She really wanted the baby outboard (bad back, too hard to get baby in and out of center) so I have installed the seat RF initially, and now FF in the outboard (behind driver) position. It fits beautifully.
Hers doesn't have tether anchors (built in ones), so I know her car is a few years old...I can ask her but I'm pretty sure it's a '96 or '97. She has since installed a tether anchor for the FF seat.
Is your baby FF or RF? If RF, you *can* use it with the tether, using the tether connector strap attached to the frame of the front seat where the seat *bolts to the floor*. If FF, you won't be able to use the tether b/c there won't be a tether bolt, but having one installed is very easy. The dealer here did it for my neighbor during some other routine service - for *free* -she just had to pay for the part which was like $15 or something.
About the tether thing though...any seat that you're using "should" be tethered - not just the RA. But the RA fit so sososo well in her car that the difference was no difference between how the seat 'felt' when tethered v. untethered. Though in a crash, there certainly *would* be a difference - as there would be with ALL seats, not just the RA.
Since you have to have the seat with you anyway on the plane and therefore have to bring it, it seems unnecessary for your parents to buy an additional seat to have there. The VW dealership was wrong...the RA does fit, can be used and if you and your parents want, a tether bolt can be installed (FF child). If the child is RF, no need to get that done yet, just tether it how you tether at home...
About the flight....the RA travels *wonderfully*. Just plop it on your stroller - fits beautifully on most strollers I've tried it on... in my Pliko, the RA sits right on it FF, or if the baby is asleep, I can recline the backrest of the pliko, then place the RA facing me, deeply reclined in the seat of the pliko. Shocking that it fits, but it does. It also fit on my teeny tiny, itsty bitsy Aprica which I got rid of. Didn't like it.
And about American Airlines....all I have to say is "huh" While I usually fly Delta, I have flown American a bunch b/c my mom lives in Dallas (AA hub). The RA always fits....34 flights and counting. It's a tight fit sometimes because on many airlines the seat in front of the you is *so* darn close, but this'll be an issue regardless of which seat you use. The Accel or the Touriva or the FPSE will probably give you an inch more room front to back...
katherine in atl
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