Traveling with Marathon

[HIU8]

DH and I will be traveling with DS this summer. We plan to buy a seat and use the marathon. My question is, can we (should we) request bulkhead? I don't want to be in a position of the person in front of us not being able to move their seat back because DS is RF and I will not be using the Marathon FF.

Thanks,
Heather
DS 11/27/04

[Mirthful]

That's great that you're going to get DS a seat. We resisted it for a long time (we're cheap/frugal!) but once we did, we agreed that it was the best decision ever.

There are pros and cons to the bulkhead. Pros: it's great because you don't have anyone in front of you (no one to complain about a RF carseat, nobody to kick when you turn the carseat FF in the future) and you have a little more legroom. Cons: a lot of them don't have under-the-seat-in-front-of-you storage for your diaper bag and if it's by the bathroom, it is a little more public/noisy, especially annoying if you're planning on nursing.

Overall, I'd say get the bulkhead if it's available. A lot of airlines don't let you have it - they save it for handicapped passengers and/or frequent flyers.

M
DD 12/03
DD 1/06

[DebbieJ]

I disagree--DO NOT get the bulkhead! The seats are narrower because the tray tables are in the arm rests. You may have quite a time getting that MA in the seat.

Frankly, the whole RF issue doesn't matter. Passenegers don't have a guarantee of being able to recline their seat. Your child's safety is more important than their comfort.

The FAA requires that you install the car seat on the plane the same way you would in the car. So RF it is no matter what row you are in. You may want to print that out from the FAA website and have info from the MA manual ready in case some stupid flight attendant tries to tell you otherwise. Several of us have had that happen, but if you know the info and stand your ground, they can't make you move. The only thing they can do is reseat the passenger in front of your DS.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[SusanMae]

Can you put the arm rests up on the bulkhead row? If not, then your seat probably won't fit.

Definatly take the info from the FAA with the info highlighted. Also possibly print off another user manual from Britax highlighting the info that says your child needs to be RF on the plane.

Susan