Another 'car seat on flight' question

[SarfEasticated]

My LO will be 2.5 yrs, when we fly to Wellington in March with AirNZ. I'm not sure whether to take her car seat or not. I think it would be a good idea because she is used to sleeping in it, whereas she isn't used to sleeping curled up in a chair. I know it will be a hassle to carry, but if we don't use it surely we can put it in the overhead locker? I am assuming that we won't get any special treatment/seats.
Any suggestions very gratefully received...
Thanks

"If you do decide to take a carseat then just check each airline as they have different restrictions I know some airlines such as BA refuse to take them and your child isnt allowed in them during take off and landing."

Rubbish as someone who has travelled with BA twice in the last month WITH carseat and with 18month old in it for take-off and landing, I would have had to have him on my lap for take-off and landing if he had been under 6 months. Carseats do have to have the 5 point harness to be allowed.

The only recommedation I would make is ring the airline and ask what their policy is.

As for special seats you can always ring up early and say you are travelling with young children and is there any chance you can have bulkhead seats (usually more leg room), they can only say no.

tinytottravellers if you want to advertise your products pay the fee like everyone else.

There was a time in the US where you could only take a child under 2 yo with you on a plane (on internal flights anyway) if the child had a carseat, and you therefore had to buy an extra seat for the child. They wouldn't allow you to have a lapchild because they couldn't be strapped in securely on your lap even with the child seat belts airlines used to use (they attached to your own lap belt and then around the child)

Hi Moodlum, sorry to be dense but I don't understand the last bit of your post, you couldn't put the seats away somewhere temporarily when you didn't need them?

And PosieParker is that right, only 8 seats that can take a car seat? I guess I'd better ring AirNZ and find out if they're taken

On a slightly separate note, my DD has recently been getting carsick, does that mean she is likely to suffer on a plane too, and if so, are there any remedies?

Thanks again

We didn't have a problem with seats that took car seats, if I remember rightly - it didn't matter, any seat seemed to be OK. But like you say, best to check, and, with Air NZ check again. They can be quite obtuse.

I can't quite remember exactly what happened on our return flight. Basically I think that they let us board with the seat, dd decided she didn't want it (BIG mistake), so they stowed it somewhere for us on the plane, but not somewhere they could get at it on the flight. You have to make a decision at the beginning of the flight whether you want the car seat or not, and stick with it. There's no having the car seat for a period of time - then giving it to them to look after, and then having it back, iyswim - there isn't the space and I think they are understandably unwilling to be hauling large car seats in and out during the flight.

Ahh I see. Thanks

You would think that an airline that flies passengers to a remote part of the world (no matter how you measure it NZ is remote) would try to be reasonable about babies and small children and have anticipated all the questions a potential passenger might have.

A child-free friend of mine thinks that they should do child-only flights, like a large flying nursery. Would be good too I reckon, I could be flat out in 1st class and the children and staff husband can bring up the rear.

AirNZ are apparently going to have some special seats that convert into beds in economy - probably the week after we get back!
www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1246145/Air-New-Zealand-offer-economy-class-lie-beds.htm l

Thanks for your help though, much appreciated, are you going over again soon?

Dont know if this will help car seat trolley

One of my mindees has one and has travelled all over the world with it.

at the time when I had a two y/o and a three y/o and I was lugging them and dh was lugging TWO car seats across counties in Heathrow to Air NZ's gate, I would have paid hundreds for that trolley. It almost makes me weep to look at it..

We go to LA every other year to see FIL, and we always fly Air NZ as they do seem to be the best on that route. Everytime I get off the flight at Heathrow I vow to take the Queen Mary across the atlantic instead, but end up, checking in, loaded with valium, 18 months later

Hi there, have just measured our Maxi Cosi car seat and it is bigger than the NZ guidelines - anyone know how picky they are? Or flown with one already...

If its too big they won't let you use it on their plane seat. It will need to go into the hold.

that's my worry! I wonder if they will measure it, it's 1 cm wider than they stipulate....

The problem is it probably won't actually fit. They don't try and be awkward on purpose it is more that they are providing info as to what is possible on their planes.

The reason I am checking is that someone else on this thread has said that they have taken a maxi cosi on the same flight.I'll take it anyway and hope for the best, worse case scenario it'll be put in the hold.

By all means take your car seat but please check that it is legal to use NZ and has the appropriate country's kite/standard mark.

My maxi cosy from the UK is not legal here in Australia and I had to buy new.

Using an illegal car seat can invalidate your insurance policy.