flying with LO

purplepeanut6 · June 2013

What do you bring to the airport? do you bring a car seat? stroller? how does checking it work? are people concerned about things breaking?

sorry trying to plan ahead.

tia!

azzyberry · June 2013

I bring the stroller and car seat and check both items at the gate (unless your child has a seat and then you bring the car seat on the plane). I also bring the diaper bag and one small carry on with toys and snacks. Make sure to go to the counter at the gate and get a gate check tag for your stroller and car seat.

penguingrrl · June 2013

Carseat techs consider a checked seat to be crashed and in need of replacement, although most people do check them. The FAA and AAP both strongly encourage using a seat on board, although the FAA allows infants to not get a seat and ride on a lap (although this is considered very dangerous; they argue that it's safer because the likelihood of something happening is lower in a plane than a car, but bad turbulence has had tragic consequences for lap babies).

I would gate check the stroller and use the carseat on board.

Before knowing it was unsafe I traveled with a lap child and it was awful. We were both so tired of being touched afterward. She wanted nothing the entire flight more than to not be on my lap and everyone on the flight knew it.

Rosebud2587 · June 2013

penguingrrl:
Carseat techs consider a checked seat to be crashed and in need of replacement, although most people do check them. The FAA and AAP both strongly encourage using a seat on board, although the FAA allows infants to not get a seat and ride on a lap (although this is considered very dangerous; they argue that it's safer because the likelihood of something happening is lower in a plane than a car, but bad turbulence has had tragic consequences for lap babies).
I would gate check the stroller and use the carseat on board.
Before knowing it was unsafe I traveled with a lap child and it was awful. We were both so tired of being touched afterward. She wanted nothing the entire flight more than to not be on my lap and everyone on the flight knew it.

This. ALL of this.

heyitsme · June 2013

I totally agree about avoiding flying with a lap baby if at all possible.

As for strollers, if you have a fancy one, I'd consider bringing a cheaper one if possible. When we flew with one of our strollers (I believe it was our Maclaren), the padding on the handle came off in chunks. We had gate-checked it and at the end of our flight when we got it the handles were terrible. The airline refused to reimburse us because the "padded handles were cosmetic". Ever since then we fly with a cheaper stroller.

gimmietimmies · June 2013

Rosebud2587:
penguingrrl:
Carseat techs consider a checked seat to be crashed and in need of replacement, although most people do check them. The FAA and AAP both strongly encourage using a seat on board, although the FAA allows infants to not get a seat and ride on a lap (although this is considered very dangerous; they argue that it's safer because the likelihood of something happening is lower in a plane than a car, but bad turbulence has had tragic consequences for lap babies).
I would gate check the stroller and use the carseat on board.
Before knowing it was unsafe I traveled with a lap child and it was awful. We were both so tired of being touched afterward. She wanted nothing the entire flight more than to not be on my lap and everyone on the flight knew it.
This. ALL of this.

+1. If lo were over 2 you'd have to buy a seat anyway, why not make lo just as safe (and not a potential projectile - that gives me the heebees). Baby in car seat (rf obv) is necessary any time the fasten seatbelt sign is on, otherwise they can come out for cuddles and feeding.

starrjelly · June 2013

Echo all of the above. I flew with a cheap stroller in its bag, carseats waiting for me at the other end (either rentals or friend-loaners), and for lap infants, I wore them in-flight. You aren't allowed to wear them during take-off or landing, but in-flight they can snooze the entire way.

Once LO starts standing and wiggling, buy a seat. Lock them down and they go into "car mode" and relax.

GirlWithTheMostCake · June 2013

I have flown many times with my kids so here are my tips.

1. Buy kids their own seat. You need the car seat on the plane. It is safer. In FAA procedure in emergencies is to take a lap child and put them UNDER the seat in front of you to stop them from being a projectile and harming other passengers. That alone is reason enough for me.

2. Gate check your stroller. Put the stroller in a stroller bag that is secure and padded. Not bagged strollers have a strong chance of being broken, busted or just a headache with missing pieces.

3. Pack 2-3X the amount of food you think the baby will need on the plane in case of delays and other issues that make the trip longer.

4. It's also helpful to bring a carrier which can help during travel if you can wear the baby like through the airport.

5. If there are two of you it can help to use a car seat adapter through the airport to consolidate. If you don't have one or LO is too big for the infant car seat I find that those Go Go Babyz wheels for the car seat is also a great option, but requires two adults to push both that and the stroller.

Hope that helps! Don't stress it! It all works out!

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