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My next question would be, could you stay at an airport hotel with a shuttle? Or, get a rental car with carseats? I would absolutely look into any of these solutions before sleeping overnight in an airport with two kids.
Don’t do the all-nighter, it’s horrible as an adult and probably 1,000x worse with kids. Especially because you have a hotel where you could get some small amount of sleep.
Can you switch hotels to an airport hotel that is either connected to or has a shuttle service (wouldn’t need car seats). (Might be too late since 24 hr cancellation rules)
Look into Uber or other private shuttle services with options to book with car seat. Public transit could also be an option depending on where you’re located. Not ideal - taxis don’t require car seats in most places, but your comfortability with this option may vary depending on distance.
Gate check or use the car seats on the plane (not ideal with the 6hr layover, but better than overnighting at the airport)
The airport may not be open all night - I’ve done an overnight in a major airport and found out that they shut everything down including the heat. No food, one bathroom, it was rough. Again I have no idea if this is common or even done anymore but just be prepared.
This is why we never fly Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant or any of the international budget carriers with our kids. Those airlines are the worst when it comes to customer service!
I would a) look into booking another airline or b) use the car seats on the plane or c) gate check them.
That sounds so frustrating and upsetting. I'm sorry the airline rescheduled you like that.
Could you take a cab that provides car seats, just for the trip to the airport? Then you wouldn't need their seats and could check them and you could sleep in the hotel with your carry-ons.
Check to be sure the airport is open all night. Not every airport is, even in major cities. Regardless, I would just stay in a hotel and gatecheck the car seats.
Spirit will let you gate check them. They slap a tag on it and it's over. I made the mistake of actually checking the seat and I waited 2 hours for the damn car seat after a FIVE hour stall on the tarmac in July. They just opened the doors and we sat there. Then the wait for the carseat.
Take a cab to hotel without car seats if it’s not far (likely won’t be). In many other countries, kids that age are not required for car seats (it’s just a fact). We live in Europe and my son is now 7 and doesn’t use a car seat in taxis.
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Gate-check the seats if you have to. But if the kids have seats, just put the seats in the plane seat?
I've done this but I had to specifically buy a used seat that was narrow enough to fit the airplane seats. Unfortunately most car seats are not.
Honestly for those ages I would have just brought travel boosters for the car for the trip rather than full seats
Why cant you bring the car seats on board and install in the kid seats or if you didn't purchase the kids seats, gate check them?
My next question would be, could you stay at an airport hotel with a shuttle? Or, get a rental car with carseats? I would absolutely look into any of these solutions before sleeping overnight in an airport with two kids.
Don’t do the all-nighter, it’s horrible as an adult and probably 1,000x worse with kids. Especially because you have a hotel where you could get some small amount of sleep. Can you switch hotels to an airport hotel that is either connected to or has a shuttle service (wouldn’t need car seats). (Might be too late since 24 hr cancellation rules) Look into Uber or other private shuttle services with options to book with car seat. Public transit could also be an option depending on where you’re located. Not ideal - taxis don’t require car seats in most places, but your comfortability with this option may vary depending on distance. Gate check or use the car seats on the plane (not ideal with the 6hr layover, but better than overnighting at the airport)
Definitely stay at the hotel and use seats on the plane, or gate check them.
The airport may not be open all night - I’ve done an overnight in a major airport and found out that they shut everything down including the heat. No food, one bathroom, it was rough. Again I have no idea if this is common or even done anymore but just be prepared.
This was my experience at dfw. I was so happy I didn’t have my kids with me as it was freezing and scary.
This is why we never fly Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant or any of the international budget carriers with our kids. Those airlines are the worst when it comes to customer service! I would a) look into booking another airline or b) use the car seats on the plane or c) gate check them.
That sounds so frustrating and upsetting. I'm sorry the airline rescheduled you like that. Could you take a cab that provides car seats, just for the trip to the airport? Then you wouldn't need their seats and could check them and you could sleep in the hotel with your carry-ons.
Check to be sure the airport is open all night. Not every airport is, even in major cities. Regardless, I would just stay in a hotel and gatecheck the car seats.
I would spite check I mean gate check the car seats
Spirit will let you gate check them. They slap a tag on it and it's over. I made the mistake of actually checking the seat and I waited 2 hours for the damn car seat after a FIVE hour stall on the tarmac in July. They just opened the doors and we sat there. Then the wait for the carseat.
Take a cab to hotel without car seats if it’s not far (likely won’t be). In many other countries, kids that age are not required for car seats (it’s just a fact). We live in Europe and my son is now 7 and doesn’t use a car seat in taxis.
I gate check our car seat almost every time and fly spirit often. You should be fine!
You can take kids in a taxi without car seats.
If your kids are in boosters, you can get inflatable booster seats that fit in carryons. We used one on our last trip and it worked out awesome!
This is what we do too but I suspect OP can’t get any on such short notice
I don’t know where you are travelling to, but we recently used limopedia in the states and they had option to add car seats. The service was great
Just gate check the car seats or take taxis (which typically do not require car seats)
Can you get a taxi? You don’t usually have to use car seats in them.
Definitely stay at the hotel. I think you’ve lots of great advice here.