checking toddler/Group 1 carseat onto Air Canada flight

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

Hi,
This will be the third time we've flown to Canada with DS. He will be almost 2 when we go at the end of June. The two previous times DP's best friend lent us her old carseats, and met us at the airport on arrival, and we installed them into MIL and PIL's car. This time it's not going to be possible.

I know that most airlines will let you check in a carseat. However, we have this carseat currently:

www.johnlewis.com/maxi-cosi-priorifix-car-seat-black-reflection/p230561411

Has anyone ever checked this type of carseat in? Apart from the logistics of actually carrying it into the airport fromt he long stay carpark... - I guess it'll need it's own trolley - Am wondering about the 'foot' tripod bit that sits in the well of the car. Does anyone know if airlines will take this type of carseat?

I will call them of course, I just wondered if anyone had done this before.

Thanks

I would certainly phone this airline.

It will at the very least have to be carefully packed if you do take it to Canada.

I think it could have a chance of being damaged given as well its got a "foot" thing attached to it as well. Baggage handlers generally are not normally known for care of such items and the foot may well be a problem.

If you are going to use this in Canada will it a) actually fit into the car you will be using and b) is it allowed to be used in a car under Canadian regulations?. A is going to be potentially more of a problem; you really do not want to lug this all the way there only to find that it won't fit.

Can MIL/PIL hire a child's carseat locally for the duration; it may be easier to do that rather than trying to take this seat to Canada.

I have that seat and there is no way I would want to either

a) carry it around at the airport asit is hugely heavy.
b) trust that it wouldn't be broken by the time it got through two lots of baggage handlers - especially the isofix leg.
My parents live abroad and they have bought a car seat for originally DD and nwt DS to use when we visit. There is no way I would take the priorifix.

Are you talking about to use on the plane or check in to the baggage part?

If using on the plane, no, it will not fit. It needs to be fitted with a belt and not isofix.

Secondly, at almost 2 your DC might have to be rear facing in canada. Increasingly more countries are insisting on rear facing until two, I know some US states have this law. Not sure about canada.

I believe that the US/Canadian "LATCH" system is identical to ISOFIX, but top tethers have been common for far longer over there and top tethers are usually required. I don't think that car seat uses a top tether - in the UK the support leg is used as an alternative. Plus support legs can be tricky to fit in different cars because of the height of the floor and any storage compartments.

I would double check the laws - perhaps ask your in laws to ask at their local police station? And look into hiring or even buying a cheap seat to leave there if you visit often. US and Canadian seats tend to last longer than European ones in terms of weight bands.

Here: This implies that all Canadian Forward Facing car seats must have a top tether.

www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-stage2-forward-facing-1085.htm

www.bcaa.com/-/media/BCAA/files/brochures/RSF_Child_Passenger_Safety_Over_1_Year.pdf

This is good too.

I would buy a combination seat that turns into a booster later, then she'll be safe until she's totally out of car seats. It looks like their harness limits go much higher too, some up to 30kg rather than the UK limit of 18kg.

I'm not up to scratch with Canadian department and/or baby stores so you'd have to ask your in laws for a suggestion and then maybe choose one on the website for them to buy and keep there? Make sure you're buying from Canada and not the US.

thanks BertieBotts, all really good info. been looking into it last few days, come across all the bits you've mentioned, and found plenty of cheap carseats at Walmart/Cosco/Target/Sears etc, I think best bet is for inlaws to buy one and keep it there. As usual the Canadian costs are twice that of the same item in the US...

That's annoying! Slightly different regulations etc so you can't import either.

At least with the age she's at you'll be able to buy a FF toddler - booster seat so it will last until she doesn't need one.