Taking a trip with your family to go enjoy yourselves in a completely new environment is really enjoyable and so is hiring a car to move around with once you are there. With this in mind, you know you have to carry your kid’s car seat with you for her safety but you are still wondering how to pack a car seat for air travel. There are different ways you could go about this it all depends on your preference.
What to use when packing your car seat.
- Protective car seat bag
These are bags that have specifically been tailored for the purpose of packing your car seat as you travel. Investing in this kind of bag is very beneficial in that you are able to carry it around the airport since it comes with shoulder straps and wheels that are very convenient so that you can wheel it along especially if you plan on gate checking it. This also comes in handy in avoiding contaminations and germs since the car seat may come into contact with a lot of people and things in the cargo holding area.
- Large plastic lawn bag
You can use this to store your car seat and it will provide the same protection from germs but you will need to invest in some bubble wraps. Wrap the seat in bubble wraps to provide extra padding and protection. Considering once we check in our car seats at the gate, we’ve got no control over what happens to them while they are in the cargo area or how they are stored it is best to give the seat that extra protection. Reuse on the return trip.
- Heavy duty plastic bags at the airport
Once you are at the airport and you realize you did not carry a protective bag with you to put your car seat in, it is best to walk up to the counter and kindly request for one of their plastic bags and this will come a long way in helping keep your seat from contaminations. However you should not always depend on the bags at the airport because there are times that you may go to request for one and find that they unfortunately don’t have any left. It is always good to be on the safe side and plan ahead to avoid disappointments.
- Gate check bags
There are some airports that provide you with these bags at the gate as you are checking in. With these bags they might be bigger and you should definitely take advantage of the spaces left to pack something like diapers. However be careful not to overload to avoid problems with the officials at the gate.
Remember that it is very easy for car seats to get damaged or lost but since there is not much you can do about it, taking your car seat with you all the way to the gate ensures that it does not go through too much checking and get lost somewhere in the process. However, you should also note that not all car seat damage is visible so be keen on that.
