Car seat / booster travel bag or cover?

[BillK]

Is there such an animal? We're taking Ben's Radian 65 and Zachs Britax Parkway SGL to Disney with us next month for in the rental car. Our plan is to check them with Southwest but I'm concerned they'll get beat to heck loading and unloading from the plane.

Southwest says we can either check them with our luggage or gate check them and they have "bags" available for them. What I'm wondering is if where they are checked makes a difference and if the "bags" they offer are adequate or if we should buy something more substantial? I'd prefer to just check them with our luggage rather than drag them thru the airport.

Thanks!

[mom2binsd]

Bill, those are beasts of seats to lug to Disney!

I can't remember the boys ages, but can the older one sit in a backless booster for this trip (it'll hook onto a backpack and can go in overhead bin), any chance the younger one can sit in something like a Turbo booster (again bring the bottom part onboard and pack the back for use at destination) or maybe get a nice light seat like the Maestro and sell on CL if you don't need it once you get back.

Jools has high praise for the Bubblebum inflatable booster and quite a few boardies have used them.

Personally I don't trust the "luggage system" to treat a carseat well (I always picture that scene in Toy Story2 when they are in the luggage area".

I'm more comfortable with gate checking and I think the bag they provide are just clear one's, but the Radian will be so heavy that it would be easier if they can grab the straps rather than pick it up in a slippery plastic bag.

[Joolsplus2]

Both Diono (was Sunshine Kids) and Britax make solid travel bags if you want to gate check your seats. How much time are you planning on being in the car when you go to WDW? Maybe you could at least spare yourself the pain of bringing the PW if your eldest isn't a car sleeper, and a good seat bag costs the same as a bubble bum.

[BillK]

Both Diono (was Sunshine Kids) and Britax make solid travel bags if you want to gate check your seats. How much time are you planning on being in the car when you go to WDW? Maybe you could at least spare yourself the pain of bringing the PW if your eldest isn't a car sleeper, and a good seat bag costs the same as a bubble bum.

Thanks guys! We're staying off site so will be driving to and from Disney daily.

Ben is only 34 lbs., 40" and will be 5 years old when we're there. Zach is only 48 lbs., 47" and is 7 years old. Zach has never been a car sleeper and our Disney commute is only like 10-15 minutes max.

So take the Radian for Ben and get a Bubblebum for Zach?

[legaleagle]

I think I've read that the radian will fit in the overhead bin once it's folded, so if you'd be gate checking it anyway, why not just bring it on board and stow it (or use in his seat)?

[mmsmom]

We have the travel bags from One Step Ahead which we have checked with our luggage about 30 times. What I like about using the bags & checking with luggage is that you can put other stuff in the bag to save on luggage fees. Not as big of an issue w/ Southwest since they don't charge for bags anyway. I have seen the bags Southwest puts them in... Basically big, clear plastic bags. It is definitely much easier to check them as luggage instead of at the gate... There is some risk but there is a risk with gate check too. Out of about 30 flights there has been 1 when car seats didn't make it. But the loaners we got from the airline were clean & had mfg date of 2011 so it ended up fine. Our seats were delivered to us the next day.

[acmom]

We just traveled with 2 convertible carseats. We ended up checking them curbside so we didn't have to drag them through the airport. I put them in big nylon drawstring laundry bags (I got them at Walmart for $4.xx each) and put a piece of duct tape on the outside with our contact info. I did buckle stuff (the kids floaties for the pool) into each seat inside the bags as PP had mentioned. Both carseats made it through 2 flights each way without any problem.

[peanut520]

We just traveled with 2 convertible carseats. We ended up checking them curbside so we didn't have to drag them through the airport. I put them in big nylon drawstring laundry bags (I got them at Walmart for $4.xx each) and put a piece of duct tape on the outside with our contact info. I did buckle stuff (the kids floaties for the pool) into each seat inside the bags as PP had mentioned. Both carseats made it through 2 flights each way without any problem.

:yeahthat:

[ZeeBaby]

We just traveled with 2 convertible carseats. We ended up checking them curbside so we didn't have to drag them through the airport. I put them in big nylon drawstring laundry bags (I got them at Walmart for $4.xx each) and put a piece of duct tape on the outside with our contact info. I did buckle stuff (the kids floaties for the pool) into each seat inside the bags as PP had mentioned. Both carseats made it through 2 flights each way without any problem.

The laundry bags are a great idea! We used these bags from Target. They were great no issues at all, but they were not $4, lol. We gate checked to avoid them getting lost.

http://www.target.com/p/JL-Childress-Gate-Check-Bag-for-Car-Seats-Red/-/A-10630170#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink

[niccig]

Thanks guys! We're staying off site so will be driving to and from Disney daily.

Ben is only 34 lbs., 40" and will be 5 years old when we're there. Zach is only 48 lbs., 47" and is 7 years old. Zach has never been a car sleeper and our Disney commute is only like 10-15 minutes max.

So take the Radian for Ben and get a Bubblebum for Zach?

Zach is same stats as my DS and I just got a bubblebum. I'm going to try it out this weekend and I can let you know how it fits.

[BillK]

Zach is same stats as my DS and I just got a bubblebum. I'm going to try it out this weekend and I can let you know how it fits.

Please do!