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Flying somewhere- Car seats rental??


violamama
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We're going to be across the country (fl keys) for a whole week. We have a rent-a-car, but I'm wondering what to do about car seats.

 

I really REALLY don't want to pay to check their own carseats because I don't want to schlep them and because I think it will break them to be thrown around by the airlines. (Do NOT get me started on luggage & airlines- we're going all carry-on.)

 

So, have any of you done the rented seat thing? Or bought one at Target? Or called down the car safety fairies to meet you at the rental counter?

 

ETA: you can probably tell ages by my sig, but they're tall and skinny, 4 yob is 40 pounds, 6 yob is 55 pounds.

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We've always just gate checked the car seats or booster seats when traveling. Though both mine use high back boosters now we went with backless boosters on our last trip to make it easier (mine are 55 lb 7 yr old and 54 lb 8 yr old for reference), prior to that we just gate checked their Graco Nautiluses and they were just fine at the other end. I don't think you have to pay to check the seats though, I believe they are free to check if you wish.

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I would trust a rented carseat, you never know what it has been through or if it has been involved in an accident. I would just bring my own and gate check them. We have done that as well, and had no problems. The problem with buying one once you get there...how do you get to Target, and once you are done with your trip what do you do with it? Kwim?

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I think this would only work out for the infant. Otherwise there is zero leg room.

 

I did it with Dd up to age 3.5 (probably 40") and with the twins on our last flight (2yo and 38"). They fit pretty well really. It was a pain, but it was the safest and cheapest option. I don't trust rental seats at all.

 

However for4&6 yos it would depend on what they ride in normally. Booster seats are not allowed on a plane so they would need to be checked/gate checked. Airlines do not charge to check carseats or boosters. I'd just gate-check a booster for the 6yo personally.

 

My 4yo rides harnessed still. We got her a RideSafer Travel Vest. It is a pricey option, but safe and VERY convenient.

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My husband and son are flying in March. (Son is 5 yo, 40 pounds). They are taking the Maestro (Harnessed seat) and using it on the plane. If I couldn't do that, my second choice would be to order a seat delivered to the grandparents on the other end. (they are picking husband and DS up) And they can bring the car seat with them to the airport when they come. At 40 pounds, I think my son would be fine in an airplane seatbelt (they are rated from 40 pounds). But I don't want the car seat thrown around by airplane employees unless I were able to package it well in a box first (say, similar to how I would pack to ship it through the mail) so schlep it is.

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I stopped trying to rent carseats when a rental car company promised us one, and then didn't have it. It was a nightmare and took hours to straighten out and come up with a carseat.

 

You can try to bring the carseat on the plane--they do allow certain ones. If it's not one of the ones they allow, then you can send it down below from right there at the gate.

 

Another option is to plan to buy a cheap booster seat at WalMart at your destination.

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Thanks, all!

We're going for a family reunion to a place none of us has been, so I think I'll go see if I can find something we can just take along. I'd love to find boosters they'll allow them to use in flight but I don't think they allow boosters except to check.

 

I'm considering a couple of these: http://www.bubblebum.co/us/booster-seat/safety/

 

But they seem kind of flimsy. At home we still have them both in big armored full back seats, so it seems weird that these might work. We won't be driving much...

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I buy a cheap seat just for travel because I don't want the airlines damaging our expensive Britax. We have two cars so the other one ends up being a backup seat in DH's commuter car.

 

and the problem with that is when the kid decides he *likes* the cheaper booster better than the 5-point harness britax . . . . . .(that' is such a pain to install everytime it has to be removed or moved to a different car. . . )

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Thanks, all!

We're going for a family reunion to a place none of us has been, so I think I'll go see if I can find something we can just take along. I'd love to find boosters they'll allow them to use in flight but I don't think they allow boosters except to check.

 

I'm considering a couple of these: http://www.bubblebum...er-seat/safety/

 

But they seem kind of flimsy. At home we still have them both in big armored full back seats, so it seems weird that these might work. We won't be driving much...

 

 

If I were taking a booster on the airplane to use on the other end (you are correct. Airplane seats do not have shoulder belts so you can not use boosters), the bubblebum would be my seat of choice.

 

KetchupQueen is a CPST -- has been in a huge accident which made it all over the blogs about how rear-facing helped her kids. And they chose to take bubblebums on a trip to Hawaii a bit back. if its good enough for a CPST, It's good enough for me :)

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