Cosco Kids - Scenera Next DLX Convertible Car Seat

Convertible carseats aren't meant to be portable, so they don't have handles. You'd want to look for something lightweight, like the Cosco Scenera. You'd have to load it into a stroller basket or wear it in a carseat backpack to lug it around. You should absolutely use it on the plane.

Crash dynamics aren't the same on a plane, so being rear facing doesn't matter. You just want your child securely buckled. Most planes can't accommodate a rear facing seat - there's just not enough room. Cosco Scenera or Evenflo Sonus are both recommended travel seats that fit well on planes, and can forward or rear face at your destination.

Cosco scenera next is cheap and about 8lbs. Works for kids upto 40lbs.

We have the cosco scenera and can confirm that it is very easy for travel. Also big baby who outgrew their infant seat early. No complaints from the now-2.5yo who does occasional 2-3 hour drives in it. We don’t drive and only use it for travel, so as people who don’t do car seats very often, we’ve found it fine to install and buckle. I think my mil with mobility issues would not be able to install it, but as middle aged able-bodied adults who are often deliriously tired on travel days, it’s been fine lol

Go with [this one.](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Kids-Scenera-Next-DLX-Convertible-Car-Seat-Moon-Mist/41126745?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=2222222222841126745_14069003552_202077872&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-295289030566&wl5=9003488&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=41126745&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIpzQqms5Qo_5X1HOiQx82YH5&gclid=CjwKCAjwr7ayBhAPEiwA6EIGxP_JC2i6cBR03BvSTdjkN0XqEiTpLqBMdCfjaTNwsGdeKAqELx7ntRoCV0AQAvD_BwE) It’s worked well for us and is pretty highly rated. We only use it for travel.

We just flew to CA from the Midwest with our 4yo and 1.5yo. We checked a car seat for our oldest (Cosco scenera so cheap enough for us at least that if it got damaged our biggest issue was logistics of getting a new one before she could leave the airport) and we installed a seat for our toddler for him to sit in. Our 4yo, who is around 35 lbs, did fine in the airplane with just a lap belt.

Everything about rental car seats from OrneryPathos I would echo- you can't guarantee or assume it's safe so basically don't do it. Typically when you travel abroad your seat isn't able to be used if you move there, but everyone turns a blind eye to foreign seats as long as you are otherwise following the local laws (age requirements, rear facing requirements, booster requirements, etc). In this case, traveling alone I'd go with a very light carseat like a Cosco Scenera Next in a nice travel backpack and then use pouches or an insert to also use that same bag as your diaper bag.

I would 100% not take that car seat with you. I would get either a Cosco Scenera Next for about $70 or a Graco Contender for about $100 and take that with you and use as your travel/backup seat. The Contender will last much longer and I find it easier to use, but the Cosco is still a popular travel seat. It's safest to use the car seat on the plane, but if you stick with checking I'd get the Graco because it comes in a box that will protect it from damage and you can check it on the box. Putting it in a bag is a big gamble that it won't get broken or wet or dirty, even if you gate check it. I'd also have a backup plan for when you arrive if they lose the car seat so someone can go buy a new one.

I’ve used the Cosco scenera next (very lightweight car seat great for travel) and strapped it to our baby jogger city tour 2 stroller, it kind of wedges in there perfectly. And then seat the toddler in the car seat in the stroller

Just here to say I HATE Cosco scenera! On the plane the buckle for the seat ends up right in their backs. In the car it’s impossible to secure the seat adequately. It just flops around while I cross my fingers we don’t all crash. I ended up getting the britax poplar, which is VERY heavy, but at least is safe and comfortable. You can always get a dolly for whatever FAA car seat you choose so it’s less of a pain to travel with. I just ended up asking the airport staff to help me, which is part of their job so if you need help don’t feel bad asking!

That particular car seat is small/light enough that we strapped it to a rolling carryon. Super easy to maneuver! It definitely isn’t safe enough for the kid to ride in though. The strap is way easier to deal with than a big bag/cart, etc when you are getting on/off the plane.

I hung the Cosco Senera off the back of the Yoyo stroller with a hook. You're 100% right that 1-2 is the hardest age. My kids were also a total PITA to take on the subway at that point, because they were too big for a long period in a baby carrier, but also too little to walk, so we always had to schlep the stroller.

Depends on the kid I guess. My child is 2 and is pretty active and moves around a lot if not strapped in. We went to Europe at 1.5 years then Mexico at 2 years and we used the Cosco Scenara seat for both. Very lightweight and she was able to nap comfortably and just chill. I got a backpack cover for it. I carry on my back and then roll my carry on with my personal item on top. We decided to carry her in our arms going in the train going from UK to France and she was crawling and tumbling all over us and moving all the time. Strapped in she would just play with her toys, use crayons in her book, etc. Those few hours were tough.

1) This is allowed under [FAA Regulations](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/about/initiatives/cabin_safety/regs/acob949.pdf), but Southwest flight attendants may not allow it. 2) If both your car seats are 19” wide, I wouldn’t count on both of them fitting correctly side-by-side, even with the arm rests up. If they do, it’s going to be very tight. 3) Be prepared to lift the seats up and possibly overhead going down the aisle, depending on their width. My husband and I have flown with our twins in car seats, and we would always split up and get a window and aisle in two consecutive rows, so we could talk to each other or pass stuff back and forth if needed. If there’s only one adult, I’d try to have just one car seat on the plane. If the second child needs a restraint, I’d look at getting a CARES harness. I’d also consider purchasing lightweight Cosco Scenera car seats for the trip. They weigh <10 lbs and are pretty cheap. They’re sold at Walmart. Also figure out your plan for getting two car seats to the gate and two car seats on the plane with the kids. Many people like the carts that you can strap the car seats to and roll them through the airport. Keep in mind that once you’re on the plane, you can’t get off the plane and then get back on, so have a plan for how all adults, kids, and car seats are getting on at once. We had car seat travel bags that made transporting them easier.

We have a "travel" car seat - a Cosco Scenera, $60 and lightweight, that we used for airline travel. That is the seat that we gave grandparents -- so that they could drive toddler. It's certainly not as fancy as our regular seat, but it does the job and it's safe.

Love the scenera as a backup and travel seat! The harness can be a bit of a pain, but they're so light for travelling with and cheap. I got a small luggage handcart that would fit into a backpack and strapped the car seat to it in lieu of a stroller - I could carry my kid like luggage through the airport and pack it back up into a backpack afterwards.

I can't speak on it from a twin perspective, but when travelling with my single, we had a cosco scenera and a small luggage cart that we strapped it to. We just dragged him around like luggage. Something like this that folds up easily and fits into a backpack: Vsaikeo Small Folding Hand Truck Dolly with 2 Wheels, Lightweight Aluminum Foldable Luggage Cart, Collapsible Cart Portable Dolly for Airport Travel Moving Use https://a.co/d/0KaPvv8 $60 car seat + $20 luggage cart, and then when you get on the plane, you pop the luggage cart in your backpack and either gate check the car seat or use it in the seat.

As an American, the lack of a chest clip on European car seats will freak you out. Just bring a Costco Scenera or inexpensive EvenFlo and leave it there are the end of trip if you wish. They will install very quickly and easily either rear or forward facing using a seatbelt (no latches required) just pull the seatbelt all the way through to “lock” it into place.

We did DCL transfers for our previous cruise, but we plan to bring a Cosco Scenera Next seat and do rideshares for our next cruise. BYO seat gives one a lot of flexibility (including to/from our home airport) and the Scenera comes highly recommended from the rideshare pros at r/nycparents.

I tried a car seat in the plane when I flew solo with my 9 month old. It was only a 3 hour flight but it was a massive flop. He wanted to be held the whole time and wouldn’t settle in his car seat. I had a small(er) travel seat (Cosco scenera), but it was still too big to fit comfortably and took up a lot of space. On our return flight, I checked it and it was much better to have the extra seat as room. I’m about to re-do the same flight next week with my now almost 2 year old. I really thought about trying to bring the seat on the plane again, but I think it’s going to be too much to handle. If I had someone traveling with me, it might be better. I thought about the Wayb Pico, but it was too expensive. I just don’t think I can safely take a car seat and an active toddler through the airport alone, and I don’t think he would stay in his seat on the plane without raising holy hell. I think he will sit in the chair, watch a show, eat some snacks, play with his new monster trucks, and hopefully take a nap on my lap and we’ll get there without too much drama🤞

Grab a cheap Cosco Scenera for travel. It’s lightweight and will fit well.

Cosco has been great but now we’ve outgrown it- is there a similar option for bigger kids?

For our toddler we also did the Costco Scenera. We needed a car seat at our destination anyway. And it was easier having him contained in something he's used to. When he's older I intend to get the safety harness straps you can add to the plane seat. Not sure the bigger car seats will be worth attempting to use on the plane.

Cosco scenera is 43 inches and 40 lbs to max out. We used it up until recently

We bought the Scenera too! It’s definitely a budget choice and I wouldn’t pick it as my everyday seat but it’s great for travel. We gate check because I’m paranoid about losing it and it seems less likely that way. But only recommend that if you can get through the airport with enough hands to carry it. You can put it either in a backpack bag or in a bag strapped to a rolling luggage cart.

If your child is under 45 pounds, not sitting in a car seat in the plane could be a grave error. Seatbelts don’t begin to hold someone in place until approx 45 pounds, and the laws of physics preclude a parent from holding onto a child in a runway crash at 150 mph or other in air turbulence. We used a light weight Cosco scenera after ours outgrew their infant seats (we’ve been flying with babies since 6 weeks of age and they were strapped in in their infant seats). Now at age 5 we have a lighter Graco (still 35 pounds so going to be in a harness on planes for a while!).

Just get a super light car seat… Costco scenera next is what I got, it weighs 6 lbs and cost like $50-70 depending on when you get it (ie I got it for $50 on sale from Walmart) + get a bag for it and just check it (all airlines check strollers and car seats for free) My kid would definitely not want to be in a car seat on the plane, but every kid is different.

My first was around that size when she turned 3 and she BARELY fit in Cosco Scenera and only forward facing. We couldn’t rear face for her in that seat bc at that point bc her femurs were too long. She’s now almost 4 and also doesn’t fit in it for forward facing. She’s maybe 38” and 35 lbs, but the highest shoulder strap opening is about 3” below her shoulders and for forward facing you want the shoulder strap at or just above the shoulder,

FWIW, when we flew last Thanksgiving with my then almost 3 year old, we not only couldn’t install it rear facing bc of the recline and length of her femurs, but she barely fit in it forward facing. The straps didn’t have enough give for my skinny kid. We got 1 trip out of the seat and she was 30th percentile at her 3 year appointment a few weeks later (36 inches and 29 lbs). I think Cosco has a bigger one and we’ll have to get that the next time we fly.

Get [this bad boy](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Kids-Scenera-Next-DLX-Convertible-Car-Seat-Moon-Mist/41126745) bring it on the plane with you and put your son in it, don't check it. It's light and easy to carry around and only costs $60 so if you're doing lap infant (don't) and you are checking it (don't) it's not a huge deal if the airline or TSA mangle it.

Your baby will be much to big for the bassinet. Usually maxes out around 6-8 months. Following the transport Canada guidelines, a child under 7 is recommended to travel in their own seat using their car seat (Costco Serena next is a good travel seat that reclines well for kids this age.

If you check your car seat it will have an unknown history and might be damaged without you knowing. The Costco Serena next is a great travel seat that reclines well ff in the plane and it’s small enough to tuck in the. Bottom of your stroller

There’s some seats like the Costco Serena next that you can achieve really good recline angles ff on the plane. There’s a bunch of CPST that travel and have videos on how to position it for a newborn. Bucket seats do not fit well.

Cosco scenera strapped onto GB Pockit all terrain. Such a game changer.

Haven’t seen this reply yet so hope you read this: check with your airline about their rear facing policy; they may not let you rear face your child. I tried that when my son was that age and they had me turn him around. He was in the middle seat, and they told me it is not safe for the window person, if there was an emergency. The Cosco seat is amazing. It’s so light weight I felt like I wasn’t carrying anything at all on my back.

I would use a cosco scenera next for the little one and a cosco finale for the older one, as long as it seems good for their height/weight. If I was traveling with a second adult I would bring both seats on the plane because I prefer not to check car seats, but if it was just me and 2 kids I would be willing to check a seat that I only use for occasional travel.

The seats are less than 19" wide so the car seat will spill over into the neighbouring seat. If the extended legroom seat is a bulkhead row this will be a problem, since the armrests don't move. I don't know your plans when you land but if you will have a rental car it may be a challenge to install rear-facing in a smaller car. As a parent of a kid under 2, I'd recommend you leave the cybex at home and bring a smaller, lighter car seat. The Cosco Scenera is frequently recommended for travel because it's narrow, lightweight, and inexpensive.

Thank you for sharing your insight. Yes, I was going to purchase a car seat to travel with (Cosco scenera) and then rent what we can with the rental company. It’s overkill, but given that it’s for my daughter’s safety, I feel like it’s worth it. And yes, I read to look out for the “E” mark on the car seats to indicate if it’s complaint with European standards. However, there’s no way to check that without purchasing the product, I’m guessing. At least I didn’t see that in any product descriptions. It is odd that with all the international travel, there isn’t more clear information out there. Keep me posted on how it goes! Safe travels to you and your family!

I have traveled several times domestically and abroad with my child (2.5yo). I've tried at all: * Infant on lap - worst decision * No car seat * Car seat For my toddler, having him in the car seat normally has the best outcome. Although safety is the #1 reason, the car seat also restrains him from standing on the seats and jumping between mommy and me. He just sits and plays with his stickers, colors (or at least attempts), we do some screen time (we try to avid it), eats, and is normally better behaved than no car seat. We bought a used Britax Car Seat Travel Cart ($10) along with the Cosco Scenara that fits perfectly in the aisle (yes, including Spirit and Frontier) to ease maneuver while boarding and also at the airport.

We used to attach our Cosco Scenera to our Yoyo stroller with luggage straps so our kid could just keep sitting in it.

The more expensive car seats in the US are not made thinking of European style cars. They are also very heavy and hard to travel with. That's why most people buy the Cosco Scenera Next for travel and just use it for that.

Best thing I ever did. Bought the Cosco nexera car seat only for airplanes ( and then use it on the vacation too). So nice not having to hold baby, they may get comfy and nap in it and it’s very lightweight

Takes one minute to install. You just put the buckle through the back and clip it in. Depends how your baby is. I travelled solo with my daughter and it was the easiest flight ever but with 2 adults it’s different. Personally we’ve travelled a lot and just used it for my 2 and a bit year old a few days ago ( we’re on vacation) so we’ve gotten a lot of use out of it- depends how much use you think you’ll get

Going with a car seat is \*much\* safer than without (and also makes the kid more comfortable) - turbulence is definitely a thing, and kids can go flying through the cabin. That said, we tried this once with a full car seat with base, and it was awful -- it's not just the airplane, it's carrying the thing though the airport, security, etc. Think of the annoyance moving the thing in and out of a car, and then realize you may end up carrying it literally a mile or more... Would very much recommend getting a lightweight plastic-shell type seat (like the Cosco Scenera). Cheap, FAA approved, and 10x easier to move around in the airport.

We started cruising with our son at 10 months. He's almost 7 now, and been on a cruise an average of every year.  For the 5&9 year olds get the ride safer travel vests. You won't be sorry to not have to lug around 3 massive carseats, and then find a way to store them.  The cosco scenera is your best bet for a travel carseat for the 2 year old. I would honestly try seeing if it's possible to exclusively use shuttle services and public transportation as you won't need a carseat for those.  I also do not recommend bringing a stroller as they take up room that you simply do not have, especially with 5 people. It's much better to just use a toddler carrier like the lilebaby, ergo, or Tula and have them walk most of the time, even if you need to use a leash.  If you plan on using adventure ocean know that your 2 year old would be in the nursery, which has an additional fee. If they are not potty trained their options for a water spot are limited to splashaway bay if your ship has one. They are not allowed in the regular pools until they are potty trained.  Also, there are ZERO children's toiletries and medication on board for purchase. Make absolutely sure that you have all the possible medications and injury supplies you might possibly need.  If your 2 year old is still in diapers the best thing to do is to go the morning of your cruise to a club store and pick up a box, then tape one of the luggage tags to it. They'll get delivered to your state room with the rest of your luggage. Just make sure the tag is fully covered with the tape.  The app doesn't list minimum ages on shore excursions, but the website does so it's best to use that to book your excursions.  There aren't really any "snacks" on board, except for the ships that have a sorrentos. You're probably going to want to bring ample amounts of their favorite dry good snacks, and yes you can bring these aboard.  The MDR has a kids menu. They are also welcome to get food off of the adults menu, but the kids menu has typical American kid food- hamburgers, chicken strips, Mac and cheese, etc. They're also happy to bring you cut up fresh fruit and veggies if you ask.  If it's at all in your budget I HIGHLY recommend booking a balcony so you and your spouse have somewhere to go and relax and enjoy your evening after your kids are in bed asleep.  Have a discussion with your 9 year old about your comfort level with their independence. Kids that age are allowed to check themselves out of the kids club so you need to decide how you feel about that and discuss it with your child. 

Best to bring your own. You never know the history of the carseat or if it is expired. You can rent safe carseats from Ready Set Baby, or buy a cheaper/light weight option like the Cosco Scenera. You can check carseats for free. We have both taxis and uber available!

I always bring the car seat on the plane. Not our heavy main seat but a lightweight backup for 2nd car/grandparents/etc like a Cosco Scenera. I wouldn't trust the integrity of a rented seat and it's too risky gate checking a seat. I think it's helpful to strap the kids in on the plane because it keeps travel expectations consistent and it helps 'control' them. Travel vests are probably easier once they are old enough but I never used one. Once even older, I've had my son bring his low back booster as a carry-on and put it in the overhead bin.

I would never travel with a rotating car seat. We have a Cosco Scenera for traveling - certainly not as comfy as the 360 but gets the job done when we aren’t home!

I actually was looking at the Cosco last night! Her normal sear is a Graco 4EVER which is just massive and would be a huge pain to lug around. Glad to know that works for airplane travel. And yes lots of snacks will be packed 🤣

The cosco scenera next was really easy to travel with and went on the airplane seat perfectly. We did it when my kid was 15 months old and being in the car seat actually helped him nap during the flight. We brought a travel stroller though and not a full sized uppababy so not sure if it’s possible for you to easily carry both

We bought an uppababy g lite (used) which is an umbrella stroller but with a basket and a shade for traveling and have taken it through the airport and gate checked. We use the Cosco scenera next for a travel seat. It’s so light weight it can be carried in one hand easily and checked or gate checked. Personally we buy a seat for our kids so we just use it onboard. 

Just get the Cosco scenera next. You can use it in the airplane and your kid may even sleep in it! It’s super lightweight to carry around and easy to strap in 

We use the Scenera as well. It’s very affordable, very light to carry, and then we didn’t have to risk beating up our nicer seats on the trip.

The cosco scenera. It's pretty basic, but did the job beautifully. I have tiny humans, so we will probably get a couple more years out of it too.

That’s what we do. Cosco Scenera and carrier through the airport!

As others stated, bring a car seat. Keep in mind, airplane seats are super narrow and most car seats won't fit. We did the Cosco Scenra from Canadian Tire for $130. Super light and is CSA and FAA approved. Great travel car seat. Get a carrying bag / backpack from Amazon for $30 Realistically be prepared to not sleep / relax on the flight. Bring lots of snacks, books, toys , stickers...etc

You'll be miserable with a lap baby for that long. Buy them a seat They will most likely be too big for an infant carrier (usually they are for under 12 months) so invest in a travel car seat. Canadian Tire sells the Cosco Scenera which for around $100 its totally worth it. Normal car seats are too wide and too heavy to fit on airplanes. Kiddo will be strapped in which is a godsent at times. Keep in mind they can't stay in there for more then a few hours at a time. Not sure how much you've traveled with infants / toddlers but keep your expectations extremely low. Expect neither of you will get any sleep or downtime. The moment you step on the plane you'll be in full on entertaining mode. Bring lots of food, snacks , toys, books...etc Hopefully it's a direct flight. Been on 15+ flights with our 5 month now 2+ yr old

Frequent traveling single mom here. Cosco Scenera Next is so great. It’s lightweight and essentially indestructible. I’ve stopped using it on the plane as my 17 month old prefers not being restrained on the plane and we have more space. But it’s so light, if I am l bringing it around the airport, I just tie it to his stroller.

Took the same seat last week. I wore it on my head

I have a fancy Nuna car seat but bought a much cheaper convertible one (Graco Slim) for my mom who watches my daughter twice a week. I just bought a $60 one from Walmart to take as a travel car seat (Cosco Scenera) but plan on using it in my sister’s car as needed.

We have the cheapest car seat bag you can find on Amazon for our travel car seat (cosco scenera next) and use the straps to either hang the car seat on luggage or stroller OR just use as a backpack. Most of my toddler’s flights have not been conducive to nap time (lap child), but I absolutely agree the car seat is easiest if your child can tolerate the car seat for sleep and play. It’s something familiar to them. When not in use, depending on the car seat, you can actually flip it upside down in the area in front of the seat, so the base of the car seat can be a bit of an ottoman for your child.

My son is 2.5 and has been on 36 domestic flights. We fly almost exclusively Southwest and are pretty much the only family bringing a car seat on board. We use the Cosco Scenera Next as our travel car seat with a travel bag from amazon. When he was a lap child, we scored a free seat for him 2/3 of the time because the flights had enough open seats to safely guarantee his own seat (confirmed with gate agent). We brought his car seat on board all but one time — he would not sleep on the chair or in our arms and we quickly learned the car seat was the best place to nap. Other people don’t do it, but it’s the safest place for the children, and it’s a space they’re used to! We let him out of his car seat in our laps whenever the seatbelt sign is off. He knows if it’s on, he has to stay buckled in. We will keep bringing the car seat on board as long ad he lets us!

Maybe the ride safer travel vest? It's preferred (on the car seat groups) that kiddos are older, but if your child is within the weight limits that might be something you can consider the wayb pico is also an option. Much pricier but also quite portable. The cheapest is the cosco scenera next, but your kids might grow out of it quickly, and it's bulky. It is light though, so if strapping it to the stroller or luggage is an option maybe that would work. You could also book airport transfer through the cruise line? Then you take the bus, and I'm assuming if you're okay not putting your kid in a car seat on the plane you'd also be okay not putting them in a car seat on a tour bus, though of course it's all up to parental discretion. When I traveled with my first at 15m and again at 18m, we did the cosco car seat. When we traveled with both of them at 2.5y and 10m, we did the tour bus (we did bring the cosco and a ride safer but did not end up using them as the cosco could not physically be installed on the bus).

We have a plain lightweight car seat (Cosco Scenara) that we’ve used for traveling. I check it in a bag that has backpack straps so it’s easy to lug around. When I’m traveling without much planned car travel, I bring a car seat harness (Ride Safer) that I can keep in my backpack just in case we need to grab a cab or something.

It isn’t safe to rent car seats, nor to check them unless they are totally boxed and padded. When I fly with my children we carry seats on and usually use the Cosco Scenera or a Graco Tranzitions. For your 5.5 yr old they can hand carry their booster and put it in the overhead. You can stow a seat for baby overhead if they are a lap child and 3.5 can sit in her seat on the plane.

Cosco scenery also works with Mountain buggy nano travel stroller so you can push them around in car seat in stroller

Yeah look it up on YouTube -kind of a hack but has worked great for us

I had the cosco seat in my mom’s car; honestly it was really difficult to push the button on to release the buckle for my mother. It’s also really low and not very mobile for some reason. We donated it and got the Graco which has been much easier.

I recommend getting a cosco scenera next for 60 bucks at walmart or amazon Thing weights 7 lbs and is so easy to carry around or hang off luggage. I usually hold it like a shield with my arms through the straps. Its by far the easiest way for our kid to sleep on the plane too - without being strapped in shell be bouncin off the walls and touching everything.

I bring my own seat. Babies are easy because you can bring a bucket seat. Cosco Scenera Next is good for toddlers. Wayb pico or ride safer travel vest is the next stage. I use a regular booster when my kids are over age 5 and 40 lbs.

We personally preferred the cosco scenera + travel stroller since we knew we were going to travel in the future anyways and baby outgrew the bucket seat pretty quickly. You don't even need a luggage strap, we just used the car seat's straps to hook it over our carry on luggage and it was super easy. Or just use a carabiner to clip it to your stroller handle. It's so light!

Cosco scenera next. Technically a convertible car seat not a bucket seat so doesn't click into a stroller, but you can use it much longer. Super lightweight, affordable, and great for travel as well. Easy and quick to install, you just thread the seatbelt through. By the way, if you do go with a bucket seat, you don't have to pay a premium for one that clicks into anchors. Most bucket seats can be installed using the seat belt method without a base and it honestly isn't complicated or a big hassle to learn!

Same. That Cosco seat was great. I had two of them specifically for air travel.

True, however we are planning on using the cosco scenera next car seats installed on the plane for baby (will be around 4 months) and our toddler, so won't be able to go that route with our Vista frame

There are no infant bucket seats that will allow the person in front of you to recline unless you are sitting in premium economy. If you are worried about it bothering the person in front of you, then book bulkhead or put another member of your party in the seat in front of the car seat (this is what we do). For a convertible car seat, a lot of people like the Cosco Scenaro. It’s very lightweight but my kiddo found it to be very uncomfortable so we returned it. We now travel with the Graco SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1 car seat. It’s heavier than the Cosco but it’s also slimmer than the Cosco. We’ve been able to fit it in bulkhead seats where the arm rests are solid because they have the trays in them, and in tiny regional plane seats in Europe. We still rearface our three year old on planes because we have found it’s easier to tend to his needs and far less toys get dropped on the ground. But we only rearface him in his convertible seat if we fly first or bulkhead so we don’t infringe on the seat in front of us. But for the bucket infant seats, there is no getting around that so I wouldn’t worry about it. Your baby deserves a safe ride just like everyone else.

Seconding the Cosco Scenera. It can be used for a newborn up to 40 Ibs and it’s super light and easy to install. But it doesn’t attach to a stroller like a bucket seat does, however you would get years use out of it for $100.

Baby: bring car seat with you; get one that clicks into your stroller base so you can use as stroller seat at destination. 1-2: this is the hardest age. We avoided taxis a lot; when we did, used a cosco scenera and shoved it in stroller basket or carried it. 2-4 (or once you’re comfortable forward facing): order an uber with car seat 5+: ride safer vest

I bought a Cosco seat when we were doing our first flight so we would have a car seat upon arrival.  I installed it at home to test it out and it was the biggest piece of junk ever. It would flip completely on its side when fully tightened.  I immediately returned it and got Graco.    I would never put my kids on one of those things, I don't care how light or cheap they are. No freaking way.

I fly using the car seat as a nonnegotiable, and would recommend either a luggage cart or a lighter seat. I use the Cosco Scenera but it gets outgrown around 3ish. I haven’t researched what’s “next” for us. I live in an area where I have pretty much no option but a connecting flight so lightweight is a priority, cause we’ve carried the toddler in the seat through the airport a time or two.

This will be long, I apologize in advance. Formatting will also suck because mobile. 1) make sure your car seat has the FAA approved sticker on it. We personally bought the Cosco Scenera Next. It’s $60, FAA approved, and lightweight. We bought [this](https://a.co/d/4xh5QFC) car seat bag, but you have to take it out of the bag for security and it overall was a nuisance to us. If we travel again, we’re just going to strap it to a luggage cart. 2) that was assuming you are purchasing baby their own seat, the rest of this bullet point is about that. It is best practice to fly in their own seat, in the car seat. The car seat has to go in the window and having the FAA guidance printed or preloaded on your phone is best. Here is one [bulletin](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/inFO09002.pdf) and a second more in [depth guide](https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-87C.pdf), what I find most helpful is #19. The reason it’s best practice is for take off and landing, aborted take off, unexpected [turbulence](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Flying-with-Baby.aspx), and god forbid, a [door plug flies out](https://abcnews.go.com/US/documents-detail-chaotic-moments-alaska-airlines-door-plug-blowout/story?id=112623209). If the plane is not full (let’s be real it probably will be) they will let you bring the seat on and have their own seat at no extra charge as long as it’s FAA approved. 3) Southwest has [family boarding after A group.](https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/boarding-process) You don’t need to purchase any upgraded boarding to ensure seats are together. Recently, we had a terrible flight delay, but the flight attendants called ahead to the next plane or something, and held a row at the very back of the plane for us (especially since baby had to be in the window seat in her car seat). When we were boarding, the flight attendant at the front of the plane confirmed we had the last row. 4) back to getting through security, baby wearing is my number one pro tip there. If they are in a carrier strapped to you, [they do not have to be removed](https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2023/03/07/tsa-tips-traveling-small-children-through-security-checkpoint#:~:text=Infants%2520may%2520be%2520carried%2520in,a%2520TSA%2520PreCheck%C2%AE%2520lane), and it gives you a hands free experience. You may be subject to additional screening, but we never have been. I do have TSA precheck, so I’ve never used the full body scanner while wearing, we’ve only walked through a metal detector. If they are in their car seat or stroller they do have to be removed to go through metal detectors. 5) make sure you have spare clothes for the baby as well as the adult in the carryon for accidents that may occur. 6) in point 4 there was a link taking you to TSA tips, it also talks about baby food, formula, and breastmilk screening processes. They NEVER have to touch the milk for screening, but it could be opened for vapor screening. Baby food pouches more than 3.4 ounces are supposed to be removed from the carry on and announced, but tbh I forget and it’s never been an issue, I do pack them close to the top of the bag for easy access though. I don’t think there is a limitation on pouches, I tend to bring 1 for every 2 hours of flying time among other snacks and food. 7) renting a car seat is inherently risky since you don’t know its history. Here an [article](https://csftl.org/traveling-littles-renting-car-seats/) that provides more information on that, so you can make an informed decision. I think I’m done now. Edit: not done. If you haven’t heard of them… the “Indestructibles” line of books is fabulous for travel (and everything else). They are thin, light weight, colorful, rip proof, waterproof, etc. you could easily pack 4-5 without noticing and have lots of entertainment

TSA website is great and comprehensive imo. The baby will have to be removed from the car seat/ stroller to go through security but if you babywear they can remain attached to you. Your seat May or may not fit through the scanners and the agent may decide it’s got to be hand checked. I have precheck and this usually adds 1-2 minutes at most. Best practice is to fly with child in their car seat, in their own seat, it’s all I’ve ever done. Window seat, pop up the arm rest, install and you should be good to go. I can’t imagine paying the high cost of a luxury seat like the Doona or Dualride and risking it being damaged by the airlines. I fly with the Cosco Scenera Next, and don’t have trouble lugging it around, for $60 it’s worth it to me

The seat I fly with fits through some but not all scanners, and even at airports I know it fits, sometimes the decide they want do hand check it anyway. It goes any way for me.

I found using a car seat with my singleton so much easier!! However, you will have to call the airline and see if you are allowed to install two car seats side by side, with you in the aisle seat. With my singleton we were told we could only use the window. I’ve seen it suggested on this sub that some had to book two windows/two middles to take the car seats and others say they’ve been allowed to do window and middle for car seats. Two Cosco sceneras from Walmart (purchase in store, cheaper than their website) and the jl Childress backpack from Amazon. Two can stack in the backpack. Personally I also don’t trust checking car seats if I can avoid it. I’d also only check the scenera since it’s so basic damage would be easier to spot.

I feel like we've done this in several permutations -- Wayb, heavy carseat (Diono), checked the carseat and held the kid, all of it. But these inexpensive and lightweight carseats are now our go to: [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Kids-Scenera-NEXT-Convertible-Car-Seat-Otto/41126739?athbdg=L1600&from=/search](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Kids-Scenera-NEXT-Convertible-Car-Seat-Otto/41126739?athbdg=L1600&from=/search) They are light and easy to strap to a rolling suitcase or hang from a stroller, and safe enough for a car at destination. Our kids have found them comfortable and a lot of times preferred them over our much more expensive carseats at home. If you search amazon for a car seat strap, a bunch of them will pop up for less than $10.

We use a RideSafer vest for travel, but it has a minimum age of 2. If you’re traveling with a small infant, you’re pretty much stuck with a car seat, though in my experience, it’s not that bad to lug around if you have a cart or a backpack. We used the Cosco Scenera for a couple of trips and it was fine.

The Cosco kids scenera is the usual recommendation you’ll see for travel because it’s pretty lightweight. My guy was out of his infant car seat around 1 and we had a trip when he was 13 months old and I was not comfortable having him on Ubers without a car seat though you technically can in most places. It was not the easiest to lug around. We kind of stuffed it in the undercarriage of our travel stroller while we walked around (the uppababy minu) and it worked ok. It’s easy to put in and take out of the car but it’s definitely not convenient for carrying. I’m considering for my next trip when he will be 3 years old getting the WAYB Pico, but I don’t know if I would’ve done that before he was 2 (it’s forward facing only and pretty upright). I don’t have a great recommendation, but just sharing my experience.

Can attest, Scenera are very light and easy to move around. Seems great for travel. The worst part of it is securing it facing back with a seatbelt. Feels pretty insecure. So I use LATCH, which I think basically every car on the road would at this point have.

We used to use the travel car seat (Cosco Scenera) in flight but he got a bit older so we just check it now. It usually comes at the oversized baggage carousel.

Damn I'm impressed you took that big one, we have that it also and got a lesser evenflo model (sonus 65) for travel/our secondary car. It's a bit taller but got backpack/strap bag thing for it.

The Scenera Next is a great seat, but is mostly only good for rear facing. In the case that the 2 year old is forward facing already (and at least 30 lbs), the Cosco Finale is similarly light and good for travel.

So I feel like a bad mom for this, but when she was under two, I didn’t use a car seat because she could get on for free in my lap, and $500+ for her seat was rough. However, now that I have to pay for her anyway, I’ve brought a car seat on the plane with us. We bought the Cosco Serena I think, it’s like 6lbs and way easier to travel with than our real car seat. Way less comfortable though. We didn’t have any real issues getting it on the plane, and brought it in a car seat bag so I was even able to put blankets and stuff in there. (Idk if you’re supposed to do that but I def do.) I feel safer in case of turbulence, and she also has a more comfortable place to sleep if I get lucky enough for her to sleep on the plane lol. It is a massive pain in the ass to bring on the plane and to use especially because she’s still rear facing so people ahead can’t lean back, but safety first… I don’t trust rentable car seats at destination (first few flights we bought a car seat at the destination since we were visiting my mom, then she was 3 and I brought ours.) I also don’t trust that our car seat would be handled properly by airline employees when being checked, and can’t be sure that it’s still in good condition. I mean have you seen how beat up hard shell suitcases are after a flight? I don’t want that happening to her car seat especially since it’s not visible so I have no idea if her seat is still safe or not.

You COULD but that car seat is a beast. It’ll fit with the airplane armrests up and it’ll need to go in a window seat on the 757. If you get center seats on the 777 then the car seat can go in one of the middle seats because the aisle is accessible from both sides - just can’t go in an aisle seat. You’ll need to strategize how to get it through the airport, which is usually the hardest part - a car seat cart/dolly would be easiest for such a big seat because you don’t want any carrying contraption (ie car seat backpack) for a seat that heavy. But you will most likely need to carry the seat onto the plane overhead because the aisles are too narrow to roll such a wide seat onboard on a dolly. Make sure to read the airplane install directions for the seat before you go. You don’t use the Clicktight feature on the plane - you leave the seat closed and run the seatbelt through the belt path overtop of the closed Clicktight panel. My kids always sit in their seats when we fly and their cheap, lightweight seats are so easy to deal with (we use Cosco Scenera Next and Safety 1st Jive which is similar to the Mightyfit mentioned elsewhere). They’re only about 8lbs each so it’s super easy to carry them through the airport and onto the plane. They’re not as easy to install in the car as a Clicktight but that’s a small price to pay for the overall ease for me!

The Pico is forward facing only and not appropriate before age 2, but the Cosco Scenera next mentioned below is great! My twins spent many a flight in their Sceneras from ages 1-4

Cosco Scenera Next is my all time favorite travel car seat. They stack on themselves, so it’s super easy to transport them through the airport- they fit stacked in the same car seat backpack, or stacked and resting on one stroller seat if you’ll have a double stroller with you. I usually stacked them on one side of my stroller, let one twin ride in the other seat, and babywore and/or let the second twin walk. The seats weigh ~8lbs each so one parent can carry both seats stacked onto the plane while the other herds toddlers, handles carry-ons etc. I highly recommend taking advantage of family boarding (American doesn’t offer this anymore and they also have strict gate check stroller weight limits so I would avoid them if at all possible lol). At that age snacks were the best entertainment. All the snacks. Millions of snacks. Their next favorite thing was to play with empty airplane drink cups lol. They didn’t get much use out of little toys, coloring, tablets etc until they were closer to 3. Layovers are rough mostly because the hardest part for me is getting on and off the plane once the stroller is gate checked. If it’s at all possible to do a direct flight, I personally would - for us this means driving 3 hours to a larger airport instead of flying from our small airport to that same larger airport, and that also kinda sucks but it reduces the on/off planes (and also the risk of delays/cancellations impacting later flights, which happened to us last month and was truly awful to navigate with kids). But it is doable to handle the layovers and the extra airport time is not too bad for us. Good luck!

The Scenera next does have a 40lb limit so most kids outgrow it around 3-4. But for $60 each it’s still a great value unless your kiddos are upper percentile and really would only get one use out of it. The Safety 1st Jive/Cosco Mightyfit LX (same seat with slightly different covers) are another solid travel option, slightly harder to install than the Scenera Next but last to 65lbs forward facing so several years longer than the Scenera Next. They’re about a pound heavier. There are a lot of car seat backpack options on Amazon! Couldn’t tell you which specific one I have but I imagine most of the random brand ones are all identical with different branding lol

My one double lap baby experience was ROUGH. Since then we’ve always flown with car seats for both twins and it’s been a major, major improvement even though the airport logistics take a little extra planning. The containment and familiarity of their car seats is a lifesaver! The Cosco scenera Next is great and so is the Cosco Mightyfit LX (not DX). The Mightyfit LX is a little taller and can last until kids are 5ish while the Scenera Next lasts average kids until 3ish. Mightyfit is still super lightweight and stackable to fit 2 seats in one car seat backpack if that’s how you chose to transport them (in the future if/when you do bring two seats). The airplane seatbelts just don’t do anything for little toddlers!

Will both babies be lap infants? There can only be one lap infant per row so just keep that in mind! The Cosco Scenera Next is an amazing travel car seat - definitely my top choice as it’ll fit your 4mos well and will last most kids to about age 3, all for $60. Or the Maxi Cosi Romi is an “upgraded” Scenera next that is identical but offers premium lower anchors for an easier install- that may be worth the upgrade price or not, but it’s otherwise the same and also great for travel! Stroller wise, how much are you wanting to spend? If in budget I’d look at a Valco Slim Twin, Nuna Trvl Double or Silver Cross Jet Double- they’re all pretty fancy but they’re all much lighter and smaller than the donkey, and they all fold in one piece. They all also recline enough that I’d be okay letting 4 month olds sit in the stroller seats. I wouldn’t want to check a multiple-piece or huge stroller either, but I have gate checked my Valco Snap Duo Trend dozens of times without any issue whatsoever. There are also cheaper umbrella style double strollers but I would be hesitant to use them at 4 months because they don’t have the same deep level of recline and most of them probably list 6 months and/or sitting independently as the minimum requirements for kids to ride in them.

I use a bungee cord and clip the Cosco scenera off the back of my travel stroller (Babyzen Yoyo, but I imagine it works for any other stroller) when we’re out and about. Its super convenient and low profile. I can dm you a photo of the setup if you want

Until now we've been flying with a Costco Scenera Next, which Google says is 17" wide and one of the narrowest convertible available. It's definitely not what you're looking for as kids outgrow it fairly early. For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure we've always installed it with the armrests up, just because it's easier, and no one has ever said anything. Our 3 year old has almost definitely outgrown her Scenera (haven't flown since last fall), so we'll probably pull the trigger on the Contender Slim for summer travel.

This is our travel seat, it's definitely a pain in the ass to tighten it!

My kids are out of car seat age now, but we always did. My husband is a CPST (car seat technician) and is also in aviation. He knows statistics out the wazoo. We always purchase a seat and we always use a car seat. We did the Cosco Scenera to make it easier. Much less bulky than dragging around our huge Britax.

I have the same one, my friend and me stacked ours, put them in a car seat travel bag/backpack and switched off carrying them on our backs through the airport. It wasn’t bad at all, I’m like 100 lbs and petite for reference, it wasn’t too heavy. I did check one bag, brought a carry on and pushed a travel stroller through the airport. I would do it that way again! You can get a universal backpack style car seat bag on Amazon for like $15-30.

You can use it forward facing during air travel and have it somewhat reclined still. If I recall, this is because in the rare occurrence of a plane crash, god forbid, it wouldn't matter much. Vs in a vehicle, it's important to rear face as long as possible as motor vehicle accidents are far more common. I flew 3x with the Cosco Scenera Next with just myself and baby. I strapped the car seat onto my rolling suitcase. Then had a little umbrella stroller and carrier to get baby through the airport and use around our destination. Edit to add: I did some research and CPST's say forward facing is fine on a plane as we're trying to hold baby down during any turbulence. As in a vehicle we have to worry about lateral force.

A while back, we saw several recommendations for the Cosco Scenera. I read the manual, felt prepared. But once on the plane, I couldn't figure out how to make it work. The plane's seat buckle is supposed to wrap through the back of the seat (front facing). But the buckle came together right in the middle of the seat, where there was no plastic, and was directly behind the seat pad. If I sat my kid there, she'd have the buckle poking into her lower back all flight. We gave up, and there was space on the plane to store the seat away. Since that trip, I've watched some videos and a common suggestion is to install the seat rear facing and pass the buckle through a different path. But my manual is pretty clear that the seat should be installed front facing.

Do not rent a car seat if all possible. You don’t know the accident history of it, or how it was cleaned etc. The Costco scenara next is lightweight (like less than 10lbs) we used that for travel as an infant when bucket seat on stroller was no longer an option. There are car seat dolly’s that you can attach the car seat to. We have the britax dolly. So then you could wheel around the car seat when not in use.

For sure! If they're in a bucket seat it has to be rear facing. Some bucket seats will fit, some will not. You can usually measure your seat front to back (with line level) and then look up online the dimensions of the seats on the plane you're flying on. In my experience if you pay extra for the seats with more legroom it gives you a lot more flexibility. When I took my 10 month old to Alaska I was able to install his seat rear facing on 2/4 flights. It was a Britax poplar which is one of the most compact seats. Technically they need to be over 1 and over 22lbs to install forward facing on a plane. It depends on which airline you fly with but when I had my baby on this particular trip I got flack from a flight attendant because he was under 1 and only 21lbs. I explained to her that since the car seat did not fit rear facing that having him in it forward facing (but super reclined) was still much safer than him not being in his car seat at all. She checked with the head flight attendant and they agreed. If you have the option, I would purchase the Cosco scenera next as it can often be installed rear facing on airplanes and if not it can be installed forward facing but super reclined. If the seat is FF on the airplane but reclined enough, it's still safe for a younger baby. Not all seats allow you to do this but the scenera is good for it. I was able to get the poplar super reclined too but still have if ff. Good luck!

We bring a Way-B Pico on the plane now. It’s foldable and counts as her personal item since it fits under the seat. Until she was big enough, we brought a Cosco Scenera Next and installed it for her on the plane.

We had the Cosco Scenera from birth. We live in a big city and don’t own a car and primarily walk or use public transport. I found it pretty easy and quick to install with the seatbelt in an uber, I just message that I have a car seat to install when the driver is assigned so they expect it’ll take a minute. I got a car seat backpack to carry it but before we got that we used a large IKEA bag. I’ve seen people use luggage straps to strap it to the seat of a stroller (not sure how I feel about this) or to the handlebars of a stroller. It’s very light weight which is great. For us, because we don’t use a car that often I couldn’t justify spending $3-500 on an infant bucket seat that we’d only use a handful of times in a year before baby outgrew it. There was only 1 or 2 times where it was slightly less convenient to have the convertible car seat rather than an infant seat we could attach to a stroller, to be completely honest. It might be different if we took cars on a more regular basis like if we took Ubers on a weekly basis or something like that.

I love ours! It’s only gotten big/annoying in the last few years as we’ve dropped a stroller and travel crib (guava lotus) from our repertoire. We started with the Cosco Scenera as a baby travel seat and upgraded to the Finale when it was outgrown!

Seconding this! Affordable and lightweight! We e brought it many times on the plane and checked,

I have the cosco scenera, it is very light! You can easily carry it with one hand and it's easy to install with a seatbelt. You can find it at Walmart. It's the lightest car seat I've ever found.

We have a car seat bag that can be carried like a backpack or handheld like a duffel bag, but we also use a travel stroller (joolz aer) that we can strap the car seat to using luggage straps. We have Cisco scenera next as our travel car seat. We’ve traveled to Paris where renting a car is not advisable, so we just booked taxis that had car seats, which was an option when booking on the app. When we traveled to places where we rented a car, then we just use the car seat we have.

For what it's worth, my spouse and I have two cars and one (tall) four year old. We've now owned the following seats for him; Chicco travel system (one seat, two bases). Cosco Scenera Next x2 (dad's car, less traveled in) (caregiver's car) (we also used this seat for airplane travel, it's very light). We grew out of this one pretty early because my son is tall. Maxi Cosi Magellan Max (mom's car, more traveled in). I should note, this was one of those expensive 'buy it for life' type seats and I ended up hating it once my son was mobile enough to get into a seat on his own. It was too high and hard for him to get into, plus he wasn't able to learn to clip and unclip on his own. Diono Radian 3R (mom's car). I LOVE this seat. It's more expensive than the lowest priced seats on the market but well under that $400-600 range of 'buy it for life' seats. I have never installed it rear facing because we started using it at age 3. It's also very easy to wash and my child can buckle and unbuckle independently. Cosco Finale x2 (dad's car, caregivers car). I also LOVE this seat. It's light and it's great for travel, it's easy to install for someone without a lot of carseat experience like a caregiver. Ride Safer Vest (for rental cars, cabs, and ubers). Hiccapop Booster (I keep this for emergencies when there might be a second kid in the car or we're really in a bind, he's realistically a little too young for a booster but it's better than nothing in the event of an emergency). We'll use it when he's a little older for a booster seat in rental cars when we travel. All of this to say, I hate the promise of a 'buy it once' car seat because the seats are unwieldy, expensive, and there is no guarantee of how long your child will fit in it because a long torso'd kid will grow out faster than a shorter statured kid, or a heavy kid may outgrow the latch install because the seat itself is so heavy that the latch weight limit is low, etc. I have found that being flexible and buying seats to fit our child in their current phase has been a better call for us.

I was actually going to post this as well when I saw your comment. The Cosco Scenera is super cheap for a car seat (\~$50 at Walmart), extremely lightweight, and was our travel savior when my daughter was little. We used a car seat bag with a shoulder strap and just flung it onto our backs in the airport. Super easy, and so worth it.

You don’t have to rear face on a plane.

It’s a tough age to fly - not impossible or anything but hard to keep them in their seat. I have a cosco scenara for travel. Very lightweight, affordable and FAA approved. We use it as a backup seat for family and childcare so we don’t have to take out the main seat in our car. You could get a backpack carrier for it or just strap it to your luggage (some exist where kiddo can sit it in at the same time) - or like another commenter suggested get a folding cart and you can also put kiddo in it and pull through the airport.

We bought extra car seats for the airlines, the Cosco Scenera to be specific. It’s FAA approved, it’s super light, easy to install, easy to wash and I don’t care if it gets beat up. We have tried plane rides with and without the car seats and with has always been better. There are times on a plane when your child HAS to stay seated and trying to restrain them without a car seat can be really stressful. We tried the CARES restraint one time and they just unbuckled them. I’d rather they be screaming in the car seat than jumping all over us or refusing to sit - I’m sure you know how intense toddlers can be.

Bring a car seat. Use it on the plane. Otherwise you’re going to have a hell of a time keeping your toddler in the airplane seat. Also, rentals are 🤢 and I have literally seen rental car seats with holes in them. Not in the fabric, but literally all the way through the shell. Like the car seat was caught under a car and dragged across a parking lot. I’m not even joking. I’ve had an employee at Enterprise once tell me that she was glad I brought my own car seat because “I don’t know anything about car seats but I know I wouldn’t trust the ones we have.” I have heard of people being given booster seats - including ones that are meant for dining not for cars - for infants as the “car seat” rental. If your car seat is big and heavy and you want something easier to travel with, the Cosco Scenera Next costs about $50 at Walmart, it’s the seat you’re most likely to receive as a rental anyway, and probably it will cost you more than that to rent one.

Hi, I’m a CPST (car seat tech). The maxi cosi romi/cosco scenera next is the one you want. They are essentially the same seat, except the Romi is more padded and has latch connectors that are easier to use. This car seat can fit in the basket of a premium stroller or be looped around the handle of a smaller stroller.

I have a 2 & 5yo and we travel frequently. This is what we do: 5yo - Check in high back booster seat (Graco - 8lbs, $50 from Target) 2yo - He sits in his Cosco Scenera Next car seat (8 lbs & $50 from Walmart). In the plane, the seat does not fit very well rear-facing, so he faces forward, it is what it is, but it’s very light and we’ve never had any issues installing it (just feed the seatbelt through the back) and usually not a problem to carry around the airport. If you can, wear your little one and check all your other bags so you don’t have to carry so many things around. I usually carry a backpack with iPad, headphones, water bottles, and snacks for the kids, and my wallet. At home they are both in Nunas and we don’t remove them from our cars. Our travel seats are inexpensive, lightweight, and very efficient.

The 2yo uses a Cosco Scenera Next & the 6yo uses a Graco Turbobooster Highback. Both are lightweight and easy to carry around.

Hi from San Diego! I have an almost 6 yo who we traveled with last summer and he had a booster. He was over 40 lbs. it was easy to travel with and the booster went above seats. Our daughter (then 1) had a scenera we used in the car rental.

The Cosco Scenera is super cheap. We bought one specifically for travel when my oldest was a toddler and got one of the little things you can use to basically turn it into a stroller in the airport. I cannot imagine not having one, not just for safety, but because a bored toddler in a tiny, moving space that isn’t securely strapped in sounds like a nightmare 😅

I third what the others are saying. At home I have a doona and a nuna exec and we bought the Cosco scenera for planes and cars at the travel location. You can just buy a backpack for it and it weighs almost nothing. You can wear it as a backpack until you check it or strap it to your suitcase to get it into the airport

Mine have done great in their car seat when flying around age 2! All the snacks, all the little toys, tablet when needed!! I keep the straps a touch loose so they don’t feel held down. My older one started complaining at 4 that he wanted to sit on the big seat and be a big kid. But by the time he was totally ready for it. A Cosco scenera NEXT is the seat to fly with at that age. When we recently went to Florida there were like 4-5 other families all waiting to board with the same seat. It was kinda funny.

I know a few people have said this but I’ll tell you my set up because I am totally team car seat on the plane! Cosco scenera next seat is the way. (My older child uses a Cosco Finale when traveling) 1. bring a roll aboard suitcase and kinda put the car seat on top. Carry kiddo or let them walk (totally depends on kid and travel plans, or additional adults traveling) 2. Put Cosco car seat on stroller. SOME strollers will kinda let the seat sit nicely or even buckle on. Then I can alternate kiddo in the stroller or walking and I just bring a backpack (and check my bag if needed) I try to not bring a stroller if I can avoid it. I hate having to wait for elevators in the airport, it makes everything take so much longer. But obvs for some trips it can’t be avoided.

I'm due in August. I don't have a car (use communauto) and likely only taking the car for appointments as well. I personally went straight into a convertible and bought the Cosco Scenera Next Convertible and planned to leave with it from the hospital. Following as I'm curious about the opinions of experienced parents!

Are you looking for a lightweight car seat and stroller for plane travel? We've been happy with a Costco Scenera Next car seat and Uppababy Minu stroller. We hang the carseat off the back of the stroller using a luggage strap to get through the airport, then check the stroller at the gate and bring the carseat on the plane.

The Cosco scenera is typically the main one mentioned but it has a very low 40” rear facing height limit. If your kid is shorter or you don’t mind forward facing, it’s a winner since it’s 5 lbs and like $60. We take ours on the plane and strap him in on the plane and also have one at my parents house . My toddler has now hit the height requirement so I plan to go back to the drawing board bc I want to keep him rear facing .

For infants the Doona is awesome and the fully functional car-seat into stroller is such a game-changer for travel. Also - if you’re on a budget or just looking for value in general, I love the $60 Cosco Scenera Next car seat. We bought it for our toddler as our “travel” car seat because our expensive fancy Nuna Rava weighs like 10x as much and stays permanently in our car, and its more comfortable for her, easier to install for me, and super lightweight. Whatever you get, strongly recommend practicing install on a friend/family member’s car for a bit until you’ve got it down pat to alleviate any stress when you need to actually travel with the kiddo.

Same for the Graco 4ever. It's way too heavy and if you're going for a convertible car seat then the Cosco Scenera next is way better and lighter for travel.

I just flew with my baby and toddler with me in a row. The aisle is just wide enough to fit the cosco scenera car seat carrying it in front of me. I put the baby in the car seat in the window seat, myself in the middle, and the toddler in a CARES harness in the aisle seat. We bought PB&J brand stroller hooks off Amazon to hang our bags and car seat from the stroller so it was easier to move through the airport.

Yeah this is just how the Cosco Scenera works. Depending on kiddo's weight, you can do rear or forward facing. If forward, the seatbelt buckle is square in their back. Need some kind of padding to make it comfortable. We tried forward facing once, and kiddo just kicked the seat in front of them with wild abandon. He'll be rear facing now until that's no longer an option!

We have the same one as you, and got it specifically for travel! I've traveled solo with her (as an infant) and the seat, and also with my husband when she was older. We use the straps to attach it to a rolling suitcase (with the seat curved over the handles). Or we hook the straps around a forearm and carry it that way. I have a friend who ties it into her own backpack like a turtle shell. All very doable and easy to remove for the security check.

If you don’t have a car seat, you have no way of strapping your kid down. That lap belt isn’t keeping a mildly curious toddler contained in any way. We’ve had flights where the car seat is a source of misery and flights where not having a car seat was torture. There’s just no good option, but I can say that a screaming kid strapped into their car seat is preferable to a kid screaming in my ear while I try to keep them in their seat. Also- the cosco scenera sucks. It’s weirdly wide and it’s not comfortable to sit next to. Our best flights have been with a chicco nextfit (30 pounds) and a car seat dolly. A bit more cumbersome to lift in and out of the airline seats, but every other part of traveling is easier. Hope your future flights are comfy and stress free for everyone!

The COSCO SCENERA is light and easy to install with a simple belt path for mounting it on the seat. It's also pretty reasonably priced. The only downside is that it's pretty bulky.

Trust me when I say this, maxi cosi zelia max. The mico 30 is super light and installs with a single belt strap on the front. The base is also super light and easy to toss into most trunks. The new zelia max has the luxe infant seat and I’m not sure if that’s a light as the mico 30. After that you’re going to need a convertible seat once baby is bigger, the cosco scenera is your best bet but it doesn’t click into stroller. No convertible seats do.

We’ve only flown with my son once so not an expert but this is what we did… I bought an inexpensive, light car seat (Cosco Scerena- about $60, weighs 10 lbs). I also bought a car seat bag that you can wear like a backpack (cheap from Amazon, I should’ve paid a few extra $$). The bag was very big and flimsy so I had to get creative in how I closed it to make it comfortable to wear. But because it was so big I could put another bag inside of it while we walked through the airport. My son sleeps well in a car seat so we brought it on the plane with us and had piece of mind that we had a good car seat that we knew how to install once we got to our destination.

We have a Costco Scenera to travel with. It's super light and portable. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Kids-Scenera-Next-DLX-Convertible-Car-Seat-Moon-Mist/41126745

Our daughter is 4.5 and this is the one we just got, we really liked our friend’s Cosco scenera so figured we would get the bigger size. Haven’t travelled with it yet, but feels light and has been easy installing into multiple vehicles. We got it on sale for $49 and rentals from rental car companies usually charge around $75/week. With numerous trips coming up this year, car seats being free checked baggage, it felt like a no brainer. It’s cheap enough to get banged up and us not care, and there’s peace of mind always knowing how to install it each time.

Yes, we used a Costco Scenera on several flights for the reasons others have mentioned- safety on the flight and protecting the car seat for use upon arrival. Now we use the cares harness and a ridesafe vest (if just using a car service to/from airport but otherwise not really going in cars) or we gate check the Cosco finale if we’re renting a car. The gate check is supposedly to minimize handling and therefore damage. It’s not ideal but my kid is no longer willing to sit in one on flights. 

I recently bought the Cosco Kids Scenera Next DLX Convertible Car Seat from Walmart, and flew coast to coast with it. Put it in a travel bag and the airline checked it with the oversized luggage. Was easy to install and lightweight to carry. Edit: $59

4 year old over 45 lbs, FAA does not recommend using a car seat. For travel at this age and size we use a portable booster seat or the Ride Safer vest. For the 14 month old a small portable car seat like Costco Scenera or Evenflo Sonus.

The Cosco Scenera is very basic but can definitely be used rear-facing.  We've used it strapped to our GB Pockit as described here: https://www.thebroccolifloret.com/home/travel-stroller-and-cars-seat My husband is the nervous one and he was fine wheeling our daughter around the airport like this although I wouldn't go off-roading with it.  I test fit it on our daily driver (Zoe Tour) and it seems like it should work but we haven't needed to try that combo yet. It's worked for us so far, but I've been debating whether it would be worth shelling out for the Wayb Pico, which in theory folds up into a backpack but still seems like a pretty bulky and awkward backpack. A note on the Pockit: It feels a little wobbly but has held up well and folds up SO TINY.  It's too bare bones for us to use every day (we're carless city dwellers) but for specific situations (airport, gym lockers, public transportation during rush hour) it's absolutely fantastic.  I originally didn't think it was worth the cost/closet space but we got one was a hand-me-down and if it broke, I'd definitely be hunting down a replacement.

Totally agree that for those with younger kids the Cosco Scenera is AMAZING: light, protective, easy to install, cheap, simple to clean. One key tip for all: if traveling with a car seat, look for something called the GoGo BabyZ TravelMate. It has a small platform that you strap and winch your car seat onto, and then there are rollerblade quality wheels you can use to roll your kid around the airport. It’s fairly easy to disassemble and reassemble in the security/TSA area and once you get the kid on the plane. I could roll the seat right onto the plane. I had more people stop me and ask me where I got it than any single object I’ve ever owned (too bad it couldn’t have been some super stylish item of my fashion wardrobe!). We’re traveling now with the Chicco GoFit Plus booster—also great for super quick and safe installation, just a bit too clunky if I’m one-bagging it. We’re probably at the point where we can travel without a booster, but I worry my son won’t have as good a view and tracking license plates has become his (and a family) obsession.

We bought the Cosco Scenera last year when my LO just turned 3 for a long flight. And I agree, we only used it for 2or 3 trips before she grew out of it. BUT it is so easy to travel with, it’s light weight, and easy to install and so cheap so it doesn’t matter if you only use it once or twice. Also once she grew out of the seat, the upper height is the minimum of the lightweight boosters which are also an easier way to fly.

We haven't tried the car but we used a Cosco scenera until our kid couldn't fit in it. It's cheap, light, and meets all safety guidelines.

Cosco Scenera tends to be recommended in this situation cause it's super light weight and also very cheap. I'd check weight/height limits. I also highly recommend using Amazon or something to ship the car seat to your cousins house and having him bring it in the car. Saves you needing to check it and also doesn't run the risk of the car seat being damaged by being banged out getting put into the plane.

We got a strap to hook it onto our wheelie carry-on. We use our car seat (Cosco seat we bought just for traveling) on the plane, so it's easy enough to unhook when we are boarding.  Also, if you apply now, you might be able to get precheck (assuming you're in the US) before your trip. You can bring minor children with you through the pre check lines which are usually faster and don't require you to take shoes off, take liquids/electronics out. Helps tremendously!

We love the Extend2Fit. Ended up getting a second one for my husband's car and gave my mom the Cosco scenera (she needed a car seat as she's on the daycare emergency list). Little man loves it and has never fussed when we put him in. At 9 months he was so happy to move from the bucket seat to his big boy carseat. We also love that he can be rear facing so long.

Lots of recs below for the Cosco Scenera. If you care about this sort of thing, the Maxi Cosi Romi is the exact same carseat but with "clean" fabric (no fire retardants, PFAS, etc.) and more padding. If your 4 year old is 40lbs and 38" tall, you could do a booster seat instead. You can also rent from BabyQuip at your destination if in the US - the person will bring the seats to you at the airport.

I got a strap to hook to a roller bag off Amazon, it's perfect. It goes through the seatbelt slot on the seat and around the bag, then over through the bag's handle to clip. It's easy to do in a hurry, bright orange so hard to lose, and is just a strap so packs down small ETA: I also got a Cosco Scenera carseat for the trip. It's crazy light, unlike our Graco at home, and very easy to hook into planes and cars. Whichever seat you use, make sure the gate agent tags it for you each time, or the FAs might make you unstrap it to check the FAA tag after you have your kid in. Ask me how I know. Even if the gate agent says it's unnecessary, they're wrong.

Like many in the thread, I got the Cosco Scenera Next. It's cheap as dirt, FAA certified, and super super light for carrying. One handed, no trouble. I also got a strap to connect it to a roller bag off Amazon, super easy to use.

I used the scenera on a few trips until my son was 4. He was probably right around the limits, maybe borderline too tall (straps need to be above the shoulders forward facing) on our last trip. 4” and 8lbs is still a way to go.

This is also what we do. We flew with a Britax once and were like - never again. The Cosco sceneras are light and easy to bungy together (we have 2).

My kid was a little too big for the Cosco scenera car seat one trip. It moved him forward so his feet were almost touching the seat in front, leading to lots of kicking. I liked the FAA approved harness for that stage.

Cosco Senera for baby. Google "FAA Approved Booster seats, Target" and it brings you to page wit several options. And you will see lots of options. I would not rent from the car rental company. We did this one time for our child who was six....and it didn't work out. Luckily, we were visiting my sister .and she picked one up at Walmart and met us at the airport.

We use the Scenera when we travel. Our 1.5 year old is a beast at 39 inches and 36 pounds. He fits fine. The car seat is great on planes! We use a stroller wagon to lug it and the toddler around the airport (which is gate checked for free). We did United to HNL from the East coast - direct flights!

You will hate trying to travel with that seat. Just get a cheapie Cosco Scenera Next and then you'll always have a lightweight travel or backup carseat. The Scenera is also really easy to use on the plane if you decide to do that - it has made travel so easy with my kid! Plus it's much safer in the event of turbulence etc.

Yes, 2 car seats. We have 3 actually - 1 for each car and a Cosco Scenera for travel (which is also our extra car seat if grandma is in town). Highly recommend prime day or Black Friday for car seat sales if can wait. We got a very bougie 360 one on prime day last year for our son for 40% off! We are about to have 2 kids and will rinse and repeat next year.

I got a $60 Cosco car seat from Wal-Mart because that was the cheapest of the options that all the internet lists kept talking about. We ended up standing in line next to a family with the same car seat, attached to their luggage the same way (luggage strap through the seatbelt straps on the car seat, wrapped around a rolling suitcase handle). It fit fine on the plane - to the extent that anything fits fine in those sardine cans - and it was reasonably light weight and very un-fussy to install and deal with. My only gripe is that it didn't have shoulder pads, so when you loosened or tightened the straps, the edges of the seat belt would slide against my kid's neck, which I'm sure didn't feel good. When they have shoulder pads, the belt slides inside the pad and not against their skin. (If I were using it again, I'd steal some shoulder pads off my stroller, official guidelines about not modifying the seat in any way be damned.) Also note that the car seat takes up the ENTIRE seat (backwards facing, anyway), so you have to put it in the window; you wouldn't be able to get out past it if you put it in the middle or aisle. I went for the car seat and extra seat on the plane partly because the story about the door blowing off the airplane got me. I know it's a total freak accident and my kid is probably more likely to be struck by lightning twice than to be impacted by an incident like that, but it just made me feel safer knowing that my kid was attached to the airplane whether in case of turbulence or freak accidents. If you're in a bad crash, a seat belt or car seat isn't going to save anyone, but in a good crash, and I think most of them are fairly controlled, it's going to be a hell of a lot better than you trying to hold your kid in your arms.

Check out the Cosco Scenera car seat sold at Walmart. This is a great travel car seat for only about $60. It’s so light compared to lugging around the huge car seat from home.

I second the Costco Scenera! It is an excellent travel car seat! It is lightweight to carry through an airport and easy to anchor to a seat using the belt pass through.

Same! Cosco Scenera is awesome — so light! We fly with Air Canada for most of our flights and they require kids under 2 (who are in their own, paid seat) to be in a car seat. The other option is to have them as a lap infant (no way in hell I had them as a lap infant for a 9 hour flight between Rome and Toronto, haha)

I found the cosco scenera next difficult to install correctly - the level is just a line imprinted in the plastic, and it took a lot of adjusting to get it installed tightly. They also don’t last very long, my kids wouldve outgrown them before 2.5 but they were like 60+ percentile kiddos by then. And they’re usually outgrown front facing at the same time they’re outgrown rear facing. But they’re a great travel option, they fit in basically every car, they fit 3 across pretty easily, and even little babies can use them. I would definitely use them as your backups but I would not use them in your main car. Consumer reports doesn’t do official crash testing and doesn’t use CPSTs so they’re not exactly a reliable source.

>The problem is we have one of those car seats with an attached base station that rotates, would that fit in on the plane? This part may be a problem. To fly (domestically at least) car seats must be approved by the FAA. Most rotating base car seats are not. I'm not sure what approvals your car seat would need to fly internationally. Could be FAA, EASA, or both. Also the rotating seats are usually heavy and cumbersome. We have rotating seats in our cars but also a cheap no-frills lightweight seat (Cosco Scenera Next) for travel and occasional use in grandparents/friends cars. >In Europe we use the ISOFIX standard with the bars that clip into the car securely. Do most American cars also have this standard? In the US we call it LATCH, but it's the same standard as ISOFIX. Virtually all rental cars will have LATCH anchors on the outboard 2nd (and 3rd if equipped) seats. LATCH has been required on passenger vehicles since 2002, so it would be hard to find one that doesn't have it. Middle seats usually will not have the lower anchors but usually will have the top tether. Depending on the car, you *may* be able to put a car seat in the middle seat and borrow the inboard anchors from the two outboard seats. How heavy is your 2 year old? In the US, the lower anchor installations are usually limited to 35 pounds (15.9kg). Above that and the seat belt should be used to install the car seat.

Get the Cosco brand umbrella stroller that's like $20. Or any stroller you don't care about. Sit the Cosco Scenera Next car seat in the seat of the stroller and put your carry on bag on top of it. Wear the toddler and walk to the gate. Push a rolling suitcase if you have one. Gate check the stroller and use the car seat on the plane. Boom. Now you have a shopping cart to use in the airport, the toddler is contained on the plane, and you don't have to rent or borrow a stroller/car seat/carrier at your destination.

I work with other people that have toddlers and what I’ve learned is this: if your toddler loves their car seat, bring a car seat and strap ‘em in. Mine loves her car seat, and she slept on the plane very comfortably in a cosco scenera, which we bought specifically for the airplane. If your kid hates car seats, the regular belt or a cares harness is probably the better way to go.

We did this too with the same car seat. we also brought an umbrella stroller and gate checked it but you can flip the car seat over and balance it on top of a stroller if the kid is not using it. that car seat is incredibly lightweight

We have taken one on once, and it was such a pain in the butt to get buckled in that we have never done it again. However, with the pandemic we didn't fly for a few years so then our kids were a bit older by the time we flew again and we have never had any issues with them staying seated and bucked. We have just either paid out the nose to rent a freaking Cosco Scenara or met family with car seats at our destination. I don't recall seeing anyone else bring seats, either.

I like cosco scenera next for travel. Also the britax carseat cart. You can even have the kid sit in the carseat while you wheel it. Or have a bigger kid wheel it. 

+1 on this seat. We bought ours in 2019 for our first and it’s still going strong nearly 5 years with our second. We bought the JL Childress car seat backpack for it to wear through the airport, which is admittedly massive, but frees up hands for luggage and child-wrangling. We travel extensively with our kids and they’ve always been in car seats on the plane (our older child hit the 40lb weight min. to fly without a seat last year, but our younger child will likely be in a seat on the plane for 2+ years)

I do option 2. Two things that make it work well, get a shoulder strap for the car seat to carry it if you don’t have the stroller but also, the cosco seat will sit directly in the seat of the yoyo and you can use the luggage strap to strap the car seat into the stroller so you don’t need to carry it separately- we just strap the cosco seat into the stroller and good to go.

I only have one 1 year old but I think about this a lot as we plan for our second. Based on what others have done: - strap the car seat to the luggage. You can even strap the child in the car seat to the luggage. A lightweight one like Cosco Scenera would work well - a travel stroller with a paddle board attachment for the older child to stand on. We have the Joolz aer which folds with one hand and fits in overhead compartment. A parent in my son’s music class swears by this arrangement when travelling - a backpack leash - buy a second seat, probably legally need to. - bring the baby carrier - your luggage should have 350 wheels - a large “mom” carabiner clip. Can maybe finagle a way to attach luggage to stroller until you can check the bag

Seconding the Cosco Scerena. I just took that thing to Thailand and it was great. Super light, fits into a carseat backpack carrier. My toddler threw up all over it on the way back and I easily took it apart and washed everything when we got home.

We travel with the Cosco Scenera Next, available at WalMart for <$60. We bought this specifically for travel because it’s so lightweight for planes, rental cars, etc. and is extremely easy to strap into a plane seat with the lap belt. Highly recommend for that age - way easier for them to feel comfortable and also restrained on a flight. I’ve used it both rear and forward facing depending on airline/seat setup and child age.

I got a cosco scenera from walmart for like $40 and it is the PERFECT seat for flying/traveling. Its so lightweight and easy to lug around and it keeps my kid comfortable on flights so he can snooze.

Im super pro car seat on the plane for a lot of the reasons stated here. But the deciding factor for me was how baggage handlers treat checked bags. If I have to replace a car seat when I’m in a car accident and nothing actually impacted the seat, why would I let an airline throw around my car seat making tons of tiny little fractures or whatever. I got the cheap Cosco Scenera. ($60) It’s super light and then I hung it flipped upside down on our travel stroller and it worked perfectly. I was traveling all by myself and while that was a tiny bit stressful the car seat worked great. The downside to the car seat is that in most economy seats it put my 20 month olds legs at the perfect distance to kick the seat in front of her. So I had to stay on top of that.

We use the cosco scenera for travel, it’s really lightweight and inexpensive. Maybe buy that one for grandma to use, and then you have a travel car seat when you need it!

i used to cosco scenera that is often recommended in subs. i don't love it because it's not as easy to install as my fancy carseat (evenflo revolve 360 which doesn't work well with travel) but it got the job done and it made a huge difference flying. it looks like they have a bigger one for bigger kids.

We use this one for airplane travel and would recommend. The Cosco Scenera is also often recommended - they’re essentially identical but the Maxi Cosco one has more padding ETA that we use a luggage strap to attach the car seat to our travel stroller instead of purchasing a dolly and would recommend this if it will work with your stroller. We gate check the stroller

We use the same although we check ours. We also use it for my niece when they come to visit so they don’t have to lug a carseat through the airport. When we’re home it stays at my in-laws since my father in law sometimes babysits or does daycare pickup/drop off for us.

I know you said buying more isn’t an option. However.. we have the Cosco scenera and finale for travel specifically. They are cheap ($40-$60), lightweight. I’ve flown with two seats before and fit them in a single car seat bag and it was crazy. I can’t imagine three to be honest! If there’s ANY flexibility to maybe purchase two in NJ, that might make it easier I do not recommend buying second hand. That’s risky. I wouldn’t rent. I wouldn’t borrow unless desperate and REALLY know the history of the car seat. You CAN do two car seats in a row on planes, window and middle. It can’t be window and aisle. I personally wouldn’t check but would gate check if that was my option. I see people saying it’s no different, but it still kind of is. You’d be handling how to seat gets TO the plane thru the airport rather than machine and workers who don’t give a shit. Who would you rather be in control of your child’s safety? Lastly, if any kiddo is actual booster weight/height, but you prefer harness for everyday, it could be an option to deal with a booster for vacay only (of course ONLY if they meet weight/height) to make to easier

My kid is old enough that the Cosco Scenera cost $40 when we used it (it's $60 now). Definitely the way to go. It's cheap and light and works just fine.

graco contender. Decent height limits. Good on a plane either rear or forward facing (has a closed belt path). Not wildly heavy. Solid comfort/feels like a real car seat. For something more basic, cosco scenera/maxi cosi romi. Because sometimes you just want a really lightweight, basic car seat. No comfort complaints for my kids!

I use a Cosco Scenera for travel specifically because it’s small and light. I use it on the plane. I actually find my kids prefer it, since they are too small to be comfy on the plane seats. You can technically check your seat, but it will be considered as having an “unknown history” by the manufacturer after that because there is a real risk of damage. As someone else stated, if you ARE going to check it, it is best to use the original box so that you can more visibly see any signs of damage. I am also iffy on rental seats because of the unknown history.

We always use car seats on planes. I can see how it would be hard the first time but we've done it like a dozen and it's no big deal. We have one who can sit in plane seat and 2 who use car seats. We put them on a cart for the airport or when they were smaller used the scenera and they nested in a backpack. My kids when they're small always slept on the plane because it's a giant sound machine and it was easy and comfortable to do that in their car seat. Better safe than sorry.

Just to add, many parents choose to get a cheap, lightweight seat such as the Cosco Scenera Next for travel because they’re easy to transport around. Car seats with additional safety, comfort, and ease of installation features tend to add weight and bulk to the seat.

This is exactly what we did with our scenara too! Only caveat is on one of our flights the seat got stuck trying to maneuver down the aisle to the super economy seats at the back of that particular airplane.

It’s the best travel car seat and I think 99% of their business model is just people buying the scenera for travel

If your kid is over 2, they have to have their own seat on the plane anyways and thus they should be sitting in their car seat in the plane. But often seats have to be installed forward facing in an airplane because of space. It’s ok for little ones to be installed forward facing on a plane though. Even babies are safer in their car seat in their own seat on a plane which is why CPSTs recommend you get them their own seat if at all possible. Best to bring your own seat if you can and use it on the plane, but make sure it has the right stickers for air travel. checking the seats on the plane can lead to hidden damage so I’d avoid that, even if the seat is packed in a bag or box. Renting might be an option but there’s hidden dangers with that too. Wouldn’t trust one from Uber or a taxi though that’s for sure. For the little ones the Costco Scenera next is a cheap and lightweight seat perfect for travelling. Once kids are using a booster, in particular a no back version, you can just have the kid bring the booster seat on board in a bag and stow it under the seat in front of them.

Walmart sells a lightweight car seat called Cosco Scenara Next for about $60. I don’t think this will help for Tuesday, but maybe for the future. That’s what we used for flying when my daughter was little.

I just flew ten hours with my 12 month old and my three year old. We got the baby a seat and yes, put him in a car seat. Most airlines require babies under two to be in a car seat if you get them their own seat. Also car seats are in the window most of the time. It worked out perfectly. You don’t want the baby to be on your lap the whole time, plus you need a car seat anyways. We just used the Cosco Scenera and it was light and easy to carry around.

How old is your baby? You are absolutely allowed to hold a child under 2 on your lap and do not have to put them in a car seat. If your baby is older though they might be more comfortable in a car seat. We just traveled with our 14 month old last week and he slept for the whole flight, which I don’t think he would have if he’d been on our laps. If you’re thinking about going the car seat route… We bought a used Cosco Scenera Next car seat from a trusted source for $30. You can get them brand new for about $60. They are super lightweight and they are FAA approved. We also bought a travel bag for it that has backpack type straps. It was a little awkwardly sized but honestly lighter to carry than the diaper bag lol. We also bought a $20 umbrella stroller from Walmart which we were then able to gate check for free. Hope that helps!

Unpopular opinion, but I sit as close to the front as I can. Mostly flights I’ve taken (15 with my 22 month old), we use the bathroom once MAYBE. But sitting at the back, people line up right next to you, it’s loud, stinky and cold. I hate sitting at the back with a kid. Also someone else mentioned the Cosco Scenera Next and I 10/10 recommend it for air travel. It weighs like 5lbs max, is incredibly safe for your baby to travel on the plane in a car seat. You just have to call West Jet and let them know ahead of time that you’re bringing it. Also pro tip, send 1 parent on in the pre boarding ‘need extra time’ to install it (super easy with the lap belt) and the other parent boards dead last with the baby. The least amount of time on a plane with an infant the better. Oh and don’t worry one bit about complainers for crying. I’ve never encountered it once. Just try and feed baby a bottle or nurse on takeoff/landing and you’ll be golden! Good luck!

Cosco scenera. It's light and cheap and easy to install. It's a bit no frills, it's our backup/ travel seat as we do have a car with another one.vweve used it on international flights our son slept in it no problem and it's compact enough for smaller vehicles while is great

Cosco seems to always be the best bet for cheap and lightweight. Carry it inside down on top of your head when boarding/deboarding - it’s the best way to get down the aisle!

We used the Cosco Scenera and it was fine, but it was annoying to install. Maybe check children’s resale stores near you or Facebook Marketplace. We ended up finding a great deal on our same car seat, so it lives in the basement for travel.

Here’s what I do when I travel solo with my toddler who is now 20 months (which is kind of frequently): 1. Check a bag (I’m usually visiting family for 3-4 weeks so it makes sense in our case).*** 2. Pack diaper bag 3. Pack a small backpack (put your purse in there) 4. Bring a stroller 5. Put car seat (I also use Cosco Scenera) in a backpack bag. The less you can physically carry onto the plane the better— yes definitely make sure you have diapers and snacks and your meds but as much as a possible, put stuff in your checked bag. I buy her her own seat but just because we’re *allowed* two carry ons, two personal items, a car seat, and a diaper bag, doesn’t mean I want to try to carry all that on. After going through security, I rearrange my things so that the things that she or I will want during the flight are in the diaper bag and all other items (meds, extra diapers, etc) are in the backpack. Before boarding the plane, I put her in the stroller and strap her in. I put the diaper bag in the stroller. I put on the backpack and then put on the carseat over the backpack. This keeps a slim silhouette which helps get through the plane. Since I have a child, we get to board first or nearly first. I use the stroller until the end of the jet bridge. Then I take her out and encourage her to walk to our seat, while holding the diaper bag in my hand (keeping the backpack and car seat on my back). If she won’t walk I’ll carry her but that’s kind of annoying. It’s very short tho. I put her in my seat. Then I put the backpack in the luggage above our heads. I put the diaper bag under the seat in front of her seat. I then install her carseat. Then I put her in and sit down myself. Buying her her own seat is absolutely necessary— it is a nightmare when she hasn’t had her own. *** once or twice I’ve brought a roller bag as a carryon instead of checking a bag and that went ok but checked is better. If the flight is full (often) you can check it for free at the counter before security (never hurts to ask) so you don’t have to lug it through the airport. If they won’t check it for you, then you can also offer to have them gate check it for free at the gate because carry on space is always a premium. I’ve only ever had to lug it down the jet bridge once.

Safety 1st Jive for my 1yo and 4yo. Very light, narrow enough for the aisles of a plane. I got a little collapsible cart to wheel them through the airport. I had the Cosco scenera for one trip and hated that thing, I could not get it installed well and it constantly fell backward and ended up way too reclined.

We have a cosco too, it weighs under the pounds I think! It’s not amazing but it’s perfect for travel

I have never taken the car seat ON the plane, but this Cosco is the same seat we have for travel. We just check it every time.

We travel fairly often and I disliked the cosco scenara a lot. A lot of airlines that seat wont fit rear facing unless your kid is practically leaned forward it’s so upright, and forward facing the buckle is dead center on their backs with no real padding in between. We use a graco contender go as our travel seat and I like it a lot. It’s heavier than the cosco, but we strap it to a carry on to get it through the airport.

The Cosco Scenera was worth every penny for our flights with a toddler. It’s so lightweight and we were able to attach it to our luggage with a bungee cord which made transporting it through the airport a breeze. I couldn’t imagine lugging around my Rava and squeezing it down the plane aisle with my carry-on in tow. My kid was comfy for the whole flight and I could take a much needed break lol

I used this too.

Cosco Scenera Next.

We don’t live near my mom but she has a convertible seat in her car for if my nephew needs it or if we visit. That way she can pick up grand babies in an emergency too. She has a Graco. I can’t remember which one, but one of the cheaper options. it has the no rethread harness, so adjusts for different kids in seconds without uninstalling. If there are other grandkids that would use this seat, that’s a feature you may want. If my mom was local, what I would likely do is buy a seat I wanted to use for travel and install that in her car. If you have any plans to fly with baby and would want a travel car seat, maybe look into that. We got the Cosco scenera next, which is inexpensive, as a first travel seat, since he wasn’t big enough for the other recommended travel seats. We have been using it our second vehicle. We don’t like it as much as our primary seat, but wanted to get more than a couple weeks of trips out of it.

We are at the young toddler stage now, just over 13 months or so. Do you foresee air travel from age 1-4? Add a super lightweight AIRPLANE FRIENDLY convertible car seat to your registry. The infant bucket seat or Doona only work for the first year. After that you’ll 100% need a travel car seat if you fly anyplace where you need a car rental. It has to be a light one that you’ll literally carry through the airport. None sane person ever travels with their regular heavy car seat. Cosco Scenera Next and Maxi Cosi Romi will fit great til maybe age 2. The Safety 1st Jive, Graco Contender Slim, or Wayb Pico work after that.

It’s sooooooo much easier with a seat. We always get one and use the cosco scenera. Hide some of her favorite toys/books a week before the flight and/or get a new toy that’s similar to her favorites for the flight. BABY POWDER REMOVES SAND ITS TRULY MAGIC and if your kid hates hats like mine you may need to put sunscreen on their on their scalp

Cosco scenera next. It’s the lightest car seat I’ve ever held and is totally safe. It’s so nice having them in the car seat on the flight and then you can just use that instead of your regular car seat in the car seat

Just as a note, many carriers will not allow you to rear-face on the plane itself because it interferes with the recline of the seat in front of you. (This has been the case on all international flights I’ve taken). So while we rear-face in the car with the Cosco Scenera (and my kids are fine with that), just flagging that we don’t on the plane. Also take a sweater / scarf something. Because otherwise the plane seat’s buckle is very uncomfortable right in the middle of their back (which I’ve found interferes with their sleep). It’s not an issue in the car, but we take 12hr flights and the kids need to sleep!

Based on the responses here, I decided to go ahead and get a Cosco Scenera to bring on our flight with us. I think being able to “park” one twin will be worth it. Depending when your flight is, happy to let you know how it goes for us!!

Absolutely - this is an awesome idea! But for some time I would travel with my child as a lap infant so I’d have to gate check it and now that both my children are over two I don’t typically like to have both car seats on the plane because we’d have to sit in two windows and two middles and that’s not really a preferred seating arrangement for my family so we typically will check one car seat and bring one on the plane. Not trying to drag two 30lb nunas through the airport and then hand over a $500 carseat to be stored under the plane and then have to sit completely split. Really prefer to have the two coscos!

We use the Cosco Scenera next for my toddler for air travel. It is very lightweight (6 lbs, I think), narrow enough to fit into the most budget of budget airline seats, is FAA approved, and cost less than the tickets for the first flight we took it on. Installs very quickly and easily into airplane seats as well as rental cars. It would not work for your 4 year old, though, as I believe it only goes up to 40 lbs. If it were me, I would get a lightweight high back booster for the 4 year old for travel, even if you’re still in a convertible car seat on a daily basis. You won’t be able to use the booster on the airplane, so you can leave it in its original packing or pack it carefully in luggage and check it for the flight.

How old was your child when you felt they could safely wear the ridesafe vest? My son just turned 2, but the last time we flew he was very close to outgrowing the car seat we have used for travel til now (Scenera Next). He’s too tall for rear facing in it, and is about 5 lbs away from exceeding the weight limit even for front facing. Our day-to-day car seat isn’t approved for use on planes and I won’t risk damaging it by putting it with the checked luggage, so we’ve been really perplexed about what to do next!

Yeah, that’s the model we got for travel. Out the door, taxes included, it was about $67. Negligible compared to the cost of the trip we were planning to use it for. Got nearly 2 years of use out of it for travel, which saved us hundreds of dollars at least compared to renting a car seat every trip.

Cosco Scenera. Although I will say when I’ve tried to install it rear-facing on an airplane in economy that the seat angle doesn’t work. I know the risks aren’t the same as when driving so I just forward face. But maybe someone else has tips for that if OP needs it to be rear-facing on the plane. If I fly domestic first class I don’t have an issue.

We have a Cosco Scenera Next exclusively for travel. For a while we left it with my parents and they would just install it into the car when they picked us up. Now we lug it through the airport with us. It's really light so we don't need to use any sort of carrier, though a pull along one might be nice. Sometimes we gate check it, but mostly we use it on the plane. Our kid is more likely to fall asleep in a carseat and it helps him see the entertainment counsel to watch movies.

The best travel carseat is also the cheapest. Cosco Scenera. It's super light and easy to install/uninstall. Only goes up to 40 pounds though.

We often install the Cosco Scenera Next carseat in the Max 8 economy seats with no trouble. I'm not sure how wide that seat is but we have 1.5-2 inches to spare. I would recommend picking one up for travel (they are often under $150), it's so worth for ease of use for the airport, airplane, installing in rental cars, etc.

Take one, use it on the plane too. Get the smallest and lightest you can find. Cosco Scenera at Walmart is usually recommended. Flew domestically and internationally with ours a few times.

It’s not common at all. I only did with my youngest because I wasn’t aware I could/should until he was born. He’s 12 and my oldest is 24 so a lot changed with car seat recommendations in general between kids. I bought a Cosco Scenera for him because no way I was lugging our super heavy car seat. It became our travel/backup seat, the one we used when things came up and we had to switch cars.

You can fit the Cosco Scenera travel car seat in the Uppababy's bottom basket. We have always preferred to just use transit though. My kid loves buses and trains and it's half the joy of the day for him. We just think of it as part of the travel experience instead of an annoyance.

That makes sense. [Here's another way](https://youtube.com/shorts/QhR6g_mgbig) to carry the Cosco Scenera on your stroller if you need the space in the bottom basket. I highly recommend the Cosco Scenera car seat! It's only 7lbs, very cheap, and easy to install. We don't own a car and it's our only car seat. Note that it doesn't come with harness covers but you can email their customer service and they'll mail you a pair for free.

Some things to consider when renting a car seat - obv if it’s the only choice then do it but car rental companies may not have the appropriate seat, it could be expired, improperly cleaned, damaged (without visible signs) etc https://csftl.org/traveling-littles-renting-car-seats/ We use a Cosco Scenera on a plane ride to the Midwest to visit my in-laws and used it while we were there visiting. Seat was purchased for her and we would’ve done it if she wasn’t over the age required to buy a seat either.

Cosco Scenera. My 2.5 year old sat in it during the plane ride recently and we used the seat while visiting my in-laws. Do not gate check the seat - it’ll be thrashed around and you may might any damage not visible to the eye. https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

Bring a stroller to the airport for both kids, check a bag (don't try to lug a carry on in addition), get a light-weight travel carseat (I use Cosco Scenera for travelling), let a gate agent know you'll need a hand boarding (you can't install the seat and hold your toddler at the same time),  practice installing the seat ot watch a tutorial before your trip, pack a million snacks, remember that if it goes poorly, the plane will eventually land 😅

Another vote for the scenera. Just used it last month 10/10 would recommend. Baby slept 1.5/4 hours of the flight sleeping in it so can’t complain. It fit in the basket of my stroller so easy to transport to the airport. Gate checked the stroller 👍🏻

Seconding this. I'll be flying out with our 23 months old tomorrow and she'll be sitting in her car seat. We have the cosco scenera next and using the luggage strap, I mounted that on the travel stoller so we just push it around. 8/10 time she won't sit in stroller when in the airport anyway so we just use the stroller as our cart to haul items

You would likely get a cheaper travel seat. Cosco scenara next is super light and easy to travel with. And it’s $40.  When kids are 3-4 and FF you can look into a Safe Rider travel vest and an airplane harness for under 40lbs. Once 40lbs they can use the airplane belt, and the safe rider vest goes in their carry on.  https://www.safeintheseat.com/post/safe-airplane-travel

We moved the day before my son turned three months and absolutely used his infant seat on the plane. That said, we couldn't book his ticket online, we had to actually call the airline because the assumption is that anyone under two is a lap infant We just got a Cosco Scenera in preparation for the next time we fly with him since he's too big for the infant seat and no way are we hauling the big Graco seat around while traveling.

Cosco makes very cheap, very lightweight, forward facing and reversible (not infant) car seats that are perfect for this situation. They are FAA approved (don’t peel off the sticker). It’s worth the cost to a car seat that is super easy to carry on the plane. It’s much safer to strap kids in for take off, turbulence, and landing than hold them in your lap. The recent plane injuries from turbulence included lap babies.

I always just used the regular seat belt to secure it. The buckle creates a bump in the seat, but an extra diaper or folded shirt over it was entrust my kids didn’t seem to mind.

We used the lightweight Cosco convertible seat both forwards and rear facing. Be aware that some FA will tell you you can’t rear face on a plane despite that not being an FAA rule. My kids were comfortable enough in it and it’s really easy to attach to a roller bag to take on and off while you carry the baby in your other arm.

My MIL already has a car seat because she sometimes watches my nieces. Husband and I went out of town earlier this year and my mom and my MIL were going to share caregiving. I wasn’t going to see my mom before we left and I was nervous about her having to install a car seat if we left one for her, so I bought her the cheap Cosco (not to be confused with Costco!) one (I think it was like $70?) and had it shipped to her house so her partner (who I trust a little more than her with this stuff) could help her install it in advance. If your mom watches your kid weekly, I think she needs and deserves her own seat. Every time you uninstall/ reinstall a seat you’re leaving room for error, especially if you do it often enough you may get complacent. You don’t have to get the nicest seat on the market, they all meet the same safety standards.

Counterpoint to what many here are saying: we flew to Japan a few weeks ago with an 18 month old and 4 year old. The toddler got a car seat, thinking he'd like being strapped in, and it was horrible the entire time. He wanted to be held constantly, the car seat (our spare, lightweight Cosco seat) barely fit so any small movement jostled the seat in front, and overall we have decided no more carseats on planes. For the future we'll just check them with our luggage.