have you ever traveled through the airport with a toddler? you know the game; child in stroller (your only chance at keeping them contained), toting carry on bags (full of toys and goodies to keep them busy), car seat swung over your (husband's) back. it's overwhelming when you have two sets of hands, doing it by your self is pure chaos! since flying is our only option to get back to the mainland, we have gotten pretty good at it. i remember the first time i flew with toddler coen i was super freaked out. psh...he is a rock star traveler. i actually prefer flying over loooooong road trips (except for the cost), and every time we fly i come up a way to make it just a little less stressful. drum roll please...
mainland, usa summer 2011...i have you to thank for this
i always felt like the worst and most awkward item to get on the plane was the car seat. i wasn't willing however to just check it with our baggage. (travel tip #1 is to always keep your toddler contained in their car seat when flying) so we rigged up this nifty set up, and let me tell you; it. was. a. life. saver. coen loooooved it, and he got so much attention as i pulled (and sometimes pushed) him around the airport. oh, and in case you can't tell exactly what is going on, his car seat is attached to a rolling carry on suite case... genius!
so this is how we did it. (and yes, i am quite aware that you can buy wheel/handle attachments for britax car seats. they cost almost $100, so we wanted to find something a little more... affordable.) we bought a luggage strap for less than $10, (it's neon green) and looped it around the suitcase and through the slots where the seat belt would go if installing in a car or plane. you will need to tuck the side latch system straps into the same slots so that they don't drag on the floor. after you have the luggage strap securely tightened, take the top latch system strap and place it over the top of the suitcase connecting it to the luggage strap. there you have it... tip 'em back and away you go!
a couple tips:
-if you need a stroller at your destination, check it. this system acts at your stroller and car seat in one for the airport.
-make sure your carry on suitcase has a handle that locks when it is extended up. i found it easier to push coen at times, and if the handle didn't lock when extended it would have been impossible.
-the luggage strap needs to be REALLY tight.
-you will have to unhook everything to get through security, so practice it a couple times. we had it down to an art. when i was flying solo with coen on our last trip, a women actually said that she was amazed and impressed. we totally rocked it.
- don't attempt to pull your child down the aisle of the plane attached to your suitcase. those aisles are very narrow, their fingers are quite little. it doesn't work well, take my word for it. they can get out and walk in front of you, while you pull it behind you.
- laugh when you hang too many carry on items over the handle of the suitcase and your child tips back. they might be a little scarred, but it really is quite funny.
oh, and please share your travel secrets...it only seems fair.
happy travels!
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