I'm going to be flying with a 12 week old baby and am trying to figure out what to do about her car seat for the rental car when we get there. We have the Graco Snugride 35. Does anyone have experience with installing it without a base in a car? How do you do it? Is it as safe as with the base? If we take the base, will Southwest let us gate check it along with the stroller and car seat? Would you take the base or not? Thanks!
It is never recommended to check/gate check a carseat or its base as you have no idea what happens to it after it's gone from your sight. As long as you install the seat properly without the base, it is just as safe as with the base. The base is just for convenience, not safety. Practice a baseless install at home before you go and read your car seat manual on how to install.
I just realized you are planning on checking the seat. Ask at the gate if there is an empty seat available so your LO can be safely restrained during the flight.
TTC# 1 since 5/10 Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect DX: Unexplained IF Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP! Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
TTC #2
IVF #4 May/June 2014 ER 6/4 18R 8M 8F ET 6/9 1 blast, 2 frosties
Beta 6/18 BFFN
FET of 2 blasts 7/24...BFP!
Healthy baby girl born at 36w3d on 3/17/15
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We fly often and have two who could be lap kids, but we don't use the lap child option. We adopted a little girl, when our youngest was six months. I have a fourteen month old (who has 18 passport stamps) and a 8 month old. We have never taken the bases on about 18 international flights that we have been on.I always do seat belt instals, as they are a PITA to carry the base on. We haven't flown with the convertible car seats yet (We are flying on Halloween, heading for Canada and then off to Ireland and then back to Miami) It is recommended that if you check a car seat that you consider it crashed and replaced as you don't know how they are treated once out of your sight. Even if you gate check it, it could be thrown around which could cause stress fractures to the seat and make it dangerous to be used again.
No clue about a plane, however it is SO easy to install in the car without a base (assuming you have the 3 point style seat belt) ... had been intimidated by it, but the snug ride 35 has the level indicator on the seat, which the 30 lacks. Remember that instructions are on the side of the seat, and we forgot to do the retract of seat belt step so that is one thing to remember.
Re: Flying with Graco Snugride 35
I just realized you are planning on checking the seat. Ask at the gate if there is an empty seat available so your LO can be safely restrained during the flight.
Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect
DX: Unexplained IF
Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN
IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS
IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum
IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP!
Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
TTC#3
IVF #5 June 2018- PGS planned, no surviving embryos
IVF #6 August 2018- ET of 2 on day 3 - Chemical pregnancy
IVF #7 August 2019-....?
It is recommended that if you check a car seat that you consider it crashed and replaced as you don't know how they are treated once out of your sight. Even if you gate check it, it could be thrown around which could cause stress fractures to the seat and make it dangerous to be used again.