OP here, just thought I'd update on our trip, in case there are others thinking about flying alone with a toddler, especially while pregnant!

In the end, I was glad that I did not bring the car seat on the plane. All I had was a backpack (SO helpful) loaded with entertainment and lots of snacks, and a purse. I brought a change of clothes for him but didn't need them. He did great on the plane potty, though he didn't like it much. (The flush sound of public toilets is always a bit scary for him, so I usually wait to flush until the last second when we are leaving through the door.) We watched a lot of videos, played with a few toys. No napping, but no fussing either. He did struggle a tiny bit to get out of his seat, naturally on the descent when seatbelts are required, but I managed to distract him through it for 20 minutes until we were on the ground.

We also got lucky on the jet stream/tail wind in both directions and shaved a lot of time off the flight times. So all in all it went really well. (If only I hadn't had a raging cold that then turned into a sinus infection!)

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind, kids can be weird about toilet use while out of their comfort zone - ie while traveling. We just got back from a trip with a 3.5 yo who on both flights announced he needed to use the potty, got as far as being put on the toilet, then got weirded out about why isn't there any water, why is there this noise, why is there that, etc, before announcing "my body just does not work on airplane potties." He's been reliably toilet trained for nearly a year and has never been afraid of any other toilet, so this really came out of left field... Thankfully it was only a 2 hour flight and he held out until landing.

plus 1

do the pull up, make it a "special treat"

My reliability trained 2.5 yo freaked over the noise and refused to go on the plane - until she couldn't hold it anymore at the end of our 6 hr flight and had an accident. That was pretty fun because it happened while we were in landing mode - ie, no getting up, etc. So she sat in pee, screaming, until we landed. Best laid plans.

Anonymous wrote:I would not bring it. I think you have enough on your plate.

+1

OP, I was in this situation last year when I was 7 months pregnant. I traveled with the car seat. One caveat: our car seat can actually fit on a stroller base, so it was actually quite convenient for me. The airline staff helped me load and unload everything, so it was pretty painless. Also, I needed the car seat at my destination, so it was a must.

Just keep in mind, kids can be weird about toilet use while out of their comfort zone - ie while traveling. We just got back from a trip with a 3.5 yo who on both flights announced he needed to use the potty, got as far as being put on the toilet, then got weirded out about why isn't there any water, why is there this noise, why is there that, etc, before announcing "my body just does not work on airplane potties." He's been reliably toilet trained for nearly a year and has never been afraid of any other toilet, so this really came out of left field... Thankfully it was only a 2 hour flight and he held out until landing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fortunately he's potty trained so I don't have to worry about diaper changes, though holding him on that toilet will be interesting with my belly! Walking him back to the potty will be good for me to get up and about, no doubt.

Speaking from experience ... can I recommend a pullup?

OP here: he's been potty trained for a long time (nearly a year), and has never worn a pull up, so in this case I think that doesn't make sense for us. But a change of clothes is probably a really good idea -- good reminder!

Anonymous wrote:Fortunately he's potty trained so I don't have to worry about diaper changes, though holding him on that toilet will be interesting with my belly! Walking him back to the potty will be good for me to get up and about, no doubt.

Speaking from experience ... can I recommend a pullup?

Anonymous wrote:The airlines never allowed us to put car seats in. Always made us check them.

I always bring my carseat when I've purchased a seat for my child.

In this instance, I wouldn't bring it on the plane. Especially if you think that your child will sit still. I had a tough time installing the carseat on the plane when I was 5 months, and my belly wasn't even that big.

Just gate check the carseat.

Anonymous wrote:The airlines never allowed us to put car seats in. Always made us check them.

That is not even legal for US flights.

I'd take it. You won't be able to relax for a second without it. My two year old is SO much manageable in it than out (we have done it both ways). Basically it is airport inconvenience vs flight inconvenience.

OP, not to be too zealous, but it's not recommended to check car seats. Luggage handlers aren't always careful about how they handle stuf and if your car seat gets dropped, thrown around, run over, etc, there could be damage invisible to the eye that would render the seat unsafe to use. Just something to consider.

OP here: thanks everyone for the really helpful replies. Sounds like the consensus is to check the car seat (will need it when we get to CA).

As to a couple of earlier questions, safety isn't really the primary benefit of the carseat for me, though I agree it would be a bit more secure during severe turbulence than a seatbelt alone. For our two previous cross-country trips, when DS was 1, we bought an airline seat for him and the car seat just made the ride more comfortable for him. A year later, we used the car seat again as it seemed like he was still a little too small for the seat alone. Six months later I just wasn't sure if the plane seatbelt alone would suffice, but after hearing from you all I think I'm on board (ha!) for just checking the seat and strapping him in.

Unfortunately he's always too excited and chatty on a plane (and in the car) to sleep during the ride, so I will be "on" the whole time. Fortunately he's potty trained so I don't have to worry about diaper changes, though holding him on that toilet will be interesting with my belly! Walking him back to the potty will be good for me to get up and about, no doubt.

Anonymous wrote:What is the point of a car seat on a plane? Does it protect against turbulence? If a plane goes down...nose dives...is the chance of survival greater?

Protects everyone against turbulence. If a coffee cart has to be secured, why shouldn't a child, who could become a deadly projectile in the event of tubulence. My unrestrained kid could fly out of my arms and smash into you.

Also, don't forget what happens when you arrive at your destination. It wasn't so much an issue of having the carseat on the plane, but once we got there, we used it in the cab going to where we needed to go - which to me is a more important issue

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The airlines never allowed us to put car seats in. Always made us check them.

Huh?! What do you mean? I've used one and have seen other people use them A LOT.

Not all airlines allow them on board. They have to be FAA approved too.