Bringing car seat on plane - 21 months

[Anonymous]

So I'm a third time mom and have never ever brought a car seat on the plane despite lots of travelling. I'm tempted to this time, though. DH and I are flying with three kids (all ticketed) so we take up a good chunk of real estate on the plane, and I'm wondering if my toddler is more likely to sleep if she is in her car seat rather than squirming around everywhere. My big worry is that she will freak out about sitting in it when everyone else is NOT in a car seat (4 yo/6 yo) and then I will be stuck with a car seat on the plane and a toddler in my lap anyway. What are your pluses/minuses/experiences here? We have a 4.5 hour flight, then a connection, then a 1.5 hour flight so it's a long day and the repurcussions of a bad decision are to make an already crappy day substantially worse.

[Anonymous]

I would do the cares harness in that instance -- dragging a car seat to a connecting flight sounds like a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Mine was 15 months when we flew but it was no big deal. He did cry a couple times when we put him in it but we ignored him like any other tantrum and it was over in a couple minutes. I think the crying was more bc he was tired than anything.

[Anonymous]

Also we gate checked a stroller and the carseat (cosco) fit perfectly around the extended canopy on top and we still had the basket underneath to store our carry-on.

[Anonymous]

As a 3rd time mom bragging you have 3 kids you should know you always bring a seat on the plane as its safer. It shouldn't be an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would do the cares harness in that instance -- dragging a car seat to a connecting flight sounds like a nightmare.

Same here. My 2 yr old has napped laying on the seat with her head in my lap on a flight though.

[Anonymous]

I personally would mostly consider how they feel about the car seat the bulk of the time. If they hate it in the car when stressed, it's not going to be better on a plane.

[Anonymous]

Since you have a connection, I would say go without the car seat on the plane. Even with the smallest of car seats, they are a pain in the butt to place on the seat, strap in, lug around the airport, and so on. Some kids do great in their car seat, and others not so much. I think it also depends on your individual kid. With my little ones, when they were that age, it was a challenge to get them to sit down and buckle their seat belt, but we managed. We also tried the car seat once, but one kid absolutely hated it and when someone reclined, my kid's legs were nearly squished.

[Anonymous]

I would not take a car seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would do the cares harness in that instance -- dragging a car seat to a connecting flight sounds like a nightmare.

Same here. My 2 yr old has napped laying on the seat with her head in my lap on a flight though.

Vote number three for the cares harness.

[Anonymous]

We just got a harness, because if we had to drag that bleeping seat on one more plane, I was going to lose my mind.

[Anonymous]

No way would I bring the seat on the plane in your situation. You have enough to deal with. The thought of hauling more stuff on the plane with 3 kids is not appealing. I also don't want my kids any closer to the seat in front of them. I spend enough time already keeping them from kicking or pulling on that seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a 3rd time mom bragging you have 3 kids you should know you always bring a seat on the plane as its safer. It shouldn't be an option.

Agree as CPS Tech/Instructor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a 3rd time mom bragging you have 3 kids you should know you always bring a seat on the plane as its safer. It shouldn't be an option.

Agree as CPS Tech/Instructor

I have debated this topic long and hard with some CPST friends, as I think the dogmatic pressing of this point weakens the good message most CPST have about proper use of restraints *in cars* -- which is an actual, serious concern that results in numerous deaths and injuries every year. Air travel...not so much. Kind of a boy who cried wolf situation.

Here's the reality - every mode of transportation has inherent risks of transit. The relative risks (in terms of frequency and type and severity of injuries and fatalities) lead us to make regulations as to what protections we deem reasonable and necessary to bring the risk to an acceptable level, while balancing the restrictions and negative impacts of these protective measures. This is why our cars have lap-shoulder belts but we don't wear helmets and harnesses. Why we don't wear seat belts on trains. Air travel is much, much safer on commercial flights than riding in a car for both children (even in lap) and adults. The odds of an unrestrained child being severely injured or killed on a commercial flight are significantly less than the odds of being injured in a motor vehicle accident.

I often travel with my 2 kids on my own. I know I can't manage 2 car seats and 2 kids in the airport - but we still fly because all 3 of us are "safer" (in terms of relative risk) if we fly than if I drove us 300 miles.

[Anonymous]

My almost 2 year old HATED sitting in the car seat and screamed the whole time. ON the way back we gate checked the car seat. I wouldn't bring it.