Which travel dilemma is the lesser of two evils?
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Anonymous
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We're thinking about traveling out to Joplin, MO, and the half of us will be heading on to Tulsa, OK this summer. Kids will be young 3 and young 5. Both ride in Diono Radians (though we also have a Britax Frontier and a Britax Roundabout that the 3 yo will possibly have outgrown FF by then).
Would you choose to make the 2 day drive to MO/OK, or choose to fly with a layover? Driving obviously means an overnight and two cranky kids (well, also 2 cranky adults) in an Odyssey, but also means we'd have their car seats and wouldn't have to rent a car. Flying is expensive and would mean a layover and then renting a car once in MO. We'd also have to haul both beasts of the Radians onboard since checking them is considered unsafe. Which is the lesser of the two evils?? |
Anonymous
| Driving. |
Anonymous
| I'd fly and check the carseats. Why do you say it's 'considered unsafe'? |
Anonymous
OP here. It is considered unsafe because you don't know how the seat will be handled by the baggage handlers. Just like luggage, it could well be dropped from a great height, crushed, etc. that could damage it internally and you'd never know from the outside appearance. |
Anonymous
| I'd rather carry the radian (that fold flat) on my back for a few hours than drive for 2 days. No brainner in my opinion. |
Anonymous
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ugh.
my DH would drive for sure to avoid a rental car and installing/uninstalling/carrying car seats. i would prefer flying (with the knowledge that he would do all of the above uninstlaling/installing) i've never heard checking a car seat is unsafe or puts the seat at any risk. do you have any place you heard that or is it something you just feel? |
Anonymous
Two Radians, though, not just one. Still same decision? We estimated flying would cost probably close to $2500. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
| I would double check with the airline that they won't make you gate check the car seat. Not all planes fit all seats and if they change planes last minute they might not let you put them in the seat and the baggage area in the plane may be full. |
Anonymous
| Check for baby/kid equipment rental where you are going. |
Anonymous
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=170087&page=2 From Car Seats for the Littles on FB: In addition to the lack of safety for a child and the people nearby, there is a risk to checking a carseat. If you must check a carseat, put it in its original packaging with padding in the box. Or maybe another box with padding. And then gate check it (it's far more convenient to use the seat on board than to drag a big box to the gate). All too often I see parents check their carseats at the ticket counter, wrapped in nothing but a plastic bag to keep the cover clean. The cover being clean at the other end is the least of the concerns. The worst thing that can happen is that a carseat arrives at the other end with damage that cannot be seen. The only way to find out that there's damage is during or after a crash when the seat has failed. The second to worst thing that can happen is that the seat is lost. Either it didn't come on your flight with you, or it's been sent to an alternative destination. Once you check it, it's baggage, and everyone has either had baggage lost, or knows someone who has. This is fairly common, and not something the airline guarantees against. They will get you your bags, or money enough to replace what was lost, but when it comes to a carseat, that won't help in the here and now when you're picking up your rental car or getting picked up by friends or family. Someone will have to go to the nearest store and buy whatever is in stock to work for the trip. Sometimes airlines have seats you can borrow, or rental car companies do. These should not be used. You don't know their history, if they've been treated well, cleaned properly, peed in, puked in, pooped in, eaten in (especially worrying if your child has allergies), recalled, expired. They are not to be trusted. The third worst thing would be that the seat is obviously broken when you pick it up. This is at least an obvious replacement, and so again, someone will have to go to a store and buy a new seat, but at least it's known that the seat is broken and should not be used. |
Anonymous
| Rent a car with the carseat add on |
Anonymous
| Drive for sure. Ours are the exact same age and we drove (in an Odyssey) to Oklahoma last summer. We drive nearly everywhere (except to Florida last year) and plan on continuing to do so. We (particularly DH) just hate the whole process of flying, even if it's direct, because of how much time and stress is involved before, during and after the flight. Not to mention the cost. Our drive was pretty pleasant. Lots of movies, stopped at a few fun places, stayed overnight and swam in the pool. Kids still talk about it. |
Anonymous
| Fly and rent a car, rent the car seats. Or revel in the 2500 you save. I'd prob keep seraching for cheap seats and fly. 2 days to Missouri prob not as fun as a 2 day to Florida - (14:23 - what fun places can you stop to break it up a bit?) What about a one way car rental and fly back? |
Anonymous
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Fly, no question. Have the 3 y/o sit in its car seat on the plane; check the other in a padded bag and hope for the best. Gate check it for a little more control if you want.
$2500 sounds high. Keep checking for lower fares, too. |