Air Canada-Car Seat Checkin
Oct 19, 2010, 9:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Programs: AC *E/PC Gold /BW Diamond/Hertz Gold Plus/SPG Gold/Marriot Silver/ TUMI Alpha
Posts: 1,470
Air Canada-Car Seat Checkin
We are travelling to the US and are taking our 7 month old.
We plan on taking a car seat and Stroller (use the car seat for the cab ride from/to San Fran Airport and for use when I rent a car for 1x day).
Does Air Canada Provide a bag or something to place the car seat in?
We plan on taking the stroller and "gate check" it but we don't knwo about the car seat/base.
thanks!
We plan on taking a car seat and Stroller (use the car seat for the cab ride from/to San Fran Airport and for use when I rent a car for 1x day).
Does Air Canada Provide a bag or something to place the car seat in?
We plan on taking the stroller and "gate check" it but we don't knwo about the car seat/base.
thanks!
Oct 20, 2010, 5:17 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 7
Hi. I routinely travel with my two children, one 3 1/2 and the other now 17months together with their two car seats and one stroller. We check one car seat (AC provides a bag) and use the other on the plane (and never had an issue with this). The stroller gets gate checked. The car seats are light cheapies, though - I wouldn't check or gate check an expensive one.
Oct 21, 2010, 2:48 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: France
Programs: United Plus
Posts: 1,761
Good for you for not checking your car seat as luggage!
But if you did not purchase a seat for your child, ask about getting a free seat next to you so that you can bring your car seat on board. This would be the ideal solution since your child would be safe on the plane and you would know for sure that your car seat would get there.
If you did purchase a seat for your child, you can use your car seat on board (assuming it's approved but most N. American car seats are) without the base.
Depending on how much car travel you'll be doing, you might want to leave the base at home. You would have to be comfortable with the seatbelt installation but if you wont be in and out of too many cars, this might work better than dragging the bulky base along.
While checking car seats as luggage is not a good idea, checking the base inside a sturdy piece of luggage, surrounded by clothes and other soft items, is not unreasonable. The logic is that you don't absolutely need the base, if your bag is not right there on arrival. Your baby will still leave the airport safely.
Ask at the gate if items are "hand carried", if you end up gate-checking. At least request they take the car seat down if you have to give it up. This depends on the airport but some use a chute for gate-checked items (except wheelchairs which by law have to be hand carried). Also, get the bag at check-in. Just grab one there because they may not have them at the gate.
Don't forget a bungee cord for the stroller. Double secure it before leaving it at the door. This will keep it from popping open en route and getting damaged. Most strollers only have a small clasp and they can easily open while being thrown down chutes.
Just on an extra note, I'm from S.F. and the airport is actually a couple of cities south. It's a long haul so you might want to at least look into other transport options if headed there. I used to take a minicab, which are usually up on the departure level. Request one that is going "directly downtown" and avoid slogging through parts of San Francisco which can lengthen the trip.
But if you did not purchase a seat for your child, ask about getting a free seat next to you so that you can bring your car seat on board. This would be the ideal solution since your child would be safe on the plane and you would know for sure that your car seat would get there.
If you did purchase a seat for your child, you can use your car seat on board (assuming it's approved but most N. American car seats are) without the base.
Depending on how much car travel you'll be doing, you might want to leave the base at home. You would have to be comfortable with the seatbelt installation but if you wont be in and out of too many cars, this might work better than dragging the bulky base along.
While checking car seats as luggage is not a good idea, checking the base inside a sturdy piece of luggage, surrounded by clothes and other soft items, is not unreasonable. The logic is that you don't absolutely need the base, if your bag is not right there on arrival. Your baby will still leave the airport safely.
Ask at the gate if items are "hand carried", if you end up gate-checking. At least request they take the car seat down if you have to give it up. This depends on the airport but some use a chute for gate-checked items (except wheelchairs which by law have to be hand carried). Also, get the bag at check-in. Just grab one there because they may not have them at the gate.
Don't forget a bungee cord for the stroller. Double secure it before leaving it at the door. This will keep it from popping open en route and getting damaged. Most strollers only have a small clasp and they can easily open while being thrown down chutes.
Just on an extra note, I'm from S.F. and the airport is actually a couple of cities south. It's a long haul so you might want to at least look into other transport options if headed there. I used to take a minicab, which are usually up on the departure level. Request one that is going "directly downtown" and avoid slogging through parts of San Francisco which can lengthen the trip.
Oct 31, 2010, 3:55 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Posts: 18,686
We flown AC a number of times.. They provide a little better than grocery store plastic bag to put your car seat into.. then you tie the plastic bag like a glad garbage bag.. then they put a fragile sticker on it..
If going to US, you take the car seat in with you through customs, and after inspection you put it on a belt with the rest of the fragile stuff. We always check in our car seats.
We bring our stroller and have checked at the gate.
If going to US, you take the car seat in with you through customs, and after inspection you put it on a belt with the rest of the fragile stuff. We always check in our car seats.
We bring our stroller and have checked at the gate.