Taking car seat as hand luggage on ba flight? [Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

[FluentOpalMaker]

Anyone can help on travelling with car seat on BA flight. We have DS - 5 months and I’m trying to find out if we can take our car seat (maxi cost pebble 360 pro) and store it in cabin as hang luggage. We taking car seat because we will be driving during our holiday and I don’t really want to check in the car seat.

I reckon you'll have to check it in, where would it go otherwise??

Every airline has different rules
So check with the airline

As hand luggage, I’ve seen few videos on insta saying you can store in the cabin compartments where hand luggage is stored but trying to find out if true.

Maybe a booster but not if its a full seat I wouldn’t imagine.

Have u posted about this before? Going to the U.S ??

not my post I created new post specifically asking about taking car seat as hand luggage not to use as en extra seat.

Ex Ba manager here!

Unless the flights empty is near enough empty it'll be a no! And even if it was empty I wouldn't want my car seat rattling round an empty overhead locker nor having to carry it around the airport!

Check it in it'll go down the out of gauge baggage belt in its own tray so not as busy and bumpy as the main belts!

Do BA not do gate check at the aircraft door for strollers etc?

I flew last year BA with a car seat, and it had to be checked in oversized baggage. Was free to take but not allowed overhead. I did have a stroller in the cabin though.

Why can't you ask the airline? We would not know you need to ask them

Have you booked a seat and does it have a compatible 5 point harness? If not, no

Could you say it is your 'Emotional Support or Service Seat'?

That seems to be the solution these days.

No , it will be placed in the hold. It will not fit into an overhead bin. I would not bother taking your own seat as you have no way of knowing whether it’s compliant for use in the USA or will fit into the hire car.

Also carrying it through somewhere like LHR will be very taxing indeed.

We have always taken car seats then high back boosters on holiday. They have to go into the hold. We have a back pack style carry bag to make luggage easier.
They go through the over size baggage lane but usually out on the luggage carousel.
We always take a seat as they travel free and we don't trust the hire seats.
The only time we took the car seat on board as hand luggage was in first class (air miles flight).

Why would you need to book a seat to take it as hand luggage?

Overhead bins are full generally with just a couple of exceptions recently so they are even making some people check their carry on cases at the gate. The newest airbuses are an exception because they have particularly large overhead bins, not had an issue with no space on them and seen travel buggies allowed in. Unless you have paid for an extra seat you need to check it

So that the baby can use the car seat on the flight.

I was on the BA family travel page the other day and it seems you can use the car seat on the airline seat, as you would in a car. https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/family-travel/seating

If you've bought a seat for it and it meets all the safety requirements you can!!

What is compliant in UK isn't always compliant in US as I found out to my cost. Worth checking whether your car seat complies with the regulations where you are going.

We’ve traveled with car seats and always checked them in hold, we bought a backpack style bag for its which made it easy to carry at the airports.

Try and get a bassinet seat and check the seat in. I can't see how an infant seat can possibly be smaller than the carry on dimensions!

But the OP has said they don't want to do that @Mumsntfan1

Thank you all for the advice! Will book it as checked luggage need to get a bag now for it! Many thanks!

You shouldn't need to book it, you should get 2 pieces of baby equipment for free!