calling car seat/travel experts please! can you advise me (and probably many others) what to do about taking car seats abroad

[mothballs]

I am never relying on companies abroad to provide me with a car seat EVER! Have had 2 very bad experiences....due to go abroad and need to find a fairly lightweight easy to carry carseat for DD 19mo.
here goes:
1.Is it better to try and pack one in my suitcase? Have seen some in argos for ?35 that covert into boosters, so could i take it apart for the sake of packing in suitcase, then re-assemble the other side? (but what if luggage is lost )
2.If i take one on the plane with me do all airlines let your lo sit in it strapped in for the duration of the flight? and do all car seats adapt to the lap belt as opposed to a normal seat belt across your chest iyswim....
3.would airlines accept car seat just b4 you board (as with buggies?) guess this depends on airline?? and agaoin, when/if it comes back on the belt where your suitcases appear, again i will worry it may have been damaged.
4. the cheap ones in argos that i may consider taking have no side imapct protection.....should i just bite the bullet and take her normal, heavy, impossible to manuave car seat along with me?!?!? Or is a car seat with no side impact better than nothing.....argh....

can any1 offer advice/experience please, will be travelling to N. Cyprus in 5 wks not sure which airline yet though.

thanking you in advance for helping because i am driving myself (and DH) insane on the matter x

Don't put it in a suitcase
Get a strong clear plastic bag
If your kid is a toddler and you have a seat booked they will let you take it on the place - you do it up with the lap belt
It is much easier to check it in to the hold imo
If you take it on board ask to be seated as near to the front as possible as it is a pain to carry down the aisle

Well I live "overseas" and travel back to UK and Ireland regularly. I used to just take my car seat with me but check it in. Some airports have a facility where you can "clingwrap" items. I used to do this where possible. If not possible I put in large black bin bags taped up. You sometimes have to take to a seperate check-in counter for "odd-size" baggage but thats's about it.

Would take a "proper" care seat rather than one of the ones that separates as they are more likely to get damaged.