I have not been on a plane since having a child ,so am curious about the normal protocal and lots here seem to know.I have a 5yo who is just 32lbs and is still in a car seat.We will be driving lots so were planning on taking it as we will pick up the van we bought when we arrive.( Actually the next morning).I hate schlepping it around ,but this seems the only choice.

Aren't all kids who are still in carseats in cars using them in planes? Do I have to be in the bulkhead with the car seat? Our flight is not until Sept ,but I still haven't figured out where the best seat is for us.Is the bulkhead the best place for anyone with a carseat? Should I put her rear facing (because she is tiny we actually did this forever with her in the car because it is the safest way)? I hate carseats as I grew up in a generation where they were never used,so not one who has ease with them like some parents.

We are going SFO to AMS so its a long flight and car seats are not that comfortable.But I want her safe too.

For some reason I feel kind of frozen about making this choice ,yet I feel like I must make it soon.( I meant to have it done already ,but have gotten distracted with other things.This is a long trip and big transition,so the pressure seems to be on now.)

Its like foreign territory , I can't quite figure out how this works and don't want to make a mistake.Would love some feedback from those with experience.

I understand your concern. We have traveled on overseas flights many times with our three children. While I brought along their car seats for car travel in Europe, I did not use them on airplanes after they were more than 2 years old. At that point they were in the 25-30 pound range. Car seats are so restricting on a long flight, and to me the risks are so much smaller on airplanes that it wasn't worth it.

I agree with Fancy. The truth is, as awful as it sounds, if there were a catastrophic situation with the plane, a car seat would not mean a whole lot--it's a little different than a car. If rough weather and turbulence comes, then I believe that there are things you can do to help the child (I'm talking about older children.) To have a child have to sleep in a car seat for that long sounds tortuous to me. When we traveled with a child in a car seat, we did as Fanny says and found that worked quite well. With that said, even though we did not use a car seat, we found the bulk head by far the best seats to have with a child. You can have toys, colors, etc. all on the floor in front of you, easily "gotten to." You don't disturb others when you do such things as put PJ's on, etc. We don't like bulkhead when it is just Ken and I but with Casey we always make sure we have those seats--even now. I believe that we have an obigation to fellow passengers when flying as they have paid their fare and want to arrive at destination in as good a shape as possible. So--bulkhead is good for us and good for others. Hope this little essay helps!

Thank you Fancy and Jane,
Thats really very helpful as I did not even know I had a choice with car seat or not.Something in one of the other threads got me thinking.I am going to call the airlines today and see if I can get the bulkhead.

WT:

You might want to buy a nylon bag/cover to put your car seat in at check in. The airlines used to provide plastic bags that accommodated car seats, but --like everything else -- not anymore. I didn't like having my car seats uncovered, so I bought something to put them in. Catalogs like Right Start used to sell items for this purpose.

Thanks again Fancy, I can use every hint that I can get since I have no experience in this realm!

I was going to purchase one of the booster seats without a back for my almost 5 year old and bring it on the plane since it's small enough to carry on. I'm not comfortable with him being in a car without any kind of booster and I normally wouldn't use a backless one, but I think it will be ok for the trip since he's over 40 lbs.

"I was going to purchase one of the booster seats without a back for my almost 5 year old"


Sophia--we did that for several trips with Casey once he was too big for a car seat. I highly recommend this for not only safety but for the child's pleasure while you drive. With one of these seats, she can see out of the window and watch the word go by which is so much better than just looking at the inside of the car. It helps you out too as watching keeps a child occupied. We would then just leave the booster with the car when we turned it in so not have to worry about carrying it home. (they cost under $20). We didn't use it on the plane.

Do you know what the rules are for booster seats vs carseats in Europe?

It would be so much easier to take a booster as compared to a car seat,but I worry because I have such a light weight.She eats like a bird and is a super active little ectomorph,so tends to just grow up and not out.She has never been on the weight chart and takes forever to add a pound,so I doubt if she will be beyond the 32lbs when we leave and could easily stay there the whole year.

All her friends have been out of car seats long ago,meanwhile she is still in 18m/24m skirts as even 3T's fall off her waist and she will be 6 in the fall.She is muscular, super healthy and very athletic ,but she could take years to get to 40 lbs.I know some young babies that weigh more than her,but meanwhile she is really long legged and old for that carseat.Sigh.