advice needed: flying with car seat

[verds]

Wise people of the forum,

I'm doing a domestic flight where I'll need a booster and forward-facing car seat at the other end. Hiring one is as expensive as car hire! So I'm hoping to take both, but just realised how heavy they'll be... Has anyone used a car seat bag and does that help make it easier? I need a genius solution!

[hazelnunhead]

For the booster seat you might want to try the bubble bum, it's an inflatable booster seat that you can deflate and inflate really easily. Minimal space needed, Or else you can get a basic booster seat cheaply from Argos. No idea about the other one, can you try and deal direct with cat hire to see if they can organise you something ..... Do you have friends or family at the other end that could organise you a car seat.

[Fuschia]

We took two car seats and a booster to Egypt

It does make for a lot of luggage

Used a car seat bag but wrapping in a bin bag would do

[Convex]

We bought a bag for ours, a sunshine kids one. Check with the airline but it didn't count as sort of our weight allowance.

[verds]

Thanks! I think the biggest thing is getting the car seat to Gatwick on the train. We'll have to travel light!

[dulwichfam]

What kind of forward facing car seat do you have? We have a Britax and used a baby go-go with it everytime we travel. We have checked our stroller with luggage and use this all the way to the gate. We take this on board and ghen collect it at the the other end. The kids love riding with it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000JJK9EY you are welcome to borrow if it will fit your car seat.

For booster seat we have the trunki boostapak which are fantastic for travel. If the kids don't want to wear them then I can put it on my back.

[shaunag]

We bought a really lightweight britax car seat (think it is the prince) for flying as was worried about the expensive one getting bashed around. It was less than ?50 on sale in halfords, and is really is to attach car seat belt. It was still cheaper than hiring one and means we have a spare for little friends-also not as big a deal if it gets lost as the heavy pricey one stays in our car. Might have been a bit ott to buy another seat, but was after my buggy had been broken on a flight and we were then without one for Xmas while away. Also, the cer hire place wouldnt guarantee they would have a seat for hire, which didn't leave us with much choice!

[melbourne groover]

We have always just had them wrapped in an airline plastic bag(super heavy) at the airport. We chuck the booster and the car seat in together! Never had a problem and they come under separate baggage allowance. I think we maybe took packing tape with us just in case not available and kept the bag at the other end for the return journey.

[alieh]

We have the GoGo Baby Kidz Travelmate - wheels that attach to the carseat. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Go-Babyz-QRKIDZ-Kidz-Travelmate/dp/B000JJK9EY

Brilliant! You need to take the time to get it adjusted properly and once you do it wheels perfectly. Amazing because we also then don't need to take a buggy for the airport.

We then also have the ToteATot thing that straps a car seat onto rolling luggage. http://www.toteatot.com/products.html

Between the two of them we can manage with both bulky car seats plus two children through airports/train stations, etc.