Flying with twins

My hubby and I are going next month on a short flight with my girls and just realized we have a snap -and -go stroller and the airline (air canada) says they will allow umbrella type strollers to go to the gate. No point in taking the snap and go to the gate, because we need the carseats for it.

So a couple questions for those of you who have flown:

Has anyone ever checked their stroller (snap -and -go especially)?? What do you do with it?? Protect it??

If we check the car seats and bases??? How do you prevent any damage to them? Did you wrap them?

Do we carry them in snugglies to the gate? Is this allowed?

I'm already freaking out about trying to bring the swing in the suitcase (seriously don't think this is going to happen) because my one twin LOVES HER SWING!!! I'm guessing one suitcase will be full of bottles,formula and toys and diapers. My clothes will be stuffed into the smallest case we have. lol.

 

The first time we flew with my girls they were 5 months old. We put them in the Baby Bjorns/snugglies thru security and onto the plane. This was SO much easier than dealing with the stroller/car seats especially since they were so little. It also kept our hands free to deal with the carry-ons.

Can you borrow things when you get to your destination? We borrowed car seats, pnp's, strollers and swings. I know this might not be an option for everyone, but if you are visiting family, ask them to ask around! If that won't work, you can rent things. This is a good website for renting baby equipment. As for the stroller/car seats. We've put them in a big sail bag to protect them when checking them. Also, for the car seats, if you are bringing the base, try to bungy them together so they don't get banged around.

Oh and the other thing I did that made my life and packing easier, I shipped formula, diapers and wipes to our destination ahead of time. That way I only packed when we needed for 24 hours and everything was waiting for us when we got there.

Last, I have to say flying with tiny infants is pretty easy and do-able. Our easiest flights (until the recent ones now that the girls are older and more understanding), were when they were super tiny.

Have a good trip!

 

You can either wear them in snugli's (you'll have to take them out and take the snugli off when you go through security though), or you can get a side by side or tandem stroller to use. If you are planning to use a SBS or tandem once they outgrow the snap n go, it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and get one now. Most of them recline far enough to allow smaller babies in them (I started using my combi twin when the babies were 3 months old). You can gate check your stroller so you take it right to the airplane door. We just came back from flying to canada (on air canada!) with our twins so I have this all fresh in my mind!

You can buy carseat bags for your seats, and you don't have to take the bases with you, the seat itself will strap into any seatbelt in a vehicle. Your carseat manual will show you how to do it. There should be a locking clip attached to the bottom of the seat to use if necessary.

How long are you going for? Are you going to visit family? If it's only for a week or so, and there will be other family members there, I would skip taking the swing, you won't need it, there will be plenty of arms to hold the babies! :wub: I always buy everything I can when I get where I go! I take enough stuff for 2 days (one day flying and one extra day) and then make a shopping list for when I get there. Diapers, wipes, food...etc. It's much easier than packing enough stuff for the whole trip! Also, take the minimum amt of clothing if you will have access to a washer/dryer. I like to take enough for 5 days with a couple extra outfits for the babies!

At 4 months old you also won't need many toys, just take a few in the diaper bag and a couple in the suitcase will be plenty!

 

When I flew with the twins for teh first time I was allowed to take my snap-n-go all the way to the gate and side check it and the carseats & bases (wasn't Air Canada though). I have seen people wrap their carseats before, but I haven't tried. Mine wore the long pj's with the feeties and I took caps & blankets for them in case the plane got colder, which it did. GL with your trip!

 

Thanks girls

I had no idea you could use the carseat without the base!!!!!!! I am such a newbie!! We bought them used so I will try to look up the manuel online to see how it is done. Sounds like the snugglies are my best bet. We are going for only 4 days and I will ask my brother about borrowing stuff. OMG I totally forgot we will need to bring a playpen too!!! They gave all their stuff away now that their youngest is 3yrs. I'll just have to figure out about protecting the carseats then and maybe not worry about using the stroller at all. We won't be doing much walking around in Calgary anyways if its cold out.

I always need to be extra prepared which is why I am worrying about all this a month in advance. I'm the girls with her suitcase packed, sitting on the floor weeks before going on vacation. And of course always bringing too much stuff. Travel used to stress me out when it was just me and my hubby.

 

I would try to rent a playpen when you get there. I doubt it's very expensive & the airlines usually charge for checked luggage these days (haven't flown Air Canada in awhile so I'm not sure about them) so it probably would be about the same. Maybe your brother could look into it for you before you get there. I agree with the Snugglie idea, or I would buy an umbrella stroller. You will get tons of use out of it as they get older anyway. Either way the babies have to come out of the Snugglie or the stroller to go through security.

 

I start making my list months in advance too so don't worry, you can never over plan when you have kids!

Since it's only 4 days you will only need the basics. Either rent/borrow/or get a playpen off of craigslist, so you can turn around and resell it (or your bro can for you after you leave). And actually, at 4 months old, the worst they can do is roll, you could "make" a bed out of blankets on the floor and rolled up blankets or pillows around the edges so they don't roll off.

For the carseat, if you look on top around where the babies knees are, there's two slot looking things there. You put the carseat in the car rear facing as normal, and thread the seat belt strap through the slots, buckle on the other side and TIGHTEN down. If it's a regular lap belt, or a shoulder belt with a child locking mechanism, you just have to tighten it down as tight as you can, and activate the child lock (usually means pulling the shoulder strap out as far as it will go and it will retract with a clicking noise, but you won't be able to pull it back out unless you unlock the seatbelt and let the whole belt retract). If it doesn't have a lock on it you use the locking clip, I haven't used one in years so you'll have to look up how to use one again, I can't remember! If the angle isn't quite correct, roll up a bath towel or small blanket, and wedge it under the FEET part of the carseat, up against the vehicle seat back, to help raise the feet and make the right angle for the babies to sit/lay in properly.

 

I just tried looking up the manual for out Evenflo Embrace made in 2007 and all I found was installation videos talking about the seat belt holes for non base use and I dont see them on ours!!! Then I got into a site saying the Embrace must be used with the base. Argh! I read your post and I dont think I have the slots. There is a flap in the fabric on the one side with a little blip molded into the plastic, but nothing that looks like it would hold onto a belt. Bummer I will get my husband to look whe he gets home, maybe I am missing something.

 

That :blip" is probably it, the seatbelt just slides underneath it. I don't have an evenflo I had Graco's but all infant seats should be able to be used without a base, the base is a "new" concept, we didn't have the bases when I was younger! Here's a youtube video on using the seatbelt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9BdYRVu90g

ETA: I think that's the right one now, you just make sure the seatbelt is good and tight and it's perfectly safe

 

I looked at the video (thanks) but still mine doesn't look like that. Here are some photos of the blip. Its hook part is on top instead of under, which would make more sense if someone was supposed to hook a belt under it. But it must be for something, I mean, they made a special flap in the fabric to cover it

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195788&id=734696069&l=7cc7c6f47b

 

Oooo that is different! :lol: I've only used graco's so I'm now at a loss for you, I'm not sure if you can use it with a seatbelt or not! :FIFblush:

If all else fails, call the evenflo customer service, you should be able to use the model/serial # on the bottom/side of the carseat and they should be able to tell you if it's made to use without the base or not!! :hug:

 

I tried on the website to plug in my # and all it spit up was parts to buy, so maybe I will try to call the hotline and get a real person to talk to. It really would be great to not have to bring the bases. Thanks for the help The good news is I talked to my brother and he is going to ask around to find us a playpen to borrow and he said they have some strollers still in their garage we can use if we decide to go anywhere. It will just be much less complicated the less I need to pack!