Taking a car seat for a vacation??

[sumo]

Thanks every one for nice suggestions.

I called the car rental company and they said they would charge $60/day..
I think we will take our car seat with us.

Thanks again
-Sumo

[cintinative]

We have flown about 5 times with small children and we always use the car seat on the plane. One thing I would note is that at least with a forward facing seat you should bring a blanket or something to stuff in the seat because the seatbelt tends to be right behind their back and isn't very comfortable. We just stuff a blanket or something over the seatbelt.

Presently the AAP recommends using a carseat on an airplane. However, not all car seats are approved for use on aircraft. Check and make sure yours is okay (there should be a sticker). The airlines won't let you use it if it doesn't have the sticker.

Another thing--be prepared to go through the security checkpoint with your carseats. We usually gate check the stroller but use it to move the car seats (we carry one child and put the other in the front of our double stroller).

Good luck!

[TheWoman]

Originally Posted by sumo Thanks every one for nice suggestions. I called the car rental company and they said they would charge $60/day.. I think we will take our car seat with us. Thanks again -Sumo

$60 per day?!! Wow, 3 days and you can buy a brand new really nice seat cheaper.

[Sculpture Widow]

We had this same issue in May going to Hawaii with our 2 boys.....ages 4 & 18 months.
I REALLY didn't want to haul/pack 2 car seats, all the way from the midwest. 3 flights there, and 2 returning flights.
I called the rental car agency, and it was going to be $50 EACH to rent car seats for the kids once we got there.
Of course, we opted to take our own. We were able to stack our 4-yr-old's booster, inside the baby's carseat. Then DH wrapped them twice in heavy duty trash bags. We then used a large nylon strap to pack them up. We paid to check it as luggage....$35. better than $100 !!!

Also, the kids were comfortable in their own seats, and we knew how to "work" them.

[juliet108]

Please do NOT check your seat with your luggage. They can get tossed around so badly that it could destroy the integrity of the seat. Most car seat manufacturers require them to be replaced after even a minor accident and the way they are handled with a plane can be similar. Even though there may not be any visible damage, I wouldn't want to risk my child's life finding out.
If you absolutely cannot put your child in the car seat on the plane, gate check it. Don't forget to label it with your name and address. As others have said, if your child rides in a car seat in the car, they should also ride in one on a plane.
Rental car seats should not be used simply because you don't know the history of it. Never use a seat you don't know the history of and if it has ever been in an accident.

[amylynne01]

Ditto bringing your own. We're flying a week from today, and both girls will be in car seats. The next best thing would be to gate check them. I would never check them as baggage because you don't know what will happen to them.