What do you do with car seat when flying?

[Mip]

Sorry if this is a really obvious/stupid question and sorry for posting this here and not in travel, but I am pregnant and I'm cosy in this section!
Anyway, will be doing quite a few trips abroad once the baby's born (a holiday in the US - I hope!, and regular trips home to England) and I will need a car seat for journeys while in these places. What do you do with the car seat on the plane? Are you allowed it as hand luggage or is it too big? Would prefer to check it in but I'm wondering if any knocks it's bound to suffer will make it less safe. I haven't seen any padded car seat travel bags and most planes don't have fragile sections...

Depends on how busy the flight is, as sometimes they let you take it on board, even if you've not paid for an extra seat.
If not, what they usually do with buggies/travel systems is let you take them to the gate lounge and then check them into the hold at the plane door. Bit of a lottery what happens at the other end on the carousel though. If you are worried about knocks and bumps, suggest you take some bubble wrap and gaffer tape to do a quick packing job.

I usually just check it. I've so far havent had to pay extra for it. It hasn't really gotn't knocked about but a bit of bubble wrap isn't a bad idea. You could also check about renting a car seat at your destination.

I check it in. I have travelled loads and loads on airlines with 2 children and I never had to pay any extra for seats or buggys/prams. Also none of it has ever been damaged.

You check them in
We have had one damaged seat so far
You can buy padded travel bags for them but only seen them in the US

I used car seat travel bag at check it in get a tag for it- they sometimes make you take it to out sized items when tagged. and tag travel bag too If you use one

Thanks very much everyone - guess I will check it in then! Renting not really an option, in US we'd be mainly taking trains and then being driven the odd time by friends and I'm over in UK quite a lot so makes sense not to hire each time. Thanks for the link to the travel bag Scottishmummy, will look into that.

some airlines wont even include travel seats and strollers in baggage weight.. well long haul. A few times we have had this happen now flying between uk and aus. We have however lost one car seat.. smashed to four bits in transit, once dd had her own seat she had a car seat in it till she was three or four ish some airlines will let you do this no questions asked, others are a pain in the bum. It is under aviation law your required that your child is suitably restrained up to the age of three in a seat if they do have a seat of there own.... i have quoted this more than once too! sky cots are great for little babies but dd has out grown one by nine months and it was a long trip with her on my knee!

chloe - V interesting post

I'd try and take it to the gate. (make a fuss). They can then put in the hold with the buggy and you at least know it's def on the plane. BA will carry it for free but didn't put ours on the plane as there was "too much luggage" (lots of skis and boots). My Dad was meant to collect us but at the last miniute we decided to hire a car but use our own seat. Luckily they had one we could use. If my dad had collected us we would have been stranded. 2 weeks later friends were stuck at Malaga airport for hours as BA also didn't bring their seat. They had to wait till the next flight to arrive to bring it as the car hire place didn't have any (they are pretty ropey as well). (Neither were damaged when they eventually arrived).