Car seat on flights

[CMN4]

I’m a new mum and wondering what parents do when travelling on flights with babies. We would need the car seat on holiday, but have been told they shouldn’t get checked in as it can damage them and they won’t be safe. Which make sense. But if you take it on the flight you need to pay for a seat, which seem annoying as my baby is free and will sit with us anyway. Any advice?

If I can’t arrange for one to be there for us on arrival then I just check ours and it goes in the hold. They go to outsize baggage so are handled separately to other luggage and I think they are reasonably careful with them. The only time I’ve found a car seat handy to take on the plane is going long haul with an older baby that is too big for the bassinet but not quite old enough to sit properly in their own seat yet. If you have a small baby and/or it’s a short flight then I wouldn’t bother. However, if you’re in the UK though baby won’t be free- you have to pay taxes which always end up costing more than you’d expect!

If you don't want to pay for a seat (understandably), you have to check it in with any luggage and other baby items you'll be checking in (travel cot for example). Also, not all airlines will accept car seats even if you do pay for a seat because most can't be installed with a lap belt.

It's not ideal. Car seat advisors say that the best way to package your car seat for the hold would be in its original packaging as that is what it was designed for. Don't use the bags and things that they sell because they don't protect the seat.

Another option is to buy a seat when you get there but that's expensive if you're only going to Spain for a week! Different if you're going to the states for a month.

It's one of them where you have to make the least worst decision.

I should add that our normal baby car seat is a fixed one that stays in the car so we have a cheaper seatbelt install carrier we only use for travel that is airline approved- not all are so taking yours in cabin might not even be an option.

Why do you need a car seat on holiday?

If you are hiring a car, lots of car hire companies will hire you a baby seat with the car.

I've seen people carry the car seat to the gate and hand it over with the pushchair at the plane steps.

If you are just going on a package holiday you just hold baby on the transfer coach, I've never had a problem with this.

There are a small number of car seats that can be used on a plane, you would need to contact the airline to ask which they will accept (they are usually the expensive ones) then you would need to pay full price for a seat for baby and you also need to get to the gate early so they can check it's fitted properly. We looked into it once but it was expensive and a lot of hassle.

Buy a cheap car seat just for the holiday so if it gets damaged in the hold, it won’t matter.

We always checked ours in and then it went on the oversize baggage conveyor.
Take a bin bag (+tape) or similar to wrap in up, ours got wet as it was raining heavily when they loaded the baggage. Never had an issue with damage.
If you're worried take a picture or the seat before handing it over and get suitable travel insurance.

checked ours in as do the vast majority of parents IME. Put it in a bin bag to top it getting wet. Never had an issue. You check it in separately to the luggage but easyjet (and other airlines I imagine) don't charge extra as they do for normal baggage. Always seen lots of car seats going round the conveyor at the other end so clearly it's fairly normal behaviour

If you are hiring a car the other end you can def rent one but I think the quality will be highly variable. I'd consider doing this for a much older child but not a baby.

ps if you do decide to pay for a seat for the baby ( i really wouldn't bother) only a limited number of car seats are permissable to use in this case.

On long haul flights, little cots are usually bookable in advance.

You're usually allowed to check them in for free and many airlines don't have the option to book a seat for any pax under the age of 2. I don't think I've ever seen a carseat inside a cabin, and I fly a lot.

We've always checked it in. Car hire company seats are often dreadful quality and damaged. We did it once and then always took our own after that.

We package ours in bubble wrap and then put it in a car seat bag.

You can't take most standard seats into the cabin - you would need to have one approved for use on planes.

Why do you need a car seat on holiday?

So that they can use a car? Shock horror - some people fly to a destination and pick up a hire car from the airport.

If you are hiring a car, lots of car hire companies will hire you a baby seat with the car

Yes they will - have you ever looked at how much this costs? We looked into it for our last holiday and it was several times the cost of buying a brand new car seat (which isn't really an option if you are picking up a hire car from the airport) Plus, they are unlikely to be brand new and you have no idea of whether the seat has been subject to any bumps and knocks in the past.