Travel/carseat/plane question

[MarissaNicole]

Looking for thoughts and advice. We frequently travel to Florida (at least once a year) where we have family... I am trying to decide whether or not to buy a car seat and leave it there.

Right now DD is 9 months and we could buy her a convertible and leave it there. My sister also has a daughter three months younger and will go in March and would be able to use it as well. DD does not need a seat on the plan until she is 2, so we could potentially avoid the carseat issue until then - and then at that point probably get her a CARES harness. However, this would require us to take DD to the airport in a cab/taxi without a carseat.

Our other option would be to cart the carseat back and forth. (We would buy one of those things that allow you to strap the carseat on it and push around the airport... that is if DD would even tolerate that). Right now, DD is still in her bucket car seat and HATES it... we aren't sure how she will like the convertible seat but don't want to switch yet because we are afraid she will REALLY hate her bucket seat.... and with winter in the midwest I feel like she is safest in her bucket seat because we don't have to worry about bulky coats. Just buckle her up and then zip up the blanket over her.

What I am trying to avoid is buying both an extra carseat and that carseat travel contraption.... I want to just buy one for financial purposes and stick with it. But I'm not sure which route to go.

Thoughts?

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

You could rent one? I know you can rent them in Boston and I know you can rent them near Disney. The Boston rental agency has links to partner sites so you can find one in Florida: http://www.babysago.com/stroller-rental-FAQ.html

We flipped DD to a convertible at 6 months because she HATED the bucket. Like scream as if we were stabbing her hated it. So, we travel with the convertible all the time. I wear her in the airport and check the convertible seat to our destination if we're flying direct (when I'm by myself, I only fly direct) or gate check if we're flying with connections and I have DH with me.

[Deebs]

Sorry - there's no way I would put my child in a Taxi not in a carseat. Toting it back and forth is worth it, trust me. Get one of the strap on wheels and a convertible seat and turn her seat into a stoller.

[Pollyanna]

Sorry - there's no way I would put my child in a Taxi not in a carseat. Toting it back and forth is worth it, trust me. Get one of the strap on wheels and a convertible seat and turn her seat into a stoller.

Yes this!!
Let me annoy everyone by saying that the safest place for your child is in a car seat, even on an airplane. I believe that on every flight every person should be in their own seat, that includes children under two. Even in a low speed runway accident you will be unable to hold your child, if you hit turbulence you will not be able to hold your child. I don't know a single person that works in the airline industry that thinks its safe to hold your child on a flight.
Buy your child a ticket and bring the car seat whenever you travel, it is not difficult at all and is truly a much more relaxing way to travel for everyone.
We have the Britax boulevard and though huge it fits great on the airplane. Dd4 used in on flights until she was 3.5, at that point she didn't have enough leg room.
And don't worry, lots of infants hate their infant seat but do great in the convertible.

Eta: I really should note that this is not only my opinion but that of the FAA, the AAP, and on and on. The FAA actually recommends children in car seats until age 4 and rear facing for as long as possible

[Deebs]

kohls.com was having good deals on carseats, you might want to check them out.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Sorry - there's no way I would put my child in a Taxi not in a carseat. Toting it back and forth is worth it, trust me. Get one of the strap on wheels and a convertible seat and turn her seat into a stoller.

Or buy this and strap it to your rollerbag (it's way cheaper than the special carts): http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Todd.../dp/B000JHN3AS

[MarissaNicole]

We've got two car seats now; so I am thinking I will just buy THIS

My initial thought was to leave a carseat there as I think that would be easiest... but its the riding in the taxi to the airport that makes me nervous...

And I know you are right about buying her a seat on the plane... but we will probably still have her sit on our laps until she is 2.

[alison]

We have a go go kidz car seat trolley contraption and love it. I've let friends borrow ours here. Stinks that I'm not closer, because I'd let you use it! We had a great method for zipping dd around the airport--we bought a Coccoro carseat. It fits through the X-ray machines ATTACHED to the gogo kidz. So all we had to do was take dd out of her seat at the very last moment at security.

It also fit through the airplane aisles! Minimal walking and carrying was SO great!

[alison]

And... You can never have enough car seats. For grandparents, for a second car, for any eventualities.

[MarissaNicole]

We have a go go kidz car seat trolley contraption and love it. I've let friends borrow ours here. Stinks that I'm not closer, because I'd let you use it! We had a great method for zipping dd around the airport--we bought a Coccoro carseat. It fits through the X-ray machines ATTACHED to the gogo kidz. So all we had to do was take dd out of her seat at the very last moment at security.

It also fit through the airplane aisles! Minimal walking and carrying was SO great!

Awe -thanks! Maybe we will buy that carseat and designate it as our travel carseat. DH has a sedan and it would probably fit well in there... and I know it would fit in any rental car as well.

[alison]

I know it's expensive, but it spared us much-needed energy on our 10-hour flight to and from Germany. It's really light and compact and dd found the seat more comfortable than her Britax!

[DCJenn]

http://www.amazon.com/Lilly-Gold-Sit...%27n%27+stroll

I still think this was the greatest investment we made. Its a stroller/Car Seat/Airplane Seat all in one. We used it for three years straight. The part is that you just leave them in the seat as you convert it from stroller to car seat. Gets rid of two pieces of equipment that you have to shlep.

J.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

http://www.amazon.com/Lilly-Gold-Sit...%27n%27+stroll

I still think this was the greatest investment we made. Its a stroller/Car Seat/Airplane Seat all in one. We used it for three years straight. The part is that you just leave them in the seat as you convert it from stroller to car seat. Gets rid of two pieces of equipment that you have to shlep.

J.

That looks amazing! Although very pricey...I will probably just keep hauling the Britax around.

[DCJenn]

Yes- we bought that knowing that we'd be having to carry him through Russia and then fly for a bajillion hours and then somehow get him home so it solved all of those problems.

J.

[OrionGrad]

We flipped DD to a convertible at 6 months because she HATED the bucket. Like scream as if we were stabbing her hated it. So, we travel with the convertible all the time.

Sorry to hijack, but did that actually work? Did your DD go from hating her carseat to loving it once you made the switch? BabyJ absolutely hates his infant seat, and I'd switch to a convertible in a heartbeat if there was even a remote possibility he may not scream his head off from the moment I buckled him in.