Tour of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Rental Car Center

I had an hour and a half to kill between a 6am and 7:30am pick ups a few mornings ago so I thought I'd take a few photos and write up some tips on how to get through the rental car process as quickly as possible. It was a bit dark as the sun wasn't up and none of the counters were open yet! You may have already seen this on our Facebook page, but here's some more detailed information.

1. The facility has all the companies in one place and is off-site of the airport. You will take a big green and white shuttle bus over to the facility. There are lots of them so no need to run to catch one, another will come. It will take you about 45 mins - 1 hr from the time you land to deplane, go through customs if necessary, collect your baggage, and take the shuttle over. If you or the kids need a snack, there's a small snack bar with pre-made sandwiches, bagels, coffee, soda, chips, etc.

2. If you are meeting me there with rental items, head to your company's counter. I'll meet you just in front of their designated space inside the facility.  This way you don't have to take all your rental items on the shuttle bus from the airport.

3. Sign up in advance for any of the free express programs your company offers that allow you to bypass the check in line. The lines can get quite long here in the spring. It's free and can save you a LOT of time which is nice when you have kids along.  Budget is trying something new right now also. Instead of having you stand in line, you take a ticket (like the DMV) and sit down in their comfy chairs. They have a small play area for kids which is nice as well.  It's always one of the busiest counters though, so again, sign up for their Fastbreak program so you can get right to the car and get going.

4. Be aware that none of the companies guarantee they will have car seats available, and if they do they may not be up to your standards. We deliver at the facility and we are often cheaper for better (and clean) quality. Rental tax at the airport is almost 30% and you will pay that on everything from the rental car company including the car seat. (Ours is 6.3%).

5. When you leave, use the airline check-in kiosk at the rental facility if you haven't done so already. It will save you from a long line at the airport most likely.

6. Express bag check is coming soon to the facility, so definitely use that in the future too! Anything to make your trip on the bus and through the airport easier with the kids is worth it to me!

Toddlers and Planes

I've been asked countless times by friends and family this one particular question: What's the easiest way to travel on an airplane with my toddler's gear? I thought I'd share my recommendations based on my own experiences and those of my customers. I'll give you a few options for getting to your destination depending on your situation.

• Travel with CARES and rent when you get there.  

My first recommendation would be to use the CARES harness and rent a car seat, stroller, or any other gear at your destination if the budget allows and there's a rental company that meets your needs.  Your child must be flying in their own seat (which they must if they are 2+) to use the CARES harness.  We rent CARES harnesses and ship them nationwide for a very reasonable rate too. If your child isn't old enough to walk through the airport, use a cheap umbrella stroller.  Your stroller WILL get dirty at the least or broken at the worst, even if you gate check it. 

• Travel with CARES and check other items

If there are no rental options at your destination, I'd recommend checking the car seat and stroller as luggage, but make sure it's well protected to minimize damage.  You may prefer to gate check these items, which you may also do with most airlines, however that's two more bulky items you have to take with you through security, along with your carry on, diaper bag, purse, and child.  If it's in the budget, check into purchasing a Cosco Scenera car seat (~$50 but still highly rated) and a cheap umbrella stroller if you can make do with that.  That way, you won't be seeking reimbursement for $500+ for a broken car seat and stroller that are now useless at your destination. Car seats and strollers are still free to check (verify with your airline, especially American Airlines and their new stroller policy), but other gear will be charged per normal baggage policies with your airline.

• Take your car seat on board and use a Go Go Kidz Travelmate

If you feel your toddler would be happier/more secure/sleep better in their car seat, then take your seat on board and use a Go Go Kidz Travelmate to turn your car seat into a stroller for the ride through the terminal.  This is a little more work as you will have to detach the Travelmate and send the car seat through the x-ray machine or have it hand checked if it doesn't fit.  Installing the seat on the plane isn't always the easiest task either.  Check the plane seat width and your car seat's width beforehand to be sure it will fit. If you are a Phoenix local, we rent the Go Go Kidz Travelmate too. Once you get to your destination, rent a stroller and other gear as necessary.

• Carry your infant in a soft carrier and rent at your destination

If you are traveling with a lap child, carry them in a soft carrier or cheap umbrella stroller and rent when you get to your destination.  Again, if this isn't an option for you, check your car seat and stroller as luggage but make sure it's well protected.  You will have to take your baby out of the carrier for security so be prepared for that. Another useful onboard item for infants is the FlyeBaby portable seat. Unlike CARES, it is NOT approve for taxi, take off, and landing, however it can give you two free hands to play with baby while you are in flight.  We also rent the FlyeBaby seat and ship them nationwide.

Visit us online to check out all of our air travel rentals or all of our premium baby equipment and gear rentals available for delivery in the Phoenix and Scottsdale-metro areas!

New Travel Gear Addition - FlyeBaby

Our newest addition to Sweet Pea Baby Rentals' air travel rental inventory will arrive in just a few days! We're adding the FlyeBaby portable chair to our rental inventory. FlyeBaby provides a hammock style chair for your infant (up to 25 lbs) to rest in while in flight. It attaches to the tray table and has restraint straps to hold your infant safely in place so you have two free hands to play, change diapers, or read a book while she naps. It's a great alternative to holding your baby for an entire flight! It also doubles as a portable restraint that can be attached to a variety of chairs for feeding or playing. Best of all it's lightweight and portable. We are taking orders now and are able to ship rentals nationwide!

CARES Harness Review

We recently had the good fortune of being able to take a 7 night Alaskan cruise with our extended family including our 3 1/2 year old daughter. I knew I'd be bringing along one of our Child Aviation Restraint Systems (CARES) for the 10 hours of plane rides there and back, but I immediately thought, do I need to bring her car seat just to try to find a place to store it in the tiny cabin? The only time we'd be in vehicles other than a boat was our transfer to the hotel for the first night, our transfer to the port the second day, and one tour we'd booked. Since we were on a one-way cruise, renting in Anchorage was not an option (although visit Northern Lights Traveling Tykes if it is for you), so I started researching. I came across the Ride Safer Vest, which seemed to fit the bill perfectly for us. Since this was my first time personally using both of the CARES and the Ride Safer Vest, I thought I'd share my experiences. First I'll review the CARES harness.

CARES Harness Review
We grabbed the 6" stuff sack, threw it in our backpack, and headed out at 4am for our flight. I was VERY happy I didn't have a car seat to haul when we got held up at security alone (yes, at 4am) for a full backpack, stroller, and carry-on search. My daughter and I then ran to the gate to be the last ones on the plane. I had the CARES out of the bag, slipped over the back of the seat and had her strapped down in less than a minute, never having used it before. Of course, I suppose I had a little advantage having been renting and inspecting them for over a year.


The process is easy:

1. Lower the tray of the seat behind you
2. Slip the harness over the back of the seat and tighten
3. Raise the tray back up
4. Strap in your child and adjust the shoulder straps as necessary

The Pros:

• Extremely light weight and small
• Good for kids 22-44 lbs (has also been approved for special needs children and adults)
  
• Easy to install and secure
• Child can't kick the back of the seat in front
• Can be used in any seating position (car seats typically can only be installed at the window seat for evacuation purposes)
• Approved for taxi, take-off, in flight, and landing
• Used on 4 different flights and 4 different aircraft including a small commuter plane with no problems or questions from the flight attendants.
  

The Cons:

• No crotch strap meant my daughter could wiggle down
• Since the airline seats were curved, the back of the strap holding it on tended to hit her at the back of the head. This didn't seem to bother her though, even when I asked.
• No head support when she fell asleep. I just unbuckled her and gave her a blanket to lay her head on.
• This isn't related to the harness but she could unbuckle the airplane seat belt herself, but not the chest clip on the harness.

All in all, I highly recommend this as an alternative to a car seat, especially for older toddlers and preschoolers. If you're flying with a 1-2 year old on a long flight, you may consider the car seat for comfort if you want them to sleep for a long stretch. In those cases, check out the Go Go Kidz Travelmate to turn your car seat into a stroller for the airport.

Phil and Ted's Traveller Review

I just picked up a couple Phil and Ted's Traveller beds today and tested them out with my official product tester, my (almost) 3 year old daughter. I was interested in these for her height, although they do officially say to discontinue use at 35 inches tall. She's been able to climb out of a Pack N Play since she was less than 2 and has been too long to fit in one for some time. The situation was tough because she wasn't ready to move into a toddler bed (ie. not be confined), but when we travelled, she was too big for anything else.

Here's a few snapshots I took of her in it for a size comparison. She is almost 3 years old and is 38.5" tall. It doesn't appear that she can crawl over the top of the railings and the side does zipper open if we wanted her to have free reign to get in and out. She can lay comfortably, completely stretched out with a few inches to spare (and I actually think she is napping in it while I type this!) The side and top panels zipper open/off for easy access for babies or smaller children and there is a self-inflating mattress that goes in a zippered pocket in the bottom.

The specs:
Lightweight travel crib - 5.6 lbs (without mattress)
Open: 51" x 24.8" x 31"
Folded: 24.8" x 8.6" x 8.6"
Lightweight aluminium frame/fabric is washable & waterproof
Self inflating mattress (cushion & insulation)
Not too difficult to put together after you've done it wrong the first time

CARES Harness Review

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Shelly Rivoli of Travels with Baby. Shelly is an authority on traveling with kids and has written an excellent book that you can purchase through her website. You wouldn't believe all the places they've been with the kids in tow!

She recently borrowed our CARES harnesses for a trip with her two girls, 4.5 and 2.5 years old, and wrote an excellent review of the system, including it's positives and negatives that I want to share. If you're not familiar with CARES, it's an excellent alternative to carrying your child's car seat on board an aircraft that keeps them safe and secure. Read Shelly's CARES harness review on her Travels with Baby Blog and check out her other first-hand travel tips!

If you're ready to try one out, rent it from us today! We ship our CARES harness rentals to your location nationwide. Find out how to get a FREE rental through our current special.

CARES Kids Fly Safe Aviation Restraint

If you haven't heard of the CARES restraint yet, definitely check it out if you'll be flying with your toddler or pre-schooler in their own seat. The CARES system is a great FAA-approved product that allows your child to be securely buckled in to their own airplane seat without you having to lug a car seat on-board. Weighing just 1 lb and having it's own 6" carrying sack, it's easy enough to put in your diaper bag and carry on. It's designed for children 22 to 44 lbs who sit forward facing in their regular car seat. The system gives your child a secure and adjustable 5-point harness by slipping around the back of the airplane seat and utilizing the seat's lap belt to complete the system.

Maybe you'll only take one or two airplane trips with your child before they're able to safely use only the airplane's lap belt (which the FAA recommends is 40 lbs) and you don't want to invest in an item that will only get a few uses. Or, maybe you do make frequent trips with a toddler but you'd really like to try it out before purchasing one for yourself. In either case, our rental program is a perfect solution. The CARES system is available for rental daily or weekly through Sweet Pea Baby Rentals. We can ship your rental anywhere in the US or Canada so you don't need even need to be traveling from the Phoenix area to take advantage this great product.

We also offer a combination package of a CARES harness and a Safeguard Go folding car seat if you happen to be traveling to a destination that doesn't offer baby equipment rentals, or if you want to avoid extra baggage fees and possible damage by checking your full sized car seat. The Safeguard Go folds into it's own compact carrying case, small enough to be stowed in an overhead bin. The Go is not FAA-approved for air travel as it must utilize the top tether to function properly, which an airline seat does not have.

View all of our rentals for air travel, including the CARES, Safeguard Go folding car seat, Go Go Kidz Travelmate, and the Sit N Stroll at http://sweetpeababyrentals.com.