Renting child restraint systems for airplane

#Renting child restraint systems for airplane free

A CARES child restraint system is much easier to throw in your backpack and use on an airplane than a car seat. If you do plan to bring the seat on the aircraft, I recommend trying a product such as the Go-Go Babyz Mini Travelmate, which makes transporting the seat much easier.ДЄ good compromise for toddlers, instead of a bringing car seat on board, is to use the CARES child restraint system, which is lightweight, compact and inexpensive. But you have to consider your personal comfort, too, since you will be the one lugging it through the airport - especially if you have layovers and other carry-on bags with you already. What can tip the scales is whether your child is most comfortable in his or her car seat. Your child is certainly safer, to some degree, strapped into a car seat - but air travel is statistically very safe to begin with.

Bringing a car seat on board also means you can avoid any trouble with the airline losing it, or any delay in having it returned to you. (FAA-approved car seats usually have a sticker saying so on the side, so make sure yours does before boarding.) Some kids sleep better when strapped into their car seats, which can be an added incentive to bring one on board, particularly on an overnight flight. There are also numerous reports of parents having conflicts with flight attendants who incorrectly prevent them from using even an FAA-approved child safety seat. Some view bringing a car seat on board as a bit bulky and cumbersome, especially on airlines where seats are smaller than average. Parents have mixed views on using car seats on the plane. Related: Best car seats for travel Using a car seat on board an aircraft Instead, pick one up that you use specifically for travel. We recommend not checking any super-expensive and potentially bulky car seat from home if you can avoid it. Unless the car seat bag is ridiculously heavy, chances are you wonвЂ™t even be asked to open it to show whatвЂ™s inside.

#Renting child restraint systems for airplane free

This is also a savvy trick that will help free up some space - and save a little weight - in your other checked bags. Some parents have been known to pack extra diapers, beach towels or anything else light and soft in the bag to help keep it cushioned a bit. When it comes to checking a car seat, I strongly recommend placing it inside a large bag (you can shop for a dedicated car seat bag, but a few garbage bags or even a large duffel do just as well) to keep it from being soiled and to ensure parts donвЂ™t get lost or catch on aircraft-loading equipment.

This even applies to low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier. Car seats travel for freeДЄll airlines I have ever run across will accept child safety seats and strollers as checked baggage for no additional charge. That extra seat can make their lives a little easier - and give everyone a break from removing and installing car seats when itвЂ™s time to switch caregivers. If you do decide to add a lighter or cheaper travel car seat to your fleet (the Cosco Scenera Next and Pico Travel Car Seat by WAYB come to mind), you could also consider leaving it with the grandparents, a babysitter or other helper when you arenвЂ™t traveling. There is a time and place for both options, but make sure you think through which car seat is right for your trip, assuming you have access to more than one in the first place. IвЂ™ve also flown with our travel car seat that is lighter, cheaper and totally adequate. WeвЂ™ve flown with our heftiest car seat that seems to be very comfortable for my daughter to sit in, but which is also huge, heavy and expensive. Here are some basic facts about traveling with a car seat or stroller, and a few of our favorite strategies.ДЇor more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up forВ our daily newsletter. Thankfully, there are ways that savvy parents can minimize both the hassle and expense of transporting this gear. Towing child car seats and strollers through airports and around the world isnвЂ™t the most glamorous part of family travel. EditorвЂ™s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.