First solo travel with DD - have some questions!

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

DD and I will be making our first plane trip without DH and I want to get myself prepared. I still have a few weeks but I am already a little nervous. DH will drop us off (and help us check in bags) and my brother will be picking us up. I just need to get us both on and off the plane.

DD will be just over a year. She has her own seat but should I bring her MA or find a cheaper less bulky seat for the trip? Is it going to be ridiculous trying to lug it and her through the airport? If I bring a stroller at all, it will be our Mac Techno so not much help holding the carseat there. Our Valco is way too big for the airport. Any ideas?

[Joolsplus2]

I can get a Marathon into a Volo (with a 4 year old sitting on top of it all!)... you could *try* the MA in the Techno... or get and practice with a nice light cosco scenera, which makes a great light travel seat :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

Wow I am impressed! I will have to try the MA and the Techno - I just assumed it wouldn't work. Thanks for the reply and I will see what I can do!

[new_mommy25]

I just flew alone with my 11 month old DD 2 weeks ago. Here is what I did.

1. Do curb side check in so you don't have to struggle with luggage. Much better than waiting in line to check in baggage.

2. Put car seat (I took the Boulevard) onto stroller. We used the Chicco Tuscany which is similar to the Mac Techno. The car seat fit no problem.

3. Hang diaper bag (Skip Hop Dash) off stroller handles. Wear back pack or stick the back pack in the seat of the car seat. I did both.

3. Wear baby on my chest in Babyhawk and push stroller with car seat.

It really was simple. When I got to security I stuck the bags through, then the carseat, and then collapsed the stroller. They didn't make me take DD out of the carrier. They did make me remove her Robeez.

Another option would be to buy the GoGoKidz. I wanted to but DH didn't want to spend the money. :eyeroll:

We actually have the Cosco Scenera but I am glad I brought the Boulevard. I installed DD's seat in several different cars on the trip and it was so easy each time. I always seem to struggle when installing the Scenera rf.

[benzmommy]

I have done this before, too. Ditto to all of the above: car seat on stroller (I had Britax Advantage on Mac Triumph)and wear a backpack.

It will only get sticky when you get to the gate and have to gate check your stroller. Sometimes they take it at the gate; other times I have been lucky to wheel it straight to the door of the plane.

Usually, flight attendants will help bringing car seat onto plane when they see your hands are full. Remember: you get to pre-board so that will help, too.

Have fun!!

[shburks]

I would suggest a lighter seat if possible, but a Marathon is certainly do-able. Here's another option: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=363756&cmSource=Search I have this--bought it for a trip ds and I took together last summer from Honolulu to Seattle. We just used it again a few weeks ago for a flight Honolulu to Atlanta and it works great! Yes, it makes you a bit bulky, but it's super easy to attach, easy to wear, and best of all--easy to get on and off you for the security check-point, etc. We got all kinds of comments and questions from parents in the airport.

Susan

[Momof3Labs]

>Usually, flight attendants will help bringing car seat onto
>plane when they see your hands are full. Remember: you get to
>pre-board so that will help, too.

Most of the time, the flight attendants have not offered to help me at all. Note, too, that many, many airlines do not offer preboarding for people traveling with children anymore either. If you get one or both of these, consider yourself lucky. I just wouldn't count on them happening.

[Momof3Labs]

>They didn't make me take DD out of the carrier. They did make
>me remove her Robeez.

I think that this is a YMMV. I've been asked a couple of times to take baby out of the carrier, so be prepared for that if you go the carrier route. On the other hand, DS's Robeez have been waived through, even though I was prepared to remove them!

[kbudsberg]

I love, love, love my Scenera for airplane travel. It's so light. I put it on the stroller and strap dd into it. Then I gate check the stroller. The carseat and stroller will need to go through the x-ray, so that's a little challanging alone so be prepared. I also use a backpack for my carryon to free up my hands. W/the Scenera I can carry it w/one hand and dd(when she was younger) in the other arm, backpack on my back and I board that way. I've flown JetBlue, Southwest and Allegient recently and all allow pre-boarding for young children. Almost all say "and anyone else needing extra assistance in boarding" so I'd take advantage of that.

Flight attendants can't always help because the FAA requires a F/A be at the boarding door at all times during boarding. So very often they cannot leave the door to help out.

Kim

[jeno]

My best luck with boarding alone has been to approach the gate agent upon arrival and actually just ask them to place the carseat in child's seat. They'll do it before they start boarding the plane. Then all I have to worry about is boarding. I prefer not to do preboard because it just means more idle time with baby on the plane. I'm comfortable enough to install the seat in under a minute and as long as baby is happy sitting in my seat while I do this, I don't require any aisle room to get the job done.

One time it took me a bit longer because I had to undo the installation the gate agent had done. What a mess. I'm not even sure what she was thinking. LOL. At least she tried though. I know a lot of people have had problems with rearfacing, and flight attendents, but I have had great support each and every time. I think they appreciate that I actually bought a seat and intend to use it. Or it could be the airlines. I have flown only American, Continental and NWA since DS.

[JBaxter]

I have had the flight attendants help me 2x and have never got to preboard on the 8 flights Nathan has been with me. I have always dropped the stroller just before I entered the plane.

[bendmom]

I've traveled with my daughter (now 21 months) by myself quite a bit, starting when she was 2 months old, and the Go-Go Kidz Travelmate (a set of wheels and telescoping luggage-type handle that attaches to the back) has been a HUGE lifesaver for us. (You can read more about it at : http://www.travelingwithkids.com/product_info.php/pName/gogo-kidz-universal-travelmate-car-seat-trolley --- note that I'm not affiliated with travelingiwthkids.com in any way other than being a happy customer...)

In many cases, I can avoid taking a stroller altogether (e.g., by borrowing one at our destination), but if I do need to take a stroller, I think it's best to check it... but be sure to package it up to avoid getting a beat-up stroller at your destination's baggage claim!

A few other notes about the Go-Go Kidz:
-- With the exception of Philadelphia, I think it was, I haven't found an airport x-ray machine the car seat + Go-Go Kidz will fit through. Most screeners will at first insist that it will fit through, fiddle with it for a minute, then do a hand check. I've had a few screeners ask me if the wheels (the Go-Go Kidz) will come off, and I just tell them that it's a royal pain to put it back together (which is completely true when you're also trying to collect your shoes (and your child's), coats, baggage, bottles, baby food, other liquid-containing Ziplocs -- oh, and your child too. :)
-- If cost is a concern, I'd imagine you could sell it on craigslist for a decent price when you're done with it...
-- Better yet, note that the Go-Go Kidz turns your carseat from an extra piece of luggage into a luggage *carrier*! Priceless! :)
-- Be careful not to get the top-lifting buckle on the airline seat stuck right behind the seat, where the Go-Go Kidz covers up your rear access to the seat. Ask for a seat belt extender as you board the plane -- not that the extra length is necessary, but this gives you two angles from which to tighten the belt, and two chances to make sure you can get it out. Keep in mind that if you really get into a bind with the seat belt buckle stuck behind the seat, you can unscrew the Go-Go Kidz and access the seat belt that way.
-- If your rollaboard suitcase has a strap that you can piggyback a piece of luggage to, see if you can attach it to the Go-Go Kidz (with the handle all the way down). If you can, you could end up taking a rollaboard, a backpack, a car seat, and a kid through the airport, AND have one hand free! Brilliant! (Or maybe I just spend too much time in airports? ;)
-- I also leave the Go-Go Kidz on our Roundabout even when driving around town and take the (wheeled) car seat out of the van for quick stops (although I don't recommend this unless you're really sure you can re-install your car seat correctly each time).


FWIW, here's what I usually travel with when I fly with DD by myself:
1. On the plane:
-- Britax Roundabout car seat + Go-Go Kidz Travelmate. I wheel this combination through the airport, sometimes boarding the plane with a sleeping child. (I'm pretty sure the Marathon won't fit down the airline aisles, though.)
-- A sturdy rollaboard-type suitcase. Usually I'm able to wheel the Roundabout down the aisle, but if not I've been able to set my rollaboard suitcase down at the door or between cabins as I carry the car seat (usually with DD in it) to our seats... if the flight attendant can wheel my suitcase down with me, then great, otherwise I just let them know what I'm doing and come back to fetch it later. I'm pretty sure the Marathon won't fit down the aisle, though. Of course, if you can get by with just a backpack and check the rest of your luggage, you don't have to worry about that part. :) (With a laptop, breast pump, emergency change of clothes, extra food/diapers, business files, medicines, and other non-checkable items, I never seem to be able to check as much of my stuff as I'd like.) As a side note, I think it's worth it to make sure you have a sturdy rollaboard, with the rollerblade type wheels on the outside edge fo the suitcase -- the Costco brand one has worked well for me. I just cringle when I see fellow moms struggling to navigate the airport and board a plane with a wobbly suitcase.
-- A small extra backpack containing only the things DD will need during the flight. I keep a few very small toys, snacks, books, and coloring-type activities inside a large ziploc bag that I can easily transfer from the backpack to the seat-back pocket and use during the the time when all luggage must be stowed.
-- Child (of course): If she's not in the car seat -- before she could walk well, I used a simple sling (mine was a Maya Wrap). Now I use a child leash while in the gate area and during boarding.

2. Checked luggage:
-- Stroller: I take a Maclaren Techno XT, unless I can borrow a stroller at my destination... The easiest option (especially if you've got someone to help you check in at the airport and pick you up at the other end) is to pack it up well (to protect it from airline handling) and check it as luggage... I've used the original box it came in and a crafted replacement box. I've found that the wheeled Maclaren stroller bag doesn't hold up well to airline processing.

If you gate check a stroller, I suggest two things: (1) Make sure the gate agent uses the tag that allows you to pick it up at the gate (not the tag for gate-checked luggage, which shows up at baggage claim). (2) Try to put the stroller in a carry bag before you gate check it. I confess to being rather paranoid (early on I had two strollers beat up in airline processing (one checked as luggage and one gate checked), but I do think a stroller packed in a box as checked luggage survives better than an unprotected gate-checked stroller.

3. Sleeping arrangements: If I need a crib at my destination, I take our Phil and Teds T2 Travel Cot. It packs into a regular checked suitcase. I've also heard good things about the PeaPod/PeaPod Plus, which also pack up small enough to fit in a suitcase.


Other random comments about flying with infants/toddlers and their car seats:
-- Several times I've encountered gate agents who don't realize I've purchased a ticket for a child under two. For example, they'll tell me I have to gate check the car seat (or worse, just start tagging it!). (Oddly enough, this has happened even after I've showed both boarding passes.) Be prepared to alert the gate agent to the fact that you have purchased, separate seat for the child.
-- If you haven't encountered it already, the while liquid thing is a real pain... somehow it always feels like I have to unpack my entire bag to extract the milk, baby food, and other liquids. Don't forget to dump the water out of the sippy or straw cup, or (in some airports) you risk having the cup confiscated. Also be prepared to explain why you have 4 extra containers of applesauce -- remember that you are allowed to take baby food and milk on board, and the correct answer is, "These are necessary and essential for my flights."
-- I've had hit or miss on pre-boarding. I always ask, but for example on my most recent flight (Northwest to Tokyo), I was told it's up to the gate agents.
-- Remember that the car seat cannot block someone's access to the aisle, so on planes with just one aisle (737's, etc.), this means the car seat must go in the window seat. It's also worth double-checking to make sure you're not in an emergency exit row seat, or any other seat (e.g., just in front of the exit row) where a car seat might not be allowed.)
-- If you have any commuter flights on smaller planes, ask to make sure they have infant-sized oxygen masks in each row. I don't know if this is true or not, but I've been told that some small planes have them in every other row.


Anyway, I'm not sure if any of this is helpful or not, but good luck (and have fun!) on your trip!

Cheers,
Rebecca

[bensmom]

Great tips!

I would just caution that you really shouldn't be installing the Roundabout in a car with the GoGo Kidz attached. The Roundabout is not designed or tested to be installed in a car in this manner and we don't know if it will perform as it should.


Ilana

CPS Tech and mom

[kbudsberg]

>I've traveled with my daughter (now 21 months) by myself
>quite a bit, starting when she was 2 months old, and the Go-Go
>Kidz Travelmate (a set of wheels and telescoping luggage-type
>handle that attaches to the back) has been a HUGE lifesaver
>for us. (You can read more about it at :
>http://www.travelingwithkids.com/product_info.php/pName/gogo-kidz-universal-travelmate-car-seat-trolley
>--- note that I'm not affiliated with travelingiwthkids.com in
>any way other than being a happy customer...)
>
>In many cases, I can avoid taking a stroller altogether (e.g.,
>by borrowing one at our destination), but if I do need to take
>a stroller, I think it's best to check it... but be sure to
>package it up to avoid getting a beat-up stroller at your
>destination's baggage claim!
>
>A few other notes about the Go-Go Kidz:
>-- With the exception of Philadelphia, I think it was, I
>haven't found an airport x-ray machine the car seat + Go-Go
>Kidz will fit through. Most screeners will at first insist
>that it will fit through, fiddle with it for a minute, then do
>a hand check. I've had a few screeners ask me if the wheels
>(the Go-Go Kidz) will come off, and I just tell them that it's
>a royal pain to put it back together (which is completely true
>when you're also trying to collect your shoes (and your
>child's), coats, baggage, bottles, baby food, other
>liquid-containing Ziplocs -- oh, and your child too. :)
>-- If cost is a concern, I'd imagine you could sell it on
>craigslist for a decent price when you're done with it...
>-- Better yet, note that the Go-Go Kidz turns your carseat
>from an extra piece of luggage into a luggage *carrier*!
>Priceless! :)
>-- Be careful not to get the top-lifting buckle on the airline
>seat stuck right behind the seat, where the Go-Go Kidz covers
>up your rear access to the seat. Ask for a seat belt extender
>as you board the plane -- not that the extra length is
>necessary, but this gives you two angles from which to tighten
>the belt, and two chances to make sure you can get it out.
>Keep in mind that if you really get into a bind with the seat
>belt buckle stuck behind the seat, you can unscrew the Go-Go
>Kidz and access the seat belt that way.
>-- If your rollaboard suitcase has a strap that you can
>piggyback a piece of luggage to, see if you can attach it to
>the Go-Go Kidz (with the handle all the way down). If you
>can, you could end up taking a rollaboard, a backpack, a car
>seat, and a kid through the airport, AND have one hand free!
>Brilliant! (Or maybe I just spend too much time in airports?
>;)
>-- I also leave the Go-Go Kidz on our Roundabout even when
>driving around town and take the (wheeled) car seat out of the
>van for quick stops (although I don't recommend this unless
>you're really sure you can re-install your car seat correctly
>each time).
>
>
>FWIW, here's what I usually travel with when I fly with DD by
>myself:
>1. On the plane:
>-- Britax Roundabout car seat + Go-Go Kidz Travelmate. I
>wheel this combination through the airport, sometimes boarding
>the plane with a sleeping child. (I'm pretty sure the
>Marathon won't fit down the airline aisles, though.)
>-- A sturdy rollaboard-type suitcase. Usually I'm able to
>wheel the Roundabout down the aisle, but if not I've been able
>to set my rollaboard suitcase down at the door or between
>cabins as I carry the car seat (usually with DD in it) to our
>seats... if the flight attendant can wheel my suitcase down
>with me, then great, otherwise I just let them know what I'm
>doing and come back to fetch it later. I'm pretty sure the
>Marathon won't fit down the aisle, though. Of course, if you
>can get by with just a backpack and check the rest of your
>luggage, you don't have to worry about that part. :) (With a
>laptop, breast pump, emergency change of clothes, extra
>food/diapers, business files, medicines, and other
>non-checkable items, I never seem to be able to check as much
>of my stuff as I'd like.) As a side note, I think it's worth
>it to make sure you have a sturdy rollaboard, with the
>rollerblade type wheels on the outside edge fo the suitcase --
>the Costco brand one has worked well for me. I just cringle
>when I see fellow moms struggling to navigate the airport and
>board a plane with a wobbly suitcase.
>-- A small extra backpack containing only the things DD will
>need during the flight. I keep a few very small toys, snacks,
>books, and coloring-type activities inside a large ziploc bag
>that I can easily transfer from the backpack to the seat-back
>pocket and use during the the time when all luggage must be
>stowed.
>-- Child (of course): If she's not in the car seat -- before
>she could walk well, I used a simple sling (mine was a Maya
>Wrap). Now I use a child leash while in the gate area and
>during boarding.
>
>2. Checked luggage:
>-- Stroller: I take a Maclaren Techno XT, unless I can borrow
>a stroller at my destination... The easiest option (especially
>if you've got someone to help you check in at the airport and
>pick you up at the other end) is to pack it up well (to
>protect it from airline handling) and check it as luggage...
>I've used the original box it came in and a crafted
>replacement box. I've found that the wheeled Maclaren
>stroller bag doesn't hold up well to airline processing.
>
>If you gate check a stroller, I suggest two things: (1) Make
>sure the gate agent uses the tag that allows you to pick it up
>at the gate (not the tag for gate-checked luggage, which shows
>up at baggage claim). (2) Try to put the stroller in a carry
>bag before you gate check it. I confess to being rather
>paranoid (early on I had two strollers beat up in airline
>processing (one checked as luggage and one gate checked), but
>I do think a stroller packed in a box as checked luggage
>survives better than an unprotected gate-checked stroller.
>
>3. Sleeping arrangements: If I need a crib at my
>destination, I take our Phil and Teds T2 Travel Cot. It packs
>into a regular checked suitcase. I've also heard good things
>about the PeaPod/PeaPod Plus, which also pack up small enough
>to fit in a suitcase.
>
>
>Other random comments about flying with infants/toddlers and
>their car seats:
>-- Several times I've encountered gate agents who don't
>realize I've purchased a ticket for a child under two. For
>example, they'll tell me I have to gate check the car seat (or
>worse, just start tagging it!). (Oddly enough, this has
>happened even after I've showed both boarding passes.) Be
>prepared to alert the gate agent to the fact that you have
>purchased, separate seat for the child.
>-- If you haven't encountered it already, the while liquid
>thing is a real pain... somehow it always feels like I have to
>unpack my entire bag to extract the milk, baby food, and other
>liquids. Don't forget to dump the water out of the sippy or
>straw cup, or (in some airports) you risk having the cup
>confiscated. Also be prepared to explain why you have 4 extra
>containers of applesauce -- remember that you are allowed to
>take baby food and milk on board, and the correct answer is,
>"These are necessary and essential for my flights."
>-- I've had hit or miss on pre-boarding. I always ask, but
>for example on my most recent flight (Northwest to Tokyo), I
>was told it's up to the gate agents.
>-- Remember that the car seat cannot block someone's access to
>the aisle, so on planes with just one aisle (737's, etc.),
>this means the car seat must go in the window seat. It's also
>worth double-checking to make sure you're not in an emergency
>exit row seat, or any other seat (e.g., just in front of the
>exit row) where a car seat might not be allowed.)
>-- If you have any commuter flights on smaller planes, ask to
>make sure they have infant-sized oxygen masks in each row. I
>don't know if this is true or not, but I've been told that
>some small planes have them in every other row.
>
>
>Anyway, I'm not sure if any of this is helpful or not, but
>good luck (and have fun!) on your trip!
>
>Cheers,
>Rebecca
>
>


Regarding the oxygen masks, there aren't infant sized masks. They are all the same size. What does happen is that some rows will have extra masks for a lap child. So if there are 3 seats, there are 4 masks to be able to accomodate a full row plus a lap child. Every plane is different and the f/a's are supposed to ensure seating is correct. One of the airplanes I worked only had extra masks on the left hand side so lap children had to go on the left. Of course if the row isn't full it doesn't matter. This doesn't just pertain to small airplanes but all of them. Some airplanes have extra masks at every row, it just depends.

Kim

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

Wow thank you so much! Your advice is really helpful! Thank you for taking the time to write it all out.

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

Thank you so much for all the helpful tips. I am really grateful for all of it. Now, another question. If I go ahead and get a Cosco Scenera, is it a safe car seat? I would obviously need to use it while we were at our destination and I am so used to the MA that I am a little worried. Any thoughts on it?

Thanks!