Checking car seat for flight

[Anonymous]

Whether you check it or gate check it, you don't know what's happened to it.

But in the DCUM magical thinking world of carseats, it is perfectly fine.

[Anonymous]

What do people think specifically about gate checking infant car seat ... Is there a risk of it being thrown and broken? Or is it handled with more care if gTe checked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do people think specifically about gate checking infant car seat ... Is there a risk of it being thrown and broken? Or is it handled with more care if gTe checked?

I specifically think you shouldn't do it. None of the baggage handlers care about your seat.

[Anonymous]

We've always checked ours with our luggage in a wheeled car seat bag. If you're worried about checking in general, here's info that might be helpful: (from carseatblog.com/18895/flying-with-kids-carseats-the-checked-carseat-controversy/):


Just recently, the Manufacturers Alliance for Child Passenger Safety issued a statement for CPS Technicians/Instructors on the subject:

Car Seats Gate-Checked or Checked as Luggage
Car seats are designed to withstand most motor vehicle crash forces. In general, the MACPS does not consider a gate-checked car seat or a car seat that is checked as luggage to be one that has experienced forces equivalent to a motor vehicle crash. Once the destination is reached, it is recommended to inspect the car seat to make sure no visual damage has occurred and all aspects of the car seat function properly.

(August 2012)

[Anonymous]

Is it a Diono? If so, we actually found the Diono car seat bag to be nice for air travel and it seems to be sturdy enough. Main reason to put a bag around it is to keep all the dirt/grime/etc off the seat!

And while I realize the car seat could get damaged if it is checked, I (like you) don't trust car seat rentals and don't want to haul that heavy thing onto the plane. So I have just resigned myself to checking it.

[Anonymous]

I have flown multiple times (8 or so round trips) using a car seat bag with wheels. I gate check because my SIL once had a car seat fail to show up for 24 hours. On the plane I use the CARES harness which is great.