ACK! Potential travel nightmare...

[MCsMom]

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[bubbaray]

No way no how would I use a CARES harness with a 13m old child. I used it with my 2yo in April and it was too big on her then ( and she's around 90% H&W)

[jesseandgrace]

I just got back from the ABC show in Vegas and combi has a GREAT looking lightweight carseat now, I'm thinking of buying one for all of our up coming trips!

[nrp]

ITA about the CARES harness being a bad choice for a 13-month old. My DD used it a couple of months ago at 2.5 and it really just barely worked for her. For one, they have to sit upright and second, it doesn't buckle at the crotch so it is easy for them to slip out underneath. For such a long flight I would DEFINITELY want my DC in a carseat that they were comfortable in. I know you said the BLVD would be a pain to bring, but have you thought about getting a Go-Go-Kidz to get it through the airport? I feel like I'm always recommending it, and it makes travel for me SO much easier. People often say you can just use a luggage cart, which I'm sure you can, but I like the way the Go-Go-Kidz screws in securely and pushes/pulls smoothly.

If you are totally opposed to bringing the Boulevard, I'd buy a Scenera for her to use on the plane.

[mom2binsd]

How much does she weigh/how tall and do you still have your infant seat (if it were one of the higher weight ones like the SafeSeat1/Snugride32 or KeyFit 30 I'd use that), if not I'd get either the Scenera or look at the Safety 1st Avenue (Kmart carries them), very nice padding, more than the Scenera, but use the seat on the plane.

At 13 months you should be able to install the seat rearfacing which will significantly improve her chances of sleeping, a rearfacing install is so much easier on everyone, except if you aren't in the bulkhead .I'd hesitate to restrict the person in front from reclining on such a long flight.

I would not use the CARES harness on a child that young.

[niccig]

We used a CARES harness for DS when 2.5 yo on a 5 hour flight. Worst flight for him. We routinely do 14 hour flights to Australia and bring our car seat on for that. It's a Safety First Uptown, they're harder to find now, but the Safety First Avenue is very similar. Light weight, easy to install on the plane...just practice a few times in the car before you leave. I think the CARES is great for an older child, but for DS at 2.5 yo he could not get comfortable - definitely a car seat is better for a long haul flight when you need your child to sleep as much as possible. We strap the car seat to the stroller, put DS in the car seat and wheel through the airport. Gate check the stroller and carry the seat on board. Never been a problem and we've done it for over a 15 domestic and 3 long international flights. DS is nearly 5, so the next long haul to Australia will be without a car seat, and I'm worried again if he'll be able to get comfortable. I know I'm not comfortable in those plane seats.

Check with the airline you might fly with re. car seats. Many have different rules. Eg. CARES is allowed on US based airlines and some others, but not all international airlines will allow it. Some don't allow car seats after a certain age etc. Will you be getting a seat for DS - I highly recommend it. We used the bassinet when DS was a baby and it was fine when he was sleeping, but the rest of the time he was on top of me - several hours of that and I was pretty uncomfortable. DS travels much better strapped into his car seat.

[arivecchi]

I agree with PP that the CARES harness will not work for your DC. I just tried it with my toddler who is almost 3 and he is still a bit young for it. We got a Cosco Scenera for DS2 and it was wonderful. Very light and narrow. Easy to install on the plane FFing. We even hung it off our Mac (when DS1 was on it) - it is that light! We have a Blvd as well and will never ever fly with it. We did once and it was a complete nightmare. It did not fit through the aisle on the Go Go Kidz, so DH had to carry it and was furious because he bumped people on the aisle seats and it was super heavy. It is also so big that DS1 had no room for his legs. Did I say it was a nightmare? Scenera all the way. Only $53-55 at Target and comes in a travel bag.

[GraceH]

We routinely do 14 hour flights to Australia and bring our car seat on for that. It's a Safety First Uptown, they're harder to find now, but the Safety First Avenue is very similar. Light weight, easy to install on the plane...


I may have seen an Uptown at Big Lots for $65 the other day...

[MCsMom]

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[niccig]

Check with the airline about rear facing. A non-USA airline may not allow a rear facing convertible and they are not bound by FAA regulations. Even if the CS Rep says it's fine, the flight attendant may not allow it. They have final say, so be prepared to FF if you can't convince them otherwise.

[bubbaray]

You actually probably don't want the bulkhead seats b/c the armrests don't raise. Check out your seats on seatguru.com -- you need to know your airline and specific model being used by your flight.

If you are flying an airline that won't let you use your restraint RFg, all is not lost. Crash and turbulence dynamics are different on planes and there are many of us who believe that RFg on planes isn't necessary (presuming you are using a child restraint that allows a FFg installation -- infant carriers are a good example of seats that can only be installed RFg).

Be warned, though that there are some non-North American airlines that don't allow the use of child restraints at all, or not during take off & landing (duh, when your risk of crashing is greatest) or you must get them pre-approved by some bizarro process. Even if you purchased tickets from a US carrier, you need to make sure that the flight itself isn't a code-share if you are flying internationally.

[AnnieW625]

I would get a Scenera. The Combi seat is the Cocorro, but if you already have the BLVD and don't need a second seat it might be a little overkill. We used a car seat on the plane until our last trip a couple of weeks ago when DD who is now 3, 35lbs, and 40" and she was fine in the seatbelt. I was soo glad I didn't get the CARES harness.

[arivecchi]

I believe we were on a large American Airlines Boeing or Airbus plane. It had three sections (first class, business and economy) and about 7 seats per aisle in economy, so it was definitely a big jet. The Blvd. had to be carried over the seats and heads of passengers in the aisle because it was so wide it did not fit in between the seats. The Blvd almost touched the seat in front of us, so DS1 had no room for his legs. We also had to lift the armrests for it to fit. The seat was installed FFing. It would not have fit RFing. I love my Blvd., but not for traveling. It is just too heavy and bulky. I would recommend the infant car seat or a Scenera. My DS2 had never been on the Scenera before this trip last week and he was totally ok in it during both 5 hr flights. Slept quite a bit and was comfy in it. I learned about the Scenera here as well and am so glad I got it. It is THE perfect travel seat!

[arivecchi]

[quote=AnnieW625;2480473]I would get a Scenera. The Combi seat is the Cocorro, but if you already have the BLVD and don't need a second seat it might be a little overkill. quote]:yeahthat:

[arivecchi]

You actually probably don't want the bulkhead seats b/c the armrests don't raise. Check out your seats on seatguru.com -- you need to know your airline and specific model being used by your flight.
:yeahthat: You cannot use bulkhead seats or exit row seats with a car seat in most airlines.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Is the Blvd bigger than a Marathon? I've flown with my Marathon on all sizes of planes both rearfacing and forwardfacing and never had a problem with it fitting. I only had bulkhead row once and it fit there rear-facing but I don't recall what type of plane it was. Generally, carseats do not fit in the bulkhead row because the armrests don't go up.

Note the sticky at the top of the page that says that if your carseat doesn't fit in the seat you are assigned, they have to reseat you to a seat where it will fit. You might want to print that and take it with you.

[arivecchi]

Is the Blvd bigger than a Marathon? I've flown with my Marathon on all sizes of planes both rearfacing and forwardfacing and never had a problem with it fitting. I only had bulkhead row once and it fit there rear-facing but I don't recall what type of plane it was. Generally, carseats do not fit in the bulkhead row because the armrests don't go up.

Note the sticky at the top of the page that says that if your carseat doesn't fit in the seat you are assigned, they have to reseat you to a seat where it will fit. You might want to print that and take it with you. I believe it is the same size shell. The Blvd. fits on the seat but it is a PITA. I'd much rather fly with a lighter and smaller seat.

[niccig]

Note the sticky at the top of the page that says that if your carseat doesn't fit in the seat you are assigned, they have to reseat you to a seat where it will fit. You might want to print that and take it with you.

This will only work if it's a USA based airline that follows the FAA regulations. If it's an airline based in another country, they have their own rules and regulations and you can argue the FAA's car seat regs. with them, but they are not bound by them. International flights with kids and car seats gets tricky when there's a mix of airlines.

[MCsMom]

I am so glad these boards exist because where else can you get help for stuff like this?:D

My mother offered to purchase the another carseat for the trip. Should I still go with the Scenera? Anybody have the narrow but heavyweight Radian or the cute but mystifying Coccoro?

[arivecchi]

I'd still do a Scenera. It seriously weighs about 6-7 pounds. I like to lighten the load as much as possible!

[MCsMom]

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[Piglet]

Could she still fit in a Safeseat? My DD is tall and heavy but fit in the SS until 14 months easily. Then you have the portability of the Safeseat and an easy install on the other end.

[MCsMom]

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[niccig]

Another thing to check, will your layover airports return the gate checked stroller to the gate or to baggage claim? We could gate check the stroller in LAX, but didn't get it back for our layover or at the gate of our destination. When DS was little, we had a carrier like and ergo to carry him in and one of us carried the car seat. Then the airport we leave from in Australia does not do gate check at all. We had to carry DS from the check-in point. VERY annoying, but we knew in advance, so we were prepared for carrying everything.

[arivecchi]

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/181-3788371-0064129?ASIN=B001E6KIUQ&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B001E6KIUQ|Cosco_Scenera_Convertible_Car_Seat_ Transatlantic&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B001E6KIUQ&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8054497&sourceid=1500000000000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=8054497

[Piglet]

Piglet, we used a Snugride for her until it was TOO snug from side to side at about 6 1/2 months. DD has been in a Boulevard since then.

Hmmm... I have never heard of that!? Could you see if a friend has a Safeseat you could try her out in just for this trip? It was such a lifesaver when we flew!

[MCsMom]

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