Traveling / Flying with an infant

raquelynn714 · May 2014

DH, LO, and I are flying to FL for a wedding in November. We've started looking into traveling with a 3-month old and are a little worried about all the large baby items we'll need to bring. We have a convertible car seat and weren't planning to use an infant car seat, but it seems like an infant car seat would be much more convenient while traveling.

I'm wondering, will we need to go the infant car seat route? I can ask to borrow from a friend I suppose. I'm also thinking we may be able to get away with leaving the playpen at home if we bring our City Select stroller because we have the bassinet attachment. Thoughts?

shevaCC · May 2014

The infant seat is much easier to travel with though we've taken DD's convertible seat on multiple trips once she outgrew the infant seat. We also bedshared so that made travel easier as well. Sounds like the stroller bassinet might work well for you if LO will sleep in it at night. That would also solve having somewhere safe/clean to put LO down while traveling and while at the wedding.

If you're not buying LO a plane ticket, make sure you're comfortable with checking or gate checking the car seat. Some people treat checked car seats as if they've been in a wreck and don't trust them. I've checked ours several times and just accept the risk. It depends on your comfort level.

raquelynn714 · May 2014

Hm, I hadn't considered the status of the car seat changing after checking it. That's good to consider. I'd love to purchase a ticket for LO, but sadly it's not in the budget. Planning to baby wear on the plane and possibly using a bassinet esp if I can snag an open seat. Thanks for the suggestions and advice!

BlckRoses · May 2014

Also, depending on where you're staying there may be the option of renting a stroller, pack and play, etc while you're there. We're looking into traveling to my parent's summer house next summer and since it's a very popular summer town, they have a company that rents baby supplies by the week. So if you're staying someplace that doesn't have a pack and play available, you may be able to rent from a 3rd party. We're also planning on renting a car seat along with our rental car so we don't have to check ours.

dogperson11 · May 2014

Please, please don't rent a car seat. Aside from it possibly being very dirty you have no way of knowing its history. Was it dropped, involved in a crash, cleaned incorrectly, etc? I've heard horror stories of people renting car seats and them not being the correct size for their child.

Also, as already mentioned, checking a car seat (gate or otherwise) gives it an unknown history. Can you have a family member at your destination but a $40 one from Walmart and pick you up with it?

violajack · May 2014

I second the don't rent the car seat idea. We travel with a Britx Roundabout (inexpensive and compact convertible) with the gogobabyz travelmate caddy. Britax is one of the few carseats that will allow you to continue to use the seat in the event of a minor accident, so I figure it'll be okay even it it's handle roughly as checked baggage. We've gate checked it (I use it to carry the bags through the airport) and baggage checked it (they wrap it in a thick plastic bag when you baggage check) and the worst it's come out with is a small scuff after gate checking.

The bassinet is a great idea, but I would get a stroller bag if you can. The city select is a nice stroller and it will get beat up being gate checked. We have a cheap umbrella stroller specifically for flying, but that obviously won't work for a 3 month old.

Really, the actual flying with and infant is so easy. I miss it as I try to wrangle my toddler into a seat. I had to give up on him flying in my lap at 1 he's so wiggly.

haliebabyx3 · May 2014

I'm glad this was asked. We are debating on taking a trip that we had talked about with friends in December to New York. We would be flying. We are still up in the air about it, I guess we are just nervous on what it will be like with a baby. MIL is begging us to go just so we can leave the baby with her. SIL even made a comment yesterday, but if we go we have all intentions of taking LO with us.

FrodaBaggins · May 2014

PunkieNight said:

We traveled with DD when she was about 2 months old. Are you buying a plane seat for LO or will LO will be riding as a lap child? If you buy their own seat, you can just bring the convertible seat, assuming it is plane safe.

I've heard that it's not recommended to check carseats because then they are considered to have an unknown history.

Also we didn't bother bringing a stroller or a playpen or anything when we traveled. There was a bassinet available where we were staying, but DD ended up sleeping in bed with us. It was the only way we could get her to sleep. I have a Moby wrap that I brought and we just carried DD everywhere.

I know this wouldn't work for everyone though, so a lot depends on where you will be going and what you will be doing while you are there.

@PunkieNight - like the OP, we're traveling in November when LO will be 3 months old and some change. We're going to Scottsdale with my entire 14 member family (including 4 kids under 2 yeras old.) We're staying in a big vacation rental house, and probably not really going anywhere except to dinner once. (We usually buy a shitload of groceries and cook for each other.) I was totally planning on just bringing the carrier and having him sleep with us, or shoving the pack and play into the carryon suitcase, but of course I have no idea what sort of sleeper my child will be. Do you think I have to bring a car seat/base on the off chance we will take a trip in the car?

shevaCC · May 2014

@FrodaBaggins‌, I'd bring the car seat but skip the base. You probably will need it to get to the airport and to the vacation house anyway. Installing infant seats without the base is pretty easy and makes it much smaller and lighter to travel with.

FrodaBaggins · May 2014

Really good point @PunkieNight!! we still have to get to and from the airport, both here in CA and in AZ! @shevaCC do you think I would be able to gate-check the car seat to avoid the damage of putting it through the baggage check? I am also trying to avoid buying a separate seat for him since these tickets are going to be a stretch for us $$ wise as is.

shevaCC · May 2014

@FrodaBaggins, personally I'm comfortable with gate-checking car seats. I can't say they necessarily treat gate checked items more gently but I still prefer gate checking since I feel like there's less chance for the airline to lose the car seat. I can't live without it at our destination since we would otherwise be stuck at the airport. I don't trust rental car companies' car seats AT ALL. I've heard too many horror stories of them being all out when you show up (despite numerous guarantees), expired, dirty, offering an infant a forward-facing seat or a toddler an infant seat that's obviously too small, etc.

As far as I can tell, our options when traveling with small kids are: 1) rent a car seat at your destination or 2) bring one with you. I choose #2. That leaves either buying an expensive extra plane ticket or checking the seat. Given the choice, I choose to check the car seat. I was somewhat intrigued by the idea of buying a cheap car seat just for travel, but haven't done it. Technically DD's car seat has an "unknown reputation" from the baggage check, but logically it doesn't bother me that a safety device designed to withstand a high-speed collision may have gotten bumped around by a few baggage handlers.

FrodaBaggins · May 2014

shevaCC said:

@FrodaBaggins, personally I'm comfortable with gate-checking car seats. I can't say they necessarily treat gate checked items more gently but I still prefer gate checking since I feel like there's less chance for the airline to lose the car seat. I can't live without it at our destination since we would otherwise be stuck at the airport. I don't trust rental car companies' car seats AT ALL. I've heard too many horror stories of them being all out when you show up (despite numerous guarantees), expired, dirty, offering an infant a forward-facing seat or a toddler an infant seat that's obviously too small, etc.

As far as I can tell, our options when traveling with small kids are: 1) rent a car seat at your destination or 2) bring one with you. I choose #2. That leaves either buying an expensive extra plane ticket or checking the seat. Given the choice, I choose to check the car seat. I was somewhat intrigued by the idea of buying a cheap car seat just for travel, but haven't done it. Technically DD's car seat has an "unknown reputation" from the baggage check, but logically it doesn't bother me that a safety device designed to withstand a high-speed collision may have gotten bumped around by a few baggage handlers.

@shevaCC really good points, thank you

raquelynn714 · May 2014

I'm so glad my hubby suggested "ask the Bumpies."

Good input to consider. thanks, ladies!

cappleby · May 2014

I am a frequent flyer (my 2 yr old has earned multiple free tickets) starting with my son at 4 months. We have always bought a seat because I'm paranoid about the car seat damage and also I have been in bad turbulence before and it makes me feel better if I can buckle him in. In my experience an infant seat is awesome if you are booking the child a ticket because you can just carry the kid and seat together onto the plane and buckle them right in. The convertible is a lot harder because you have to get the kid and seat to your row somehow. If you are not buying a seat and want to check your seat I would recommend keeping the original box the seat came in and checking it in that box! (Possibly stuff some clothes in for extra padding). They are supposed to check the seat for free. I don't know if that negates the unknown condition but if they ship them in that box then that should mean they offer better protection then nothing. If you are meeting other people at the airport I would second having them bring a cheap car seat to meet you. If you are gate checking a convertible seat definitely get a cart for it. My son prefers to ride in his seat in the airport over a stroller. Which makes traveling that much easier!

mcculloughe · May 2014

The FAA recommends purchasing a seat for your child as the only safe option for flight. Sure, people travel with lap babies all the time, but that doesn't mean it is safe. There have been several stories in the news lately about babies becoming "projectiles" during hard turbulence. The only way to avoid this is to secure the babe in a car seat.

If nothing else, I would recommend absolutely NOT checking the car seat.
I've seen too many car seats damaged this way

https://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/

mcculloughe · May 2014

Oops, purchase a seat on the plane, bring your car seat to secure is what I mean!

dogperson11 · May 2014

Ck61 said:

cappleby said:
I am a frequent flyer (my 2 yr old has earned multiple free tickets) starting with my son at 4 months. We have always bought a seat because I'm paranoid about the car seat damage and also I have been in bad turbulence before and it makes me feel better if I can buckle him in. In my experience an infant seat is awesome if you are booking the child a ticket because you can just carry the kid and seat together onto the plane and buckle them right in. The convertible is a lot harder because you have to get the kid and seat to your row somehow. If you are not buying a seat and want to check your seat I would recommend keeping the original box the seat came in and checking it in that box! (Possibly stuff some clothes in for extra padding). They are supposed to check the seat for free. I don't know if that negates the unknown condition but if they ship them in that box then that should mean they offer better protection then nothing. If you are meeting other people at the airport I would second having them bring a cheap car seat to meet you. If you are gate checking a convertible seat definitely get a cart for it. My son prefers to ride in his seat in the airport over a stroller. Which makes traveling that much easier!

So the bolded got me to thinking...

Most car seats are just set inside a big box, some are wrapped in plastic, with no extra padding. (At least all the models I've opened for displays at work are like this.) It makes me wonder how every car seat doesn't have an unknown condition, even if brand new. I mean how can you guarantee that the box wasn't dropped or tossed somewhere from leaving the manufacturer and arriving at your house? I find it hard to believe a thin cardboard box would protect from much damage... So my logic would indicate that every car seat has an unknown condition and I wouldn't be too worried about checking it at the gate. I think I might actually look into this though.

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The FB group Car Seats for the Littles would have an awesome answer for you. Basically they say that the corrugated cardboard protects the seat.

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