Car Seats - has any-one checked a car seat into the hold?

[mcfee]

What did you put it in / did it survive?

large cardboard box padded the seats with bubble wrap.

yes in a clear plastic bag or in sometimes no bag

we have done a far few flights and only had one damaged seat

Yes, in clear plastic wrap and checked in as Fragile.

yes- surrounded in loads of bubblewrap. No box. Was in perfect condition when it came out the other side.

so I have a v.large clear plastic bag (think a single mattress came in it, one of things you chuck in the garage as you know you will need it one day!!) If I just put the car seat on that and tape it shut and label it etc it should be OK? Fly drive to Florida in 2 weeks!!!! (sorry, slghtly hyper!)

ca n you hire car seats with the car??

No where seems to let you do it in advance. (we have car with Dollar so fairly large & well known) I'm sure they have plenty when you get there but what if they don't? And I have read some reports of them not being too clean. Airline website says own car seat can be checked in free but doesn't give advice on how to wrap it up and helpline not too helpful!! (Not like MN!!)

We went on holiday with friends recently. We put through an infact seat and two booster cushions in the hold. No wrapping or anythin. All came out in same way they went in - no marks, no damage, etc.

Have previously taken booster seats with backs in hold too and they have been fine as well.

V.I. Label the carseat iself not just the bag.

We had it in the plastic bag provided by the airline at check-in. We were mistakenly told by Air NZ on departing from Wellington that we had to re-check in at Hong Kong. This proved fortunate as when dp went miles away to re-check in he couldn't find the carseat. He had various people looking and was told it was lost. He told them it couldn't be and insisted on looking himself - he found it forlornly off to one side by itself having been separated from the big with the labelling!

However all bets are off it you're flying out of T5 .

I was told that the only probelm is ou dont know what has happened to it wheil it is out of your sight and it is possible that it will look okay but actually migt have been damaged. This is obviously the pessimistic view point though. I'm sure most of the time, as TheBlonde implied, they are treated correctly as fragile items and are fine. Who are you flying with? I think that it would depend on which airline it was for me to decide whether or not to do it? Can you not take it into the cabin if not and your DC sits on it for the flight. I'm sure I have read somewhere that that is possible. OR did I dream it?

Good point mckenzie, although shouldn't be that fragile as it supposed to protect in a car carsh?? Anyway DD is 3 and wouldn't like to sit on it all the way, likes to be in the 'big plane seat'
Thanks Poppynic, will label the actual seat as well. Not flying out of T5 thankfully!! For once I am happy to be paying the suppliements and flying from a Scottish airport!!

Checked in all stages of car seat, sometimes in plastic bag, but more often without. Never had a problem, all arrived intact.

Really sorry to put my experience in as it seems that you have decided to do it.

We were at an airport and could see the luggage going up the ramp to the hold, a car seat was on it - it fell off from near the top - the handler just picked it up and put back on. From what we could see it didn't look damaged.

We spoke to the parents - (easy to identify - only ones with children on the flight) and told them what we had seen - we also saw them again at baggage reclaim - they had the car seat - it looked as though there was no damage although we had seen it drop at least 50ft.

My friend who works for BA (cabin crew) absolutely refuses to take a carseat checked into the hold for the reason Bellie states- you have no way of knowing what has happened to the car seat when it was out of your sight- and she says you cannot trust the baggage handlers. Even in a crash a seat may look fine- it is like a bike helmet
She has put off travelling with her ds on a plane until he was old enough to take a front facing seat which she will take onto the plane with her (having booked her ds a seat). Expensive though... Cheaper to buy another seat once you get there even!
Sorry to add that, but thought you ought to know