Name: Seth's Mom
Location: Orlando, FL United States
Date: 2007-08-14
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Must Have for Mom Traveling Alone!
Comment: We just got back from a trip from Orlando to Chicago using the travelmate and it was quite the success!! As another reviewer noted, I had many people stop me to ask where I got it, especially the jealous looking man who was lugging his toddlers seat on his back!! This carrier is a DREAM, I was traveling alone w/ my 19 month old son and he had his own seat on the plane (if your little one is riding on your lap, you can check this at the gate just as you would a stroller so you cal have it available at your destination gate) and I planned to rent a car at our destination, so I really needed to take his carseat, but couldn't imagine how I would manage a car seat, a stroller, our carry on and him with only my 2 hands. This was the perfect solution. I was able to leave the stroller home, and w/ him strapped into the seat I could just push him along and all I had to carry was my bag. Once we got the Chicago, I was able to pop the wheels off and put the seat w/ the carrier attached right into our rental car using the latch system. You can probably even leave the wheels on, but I felt this tilted the seat a bit forward and we had quite a ways to drive and I knew my son would be dozing, I didn't want him lolling forward, but that is a personal prefeence. The only issues I had w/ the carrier aren't the carriers fault, they are the airlines. In Orlando it fit right through the X-ray machine no problem, but in Chicago it was WAY too big. Unlike some other reviwers I did not have to take it apart though, the security guy just took it aside and swiped it with a wand (simimlar to what they would do w/ a wheelchair), if you have someone try to make you take your seat off the carrier, ask them to do this instead, it was no biggie and actually was a help as I had to put shoes back on me and my son so we needed a minute anyway. The other issue I had was on our plane, I could not roll my son down the aisle in the seat, it is too wide, even after taking the wheels off (I thought that would give me enough clearance & I could just drag him) it was too wide (I have the Alpha Omega Eddie Bauer seat, which is a monster, I admit) so I had to take him out of the seat and hustle him down to row 17 and carry the seat, which was a bit difficult as I am 5'2", so I was pretty much carrying it over my head to clear the seats, but there was no way I could carry it that distance w/ my 25 lb son in it. It also would only fit in the seat w/ the wheels off, but that is no biggie, they pop right on and off. Coming home, I upgraded us to business class, and that was much easier, we were in the first row so I could roll the carseat that far and the seats were MUCH wider, I was able to put the seat in w/o taking the wheels off, if you can do this I would, it made it a snap to get in and out, I never had to take him out of the seat. We are going to NYC next month for a wedding and will take his seat and this carrier again, it was well worth the price for the ease of traveling!
Name: Mariza
Location: Boston, MA
Date: 2008-01-24
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Don't unscrew it at security
Comment: Most the negative reviews I see are due to people complaining that it doesn't fit through the security xray machines. Do some research before you travel, here is the link to the TSA website that says you can ask for a hand check:
[...]
I have traveled over 20 times with my GoGo Kidz and never taken the wheels off. I did print out and highlight the web page that says you can hand check in case somene wants to fight me over it though.
This is a lifesaver for people who fly with carseats!
Name: Victoria Plum
Location: New York
Date: 2007-12-14
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Complete lifesaver!
Comment: I have owned this product for over 2 years now and i adore it!
I fly to England from the States at least twice a year to visit my family. I have travelled alone with my 2 year old daughter on several occasions since she was a baby.
After reading a couple of the other reviews that spoke negatively about this product i really wanted to share my own experiences.
The car seat i own is a Britax Boulevard, so the thing is a beast to begin with, it does NOT fit through a security machine without the go go kidz attached, so wheels on or off makes no difference, they have never made me remove them as there is no point. They take the seat and scan it manually with hand held devices.
I have flown British Airways every flight and i have personally wheeled the seat down the aisle, not super easy but definitely possible and much easier than lugging the brute of a car seat around.
The only snag i have run into is that it is quite awkward to fit the plane seat belt through the back of the seat and go go kidz but usually an air steward will help me with that.
People ALWAYS ask me where i bought my go go kidz when i'm at the airport, Emily looks so comfy and content being wheeled around in her usual chair and then when i get to my destination all i have to do is set the car seat up in our next vehicle.
I LOVE THIS PRODUCT and i do not want to think about how difficult my vacations would have been without it, travelling with a young child is more than enough to worry about!
Name: Jennifer Cason
Location: MAdison, WI
Date: 2007-07-10
Customer Rating: -
Summary: LOVE this product!!
Comment: First, I don't agree with the reviewer that said that it doesn't go through bag screening. I went from Madison, WI to Honolulu and to Kona and back with absolutely no problems. And that included 2 small regional airports. I have a Britax Marathon carseat.
This worked like a breeze for our trip...our first one with our 14 month old...and yes we picked Hawaii (nuts, I know). Anyway, we left the cart on for the shorter flights but removed it for the Minneapolis to Honolulu leg. Most of our flights with first class, we did have one leg in coach...and I would NOT recommend keeping the cart on if flying coach in less you have the bulkhead row or no one sitting in from of your child. Our son was able to easily kick the seat in front, but only when the car was on. Plus, it makes the car seat sit up REALLY straight, so our son was uncomfortable until after take-off when we could tilt his seat back. But, if you do have to take the cart off, but practice at home a couple times and it is really easy. I can put the cart back together in a matter of a few minutes...the same amount of time that you would have to wait anyway to get a stroller back from gate check!
Name: Anna
Location: NY
Date: 2007-11-19
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Great product for travel by plane with child
Comment: We recently flew with our 13 month old cross-country using the TravelMate attached to our Britax: Marathon Car Seat. Since she had her own plane seat it was recommended that we use a car seat for her- I found the TravelMate online, read the reviews by other parents and decided to give it a try. It was a great accessory to have to fly with our daughter! We kept the TravelMate attached to our car seat the whole way to our destination- we just had to take our daughter out of her car seat for security at the airport- and they did their own security check on the car seat with the TravelMate attached to it. On the way back we had an issue unbuckling the airline seatbelt from our car seat, and had to remove the TravelMate from the seat- but my husband quickly re-attached it once we were out of the plane and in the terminal. Overall we think its a great and invaluable product when traveling by air with a child in a car seat. I do believe its a bit on the expensive side- but what isn't when it comes to baby gear?
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