I’m planning a trip with a 16 month old. Should I bring her car seat with me on the plane or rent one from a car rental agency?
Leah O. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca; and the travel experts at Wee Travel answered:
If you need a car seat for your trip, you have a few options:
- Rent from a car rental agency. First, do your research! Find out how old the seats are, if they are cleaned and monitored for safety recalls, and if booking a seat actually guarantees that an appropriate seat will be waiting for you. We’ve heard enough horror stories to say “proceed with caution”.
- Rent from a baby equipment rental company. Most deliver to the airport, often charge substantially less than car rental agencies, and will guarantee cleanliness, safety, etc.
- Bring your car seat on the plane. Consider purchasing or renting the gogo Kidz Travelmate. This wonderful device attaches to your car seat so you can pull your car seat (with your child in it) through the airport, just as you’d pull a suitcase. It’s narrow enough to fit down the aisle of a plane and can remain attached to the car seat on the airplane.
- Check your car seat as luggage. WestJet and Air Canada allow passengers travelling with children under two years old to check a car seat at no additional charge. If the child is over two, the car seat counts towards their baggage allowance.
If you’re thinking about bringing the car seat on the airplane solely for your child’s safety, you may want to consider renting or buying a CARES instead. CARES is an innovative FAA approved restraint for children 22-44 lbs. It augments the regular seatbelt by securely restraining a child's torso to the seat, not just their waist. It only weighs 1 lb and can easily fit in your purse, so it’s much easier to transport than a car seat!
Wee Travel (Toronto, Vancouver) launched in 2005 as Canada’s first baby equipment rental company. Our mission is to make it easy for parents to travel lighter by providing the full range of the latest hard-to-pack-can't-live-without baby gear. Equipment is safety inspected and sanitized prior to delivery, and is replaced regularly to ensure that customers receive the latest gear in new condition.
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