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Original poster

Help - car seat to take on planes in order to use at other end

21 replies

zingzillachinchilla · 19/10/2010 10:13

We travel a lot by plane, and DD has just outgrown her MaxiCosi which was really easy to take with us on our travels. We've since bought a rear-facing Group 1 seat for everyday use, but it's a Scandinavian rear-facing isofix one, so not ideal for removing and taking with us.

Does anyone have any tips on a good seat to get for us to travel with - needs to be reasonably portable so we can pop it in the plane hold?

Thanks!

OP posts:
MmeBodyInTheBasement · 19/10/2010 10:16

Do you always go to the same place?

We live abroad and bought car seats that stay at my parent's place when we are home in Scotland.

Original poster
zingzillachinchilla · 19/10/2010 11:57

This is where it gets complicated - a large proportion of the time we do go to the same place (DH family and my family live in Scotland).

However, we move back and forward between locations when there (50 miles apart) and usually hire a car rather than relying on relatives to collect us from airport. Having a locker at Glasgow or Edinburgh airport might suit!! If only...

OP posts:
mumoverseas · 19/10/2010 12:15

We bought a 'sit n stroll' car seat which is made in America. It has a handle which pulls out from the top and wheels that pop out underneath so you can push it so perfect for travelling as much easier at the airport.

janek · 19/10/2010 12:56

i presume you know that you can hire carseats when you hire cars?

mumoverseas · 19/10/2010 13:03

I'm sure she does janek but they can be very expensive. Last year friends of ours paid more to hire a car seat for 2 weeks than it was to buy one

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 19/10/2010 13:08

We just take our sons maxi cosi ones (Tobi and Rodi XR) and put them in car seat bags that we got from kiddicare.

janek · 19/10/2010 13:16

we paid 17 euros for a week once. in france. but that was 4 years ago...

nancydrewrocked · 19/10/2010 13:25

I used to travel with two phil and ted Totts here

They are very light and can be used with the integral 5 point harness, then as a high back booster with seat belt and then just as a low booster.

Word of warning though: BA always used to allow carseats to go in the hold without counting towards luggage allowance (as with buggies) last Wednesday I was travelling out of Heathrow and BA check in staff told the woman ahead of me that this was no longer permitted so she was charged for it as excess baggage.

Makes travelling with carseats very expensive.

MmeBodyInTheBasement · 19/10/2010 13:37

How old is your DD?

There is a fab rucksack car seat thing, from Trunki, but it is aimed at older children I think.

I suppose you could use it until you get to your families.

Tbh, I would leave a car seat there and ask one of the family to meet you at the airport.

EldonAve · 19/10/2010 17:34

very odd about BA

website says you can take a stroller and car seat for each child www.britishairways.com/travel/bagchk/public/en_gb

nancydrewrocked · 19/10/2010 18:51

Eldon interesting....check in staff weren't having any of it. BA have really tightened their rules recently:

Hand luggage being weighed

Strict enforcement of baggage weight limits and a reduction to only one bag per person to economy travellers.

I wonder if the staff are now on commission for excess baggage like some of the airlines?

EldonAve · 19/10/2010 19:11

I guess I will be taking a print out of the website with me then just in case

mumoverseas · 20/10/2010 08:39

nancydrew, that is very odd. I flew BA from Heathrow last month and took a car seat and buggy.
Hand baggage wasn't weighed (thank god!) but they do have the 'new' rule ref only one bag per person flying cattle which has actually been in around 2 years now. You can book online and take a second bag much cheaper than the excess baggage weight though

mumoverseas · 20/10/2010 08:40

PS, also with BA we were allowed two hand luggage items, a laptop and rucksack or handbag and other item. We are flying tonight with another airline who only allow one piece per person so BA better in that respect

BertieBotts · 20/10/2010 08:43

The Kiddy Infinity Pro might be worth a look. It's quite lightweight and fits in lots of cars. It's still going to be a pain to carry though.

nancydrewrocked · 20/10/2010 16:11

mumoverseas perhaps it depends on who the check in agent is? The one on the weekend also gave the woman the advice that the car seat could be taken as hand luggage and the baby can be strapped into it throughout the flight - she didn't make it clear that the baby would have to be removed for take off and landing and any other time the seatbelt light was illuminated.

I fly about once every 6 weeks with two small children and IME it is only since about May that the one bag rule has been strictly enforced.

I have also fallen foul of the rule whereby each bag must weigh no more than 23 kilos - I used to be able to take two bags (for three of us) weighing up to 64 kilos (weight limit is 23 kilos per person but 32 max per bag) Now to be within limits I have to have three bags at no more than 23 kilos each which is a bit of a pain when only one adult is travelling.

I have found all airlines are getting increasingly inflexible with allowances.

Original poster
zingzillachinchilla · 20/10/2010 16:16

Thanks everyone, I will go and look at all the suggested seats.

Janek - I do realise car hire firms provide them, but as mumoverseas mentioned, I'd be cheaper buying one as we travel so regularly.

Good idea to print out the BA policy, although I have to say that they have always been excellent (even after the more robust excess baggage policy was introduced).

OP posts:
mumoverseas · 20/10/2010 19:23

maybe the check in agent at heathrow recently was having a bad day. IIR the 'new' one bag rule came in a few years ago in a January. Friends of ours flew out to the states just before the rule came in taking two bags each and on the way back got clobbered for excess baggage due to the rule coming in whilst they were away which is a little unfair. Be that as it may, the rules are the rules and are pretty clear on the website.

If the lady was told to take the car seat hand luggage that would have surely meant she had paid for a seat for her infant and the rules have always been that infants must be on adults lap for take off, landing and when seat belt sign on. Always a PITA for us as sods law DC4 always falls asleep in bassinet just before bloody turbulence!

zing we are taking our car seat to the States in a few days. Last time we hired one they wanted around $200 which is bloody daft.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 21/10/2010 22:58

We've just taken our Britax Evolva car seat with RyanAir. Wrapped it in a plastic dust sheet and it went with the oversized luggage in the hold. We didn't have to pay any extra for it and it arrived in one piece at the other end.

We took the parcel tape and plastic with us in our hand luggage so we could wrap the seat when we parked the car at the airport. Really easy.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 21/10/2010 22:59

That's a lie, we paid £10 each way for it but the buggy was taken in the hold free Blush... too much vino (we're in Provence!!)

CrispyTheCorpse · 21/10/2010 23:01

We took a Britax Freeway to America with BA and DD1 (2.5 at the time) sat in it on the flight. It is a very narrow seat (i think maybe has a different name now). Apparently most airlines say only up to 2 yrs, BUT the CAA website says they can travel in it up to 3. We were allowed to use it all the way (including takeoff & landing) on the way there, but not for takeoff and landing on the way back Confused

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