, and hopefully I'll get some good info here too!

J.,
I am not sure about all airlines, but I know that Northwest does not count checked carseats as one of your checked bags. You can check with the airline that you are flying. I think most of the car seat rentals are $10 a day, but there is a maximum cap. I don't know how long you are staying, so you may want to think about that. We did use rental carseats through Avis once and I was a little worried about how clean they would be. I was really impressed by how clean they were. Ours looked brand new. Have a great trip!

You can gate check these seats and that will help protect them from going through the general baggage claim and will be a little safer for them. Also, just fyi, you can bring booster seats/car seats on planes. I've done it several times. You should call the airline and check with them to be sure on this issue. I know there have been changes for the airlines very recently, but I don't think this is one of them.

J....
I use to live in Hawaii and had to travel 3 times (if not more) a year from Hawaii to Missouri. I was a single mom, so I tried to make it as easy as possible and I didn't want to slow down people in line (which airport lines are already long). I suggest you get a CLEAR trash bag (some airlines will provide these for you at baggage check in). Have id tags already made out when you get there, have extra's in your purse if needed (saves time). You can check your carseat, pack and play, and the stroller you can check at the gate. My daughter would never sit that long in her carseat on the plane so she always sat in my lap or just on the seat. I have seen some kids sit in carseats, it just wasn't for us. There isn't much room on planes, so carseats take up LOTS of room. You kids will have more room to play if you just put them in the seat. If you have the whole row then they can stand sometimes next to the seat and play with games that are on their seat. The more room for you and the kids to move the better the ride will be. People get annoyed if you spend lots of time in the aisle trying to get situated, so we just had one book bag that had all toys and my purse in it. It was small enough to put under the seat for easy access during the flight. At the end of the flight we would have more time to pick up all her belongs at bag claim. I have never rented a carseat, but I have never had any problems with her carseat getting damaged in baggage claim. Make sure you and the kids wear slip on shoes for security check points. Double check liquids and such. Everytime I fly I will find another way that is faster and more efficient. Its amazing how fast we can get through an airport now! :)

We are flying back to Hawaii for a visit in two weeks. I hope your flying experience goes well. I LOVE to fly and travel. She has gotten use to flights and travels pretty well at 2 years old.

Good Luck!
J.

Hi J.,

We recently moved to St. Louis from Richmond,VA. We have children the same as yours. We decided to check both car seats. Our booster is the backless type, so we just shoved it into one of our bags. The car seat required no cover. This worked out fine for us. They both slept most of the trip. We were nervous about them wanting to get up and walk around, but they didn't. If that is something you are concerned about, and you think they won't nap, then you may want to restrain them in their car seats. Best of luck to you!

T.

Good Morning J., My Bro. in law used to check the car seats when they traveled. Now they leave the car seats in their car at the air port and rent what they need through the car rental. Especially now that they are charging extra for everything. Call ahead for car rental and tell them what you will be needing. They can supply it for you.
As far as your little one sitting on the plane. The seat belt comes in really handy for that, plus books, small toys, little snacks to keep her occupied.

Have a wonderful trip and most of all make it fun for your little ones too.
GOd Bless,
K. nana of 5

My sisiter traveled alot when her little one was younger. They always just rented a carseat and never had any trouble with it being dirty or gross. They also make car seats for airplanes that fold up flat for carrying purposes. Not sure where you are located, but if you live in KC check out
kansascity.craiglist.org look under baby and kids in the for sale section. I know I saw one for sale on there the other day. Good luck with your traveling! E.

We have a car seat that turns into a stroller. Sometimes we lap my 14 month old, and when we do, we put the car seat/stoller in a bag and check it. Even if you gate check stollers or seats, get a bag. They get filthy in the cargo hold. If you check them at the counter, and they go missing, the airlines have temporary seats you can use. My sister just rented a car seat from a rental car company, and she reported that it was very clean and nice (which is a compliment from her since she is a neat freak). You have many options, so just do what you think is best for your kids and their comfort.

I'm taking my 2 1/2 year old on plane for the first time in a couple of months too. Her car seat is FAA approved and so it can be strapped into the plane seat. This is what I plan to do hoping she relates having to ride in the car seat in the car, so therefore must do so on the plane as well. You can check it, but always risk damage. Some car rental places do rent car seats, you just need to check if they have them online.

Good Luck to you !!!!

IF you check them definately do it at the gate. A few years ago we checked out daughter's car seat with our luggage and it is the only thing that didn't make it to our destination on time. Luckily the airport had 1 (and only 1) that we had to use until the next day when our's arrived. Just something to think about. GOod luck with the travel.