Meant to add - don't let the anticipation of trouble at the airport or the fear of 10 minutes in a cab without a car seat keep you from taking the trip. You will need a comfortable home base with a kitchen and laundry facilities but it can still be fun. It was much easier at 11 months than than when my youngest was almost 2, she was a much bigger handful on the plane, wanting to walk up and down the aisle, squirming everywhere.

Bring a stroller, rent the car seat from the rental car agency, take a cab to the airport.
Don't overpack, bring a rollie bag and a duffle with handles that that would slip over the extended handle of the rollie. Use a daypack as your carryon, bring lots of extra outfits and one for yourself in case of blowouts or lost bags.
Gate check the stroller. Leave him in the stroller while you install the car seat - if you cannot do it yourself, tell the car rental agency in advance that you will need help lifting it in. The baby may cry while you mess with the seat - let him. I had this happen when I flew out for a funeral and brought my BF baby, it was a little tough, my brother met me at a hotel to help me unload.
They actually won't do the install - I suppose if you plan ahead you could arrange to put it in as well as you can and then stop by a fire station or elsewhere at your destination for the final touches. Best would be to have a friend meet you at the car rental so they can help.

How long is your flight? Any transfers?

Will you need your car seat at your destination? If not, don't bring it.

Bring an umbrella stroller that folds one-handed, a small cross-body purse, a backpack (for in-flight items), and a rolling suitcase. Cab to the airport; check the suitcase.

At security, keep the kid strapped into the stroller until the very last minute. Load all your gear onto the belt; liquids out, shoes off, etc. Then grab the kid out of the stroller, fold it, and put it through the belt. Carry the kid through the metal detector and do the whole system in reverse at the other end.

At the gate, push the kid in the stroller to the end of the jetway; take the kid out and leave the stroller to be gate checked. You'll have to carry kiddo to your seat from there.

Bring a bunch of stuff to entertain him in your backpack. New snacks are always a hit. If you've never used a snacktrap/snackcatcher before, that's always a hit first time around (seriously! It's treasure!!). Stickers (maybe a little young?) Books. Phone apps with cartoon faces. (All our screen rules are suspended on air travel.)

9:41 again - also, I've found that people are so nice when you're traveling a lone with your baby. TSA included. Usually a nice person will see me struggling and offer to hold DS while I install the car seat (not that you should count on that, but I suggest you take all help when offered!).

We use the Brica Roll n' Go (similar to the go go baby posted above), and it's great!

Anonymous wrote:So i see these things on amazon that allow me to attach a convertible to the rolling suitcase. This might solve one of my problems- does this work well? How hard is it to attach?

We used this a lot with DD when she was a toddler. It's very easy to install, works great, and she had a great time riding around in her car seat in the airport. It did ruin the wheels on our luggage, but only after we had used it a number of times.

I used this when my son was a toddler and I was traveling alone.


http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14550-c26-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate_.aspx


It was fairly easy to attach (I did try it beforehand to make sure I could do it). Most of the time, people are willing to help you if you look like you need help. Especially other parents.

We have a thing to wheel the carseat and we (and 2-year-old) love it -- it saves us from having to bring a stroller iwth us when we travel. It sounds like it would be worth it for you to cab it to the airport: you can check your luggage outside, strap the carseat into the contraption, wheel it to security, etc...and stow it above your seat.

So i see these things on amazon that allow me to attach a convertible to the rolling suitcase. This might solve one of my problems- does this work well? How hard is it to attach?

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a baby style carseat that still fits him? If not, do you have a friend who could lend you one?

The easiest thing is to use a baby carseat and a snap and go. You can take the carseat off, with him in it, and put it on the floor while you check the snap and go. Then either take him out and carry baby/carseat separately, or carry him in the carseat (heavy at that age), whichever is better for your back. If your toddler carseat is like mine you can accomplish something similar by bungie cording it to the stroller.

If you have someone willing to accompany you to the airport you can also identify yourself as someone in need of assistance and get a pass for them to accompany you to the gate, which will make the whole gate checking thing easier.

Thanks for writing. Unfortunately DS is too big for the infant carseat (over 3' tall and 25lbs) so he uses a convertible. I am trying to figure out if someone can come with me to the airport, but the flight leaves at 3pm on a Wednesday which makes it tough for everybody not to mention trying to find someone to help on the way back. Ugh. I'm thinking of just canceling the trip. It was supposed to be a fun trip but the stress of getting there and back is making it feel less worth it

Do you have a baby style carseat that still fits him? If not, do you have a friend who could lend you one?

The easiest thing is to use a baby carseat and a snap and go. You can take the carseat off, with him in it, and put it on the floor while you check the snap and go. Then either take him out and carry baby/carseat separately, or carry him in the carseat (heavy at that age), whichever is better for your back. If your toddler carseat is like mine you can accomplish something similar by bungie cording it to the stroller.

If you have someone willing to accompany you to the airport you can also identify yourself as someone in need of assistance and get a pass for them to accompany you to the gate, which will make the whole gate checking thing easier.

Op here, yes traveling alone.

So I get to the airport. Make it through security.

How do I gate check the stroller while holding the baby?

How do I install and uninstall the carseat while holding the baby?

And then I have to open the stroller and get him back in it while wearing the car seat and carrying all our crap.

He is very mobile right now and goes everywhere. If I don't hold him he is off and gone. I find all of this very daunting. I traveled before he was mobile and it was okay, but hard. This feels overwhelming.

What do you do?

Are you traveling by yourself?

Due to back pain from scoliosis, I cannot baby wear for any real length of time. I am leaving my house in arlington and flying out of dca. The trip would be for 1 week.

It seems prohibitively expensive to use the daily lot at dca and very cumbersome to use the long term lot. Putting the car seat in and out of the cab seems like it will be time consuming.

So I get to th