Airplane travel with 2 now-car seats???

[ellairiesmom]

We are visiting DHs Grandparents in Florida for a few days & I am stressing out...mostly over the hauling of car seats for both girls. When it was just DD1 & she was still in her infant seat, we brought it along-but we never wanted to haul the Britax Blvd with us. In other posts, I have mentioned that we had great luck with the car rental companies having new, updated car seat for DD1. I guess now I am wondering what our chances are of having a good experience again, and with both an infant seat & a convertible.

We drive 40 mins on Rt 95 from Airport to Hotel & then only a couple miles each day to their condo, then back to the Airport at the end of the trip.

We have a Chicco Key Fit & base & the Britax Blvd. We have one of those big car seat bags that has backpack straps. I will wear DD2 in my hybrid Kanga J on my front, carry our diaper bag on my back & use umbrella stroller for DD1. DH can wear one car seat on his back & pull both suitcases to check. I saw a $15 strap that we can use to bring the other car seat in on top of the suitcase, but once we check those bags-we will have that seat to carry to the gate & I don't want to spend the $ on another car seat bag. And I hear we don't want to check it because they beat it up like regular luggage.

DH is out of work right now so this trip was tough for us but they haven't met the baby yet & his grandfather isn't doing too well. We just couldn't afford a seat for the baby since we had to buy DD1 her own seat. I am also stressing about the huge Britax fitting on the Jet Blue seat. The airline keeps telling me that we check our car seats & we don't bring it on board but I know the new FAA rules & I can bring it if we bought her a seat.

Any advice on making this as simple as possible...lol

[DahliaRW]

Does your oldest fit in a scenera? You can often find one for around $40 and it's easy to carry in one hand (very light). The other option is to borrow a ride safer travel vest from someone.

[ellairiesmom]

DD1 is 3 & very, very tiny for 3. I'll look that seat up & see. Thx!

[noobmom]

If you have the funds, I would buy a Scenera for the baby and a Safe Rider Travel Vest for your older daughter. You can pack the vest in your luggage. Then you would only lug the Scenera onboard and your older daughter could sit in it, as long as you don't mind having to rethread the straps when you land.

[ellairiesmom]

i like the idea of the travel vest since we could use so she could ride in family members cars for short trips but the price bites & i wonder if her petite size would impact performance? she is really tiny...i would estimate at 3 yo she is 25-27 lbs & maybe 35 in tall?? in checking some info, it seems they need to be a little bigger to use it.

we are discussing buying 2 $39 sceneras that walmart.com shows in stock on rollback. (hate supporting walmart but times are tough for us here)

thx!!!

[an_aurora]

I doubt a "very tiny" 3 year old meets the requirements for the vest. Ideally she should be RF'ing.

I would (and have) get a $15 luggage cart. The Blvd's LATCH clips snap directly onto the frame. Then you can take the infant seat, and put that on top, secured either by the bungee that comes with the luggage cart, or just put the handle of the seat over the handle of the luggage cart, if that makes sense. With two adults this should be very do-able! I did it several times with 2 kids, 2 carseats, and just me

[DahliaRW]

Yeah, if she's that small the vest won't work. Bummer. But she would fit in a scenera, so that would work if you want another seat. Or the luggage cart thing works as well.

[leighi123]

Get one of those $15 wheeled carts from walmart, and bungee both seats to it. Then you can wear/carry the kids or use a stroller, and just pull the carseats. That way you have the seats on wheels right up to the plane.

Defiantly do not rent a carseat, even if its new looking and nice looking, they often clean the straps with bleach to sanitize, which is scary!

ETA: I travel alone with ds all the time - one rolly bag, one carseat, 2 carry on bags (his and mine) and usually some food (ds is allergic to everything, I have to carry his). I can easily handle all of that carrying the carseat on my back or on a wheely cart, ds riding in the wheely cart on the carseat, in a carrier, or walking. I also never check my bag in! So with 2 adults and 2 kids, its the same amount for each adult to handle.

[ellairiesmom]

Thx everyone!

Is this the luggage cart folks have?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lewis-N.-C...-Cart/14282310

And then what does the airline do with the luggage cart during the flight? Are they sturdy enough to get thrown in with the car seats at the gate?

Amazon has some listed too-here is one of the cheaper ones there...
http://www.amazon.com/200WB-Metal-Lu.../dp/B0020ND4QM

[ChetMC]

Luggage Cart

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ndingMethod=rr

Get a folding cart. Our luggage cart is similar to this one. We've used it to transport three Radians through connecting airports on lots of occasions.

DH just folds the cart up and puts it into the overhead compartment once he installs the seats (DH pre-boards with the seats and I board after with the kids).

My only advice is to practice bungee cording the seats on before you leave. DH can get three Radians stacked up and corded down in literally ninety seconds, but it takes practice.

[ellairiesmom]

Originally Posted by ChetMC

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ndingMethod=rr

Get a folding cart. Our luggage cart is similar to this one. We've used it to transport three Radians through connecting airports on lots of occasions.

DH just folds the cart up and puts it into the overhead compartment once he installs the seats (DH pre-boards with the seats and I board after with the kids).

My only advice is to practice bungee cording the seats on before you leave. DH can get three Radians stacked up and corded down in literally ninety seconds, but it takes practice.

Thank you!
I was also thinking of having DH preboard to install DD1s seat & then following with the girls at the last moment.

I read somewhere (I think it was the Flying with Children blog) that we shouldn't put the cart up above because people have been hurt when they have fallen out. I guess we'll see what they say??

I ordered 2 Cosco Scenera's from Walmart today for $39/each. You really can't beat that price for a travel car seat.

[an_aurora]

I don't know how they would be any more dangerous than a piece of luggage, since they are much smaller and lighter, and collapse flat.

[EdnaMarie]

That is tough. Good for you for sucking it up and doing the safer thing and good luck getting them on! I traveled alone with two, but luckily DD1 was just big enough for the CARES harness.

[OkiMom]

For the luggage cart I fold it up and put it under the seat in front of me. Mine the wheels fold in and it folds almost completely flat so it fits well and I put the diaper bag/backpack on top of it. Super simple and it prevents me from having to pull things from the overhead compartment.

[jocelyndale]

I flew to FL on Jetblue last month.  I used a folding luggage cart similar to those shown.  I bought DS a Scenera (40RF, they were on sale at Target a couple months ago).  He sat in it FF on the plane and was perfectly happy.  He's 3.5y and I'm okay with FF from time to time, so I didn't try to install it RF while we were down there.  The Scenera can be hard to install RF--you'll want to practice and may need to pack an extra towel or a pyramid of three pool noodles to get an appropriate recline in a car.   

Since the Scenera has an open belt path and no padding, the airplane seat buckle is right smack in the middle of the back.  I folded a couple prefolds over it.  DS didn't complain.  I've heard that you want to ask for a belt extender if you're using Britax seats--it's very hard to get your hands in there.

I've read that the problems with luggage carts in overhead bins is that they sit so low/flat that others don't see them and snag them while retrieving their own luggage, sending the cart flying at other passengers.  I didn't know this and stowed it up there, but with my jacket and spare bag atop it.   The flight attendants didn't say anything to me--I'd have gladly stowed it under the seat had I known.

The Scenera foot needs to be in the reclined position to get through the XRay machines.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelyndale/5095255319/  And yes, he chose the color.  

[CortLong]

Once we travelled with 3 Britax Carseats and 1 Chicco Keyfit. I only made my husband install 2 of the Britax and the keyfit on the plane (we checked one of the britax) but he cursed those seats so much that trip. That being said- it's very doable. We actually had another adult with us so I carried the Keyfit, DH carriet the 2 Britax and the kids all stuck with us (baby in the sling and had a stroller for the next youngest). It was definitely worth it.

[OkiMom]

Ive flown alone with two kids and two car seats. Luggage cart is what saved me also. I have a Radian and a Scenra and they are narrow enough where I was able to just wheel it down the aisle. I stacked one on top of the other, then put the carry ons on top of that, then I bungee it all down. I wore DD2 (around 14-15 months at the time) and DD1 walked in front of me. Tip they don't preboard families with children in most airlines anymore but Ive had a LOT of luck just getting everything ready and when they start boarding I stand near the front. Ive always been waved on with the exception of once on a foreign airline.

eta- As for what to do with the luggage cart, mine was small enough folded up to fit under the seat in front of me. I actually put it in the seat in front of DD2, then put the diaper bag on top of it. The wheels folded in on itself so I wasn't worried about it rolling around. I dont' like using the overhead compartments so everything was put under the seats in front of me (I had a computer bag that I used as a diaper/computer bag, DD1 had a kid size backpack and DD2 had a toddler sized backpack). Keep carry ons light when you are traveling and it will save you a lot of time and headache in the end, you don't really want to feel like a pack mule going through the airport.