We are traveling to Ottawa, Canada end of next month with our daughter who will be 14 months. I've been reading the great suggestions on things to bring to help entertain my daughter. My husband doesn't think our car seat will be able to go on the plane with us. We have a Graco Nautilus. I'm afraid if we can't take the car seat, we'll be in big trouble. There is no way I can see my active daughter sitting in her own seat for both flights (we have a layover in Chicago). Has anyone traveled with the Nautilus? Or any suggestions if we can't bring it on the plane with us? Thanks!
I don't know why your husband thinks you can't take it, but most car seats these days are FAA compliant. Check any paperwork you may still have for it, go to the Graco web site to read their guidelines, or even check with the airline to see if they have their own list of car seats that are acceptable. Chances are, you can take it on.
We took our 16 month old on 4 flights this summer without Benadryl and she actually did sit on our lap (suprisingly) a majority of the time and watched her portable DVD player. They do have an airline approved system called CARES (information is on the United Airlines website). It is a seatbelt system (about the size of a small purse) that works with the airline seat and it cost me $75 online. It works really well and my sister is a flight attendant and said they are starting to be used a lot, because people don't like lugging car seats through an airport. Also, the big car seats sometimes allow the kids to kick the seat in front of them. We ended up taking the stroller with us so she could rest during airport layovers.
I brought my britax roundabout and it fit, but it was very hard to take the seatbelt buckle off when I tightened it very tight. There isn't quite enough space at the back of the britax to life that metal flap on the airplane seat belt. So, just be careful not to tighten the sea belt too much. Bringing a dark sheet could help keep baby asleep after she falls asleep if you drap it around the carseat. All those lights and sounds can wake baby up. Some duct tape could attach the sheet to just about anything.
You can get some really useful travel tips on Trekaroo - a community of parents who share about traveling with their kids. For example this great article on the best travel cribs.
http://www.trekaroo.com/traveltips/tip/best-portable-crib...
If we took our Britax Boulevard and it fit, I am pretty sure anything would fit! You can always call the airline and check if there are any restrictions on the width or height of the car seat but I think most of them are fine these days.
That being said, I have had fantastic luck giving my kids Benadryl just before we board the plane. My pediatrician suggested it because sometimes little ones have trouble with their ears on planes. If you go this route, be sure to try Benadryl on your child BEFORE your trip. Some children get super hyper on it, although most children (thank goodness mine included) fall asleep. Honestly the best thing you can hope for with a baby/toddler is that they will sleep through most of the trip.
If the Benadryl thing won't work for you, then bring a portable DVD player (or laptop) if watching TV interests your baby. We have used Baby Einstein DVDs with success on planes. I brought little headphones so they could listen. If you buy a new DVD, that works best since it's always more interesting when it's new. A magna doodle will usually work for a few minutes too.
Other than that, bring more snacks and diapers than you think you could ever possibly use (this came in super handy when our connecting flight to Hawaii was delayed for 14 hours and I had a newborn and a 2 year old...).
Bon voyage!
