Travelling with an infant can be
overwhelming for the parent that needs to meet all of their child's
health and safety needs both on the go, and in a foreign place. There
are so many aspects to your new child's care, and it can be daunting
trying to identify and plan for these in advance. One such area that
new parents often wonder about is what to do about car seats when they
are travelling via plane. Of course when you are driving to your
destination, this is not an issue: the car seat makes the journey
with you. But what do you do when you're flying? If you are visiting
a friend or relative who already has a current, unexpired car seat
that has not been involved in a collision, and that is not being used
by another child at the time of your visit, you may be in luck.
However, these instances are rare, and don't prepare parents for
those trips where no such arrangement is possible.
If you have ever traveled by plane, it
is unlikely that you have not seen new parents traveling with their
infants. Looking back at such instances, you'll probably recall that
the child spent the flight on their parent's lap. Most airlines allow
this arrangement for children up to two years of age. In such cases,
where the child does not have their own seat, the prudent thing to do
is to bring your car seat with you. In all likelihood, your carrier
will offer free check-in for such an item, so it will not be subject
to baggage fees. This will ensure that you have a car seat which you
know, first-hand, to be safe and suitable for your child. Some
travelers worry about the chance of such an item being lost if
checked with baggage. This would certainly leave you in a bind when
you get to your destination. To prevent this, take advantage of the
option that airlines offer to check the car seat at the gate. This
will save you the anxiety of going to search for it at the baggage
claim; once you disembark the plane, simply wait in the corridor, and
gate-checked items will be brought out to you.
However, despite that this is the most
common arrangement that parents make for traveling with an infant, it
is actually not the safest. The reason it is the most popular is
because it is the most economical. But the safest way to travel with
your child and their car seat is to purchase a seat for your child,
and to install the seat directly on the flight so that your child is
well protected for the entire duration of the journey. The biggest
advantage to traveling this way is that in the event of extreme
turbulence, when the parent carrying their child may not be able to
prevent injury to the baby, the seat will give far more protection to
your child than you possibly could on your lap. Additionally, we know
that baggage isn't necessarily treated with the utmost caution and
delicacy; we've seen bags that have started the journey looking new,
and finished it looking beat up. This unnecessary wear and tear is
not something you want to expose your child's car seat to if you can
help it. Of course, the major disadvantage to this alternative is the
cost of purchasing a seat for your child. However, several airlines
offer discounted fares for infants. Talk to the airline you intend to
travel with to learn their policy on the matter. You will find that,
if you can manage it, flying with your child in a car seat will be
both safer and more enjoyable for all involved.
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