Does your 4 year old use a carseat on the plane?

[northriver]

I'm still flying with a car seat, my daughter is almost 5. We have not had any problems. The Britax seats can be a bit to install/uninstall on the plane, lately we've been flying with a Radian by Sunshine kids which is a very heavy seats but it folds, it has backpack style carry straps, it installs/uninstalls super easily in the plane AND it has a low profile, so my daughter has plenty of legroom and can use the seat back tray.

We travel by car quite a lot and my daugher is most comfortable in the plane in her own carseat. She knows she has to be calm and not get out of the seat, plus she is just more comfortable, she can rest her head on the side of the carseat and sleep. Not to mention kids are safer in car seats on planes, just as they are safer in car seats on cars. Contrary to popular belief, most plane accidents are minor and you really want your child secured in a car seat in the event of an even minor crash landing, rough turbulance, etc.

Our last two trips when my daughter was 4 we didn't even need a car and I still took the car seat for the plane. Aside from thinking through how to handle the luggage/car seat/stroller, it really hasn't been any trouble at all for us to fly with a car seat. We'll be taking the car seat on two upcoming trips, even after she turns 5.

 

[Red_Rider]

I would agree with the previous poster, if they are young enough to have to be in a carseat in the car, then mine will be in one on the plane as well. We are going with a 1yo and 4yo in Sept. The 1yo will be in the rear facing carseat and the 4yo will be in his regular car seat. We'll see how it goes....

 

[brergnat]

I'm still flying with a car seat, my daughter is almost 5. We have not had any problems. The Britax seats can be a bit to install/uninstall on the plane, lately we've been flying with a Radian by Sunshine kids which is a very heavy seats but it folds, it has backpack style carry straps, it installs/uninstalls super easily in the plane AND it has a low profile, so my daughter has plenty of legroom and can use the seat back tray.

This is the same carseat we are currently using for DS. The time we flew, we had the stupid Britax monster to carry on. I purposely chose the Radian for its folding ability, and carry straps (bought an extra one so we can "backpack" it!).

As for having a low profile, we did use this seat on the way home from our last plane trip, because our older DS never used his seat, so we checked the Britax monster and carried on the Radian. It STILL did not allow DS to use the tray table. It would come down onto his upper thighs, and not lay flat, so he couldn't use it to color or eat off of without stuff rolling off. Maybe he has chunky legs...I don't know. This was on a Southwest plane. Luckily, though, he fell asleep after about 15 min. So did our other DS, who was not in a seat. He was slumping all over the place! VERY difficult to keep him comfortable. Meanwhile, DS in the carseat slept like a log. This is something to consider too...

The only thing that makes taking the seat even MORE annoying is that we will have to have a flight connection. Folding up the Radian isn't THAT easy. I can't imagine having to do that on the plane...I've done it on my floor at home, but I had lots of space to maneuver...

 

[deerhart]

since my kids were in booster seats by age 3 (they had outgrown the traditional car seats) they have never flown with a car seat. At age 4 my kids were 42-45 inches tall and 45-50lbs easy.

As for preparing your son for the trip. Does he use social stories? My oldest has a mixed expressive-receptive speech delay and social stories were a great way to deal prepping him for things. We were lucky in that at that age he could read so we could just write out the stories, but a picture sotry wold work really well (picture of boarding, sitting in the chair, seatbelt sign and it having to stay on, him getting to play with things etc..)

 

[jessica52877]

I have not read the responses but I have always carried on my son's carseat. He is now 7 (last time we flew he was 6 1/2). The tray doesn't go down well but he was fine with that. We fly usually from GA to CA and back so long flights. It is wonderful for him sleeping and he has plenty of leg room. More then I have in fact. We fly with a Graco Nautilus. He fine just in a regular seat but I prefer to bring the carseat and he doesn't mind at all. He 55 lbs and 50 inches so no small fry.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

For those that take a seat for their older kids I hope that someone in your party sits in front of them so they don't kick anyone.

 

[jessica52877]

For those that take a seat for their older kids I hope that someone in your party sits in front of them so they don't kick anyone.

My son's legs fold right over the end of the seat just like mine do. Not to mention all kids don't kick in carseats.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

My son's legs fold right over the end of the seat just like mine do. Not to mention all kids don't kick in carseats.

It has nothing to do with the kicking. The children usually have less leg room so their normal movement if you will ends up kicking the seat in front of them.

 

[northriver]

The only thing that makes taking the seat even MORE annoying is that we will have to have a flight connection. Folding up the Radian isn't THAT easy. I can't imagine having to do that on the plane...I've done it on my floor at home, but I had lots of space to maneuver...

I practice folding the Radian at home. I've found uninstalling and folding the Radian to be much faster than uninstalling the Britax seats. Read the Radian manual on folding, there are some tips, like un-velcroing the back which you need to to do uninstall the seat anyway, and loosening the shoulder harness all the way and pulling it up out of the folded part. After practicing a few times, I can uninstall the Radian and have it on my back in less than a minute. I have my child stand in the aisle while I do this so I have our two seats to work with, to lay the Radian down on its back. It is SO easy to get out of the plan with the Radian folded, I carry it over one shoulder and my backpack over my other shoulder. My kids each carry their own backpacks.

Anyway, I'm a single mom often flying alone with two kids and seriously, if I can manage flying with a car seat, anyone can. I'm actually dreading flying WITHOUT a car seat. My youngest knows how to behave in the car, and knows the same rules apply in the plane - easy to remember them when strapped into the same familiar car seat.


Why so many of the previous posters think a child in a car seat would kick any more than a child NOT in a car seat, or any adult who just doesn't have room for their legs, for that matter??? (My daughter doesn't kick, but then again, she actually has MORE leg room on a plane than she has in our small car, where I sit in front of her, so if she kicks, she's always in trouble!!!)

 

[jessica52877]

It has nothing to do with the kicking. The children usually have less leg room so their normal movement if you will ends up kicking the seat in front of them.

His legs don't come over the seat any differently then mine.

 

[mommyof2princesses]

For those who don't do the car seat thing on the plane, what do you do upon arrival. Do rental cars come with car seats now? Many states now require car seats or boosters until 8 or 80 lbs.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

For those who don't do the car seat thing on the plane, what do you do upon arrival. Do rental cars come with car seats now? Many states now require car seats or boosters until 8 or 80 lbs.

I don't rent a car. I take the DME and stay on property.

 

[kohlby]

You can put your carseat in a bag and call it luggage and check it with the rest. It is free to check carseats so you don't get a baggage fee for it. I've been paranoid when I've travelled with carseats so I've actually checked it at the gate if I have connecting flights to make sure it makes it. That way, I have it with me. (The one time I didn't do this, my luggage was delayed! I lucked out that the one carseat the airline would let me use was the right size). You can rent a car seat with a rental car but I don't trust those car seats and it's quite expensive.

*I would fly without a carseat on a plane at 4. My son had no problems using the airplane's seat belt. He knew it stayed on, just like his 5-point harness stayed on at home. He understood safety. (My son was/is big for his age son CARES wasn't an option). For a 2 year old, I would take a 5-point harness. And 3 is the iffy age for me- depending on size and maturity and what else I have to lug! Lugging a Britax Marathon on 3 flights in each direction with two kids with me, including a baby just wasn't possible. So I only had my oldest in the Marathon if my husband was on the trip too).

 

[skhermsmeyer]

Sorry to steal the tread, but my DS will be 2.5 when we fly in April. Do you recommend a car seat for him? The last time we flew I was 7 months pregnant and he was a lap kid. Long Flight.

This time my DH and DD will be flying with us. DD will be 6 months and I'm just thinking it would be easier if we had him in his car seat. What's your experience with it? We've got an Eddie Bauer car seat that we could take with us (don't want to take the Britax Marathon, it's a monster).

 

[jodifla]

For those who don't do the car seat thing on the plane, what do you do upon arrival. Do rental cars come with car seats now? Many states now require car seats or boosters until 8 or 80 lbs.

For 4 on up, I used a booster seat when we traveled and were renting a car. I just put it in my son's suitcase, which is an army duffle bag that accommodates lots.

 

[tinkermom23]

When our oldest was 4, we used a backless booster for his first flight. He is big for his age and we followed recommendations (at the time) for his height/weight. We had a rental car then and we knew we needed it for the whole trip.
Our last trip the twins were almost 3 and we decided against their carseats. They are not big enough for backless booster and the idea of dragging 2 full carseats was crazy! Since we were using DME and and not getting a rental car at all, the only reason to have them was the airplane. Besides that, I knew it would make me more stressed to keep track of more stuff. The kids did wonderful without their seats.
I was worried that when we got back home they would want to sit in the van without seats since they didn't use carseats for the trip, but they didn't even attempt it, so all was fine.

 

[sahm1000]

For those that take a seat for their older kids I hope that someone in your party sits in front of them so they don't kick anyone.

While in a carseat with normal movement my children don't seem to disturb the seat in front of them. If they were kicking a seat I would tell them to stop, but I've never had that problem. And if the normal movement of my child's legs in a seat does bother the person in front of them and they aren't misbehaving, I could care less. Sorry, but my child's safety on an airplane is so much more important than them having a less "bumpy" ride.

 

[amylynne01]

Sorry to steal the tread, but my DS will be 2.5 when we fly in April. Do you recommend a car seat for him? The last time we flew I was 7 months pregnant and he was a lap kid. Long Flight.

This time my DH and DD will be flying with us. DD will be 6 months and I'm just thinking it would be easier if we had him in his car seat. What's your experience with it? We've got an Eddie Bauer car seat that we could take with us (don't want to take the Britax Marathon, it's a monster).

Both of them should be in seats on the plane. If there is any turbulence while in flight, both will be protected by their seats. If your DD is on your lap, you physically won't be able to hold on to her if it gets rough. You can buy a cheap backup seat like a Cosco Scenera (about $40) that is great to use for traveling. When we fly to Disney next January, my girls (who will be just about 3 and 20 months) will use carseats for sure.

 

[disfan07]

When I go with a fmaily I sit for in june we are going to have an almost 3 year old, a 5 year old, a 7 year old adn a 10 year old.
Neither the 3 year old or 5 year old are going to be in carseats.

The youngest is 2 1/2 now and is more the height of a 3 1/2 year old so by teh time we go he will probaly be the height of a 4 year old and we're usign disney transportation so the parents decided against a car seat for him adn the 5 year old is out of a carseat anyways. shes in a booster at home because she is so tall (shes been in a booster since 4 1/2) so that wasnt even a question about what to do with her.

But for us its also only a 2 hour flight so we're not concerned with them behaving.
Teh 3 year old will be entranced with MMC on teh DVD player and teh 5 year old will want me to read her princess stories....it should be relatively easy

 

[grace&philipsmom]

Before our ikds turned two, we would always buy them a seat and buckle them into their carseat. After about 2 they would fly without.