gatsbygirl8

We are making our first visit back to the UK this summer. We will be flying with our two children (ages 4 and 8 months). BA will allow us to check a car seat for each child in addition to their 1 bag.
My question for anybody who has done this before, what did you do about the car seat base? Also, does it matter that we'll be bringing a US car seat instead of a UK one? Our car seat is a Britax one, which is also sold in the UK. Will that help?

Thanks.

Bink

We left the base in the US and just fixed it with the seatbelt in the UK.
If you want to bring the base just click the seat into the base and they'll let you check them as one item. BA is pretty good at things like that.

GeoffM

At first I thought you meant take the seat in the cabin without the base. But now I think you mean to check both parts? If they'll stay attached together then I'd try and check it as a single unit. And, if you can, seal each in a strong, clear plastic bag - both to keep it together and to keep it clean. I was once the recipient of a friend's kids' car seats that did not take particularly well to checked baggage - in as many pieces as both seats could go, dirty, and scuffed. Exceptional perhaps but somebody has to be the one that it happens to.

As for rules, I would imagine that a visit to the UK would be fine with a US car seat... maybe.

Ash UK/US

The LATCH system in the UK is called ISOFIX, you can check to see if your model is compatible. I took 2 US car seats over to the UK with me and both where.

If you plan on using the car seat on the plane (in the cabin) make sure it has the approved for airline use sticker on it. On my flight over to the UK 3 weeks ago I see them checking another passengers seat for it. My girls are well past that stage but even back when I flew with them using car seats mine where checked a couple of times too.

penguinsix

*technically* a US car seat is not approved for use in the EU / UK. There are a very few models that work in both countries, but generally speaking due to the latch issues US car seats are not considered legal. In some states, UK/EU car seats are not legal (I think because of the buckling system).

Now, you're on a vacation, and the chances of getting stopped by the car seat police and inspected are probably pretty slim. If you were moving that might be another thing, but you are just on a short hop so....

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=68697.0
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=36523.0
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=80802

It's a long running debate:

http://www.autoweek.com/car-shopping...car-seats.html

Talks are underway to standardize things:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...91C0OC20130213

gatsbygirl8

Thanks for the replies everyone. Our Britax infant seat has a base that is both LATCH compatible and seat belt compatible if LATCH isn't available. I think we will definitely bring that one, clicked together and wrapped in plastic.
Our 4-year-old sits in a Graco booster seat with the high back attached. Not sure yet if that one is too big to check on the plane. We'll see.
I won't be bringing either seat into the cabin. Our daughter will be almost 5 and should be fine in the regular plane seat and our son will be a lap infant.

Thanks again!

GeoffM

Seems you're right. I thought there was an exception for UK visitors to the US and thought there was a reciprocal agreement but it appears not. The double US buckle is a big factor (must be single point release in case of an emergency in the UK) but there are other issues too.

Weeze

Even wrapped, car seats are a really common thing to be broken on flights. After lots of our friends had either breakages, or lost car seats, we decided to buy some for the UK. We bought 2 off kiddicare and had them delivered to my parents. I bought seats that would last a few visits. They were on special offer.

I didn't want to risk arriving back in the USA and find our car seats were broken, therefore not being able to secure the children on the way back home in the car.

Mummy in the foothills

I'd borrow seats from UK friends and have them sent in the car to the airport to pick you up if you can.
I ended up buying a high back booster for Dd from Argos and had it delivered to my Mothers she still has it, Dd will still need the bottom part of it when we go back.

gatsbygirl8

Hmm, now you've got me worried. Maybe it would be better to either buy or borrow seats from friends once we get there. We've got a lot of money invested in our infant seat, and I don't want to risk it getting broken. Thanks for the tip!

slummymummy

Yep I agree, it might be better and easier to borrow or buy cheap seats. The baby seat with base must be heavy and expensive and the booster might be fragile. We've done both though, have traveled with our own car seats (toddler ones) on some occasions and had someone pick us up with car seats on the other side... both options worked for us.

Bink

The issue with borrowing seats is that you have to get them to the airport so you can leave the airport with the kids safe. No problem if you have someone picking you up that can bring it, but these days we end up hiring a car when we go back to the UK so we have to bring it with us. You can normally get away with checking the seats at the gate along with the stroller which minimizes (though doesn't eliminate) risk of damage. It does mean you have to cart them round the airport though which is a pain.

GeoffM

Oh yes, the joy of carting car seats around an airport, trying to get them through the bag scanners, having them tested for samples of explosives/drugs, etc, etc. All while also taking the kids and your hand baggage. I doubt we'll ever do that again. Anyway, it only eliminates the check-in to tarmac bit of the journey; generally, they'll still get stuffed into the baggage hold any way possible, fall out of the plane at the other end, get thrown onto the baggage belt, get stuck in the tunnel going to the baggage claim area, bounce and crash down the ramp onto the circular belt, etc, etc.

+1 for borrowing if possible. Car hire companies sometimes have seats but of dubious history and non-guaranteed availability (no matter whether you reserve it or not - things happen).

AZ_Alba

When we flew back in 2010, we checked both car seat and stroller. The only issue was a head rest on the car seat went missing coming back. BA compensated us for the loss, but next time I would put the seat in a bag, which you can get at Target or Amazon for about $20. The big issue on car seats can be strapps and buckles get caught in the baggage converyer system even if they put it in a tray.
No problem at the other end, the latch system worked in a Vectra.
The jogging stroller was already broken down and packed in a bag so no issues with it.

Weeze

They are currently less than half price. I got a voucher code online as well.


http://www.kiddicare.com/