There are little carts you can get to strap your carseat onto, it turns it into a stroller. Then your kid can actually sit in it while you are going through the airport, and it folds flat, so you can store it in the overhead compartments. Just google "car seat travel cart" and different brands and prices will pop up!
I have this car seat rolling travel bag on my registry and plan to buy it before LO gets here. My sister has a similar one, and it works well when they travel. With this, you don't have to lug the seat through the airport by hand, and it keeps the seat clean when the baggage handlers toss it around. https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12074529&cp=&parentPage=search
Re: Car seat in airport
Marriage: 12.18.04
DD1: 5.19.10
DD2: 4.11.12
https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12074529&cp=&parentPage=search
Thanks for the ideas.