I'm flying to New Jersey tomorrow with my seven-year-old. I have just found out that New Jersey has a much stricter car seat law than I am used to in Minnesota--you need one up to age 8 or 80 lbs. (whereas in MN it's age 4 or 40 lbs, and car seats for older kids are optional.) This kid, while very close to the age of 8, is nowhere near 80 lbs., not even if we fed her a couple of Big Macs for breakfast.

We have a car seat for older kids, called a belt-positioning booster seat. That's not the problem. The problem is that, being designed to hold the shoulder belt in place on an older child, it is strictly meant for car travel, and cannot be used on an airplane. Therefore, we can't just take it on the plane and have her sit in it the way that you can with a younger child. We apparently need to check this thing as luggage.

I went to Northwest Airlines' website, and all they say about it is "pack the seat in the original box and packaging." Well, the original box and packaging are long-gone...I think we bought this when she was four, and it just stays in the car. I can't seem to find a box on short notice that fits this seat anywhere!

I had thought originally that perhaps I could just wrap the thing in plastic or tie it up in a big plastic bag...but, maybe with these new regulations since 9/11, they frown on things in strange plastic bags? Should I just try to check the thing as-is? It looks like a small chair with arms, about 29" high, 19 " wide at widest point, and 15" deep. It has a tether strap, which I could perhaps tuck underneath the fabric cover or secure somehow.

I've e-mailed Northwest for advice, but I thought, while I'm waiting for them, I'd ask you all...perhaps other New Jersey travelers have gone through this same mess. All that Google has found are sites telling how to get your child seat for someone who weighs less than 40 lbs. on the plane, and warning that you can't take booster seats on a plane. Not much help.

No, we can't rent one from the car rental place since we are not renting a car...my brother-in-law is picking us up. His kid is two months old, so he doesn't have a seat for someone my kid's size...that's why he told us to bring ours. It would be expensive to buy one there that she'd use for three days, especially since she's about outgrown the one we have (I looked on the back--it's designed for kids under 50 inches tall and 80 lbs., and she is 49 inches tall, and weighs about 55 lbs, I think.) Yeah, maybe his kid could use it once he's big enough, but, then again, who knows what the safety standards and laws will be by then?

So, any help? Advice? Commiseration?

 

Have your brother in law go to walmart and buy this, it's cheap and it works. We had the gray $20.00 one and it worked fine. A seat belt adjustment clip may help also. It would be cheaper than taking with you on the plane. Pay your brother in law for it and then give it to him when you leave for when the baby gets older.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Ju...-Pink/10992661

 

If I remember, most airlines do not charge for child car seat check in - at least they didn't 2 years ago. But with airlines not making any money lately, they might have changed this. We didn't know it was gratis till we were standing in line at the ticket counter and saw the sign. They just threw a tag on it and it went in the cargo with baggage. No box etc. Hopefully a booster seat passes as the same.