kate said: May 9th, 2010 2:09 pm
we are travelling 12 hours on a plane overseas with our toddler who doesnt sleep and gets hyper. She has her own seat this time but we cannot decide whether to look into bringing her car seat or not . We are thinking of buying the wheels accessory to push her in the airport . But we cannot decide to go this route or buy a safety harness instead. Would love some feedback . I suppose we need to be sure both airlines accept car seats . thank you .
Donna @ Travel Toddler said: May 9th, 2010 5:25 pm
Hello Kate,
CARES vs. car seats on planes: CARES is superior to a carseat when travelling with toddlers on planes* and I see it as the best alternative.
I dont like the idea of taking the seat out of the car, making sure its fitted back in correctly and then the potential of damage to the seat in transit. I like that CARES fits directly onto the aircraft seat and allows it to flex as intended, while supporting the childs upper torso. And, its light and fits in my carry-on luggage! This is why I created my business (Little Gulliver) and brought the CARES to Australia*.
Some people use a car seat believing their children will sleep better in them, as they do in a car. Others say they wont use car seats on planes again as the child has been uncomfortable. Many times the airline seat cant recline with the car seat in it, the tray table can’t lower over the childs legs, I’ve heard of angry fellow passengers as the child can kick the back of the seat in front! I guess the main problem is that once you have the car seat on board there isnt really an option to remove it if things go awry.
I’ve never had any problem with my children sleeping in a CARES, remembering that plane travel is never that pleasant for everyone anyway. We alway’s take the standard snacks, activities and soft toys from home and hope for the best. I think a good place to start is to see if your particular car seat is approved by your airlines, as you mentioned. Many makes and models are not, while Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways don’t allow car seats at all. Also, consider a travel stroller as an option if you do want wheels at the airport. There are some great travel strollers around (we use a Quicksmart) and Ive heard of people buying cheap umbrella strollers to use (strollers on planes though starts a whole new conversation)!
Thank you for your questions and feedback, I hope my comments help.
Happy Mothers Day to all!
Donna