This article about how to carry car a seat through the airport is written by certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Melissa Conn and may contain affiliate links.
Once you’ve decided to fly with your child’s car seat instead of checking the car seat on an airplane, it’s time to consider the logistics. First on that list? How to transport a car seat in the airport.
Getting your car seat through the airport is no small feat and can lead to plenty of huffing, puffing and swear words. Keep calm and read this article for our best ideas to make this process easier.
But first, a few things to keep in mind.
-In most cases, you’ll need to send the car seat through the X-ray machine at the airport security screening. If not, security agents will take the car seat from you for manual inspection. Honestly I prefer it that way despite the extra time because I’m always worried that the car seat will get stuck in the machine! However it’s inspected, you may need to separate it from extra apparatus to get through security. In my opinion, this is the worst part of the “airport car seat shuffle”.
-If you bring something extra to transport your car seat, you’ll need to keep it with you for your whole vacation. That’s not an issue if you plan to rent a car, but if you’re talking about a year of backpacking around the world with kids (and alllll their crap) you won’t want anything bulky in addition.
-How will your child get through the airport? Sometimes even walkers need an assist in huge airports. Make sure that whichever option below you choose, you have a plan in place to bring the kid along. We always traveled with this carrier to keep our hands and strollers empty!
1. Carry the car seat (the easier way)
Carrying your car seat through airport is the most straightforward (though least genius) approach and we do this pretty often now that we’re post-stroller and want to travel light. It’s much easier with a lightweight travel car seat than with a heavy beast!
Wondering how to carry a car seat through the airport? We just clip all of the harness straps together and carry it that way. If trying to figure out how to carry a car seat with the baby strapped in (typically only an infant car seat), I recommend carrying it in front of you using both hands. You can avoid injuring your back and hips that way by distributing the weight evenly and relying on your biceps. An infant car seat with a baby in it can easily weigh 20-40 pounds, so be gentle with your body!
If you have a lightweight car seat and there’s no child in it, you can probably carry it one-handed since it shouldn’t be more than about 10 pounds.
Pros:
-Nothing extra to buy
-Nothing extra to bring
-Easy to prepare for security screening
-Doesn’t occupy a stroller seat (if you have one)
Cons:
-Can get heavy, especially if you’re traveling solo with kids and their other gear
-Need to lift the car seat to carry it down some narrow airplane aisles
2. Attach it with a car seat luggage strap
If you’re bringing a wheeled carry-on suitcase, a car seat luggage strap can be a great choice! The straps use the car seat’s low anchors and top tether strap to attach the car seat to the front of the suitcase. You wheel it along like normal until you’re ready to use the car seat on board!
You can even use a bungee cord to accomplish the same thing. This great reader-contributed photo shows the travel-friendly Evenflo Sonus (fits newborn to age 5-6) MacGyver’ed to a carry-on bag.
Pros:
-Cheap solution
-Compact to store during your trip
-Can usually wheel the car seat down the airplane aisle
Cons:
-Works best with more compact car seats
-Can make your roller bag more tippy and difficult to maneuver
-Child can’t safely ride in the car seat
-Needs to be removed for security screening
-Won’t work if you use a backpack for your carry-on
3. Use your airport stroller as a trolley
One of the easiest ways to get your car seat through the airport is to push it on your travel stroller or car seat carrier. Some combinations of strollers and car seats work better than others – a teeny tiny folding stroller won’t work well with one of these!
There are lots of ways you can push your car seat on a stroller.
1. Recline the stroller seat and put the car seat in it, with your carry-on backpack stacked inside
2. If your car seat is compact enough, rest it upside down on the stroller’s canopy
3. If your stroller has a big basket (like this one), slide a compact car seat inside (you can also remove the seat to put the car seat underneath)
4. If your stroller is heavy and your car seat is light, you can try hanging the car seat from the back with these (be careful that it doesn’t tip backward!)
5. If you’re traveling with an infant car seat, get a lightweight stroller frame that it snaps into like this one
The first option is what most people (including us) usually do. It works about 95% of the time and is pretty easy to unload at the security checkpoint. Just be prepared with a carrier for your little one since the stroller will be otherwise occupied.
When we were traveling overseas with two car seats, we actually did #1 and #3 at the same time (and each carried a kid at times). It worked, and we also managed to pile all of our backpacks in there as you can see in the photo above.
I also managed #2 when I traveled solo with our younger one as a baby. I wore her in the carrier and then loaded everything on to our Uppababy G-Luxe. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked!
Thanks to my fellow CPST Erin who shared the great photo above! They were able to transport a nested Cosco Finale and Cosco Scenera Next for their 4 and 1 year olds, while the 6 year old’s Ride Safer Travel Vest (full review here) packed easily in their luggage. It all attached easily to their Baby Jogger City Mini.
If you’re still in the market for a lightweight travel car seat stroller, I recommend checking out the Mountain Buggy Nano. It includes a strap that can be used to attach almost any infant car seat and you can also use it for a compact lightweight convertible car seat like the Cosco Scenera Next. This is an extremely popular combination and will work well until at least age 3 (if not 4). Did I mention that you can fit the Mountain Buggy Nano in the overhead bin of most planes? Yeah, it’s pretty slick.
Our Tiny Globetrotters community member Laura shared this great photo to show how well the Mountain Buggy Nano works with the Scenera Next:
Pros:
-No extra gear if you’re already bringing a stroller
-Several options for how to configure depending on your airplane stroller/travel car seat combination
-Walking through the airport with the car seat/stroller combination is fairly easy
Cons:
-Some set ups don’t let a kid sit in the stroller
-You’ll have to separate the car seat carrier at airport security
-If you’ll gate check the travel stroller on the airplane, you’ll have to carry the car seat on the plane
Of course, if your baby is still in an infant car seat it’s easy to find a stroller that’s compatible to clip it in! Check out these lightweight infant car seats to find the right one for you.
3½. Get a car seat with wheels attached
If you’re thinking ahead for your epic travels with a baby, you might want to consider a car seat with wheels built in! There used to be a convertible carseat with wheels, the Lily Gold Sit n Stroll. To be honest… it wasn’t that great as a car seat and it’s been discontinued.
But today, you can choose an awesome baby car seat with wheels: the Doona or the new Evenflo Shyft DualRide.
Color me jealous of today’s new parents, you guys get the coolest stuff! I’ve played with this super rad infant car seat with wheels, and it really is super rad. The Doona and Shyft DualRide are much heavier than your typical infant carrier, but you won’t need to carry them anywhere because it basically just takes the push of a button for those snazzy black and yellow wheels to pop out and turn it into a convenient little city stroller.
Here are a few important stats for the Evenflo or Doona baby seat with wheels: they’ll accommodate babies from birth until 32″ or 35 pounds, whichever comes first. Those size limits are becoming standard these days, and many parents are able to use it beyond their child’s first birthday. It comes with a base (that includes both seatbelt and LATCH options) but it’s very easy to install without the base as well. In the car, the handle is locked in place above your baby’s feet and acts as an anti-rebound bar – a really innovative way to add that safety feature!
Though the Doona and the Shyft DualRide don’t have storage baskets underneath (because then they wouldn’t fold properly), you can grab the Doona Essentials Bag that safely attaches to the handle of that seat or the Shyft DualRide that comes with a Carry-All bag. There’s also the option to add the Doona Snap-On Storage to the back of the seat, but it has to be removed before installing in the car. Both seats include a standard sunshade but if you’ll be walking outside a lot with your baby, the Doona Sunshade Extension may be a helpful accessory or you can get the Shyft DualRide extended canopy version. See all the useful Doona accessories here.
A big questions many parents have is “Can you use the Doona on a plane?” Absolutely! One of our readers kindly shared this photo of her nugget happily snoozing in his Doona in an Economy class seat (when it was time to install, she flipped the handle toward the seatback and buckled the seatbelt through the belt guides). She was able to roll the Doona right down the airplane aisle. How’s that for a convenient travel car seat with wheels!
A note on Doona prices… The Doona is expensive. There’s really no way around that unless you catch it on a Black Friday or Cyber Monday special. If you see a Doona on Amazon or elsewhere that seems too cheap to be true, then it’s probably an unsafe knock-off. Do not buy it! Instead, report the listing to Amazon or whatever other site it’s on.
4. Bring a wagon
This option hails from our Tiny Globetrotters member Jordan, and it’s kind of genius. Her family absolutely loves their Veer Cruiser, which the manufacturer calls a “hybrid stroller wagon”.
What’s hybrid about it? It has the option to either pull it like a traditional wagon or push it like a stroller. The interior of the wagon has two bench seats facing each other and a footwell for comfortable seating.
What does any of this have to do with transporting car seats through the airport? Well, if you take out the snack tray in the middle it’s… a big empty wagon, perfect for hauling your car seats through the airport! This is an amazing solution for families dealing with two car seats at the airport. It’ll also work well if you’re pushing one child and one car seat.
Once you get to the gate, you can fold your Veer wagon and check it in this bag. The great thing is that the Veer can work as your double stroller once you get to your destination, so it won’t feel like yet another useless gadget along for the ride. You can even get lots of nifty accessories like car seat adapters, sun shades and cup holders to keep adapting your Veer wagon to use from birth through childhood.
Pros:
-Haul kids, car seats and basically anything else
-Serves as your stroller when you’re traveling
-Nifty accessories to make your Veer extremely useful for many years – even after you’re done traveling with car seats
Cons:
-It ain’t cheap
-Too heavy to gate check with American Airlines (should be ok for other airlines)
-Limitation as a stroller in that there’s no reclined position without this add-on (buuuuut that accessory does look kind of amazing)
If the Veer stroller wagon is out of your budget, consider these alternatives:
Mid-price stroller wagon: Keenz Stroller Wagon (includes many accessories; all-terrain wheels are an add-on)
Bargain stroller wagon: Evenflo Pivot Xplore Stroller Wagon (compatible with Evenflo LiteMax car seats with this adapter) – also available direct from Evenflo
5. Add car seat wheels with a car seat travel cart
If you’re planning to travel with bulky convertible car seats from home, a car seat travel cart is the best way to go. It adds wheels to your car seat so that you can easily pull the rolling car seat with your kid strapped in all the way through the airport, down the jetway, along the airplane aisle and right to your seat. We’ve heard of some kids falling asleep upon arrival at the airport and staying asleep until they are leaving the destination airport all thanks to the car seat airport roller!
Here are the best car seat travel carts to consider:
- Go-Go Babyz Mini Travelmate car seat cart
*The most popular car seat wheel and finally back in stock after more than two years. Works with a huge range of convertible and combination car seats and nice wheels for a smooth ride. - Holm Airport Car Seat Stroller
*Compatible with basically every car seat, but not as stable as some of the other options – see photo below - Britax car seat travel cart
*Folds fairly long; accommodates Britax car seats and most others - Munchkin Brica Smart Move car seat roller
*Folds up small, fits up to 100lbs including child and car seat; not compatible with Britax ClickTight car seats
Pros:
-Your kid can ride in the car seat while it’s attached to the car seat trolley or you can load the car seat with a backpack or two
-You can wheel the car seat transporter down the aisle of most planes
-Easy to take your full-size car seat from home (which takes away the financial sting a little)
Cons:
-You may have to remove your car seat from the car seat cart at security
-Expensive considering the car seat dolly is for airport use only
-Bulkiest option to store and transport on vacation
-Wheels don’t pivot, so be careful on sharp turns!
-Some carts are only compatible with certain car seats (like the Britax car seat carrier for airport trips)
-A wide car seat may not fit down a narrow aircraft aisle
If you don’t need your child to ride in the car seat, you could consider a compact luggage cart like this one. At least then you’ll have more versatility when the car seat days are over!
6. Haul it in a car seat backpack
The last option to consider is carrying your car seat in a padded car seat backpack. It’s a great hands-free option that lets you either hold hands with a toddler or push your baby in the stroller. Find out more about different car seat bags for travel.
You’ll still need to remove it in the security line, but it’s pretty straight-forward to do so. There are a bunch of different car seat travel bag brands on Amazon, but they all seem to be rebranded generics coming out of the same factory so I don’t think it matters which one you buy (just being honest).
I personally wouldn’t bother with the really thin car seat gate check bag that has straps. It would be difficult to carry as a backpack since it lacks structure, offers zero protection to the car seat and is very likely to tear and fray quickly. “Ergonomic design” my ass. At that point you might as well use a heavy-duty garbage bag or even a laundry bag.
Be mindful that even the most best car seat bags for air travel may not offer enough protection if you decide to check your car seat.
Pros:
-Lightweight
-Keeps the stroller seat open for kids to ride
-(Sort of) easy to carry around in cities if need be – though personally I’d bring a foldable car seat for this purpose instead
-Padded options give a little protection for your car seat if you end up needing to gate check
-Space to stuff a few lightweight extras like diapers and coats
Cons:
-Another “thing” to bring on your travels (though it folds down and clips to stay closed)
-Kids can’t ride in the car seat
-Car seat backpacks don’t have supportive hip belts to help with weight distribution (some have a webbing strap just to keep it from shifting, but not what you’d find on a quality backpack)
-Might be overwhelmingly large for petite travelers – they’re all 28″ tall
7. Bring in the pros
Sometimes you just need a little help from your friends, even if they’re friends you have to pay. The innovative folks at SkySquad are working with airports around the country to provide hands-on help from a team of assistants who have airport credentials.
What does that mean for you? A SkySquad assistant can meet you at your car door to help you and your brood (and all your stuff) navigate through check in, security, endless errands in the terminal and all the way to your gate. On your return leg, they can meet you at the gate (or after customs for an international flight) and help you jet out of the airport. SkySquad can even hang out with you during a long layover to grab food for you or watch your stuff while you take the kids to the restroom.
SkySquad’s departure service, The Globetrotter, costs $99 while The Welcome Crew (arrivals) and Half Time Help (layovers) cost $49. Use discount code TCSM20 to save 20% on your SkySquad booking!
As of 2023, The Sky Squad is available at the following airports:
–Baltimore-Washington International (BWI)
-Denver (DEN)
-Philadelphia (PHL)
–Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) – Spirit Airlines only
-Las Vegas (LAS)
How To Travel With Car Seat FAQs
There’s no “best” option, since it depends on which car seat you’re bringing, whether or not you’ll bring a stroller and how old your child is. Read through this article to understand the pros and cons of each option.
If you’re bringing an infant car seat for travel, it’s a toss-up whether or not to bring the base and depends on the details of your trip. We brought our base when we knew we’d be renting a car and our kids were young enough to fall asleep on long drives. Ours fit in the basket of our Chicco Keyfit Caddy.
If you won’t be renting a car or your child is old enough not to fall asleep often on drives, bringing the base can be a nuisance for getting through the airport.
Also remember that you can’t install your base on the airplane. You can put it in the overhead bin if there’s space.
No! We do it all the time. Sometimes a low-tech solution is all it takes.
If you’re installing your child’s car seat for them to use in a seat you’ve purchased, then it does not count as a carry on. If you’re trying to put an infant car seat or booster seat in the overhead bin, in theory it could count as a carry on but we’ve never had that issue.
This article was produced in partnership with The Sky Squad. All opinions are my own.
What are your hacks for getting your car seat through the airport?
This is a very helpful, thought-out, and well written article. Car seats are very important as we want to protect our little ones. If you don’t want to try to look for car seat and get a car service, look for Kidmoto and we can help in select US cities.
Pretty good article
Hi Kawanee,
Thanks for dropping by! Glad to help 🙂
Safe travels,
Melissa
Very very helpful!
Thank you
Hi There – this is a great website thanks so much for sharing your experiences.
I am about to travel for the first time with my LO (10 months) and I bought your recommended Cosco car seat. I now am leaning towards a frame “snap n go stroller” for airport/travel. But it is unclear to me what happens to the stroller once you get on the plane? Do they check it at the gate or should I be expected to bring something that fits in an overhead bin?
I was hoping this one could be stored in an overhead bin (you listed this in your article) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00838BNK2/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&th=1
Thanks for your help
Hi Angela,
Thanks for stopping by! I don’t recommend buying a snap n go for the Scenera Next for three reasons. First, you’ll be stuck using the car seat in the snap n go at all times rather than a proper stroller seat. Second, a snap n go won’t fit in the overhead bin. And third, the snap n go only has a recommended weight limit of 30lbs so you’ll get limited use from it (you have to account for the car seat’s weight as well).
The most popular stroller to use with the Cosco Scenera Next is the Mountain Buggy Nano. It goes in the overhead bin, has a strap to attach a compact lightweight car seat and can be used on its own (no car seat) all the way to 44lbs.
Safe travels,
Melissa
I bungee’d a Graco Extend2Fit to a luggage cart. Not the prettiest, but kid was happy with his seat on the various lines and it was cheaper than offical car seat travel carts. He could ride in his seat if he crossed his legs, however if I was walking, he wanted to be walking/exploring.
Granted, I’m also the one who lugged a Britax Frontier on a plane a week ago. Kid is too tall for most FF harnesses and he always sleeps in the car and slouches still. So my seats on planes may not be the smartest of ideas.
Hi Amanda,
We went the bungee route once (with a much lighter seat) and found it to be a major pain when we went through security! This strap is a great compact, budget-friendly option that’s more secure and easier to manage. I’m glad you’ve found options that work for your family and kudos for surviving travel with the Frontier 🙂
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hello! I am traveling with a doona next month and I want to take my base because we will be gone for 6 weeks and have a rental. What is the best way to transport the base (check with luggage/ overhead bin)? Are there any travel bags for bases that you recommend? Thanks in advance!
Hi Talar,
Wow, you like to give me a challenge!
One option is to check it in a hard-sided suitcase with your luggage; that minimizes the risk of damage, though there’s still the risk of loss. Just remember if you’re trying to put other things in the suitcase with it that some airlines have a weight limit for checked bags and the Doona base is a full 10lbs.
If you would only be checking a bag to safely transport the base and the airline would charge for a bag, you could weigh the pros and cons of just buying another base at your destination. I know it’s a little wasteful, but it wouldn’t cost a ton more and would be very easy. For the ride to/from the airport it’s very easy to just install baseless.
Another option is to take it as a carry-on. It will fit in the overhead bin, though it’s technically a little wider than airline-approved dimensions. Because it’s a little on the bigger side, you won’t find a typical carry-on or duffel to accommodate its width. You could try something like this tote bag, which will just leave a little sticking up; then turn it sideways to go in the overhead bin.
The final option is to leave the base at home. Doona is meant to install easily without the base for city dwellers. I get that it’s inconvenient for a six week trip, but just another option to keep in your back pocket!
Safe travels,
Melissa
Have you found a strap option for the Cosco Scenera Next Convertible Car Seat so that you can carry it with baby in it? I wish it had a handle to carry it!
Hi Stefania,
I wouldn’t try to hand-carry the car seat with the child in it. There’s one infant car seat that has a carry strap but otherwise they aren’t designed for it.
I’d personally grab the Mountain Buggy Nano if you really want your child to ride in the Scenera through the airport.
Let me know if you need any more ideas!
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hi Melissa, Thank you for the info, it’s so helpful. I am planning to fly with my 21 months old, first time. I have a car seat for the airplane and I am wondering is there any cancelation to take her out from the car seat and let her sleep on the seat? Or does she need to be in the car seat for the whole time? It’s a 10 h flight and I am not sure if she can sleep in the car seat that long/probably not good for her.
Thank you in advance, Rita
Hi Rita,
Thanks for stopping by! When the “fasten seatbelt sign” is on, she needs to be properly buckled. It’s for her safety and everyone else’s! It’s best practice for everyone including adults to be buckled when seated in case the plane encounters unexpected turbulence, but if the seatbelt sign is off you can take her out for a walk or to play. There isn’t generally room to uninstall the car seat and store it anywhere if that’s what you’re wondering about. I wouldn’t worry about the safety of sleeping in the car seat for the one night at that age, she will be absolutely fine.
Safe travels,
Melissa
I am so thankful I found your blog. I am PCSing myself, a 5 year old, and a 5 month old, without my husband, from the US to Italy in a few weeks. Phew! And I am absolutely terrified of how I am going to be flying/maneuvering the airports and planes by myself, with both the kiddos gear and carseats. If I understand this correctly, I can keep my 5 month old in his carseat that latches into the stroller… put the diaper bag, and my 5 year olds carry on bag in the basket of the stroller. And strap my 5 year olds carseat to my carry on bag with a carseat strap… take all of this onto the plane, use both carseats in the seats we purchase for my children to sit in during the flights, and put the stroller in the overhead bin?! Oh my, I am freaking out. Thank you so much!
-a young mom of 2 that has never left the country and has only ever been on one plane ride 🥴🥴
Hi Rachel,
Big thanks to your entire family for your service <3
I think you've got the right idea! It's a lot of stuff but it's just one day. What car seat does your 5yo have? You might be most successful with a cart or a wheeled car seat bag, and potentially your 5yo could even pull it. This bag is on 4 nice spinner wheels and has a short handle so it should be fairly easy to maneuver in the airport.
Honestly I think your greatest challenge is going to be getting on the plane with the kids and car seats. I’d reach out to the airline in advance via twitter DM and ask if it’s possible to arrange for assistance with boarding. If it’s not, when you get to the gate (early!) I’d explain the situation to the gate agent and ask to board as early as possible. During pre-boarding often the FAs aren’t very busy, so perhaps a generous one would keep an eye on your 5yo while you situate the baby.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! Best of luck and safe travels.
Melissa
Hi there again, I don’t know what happened to my long post. It seemed like it got posted earlier but then I had trouble with my internet. I tried to copy it back before the page started loading again because I misspelled my gmail and I think I ended up copying 2 different posts and they got mixed up! Sorry about that!
So here it is my long post again:
Hi Melissa,
Thank you very much for the info, it’s so helpful! I am planning to fly very very soon with my 26 month old for the first time. It will be a very long trip. From México to Spain and Spain to Ireland so we recently bought the cosco scenera next car seat and I am wondering what’s the best way to install it on the seat of an airplane? Our baby is only 26 pounds. I’m very nervous because we have no clue about how to travel with a toddler. The new car seat is still in the package since we have a chicco Nextfit already in the car and I got this cosco Scenera to travel a little lighter in this long trip. If I understand this correctly, I can keep his car seat on top the stroller… but my stroller is the Evenflo legacy Dlx do you think I can move the the car seat around the airport on top of the tires? I don’t know if they will allow me to check in the big stroller as one or if I should get a travel handier stroller. Although I don’t want to leave my stroller in méxico. It was pretty expensive when we first got it 2 years ago. I could buy a second hand travel stroller to bring on the plane and keep the top part of the Evenflo stroller in one of my big suitcases but will they charge me for it? We are paying for my babies seat in every single flight.
I need your advice. Thank you so much!
Hola Maria y bienvenida!
Thanks for stopping by. No sweat, we’ll get it all worked out. What airline are you flying?
On the airplane, your child will probably be most comfortable rear facing. It’s more reclined (good for sleeping) and the buckle won’t be in your child’s back. This installation is VERY easy. Just run the airplane seatbelt through the belt path under your child’s legs (easier if your kid isn’t in the seat), buckle it, and pull the seatbelt tail like you would for yourself. Some people peel back the bottom of the car seat cover to do that but that’s personal preference.
To get the car seat around the airport, you might actually be able to put it in the basket of the Legacy stroller! We did that a few times with similar sized car seats/stroller and it worked great. Then your child can still ride in the stroller. You could be able to gate check the stroller, and I would buy this bag to put it in to minimize the risk of damage by the airline. They should not charge you for it.
All this said… I saw in your other comment that you are relocating to Ireland. Are you going with the military/government or are you moving as private citizens? If you are moving on your own, you will need to purchase EU-approved car seats. This booster seat might be a lovely choice for your 5 year old (if mature enough for a booster and at least 40lbs) and this car seat will last your baby through around 6 years old.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need more help.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hi!
We are PCSing next week to Alaska with our 4 year old and 2 year old, both using clek foonf seats (yes they are heavy beasts).
I got them strapped to our stroller using a ratchet strap, will TSA allow this?
If not, any other ideas? All the car seat carts are out of stock on Amazon.
Hi April,
Thanks so much for stopping by! The TSA won’t care how you attach the stroller and the car seat to each other, just make sure it’s a set up that you can detach and reattach pretty quickly since you will have to do that at security and on the jetway in both directions. Have you considered a folding wagon like this and then having the 4yo walk (2yo either walking or in a carrier)? You can call it your stroller and gate check it. It might be easier because you can just move the seats in and out without strapping anything down AND fit your other carry-on needs thanks to the 150lbs capacity. The foonf plus a backpack is likely to exceed the weight capacity of a lightweight stroller and the last thing you need is a wheel popping off or frame breaking in the airport.
A hearty thanks to you and your family for your service 🙂 Alaska is a stunning place and I hope you have a wonderful few years. In case you haven’t visited, be sure to check out some of our favorite things to do in Alaska – we were just there a few weeks ago and can’t wait to go back.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Melissa, I was extremely thankful for your article it was so thorough!
I’m traveling alone with 7 year old twins and nervous about the much needed car seats. I was sad when I went on line & both the Ride safe vest & mifold highball were not available. I see your review about the strap & cover however how am I going to take care of my littlins and their 2 car seats. I feel so overwhelmed. PS my children ate 55 & 60 lbs & I’m not into booster as we had serious car accident & ER Dr says secure your children until at least 100lbs. I’d sincerely appreciate your feedback. As a single Mo. the price of vest was astronomical I felt. Thoughts
Hi Therese,
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you’re all ok from the accident. At this time there are no harnessed car seats that go beyond 65lbs, and there’s no evidence that a harness is safer than a booster seat if the child is at least 40 pounds AND can sit properly 100% of the time. Usually kids can’t meet that behavioral marker until at least 5, but some kids need until 6 or 7.
If your kids are able to sit properly, the hifold is a great choice at that size. It’s available here for a little over $100. I just updated my hifold review with our recent travel experience. It was fantastic!
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hi there! I will be traveling with my then-1 year old in a few months and I’m trying to figure out the best combination of convertible travel car seat and foldable stroller. We have a seat for her so we will be carrying the car seat onto the plane and gate checking the stroller. I am wanting ti get the Maxi Cosi Remi convertible car seat, which from what I can tell is essentially the same as the Cosco scenera next, but with more padding. I’d like it to be comfortable for her because it will be the car seat we use in our second car full time eventually. Do you know anything about this car seat, and it’s ability to fit on the Mountain Buggy Nano similarly to the Cosco? I’m hoping she could ride in it like that so that we have less to carry through the airport. Sorry for the long post!
Hi Shannon,
Thanks for stopping by! From everything we in the CPST community can tell, it’s a Cosco Scenera shell with a more padded, flame retardant free cover. There may be some extra foam/structure in the head area but my local stores don’t have it in stock yet so I haven’t been able to check. Honestly I wish they’d added a few extra features to justify the price point, but with the Cosco Scenera Deluxe seemingly discontinued then the Romi is the lightest option with substantial padding.
If you aren’t in too much of a rush, once it’s in stock you’ll be able to get a much better price at my favorite store.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for this very informative and educational article – so helpful!
We are going to fly domestic (Delta) for the first leg (Tampa to Boston) and then to Germany (Lufthansa) a week later with our 5 month old daughter.
We have the Nuna Turtle Air car seat and would appreciate any advice you have on how best to transport our daughter in the car seat during the layover in Frankfurt. We have not purchased a seat for our daughter on either flight, so the car seat will be gate checked.
Frankfurt is a pretty big airport, so the distance from arrival gate to the next departure gate via passport check, additional security. etc. is quite long. Last time it took me 45 minutes of brisk walking (without a baby). We are not taking our Bugaboo Fox3 stroller because we are getting a loaner in Germany from friends so our biggest question is how to get our daughter to the connecting flight in Frankfurt without having to hold her in our arms or trying to carry her in the car seat (I need to do some strength training if we cannot come up with a solution :-).
Most trolleys or luggage carts don’t specify if they work with a Nuna Turtle Air so we hope you have some ideas. We would also be open to buying a light travel stroller that is compatible with the Turtle Air. Thank you so much in advance for any suggestions you have!
Kanchan
Hi Melissa,
Great article! We are moving across the country with our 10 month old, so I’m trying to figure out the best strategy with our UppaBaby Cruz V2 and UppaBaby Mesa car seat. I’m super nervous to gate check the Cruz stroller since I’ve heard horror stores, and I’m not keen to buy the $200 bag, so I was thinking of packing it with the moving company. Thinking of buying a seat so we can bring the Mesa on the plane, but not sure how to haul the car seat in the airport since not much is compatible with this seat. Any ideas? Does the car seat strap work with infant car seats?
Hi Lauren,
I’d probably take the stroller through the airport and gate check it, but if you don’t want to do that then I’d put the baby in a carrier and just carry the empty Mesa through the airport by its handle. Keep things simple!
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hello I will be flying in a couple days with my 4month old daughter. I am planning on holding her during the flight but want to push her in her stroller up to the gate. Is it best to keep her car seat in the stroller and carry the car seat base onto the plane and put in the overhead or should I just keep everything(car seat, base, stroller) together and them take it at the gate. Need some help and suggestions.
Hi Jessica,
I’m sorry for the delayed reply! It’s been holiday after holiday here and the comment section got away from me. In general I’d recommend leaving the infant car seat base at home – it’s heavy and unnecessary for every seat except the Nuna Pipa Lite. For future reference, you can learn how to install your infant car seat without the base for easier travel. It’s safest for everyone one the plane to have their own seat, including infants, and then you’d use her car seat on board to keep her AND the car seat safe.
Melissa