Login | Register

Flying With Carseats

The most frequent questions I get from readers are about how to get through the airport and to their destination with a car seat for a young child. Most parents look to avoid the burden of flying with a carseat when they can. When they cannot, they want to know the easiest ways to deal with their seat (or the best seat for travel). Here are our best tips related to carseats.

Leaving The Carseats At Home
When possible, we avoid bringing our car seats. Checking them worries us (Remember that advice about not using a car seat after it's been in an accident? Do you think that the baggage handlers use kids gloves with car seats or anything else?) Onboard, we use a CARES Airplane Seat Harness and we try to use trains and subways at our destination.

Investigations
Dec 07: Advantage Rent=A-Car's Unsafe Car Seats
July 08: Danger For Rent: Car Rental Agency Puts Infant At Risk (Again)

Flying with Car Seats? Read our the helpful four part series from our Blog:

Safety Tips
Safety Tips For Renting A Carseat

Choosing and Buying a Carseat
How to Choose a Booster Seat (includes links for finding safe carseats at any age)
Best Bet Carseats for Every Age

Getting from the airport to your destination without a carseat
When we're visiting a major city, our top preference is to take a train or subway from the airport to our hotel (it helps to pack light). Often there is a short walk between the station and the hotel, and we divide the work by having one parent get in a taxi with the baggage while the other walks with the kids. We meet up at the hotel.

When public transportation just isn't possible, it take some searching, but we can often find a shuttle service or limousine service that provides carseats on request. The carseats need to be requested when you book, and you will have to be very clear about the age of your child and the type of carseat you need. We also recommend re-confirming the carseat the day before you travel. Most shuttle and limo drivers will not install the seat for you for liability reasons, so be prepared to install the car seat when they pick you up. Remember to inspect the carseat carefully just as you would in a rental car.