Car Seat: Check-in or Take-on?

[olivias dad]

OK, so i have a 2 and half year old toddler. Do i check in her car seat and give her the room to sit on an open seat or should i make it like we're in the car and take the car seat on with us? I'm torn?

[Diana2]

When our granddaughter was 2 1/2 we checked the car seat and that worked out well. Take-on is a big time PITA.

[2muchsnow]

Unless your car seat is an Airline approved one, you can't use it in the airplane seat anyway. At least they wouldn't let us on a trip in January. Checking it is the better way to go.

[olivias dad]

how do you know if your carseat is "airline approved" beforehand?

[PSUWethr]

Our car seat actually had car seat approved on one of the stickers. I went with my 1 1/2 year old and the car seat by myself and it was a giant pain! If you are not in the bulkhead, the minute the person in front of the car seat puts their seat back, my daughter had no room for her legs. Plus, you need a seatbelt extension to try and lock the seat down and it is challengine to release it. I would definitely check the seat!!!!

(Although having my daughter locked in her seat was nice, it wasn't worth the challenge)

[olivias dad]

thanks everyone, sounds like a no-brainer...

[toes in the sand]

Have you checked to make sure that a car seat is not supplied free with the rental? Some of the rental companies offer that.

[Xislandgirl]

There is also a new company called IslandBaby that will rent you a car seat.
That way you don;t have to worry about it at all.

[Larry]

The baby supply rental company is really worth it -- considering check-in fees both directions for the car seat... Plus theres a lot more available from the company that you may not have thought of.

http://www.islandbabyvi.com

[olivias dad]

I actually did just that - i ordered a car seat from islandbaby! Hope things work out!

Also, car seats are free for check-in (at least with American Airlines)