Airplane and Travel Questions

[PattiB]

Hi everyone,
I'm barely getting used to the carseats in the cars...I'm such a newbie mom...so I have lots of (probably stupid) questions about air travel. Our DD will be 7 months old when we make our first trip in July (if we make it, we're still debating about it). Then if that turns out alright, we may take a trip to see all of the family that hasn't come down to see us in August when she's 8 months.
Here are my dumb questions:
- We will probably buy an airplane seat for her - we currently have a Graco Snugride and Latch-Loc infant car seat (one for each car to make daycare trips easier) for the cars. Do we have to bring the base for the plane? I know the answer must be "yes" but doesn't this make it awfully heavy to carry around? Also we must need to bring the base for the rental car at our destination.
-- Do the airlines let you bring a stroller and car seat in addition to the "one carry-on bag" rule?
-- This is getting way off the topic of carseats, but what do people do about cribs? I can't imagine schlepping a crib on top of everything else. Do you rent one at your destination?
I'm sure I have a lot of other questions too that I can't think of right now. My DH and I used to travel all of the time and I hate to be housebound like this since I feel an obligation to attend this wedding in July and visit family over the summer, but the idea of travelling with our DD is just so overwhelming to me...
Any tips would be appreciated! We're willing to buy yet another infant seat for the plane if you think it might be worth it.
We have the Kolcraft stroller which I love for the convenience of strapping the infant seat right onto it, so I thought that part would be easy....

Thank you!!

[Joolsplus2]

At 7 months, you'll be very lucky if she still fits into either of those seats (infant seats are outgrown by the 20 pound weight OR by the time her head is within one inch of the top of the seatback). But, if she's nice and petite, and can still fit in one or the other of them, then you do NOT need to bring the base with you...but DO read the instruction manual and get some practice installing it without the base (you want it very tight at the belt path, where the seatbelt goes through the slots in the top of the sides of the seat, but the rest of the seat might move more than you are used to...as long as the belt's tight, you're good).
Since you are buying her her own ticket, you should have more than enough luggage allowance for everything you need to bring. You "gate check" the stroller when you get on the plane, and they give it back to you right at the plane door when you get off.
As for a crib...you can buy a pack n play and bring it as luggage, or get one there, or maybe you won't really even need one (if you're co-sleeping, for instance). I've rented a crib once from a general purpose rental place, and it was horrific...ancient and did NOT meet the current safety standards... So I'm not a good advice-giver in that department, lol...maybe nicer places have newer cribs? But you can find a pack n play for sometimes under $40 at Big Lots or used at a consignement store.
I know everyone always has good travel advice, and I need to run (we're moving to the house next door, and I'm doing ALL the little stuff...when my arms give out, I pop online for a minute, lol)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[rtrillin]

We took our DD on her first plane flight at two months to visit family for Thanksgiving; it was tough, but each time since then has been a little easier, so hang in there! I wanted to respond to your question about cribs; I've never needed to rent one, because family or hotels have always provided them, but a friend of mine has used a rental service called Baby's Away to rent a crib for her DS. She was very happy with their service. They seem to have familiar, name-brand products, like Pack-n-Play, and they're in many major US cities so that might be one option for you. They're on the web at http://www.babysaway.com/ At least that way you don't have to buy your own and cart it all the way there and back.

Good luck--I hope you can enjoy traveling with the baby!

[egoldber]

You may or may not be using the infant seat at that point. If you are, then there is no need to bring the base for the Snugride at all (I don't know about the LatchLoc). It can be used without the base and in fact is very easy to install that way.

As far as cribs go, many hotels these days provide PackNPlays as cribs, so I wouldn't worry about that. If your DD has never slept in a PNP before, then she may not sleep as well in one, but you never know.

The stroller and carseat do not count as carry-on. You will need to gate check the stroller. Just ask the attendant at the gate for a "stroller tag". You leave at the door on the jetway and pick it up in the same place at your destination.

Flying with an infant really isn't that bad as long as you leave yourself plenty of time. It can take awhile to get through security which is by far the worst part of the trip (I think).

HTH,