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View Full Version : CAR SEAT AND AIRLINE TRAVEL



thomcatbob
07-20-2001, 10:03 AM
LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-01 AT 09:04AM (Mountain)[p]We have two carseats, Britax Roundabout and Century STE 1000. We use the RA all the time and the Century as a backup in my hubby's car. We will be flying next week and are wondering which seat would be the easiest to install in an airline seat. We love the RA and are not fond of the Century because my son still has to face the rear until he's one year and the belt path over his lap is such a pain because he's a big boy to try to get in and out of that seat.

tobymc
07-20-2001, 11:33 AM
I have a RA, and a cheaper seat as backup, and generally I prefer to take the cheaper, lighter, narrower seat. I find that it is easier to take through the airport, and on vacation, we often have croweded cars and need to save on carseat width. The Century 1000 is about 16.5" wide, vs. the RA's 18".

However, you may prefer to take your RA. First, many folks have found that the RA fits well in planes. It is heavier, but for many folks, the difference in weight doesn't matter. They just put the RA in their stroller to the gate, then gate check the stroller and take the RA on board.

A major advantage of having your RA on vacation is that you are very familiar with it, and are likely to be able to use it correctly, even when in unfamiliar cars or planes.

As you said, the Century 1000 is a pain to use rear facing because of the belt path. That seat only rear faces to 22 pounds also, so if you have a large baby, make sure you haven't exceeded the weight limit. The RA has a rear facing weight limit of 30 pounds.

So I'd suggest you take the one that you are most comfortable with. I hope these pros and cons help you decide.

Have a good trip!

Toby, CPS tech

cillakat
07-21-2001, 10:41 AM
and will be going on many more. I really do hear what Toby is saying about the weight and width of her backup seat (which is a Cosco Touriva), but so far, the size of the Britax hasn't been an issue....it's fit on every single plane...from 4 seaters to 747's...and *everything* in between. Sometimes it's a tight fit, but it always goes in perfectly and easily. RF, it doesn't recline that much because of space issues...but Alana was old enough that it didn't matter. I do use the tether RF to make sure that it's reclined as much as it can be (which isn't near 45 degrees, but is reclined enough for her to sleep in comfortably). We started traveling with this seat when she was 4 mo old.

I loved that I could install it *so* quickly and *so* easily in every single car that met us at the airport, wether old, new, foreign, domestic, etc etc. It just always fits. I always have a rolled towel taped with duct tape to use to 'level' the base when using it RF - which I've found to be pretty much necessary with any RF installation...at least with the RA you have th RF tether to assist...but I do use the roll anyway. Didn't used to, but have changed my practices based on some things discussed at the pp carseat board by Tom Bologa, the pres of Britax.

I love that in certain cars with unusual or non-existent locking mechanisms on the seatbelts, I've got the built in lock-off's and don't have to worry about messing with a locking clip. i think that for many parents, this feature alone can mean the difference between a really good installation and a not so good installation.

Almost all of our travel has been without my husband....just me and baby (who's now 2y 3m) and i'm glad I had a carseat that I could install *every* time, just right, by myself.... it did take alot of practice though...I practiced quite a bit in my own car at home to get good and get efficient at it.

The weight and width haven't been issues b/c I don't carry the carseat through the airport, I simply place it on the stroller and push it - sometimes Alana rides, sometimes I carry her in the sling, and now much of the time she likes to walk. I simply gate check the stroller, then carry the carseat on. I have only one carryon with me (combo purse/diaperbag), the sling and the baby. Sometimes a flight attendent will help, but more often than not, I'm on my own...so I learned to sling the baby on my back when I need to.

I also found that the idea of a travel stroller was prettty unnecessary for us. We had a tiny Aprica - almost as small as the smaller Combi's....incidentally, it held her RA beautifully and securely, but I hated pushing the thing...constantly kicking the wheels etc...so I ditched it for a Pliko. I love the Pliko, but if I were buying again, I'd just go for the Venezia. The RA fits FF or RF in the pliko and the venezia (and milano)...also fits on lots of other Graco and Century and Baby Trend strollers...

Good luck and have fun!!

katherine in atl

cluelesswonder
07-27-2002, 09:43 PM
Did you use the RA tether on the plane too? What did you anchor it to?

How did you mange to pull the tether taught by yourself when putting the RA in a car? What circumference towel roll do you suggest? Right now the RA is in my husband's car and didn't really need one, but my mom's car may & we'll be installing it in the airport.

Thanks,
Karen