Taking/hiring booster seats

[Jonster]

I'm currently going around in circles trying to figure out the situation with transporting our 8 and 5 year olds in Florida next Easter. (That's the ages they'll be then.) We've booked flights and I should have booked a hire car at the same time but thought otherwise.

Having read the laws it appears we'll need at least one booster seat. The company I'm trying to hire a car with doesn't appear to offer booster seats for hire at this point. We're flying with Thomas Cook and it has quite a detailed help post for flying with infants but nothing for 5 years plus.

Basically, please would it be possible to settle the following questions for me?

1) What's the situation with taking a booster seat on Thomas Cook Airlines? We have two high backed ones for our two at the minute. Will I have to pay additional fees for taking these? Can I take more than one?

2) Do Advantage Rent-a-car allow you to rent booster seats from Orlando International? This doesn't appear to be an option as part of the booking process that I can see.

Many thanks for any advice you can give - it will be greatly appreciated!

[Stuart446]

Florida law 316.613 says that all children 5 years or younger must have a proper car seat based on their age. All car seats must be crash-tested and federally approved. Children 3 years old and younger need the full car seat, and children 4 and 5 years old need booster seats.
Can’t help with Advantage, always use Alamo.

[HenrysDad]

Can’t speak for Thomas Cook particularly, but AFAIK, airlines will transport a child car seat in the hold for free.
Personally, we always preferred to take our own car seat.
Only time we had an issue was when I got to the garage and realised I’d forgotten to pick it up in the baggage hall, fortunately a lady at VA check in went above and beyond and took me back to baggage reclaim helping with security etc 🤣

[Jonster]

Thanks for the replies - I've done some more digging today and I've rethought using Advantage after checking out various reviews.

Also, I've found that Thomas Cook Airlines do carry car/booster seats for free as long as they're associated with a child travelling - it's in the FAQs on their website which for some reason I couldn't find yesterday.

[w513mfs]

My advise is take your own seats Thomas cook wont charge you for them but they will have to be checked. You will also feel more comfortable fitting and now they are clean.

I would also suggest buying bags for these. This way if its raining when you arrive they wont be wet and they are easier to tag. Also you can put all the stuffed toys in them on return.

[Jonster]

Originally Posted by w513mfs

My advise is take your own seats Thomas cook wont charge you for them but they will have to be checked. You will also feel more comfortable fitting and now they are clean.

I would also suggest buying bags for these. This way if its raining when you arrive they wont be wet and they are easier to tag. Also you can put all the stuffed toys in them on return.

See more...

Some fantastic advice in there - many thanks!

[wreckitralph15]

We flew with Thomas cook in 2016. I took 2 buggies a car seat for a 1 year old (Britax -very heavy, big & bulky) and a booster seat for a 4 year old.

We flew from Manchester. Once we had checked in the buggies and the car seats went to a separate drop off area and we picked them up off the belt once in MCO. No problems and checking them in and all free of charge.

The car seats I labelled up with BRIGHT PINK gaffer tape and wrote the flight number etc on with a sharpie.

Seriously you couldn't miss them. My teenage son was very embarrassed because they stood out soooooo much.

This year my 2 are slightly older (4 & 7) and I'm taking our own booster seats.

[Raggyavn]

Technically if you take your own seats you are not complying with Florida State law 316.613 because your seats are not Federally approved but EU approved instead (which isn't the same thing - legally).

That being said many people do take their own seats and never encounter any problems.

[RM2016]

We always take the Car Seats with us, have flown Thomas Cook too and never had an issue. They are usually put into a clear bag by the Airline but I take a couple to the airport just in case.