Manhattan to Newark airport by Uber or Lyft

Uber has an estimated price of $59-72 to go from Manhattan to Newark Airport, though obviously that depends on where you start out in New York City and probably time of day (how long it takes)

Lyft is similarly priced from Manhattan to EWR though both Uber and Lyft often are running promotions especially in New York City so be sure to check with them before you go

[The time my Lyft driver went the wrong way down a one-way street]

If you do sign up for Uber or Lyft, signing up through my referral code you will get you $10 off on your first ride.

Getting from Manhattan to Newark airport by taxi

You can absolutely take a taxi from Manhattan to Newark airport but it will be fairly expensive.  Depending on where you are coming from in Manhattan, a taxi from New York City to Manhattan is likely to cost anywhere from $40 to $70, exclusive of tips and tolls.

If you do want to take a taxi from Manhattan to Newark Airport (EWR) in New Jersey, you’re likely to save money by using a service like Carmel Limo — plus you can save $4 off using this link

And obviously you will be in a car, so subject to New York City traffic, especially if you’re traveling in rush hour (which seems like every hour!)

How to get from Manhattan to EWR by bus

You can find several express buses that go from Manhattan to Newark airport, in the $15 to $20 (one-way) range.  These are large buses designed for airport runs, so most of them should have plenty of storage underneath the seats for luggage. GO Airlink Shuttle is one such bus – it costs $21 one-way.  It runs every half hour on the half hour and they will pick you up at a variety of hotels and NYC transportation hubs (Grand Central, Penn Station, etc).  Try promo code SHUTTLE to save 5%

It will drop you off at Newark Liberty airport at either Terminal A, B or C.

If you want to travel on a public bus from EWR to New York City, you won’t be able to do it in one trip – since different public bus companies serve New York and New Jersey. NJ Transit bus lines 28, 37, 62, 67, and 107 all serve Newark Airport.

Another option would be to take the PATH train from WTC to Newark Penn Station and then take one of those NJ Transit buses from Newark Penn Station to Newark airport. This is probably the absolute cheapest way from Manhattan to Newark airport, but I don’t think it is quite the best way from Manhattan to Newark Liberty airport.

And remember, buses also go on the road, so when going from New York City to Newark by bus, you’ll be subject to traffic during peak traffic periods.

The cheapest and best way to get from Manhattan to Newark airport

While taxi, Uber, bus and even other ride share services or limos are all options to get from Manhattan to Newark airport, in my opinion, just like getting from Newark Airport to Manhattan, the absolute best way to get from Manhattan to Newark airport is by train.

The train costs $13 which includes both the NJ Transit train from New York Penn Station to Newark Liberty Airport Station as well as the AirTrain Newark which takes you from Newark Liberty Airport Station to the actual Newark airport. The Air Train inside Newark Airport runs every 3 minutes for most of the day.

The cost of a ticket from New York Penn Station is $13, which includes the AirTrain portion of $5.50.  The Newark AirTrain is free to ride if you stay at Newark Airport but if you go to Newark Liberty Airport station, it is $5.50.  The $5.50 portion is not charged for children 11 and under, AND the other portion is half price, making the child’s ticket $3.50

Adult ticket on the left; child ticket from Manhattan to Newark Airport on the right

Another advantage of taking the train from Manhattan to Newark is that you’re not on the road (duh), so you don’t have to deal with any of the famous New York City traffic.

Step by step instructions for riding the NJ Transit train from Manhattan to Newark

After we had our fun weekend in New York (SEE: 5 awesome things I did in New York City), my daughter and I took the subway and then walked to New York Penn Station, between 7th and 8th Avenues and 31st and 33rd streets in Manhattan.

Once inside NY Penn Station, follow the signs for NJ Transit.  If you bought roundtrip tickets on your way from Newark to Manhattan, you won’t need to buy tickets again.  There is a small waiting area / lounge for NJ Transit passengers.  It doesn’t have any type of food / drink, but it does offer phone charging stations.  In our case, we had just missed a NJ Transit train, so we had to wait for awhile for the next one.  Since you’re just going a few stops to Newark Airport station, you can take just about any NJ Transit train.

While you’re waiting, it won’t say what platform the train will be at, but once a train is announced, they will tell you – at that point, join the masses of humanity as you all go to that platform.  Board the train and then get off at Newark Liberty Airport Station

How to take the train from Newark Penn Station to Newark Airport

Once you’re at Newark Liberty Airport Station, follow the signs to the Air Train (it’s easy to find). Board the Air Train and then get off at the terminal that your flight is in.

I hope this guide has helped you travel from New York City – remember, I also have a guide on the best way to get from Newark Airport to Manhattan, if you need to make this a round trip

What are your tips for the cheapest and best way from Manhattan to Newark Airport?

What happens in Denver…

United Airlines captain Andrew Collins was in the Westin hotel in Denver in September 2018 (I’m assuming the Westin Denver International Airport), talking on the phone, walking around naked with his curtains open, for 20 minutes. He apparently thought that nobody could see him because the windows were somewhat opaque.

How this story SHOULD have ended (had someone that saw him naked even cared enough to mention it): the hotel should have contacted him and said “Hey people can see you naked; put some clothes on” = the end

How it ACTUALLY ended – the police were called, they came in with guns drawn, and he was arrested for indecent exposure and put in an airport jail. Here’s the body cam footage from the Denver Post

Lawsuit settled

While I do think it’s prudent to be careful about walking around naked, clearly this response was over the top. A judge agreed, and dismissed the case back in March. Collins sued the city and recently settled for $300,000. Apparently he is also considering suing the Westin for letting the police in, and wants to donate some / all of his winnings to The Innocence Project.

The Bottom Line

Just because you are “on vacation” or in somewhere other than your regular surroundings doesn’t mean that all laws and rules of society go out the window. So I do think that it’s probably a good idea to be careful about where and how you walk around naked. But clearly this was a response that was a bit over the top and unsubstantiated. Not to mention that this was back in 2018 even before the recent controversies regarding the appropriate role of police in the community.

What do you think should have happened in this situation? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi Terminal 3 Airport Lounge location

Etihad has a few different business class lounges at their hub in Abu Dhabi / AUH airport, but I think that the Etihad Terminal 3 Business Class lounge is their flagship location. Once you enter Terminal 3, follow the signs and the lounge is across from Gate 35

When you get to Gate 35, you turn away from the gate and go down a short hallway. Then take a left turn and the lounge entrance will be directly in front of you.

You can access the Abu Dhabi Business Class Terminal 3 Airport Lounge for free if you’re an Etihad Guest Gold member, or you’re flying in Business on an Etihad operated flight. There is also an arrivals lounge as well as a separate lounge in the US preclearance area if you are flying to the United States. We were flying to Tokyo in Etihad Business Class which was how we got access to the lounge.

Abu Dhabi Business Class Terminal 3 Airport Lounge seating

There is a TON of seating at the Abu Dhabi / Etihad Business Class Terminal 3 lounge

There were also a few larger seats / loveseats that people used to sleep. When we first got there around 4pm local time, the lounge was virtually deserted, but it filled up as the evening progressed.

One thing that I found interesting was the relative lack of power outlets. A few seats had these boxes in the floor that only half looked like they were intended for customer’s use. The USB ports on two of the ones near us didn’t work, and only one of our international adapters fit into the box. Most of the seats we saw had no access to power outlets at all. That seems like a big miss for such a premium lounge.

Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi / AUH Terminal 3 Lounge Review: food

When we got to the Etihad Abu Dhabi Business Class lounge, there was no food at all. I asked about it and was told that is when they do their daily refresh of the food. Around 5 or 5:30pm they started filling off all of the food stations. There are 3 different buffets like the one below. 2 of them were set to the same thing with a variety of breads, cheeses, drinks, salads and hot dishes.

The 3rd was more of a “dessert” buffet, including the red velvet cheesecake that reminded me of the trip my daughter and I took to the Hilton Beijing.

(SEE ALSO: [VIDEO] Great Wall Mutianyu Toboggan Ride review)

There was also a self-serve coffee machine, and I was told that you could also ask them to make a coffee for you. There was also an area in the Etihad Abu Dhabi Business Class lounge where you could sit down and eat, though unlike United Polaris lounges, the food is the same as the buffet.

There was a bar that served a wide variety of complimentary alcohol

Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi wifi

The Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi wifi speed was excellent.

As you can imagine, with that kind of speed, I had no problem doing anything and everything I wanted to do on the Internet. One mildly annoying thing was that every time my laptop went to sleep it would lose the connection, and I’d have to rejoin the wifi network again. My phone didn’t seem to have the same problem.

Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi Business Class Terminal 3 amenities

The Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi Business Class Terminal 3 is quite large, so it is not surprising that it comes stocked with a wide array of amenities. Right after you walk in, there is a small children’s and family room. It has toys, smaller seats and a video / TV screen with kids’ entertainment. I never saw anybody actually using it although there were several families and young children in the lounge.

There is also a business center with several computers and a printer.

Near the business center was “The Den”, which had smaller individual kiosks if you wanted to get some work done.

There was also a smoking room, restrooms including shower suites, a baby changing area and a prayer room.

The Bottom Line – Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport Lounge Review

If you have access to the Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport Lounge (likely due to flying Etihad Business Class), you’ll definitely want to make sure you carve out some time to visit. It has outstanding food, comfortable seating, fast wifi and a pleasant environment.

Have you been to the Etihad Lounge Abu Dhabi before? What did you think? Leave a note in the comments

We quickly went through security and immigration and made our way to the terminal.

EgyptAir Alioth Cairo airport lounge location

Cairo Airport Terminal 3 has F, G and H gates, with H in the middle and F and G to either side. The EgyptAir Alioth Cairo / CAI lounge lounge is to the left after you clear immigration, in the direction of the F gates.

Cairo EgyptAir Alioth airport lounge seating

Once you enter the EgyptAir CAI Terminal 3 Alioth lounge, you can go to the left or the right for the two different seating areas. When we got to the Alioth lounge around 8 a.m. it was fairly crowded but quickly thinned out. This is the entirety of the seating area to the left side, though the one on the right was a little bigger.

There are hardback chairs around tables of 2, and more comfortable lounge-type chairs as well. There are a variety of 220V power outlets around the outsides of each room. One thing to mention is that the lounge was FRIGID. They were really cranking the A/C.

EgyptAir Alioth CAI Terminal 3 Lounge Review: food

There is a small variety of food on both sides of the lounge.

Nothing really jumped out at me, but my son loved the donuts 🙂

There is a small minifridge with soft drinks and water as well as a coffee machine.

EgyptAir Cairo airport lounge wifi

The EgyptAir Alioth Cairo / CAI Airport Lounge wifi was tragically slow.

The slowness of the wifi made it nearly unusable unfortunately. One interesting thing about the wifi is that they have single-use codes on a small slip of paper with a wifi username and password. You would think that they would give those out when you checked in, but no. You have to sit down, figure out that you will need one and then go back up to the front desk to get one. Then once you give that code to your partner (or try to log in on another device) and find that it is single use, you get to go back up to the front desk. Seems like a less-than-efficient process, but what do I know.

EgyptAir Cairo airport Alioth lounge amenities

There are not really amenities to speak of in the EgyptAir Cairo Terminal 3 Alioth airport lounge other the seating, food and “wifi”. There are restrooms inside the lounge, which is probably a small step up from the terminal.

The Bottom Line – EgyptAir Alioth Cairo / CAI Airport Lounge Review

EgyptAir does have several different business class lounges in Cairo Airport Terminal 3, so maybe other lounges are better? On the other hand, Matthew at Live and Let’s Fly reviewed the lounge back in 2021 and counted this as the best Cairo Terminal 3 airport lounge, so maybe the other EgyptAir CAI lounges are even worse…

Have you been to the EgyptAir Alioth Cairo / CAI Airport Lounge before? What did you think? Leave a note in the comments

United Polaris Lounge access requirements

To access any United Polaris Lounge, you must meet one of three requirements:

• Flying United Polaris business class for a long-haul international flight – no guests, but you can access a lounge at departure, connecting and arrival airports
• Flying long-haul international first class on a Star Alliance member airline – one guest and access only at the departure airport for your international first class flight
• Flying long-haul international business class on a Star Alliance member airline – no guests and access only at the departure airport for your international first class flight

My son and I were flying business class on EgyptAir, and departing from Washington Dulles (IAD-CAI), so we both had access to the United Polaris Lounge IAD

Washington DC United IAD Polaris airport lounge location

The IAD Polaris airport lounge location is in Terminal C at IAD, near Gates C17 and C18.

Most of the international business Star Alliance flights seem to depart from the B Terminal, so if you are accessing the United Polaris Lounge IAD by virtue of flying Star Alliance business class (like I was), make sure to leave yourself extra time to switch terminals. I’d estimate about 10-15 minutes to go from Terminal C to Terminal B.

If you prefer, you will likely have access to the Turkish Airlines IAD lounge, though it is much worse than the IAD Polaris Lounge.

IAD Polaris Lounge Washington Dulles airport lounge seating

There are quite a few seating options available at the United IAD Polaris Lounge. When I was there around 8:30 a.m. the lounge was nearly empty, which meant that I basically had the run of the place.

United Polaris Lounge IAD Review: food

There are plentiful United Polaris Lounge IAD food options, with snack stations located throughout the lounge

There is also a full United Polaris Lounge IAD buffet line. There are actually 2 separate (I assume identical) stations, but when I was there, only one was open (serving breakfast), due to the dearth of people in the lounge.

The United Polaris Lounge IAD also has a completely separate “Dining Room” which is a sit-down restaurant.

I forgot to snap a picture of the menu when I was there, but I had the Eggs Benedict, which was outstanding.

My son had the breakfast sandwich, which he also enjoyed

Washington Dulles / IAD Polaris airport lounge wifi

The Washington / IAD Polaris airport lounge wifi was lightning fast

So as you can imagine given that speed test, I had no problem whatsoever using the Internet.

IAD Polaris Lounge airport lounge amenities

There is a hallway with individual all-gender restrooms (similar to the Capital One DFW lounge)

They have shower suites and quiet rooms available, though I did not go into either of them.

There is also a bar with a variety of alcoholic beverage options.

Included in the seating options were a few computers operating as a business center

The Bottom Line – IAD Polaris Lounge Review

If you have access to the IAD Polaris Lounge, you will almost certainly want to spend some time here as opposed to any other lounge at Washington Dulles. It will be interesting to see how the new Capital One Lounge compares when it finally opens. The food is outstanding (including a sit-down restaurant), the seating options are plentiful including some with great tarmac views. The Wifi is great and it’s definitely a place you’ll want to make sure to leave time to visit.

Have you been to the IAD Polaris Lounge before? What did you think? Leave a note in the comments

How to get from IAD to DCA – car, taxi or Uber

You can get from IAD to DCA by taxi or Uber of course, but depending on traffic, you’re going to be either paying an arm and a leg… or TWO arms and TWO legs :-).  How far is it from IAD to DCA?  About 28 miles – see map below

Map copyright OpenStreetMap contributors

It will take you about 45-60 minutes if there’s no traffic (and there’s almost NEVER no traffic).  How much will it cost to get from IAD to DCA?  A taxi will run you $75-100, and Uber will cost anywhere from $50 to $75 (depending on traffic and surge pricing.

If you do want to take a taxi, you can generally get better rates if you book it through a service like Carmel Limo — plus you can save $4 off using this link.

There are a variety of airport shuttles as well which will cost about the same amount to get from Dulles to Washington DC.  You can check out GO Airport Shuttle, and use coupon code GOWEB to save $5 off your ride anywhere between IAD, DCA, BWI and points downtown.

The cheapest and best way to get from IAD to DCA (or downtown Washington)

My preferred way to get from IAD to DCA and what I think is the best way to get from IAD to DCA is taking public transport.  Washington DC has a fairly robust transit system (Metro) and both Dulles Airport and Washington National / DCA are directly accessible from the Metro on either the blue or yellow line (see map below)

When I first wrote this guide back in 2017 the Silver Line did not go all the way to Dulles but thankfully it now does. So going from IAD to DCA or from IAD to Washington DC can be done fairly easily and inexpensively using the Metro.

Using the Silver Line to get from Dulles to Washington DC

Up until a few years ago, the Silver Line ended at  the Wiehle-Reston East stop. However now the Silver Line extends out to Dulles Airport (and a few stops further), which makes it super easy to use the Silver line to get from Dulles Airport to Washington DC, DCA or anywhere in the area.

After you head towards baggage claim, just follow the signs for the Metro station

It is about a 10 minute walk out to the Dulles Airport Metro station.

Cost varies on where and when you’re going, but should be between $2 and $6. My off-peak ticket to the Smithsonian station cost $3.85. When you get up to the train platform for the Silver Line from IAD to DCA or from Dulles Airport to Washington DC, you’ll want to get on the “Largo Town Center” side to head into Washington DC. Then at Rosslyn, you’ll transfer over to the Blue Line if you’re heading to DCA. If you’re just heading into Washington, you can take whichever stop is most convenient for you. For us, going to the Washington Monument, we stayed on the Silver Line and got off at the Smithsonian station.

The Bottom Line

The total trip from IAD to DCA should take you about 50 minutes.  If you’re traveling off-peak with no traffic, a car ride will definitely take less time, but if you’re traveling during rush hour or peak travel times, taking the Silver Line is likely to be SIGNIFICANTLY faster (and cheaper!) to get from IAD to Washington DC

Readers – any other tips on how to get from IAD to DCA or Washington DC? 

Turkish Airlines IAD lounge location, hours and access

The Turkish Airlines lounge at Washington Dulles airport is located in Concourse B, next to gate B43.

It is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, and children 6 and under are admitted free.  Access is available to Star Alliance Gold members, Star Alliance passengers traveling in international business class or first class or (probably the most likely among readers of this site), Priority Pass

(SEE ALSO: How to use the American Express Priority Pass Platinum card benefit)

(SEE ALSO: Comparing Priority Pass guest policy for AMEX, Chase, and Citi)

Turkish lounge IAD seating

When my parents visited, they had 5+ hours between flights, we checked out the Turkish Airlines lounge at Dulles airport.  When we first arrived a little before noon, it was nearly empty, but by 1:30-2:00 pm, it was crowded, and we needed to share tables. When I visited on my way to Cairo in 2023, we were there about 10 a.m. and it was also crowded (before the EgyptAir flight leaves at noon)

There is also a bar and couches in another area at the lounge.

The planes outside on the Tarmac are so close, they look like they are going to drive through the window!

Turkish Airlines lounge IAD / Dulles wifi and other amenities

The wifi at the Turkish Airlines lounge at Dulles was quite fast, which is always a good thing for airport lounges!

There is also a nice bathroom and shower facilities. Note that when I was at the lounge in 2023 the shower room was “out of order” and with signs like that I wonder how long that will be up for…

There is also a prayer room offered

Lots of computers for use, a PlayStation if you ask for controllers and multiple TVs.

Turkish Airlines Dulles lounge food and drink

The spread was awesome, with hot and cold entrees. We had the chicken stew, tomato soup, both a little spicy, hummus and pita bread, and a variety of fruits. There were also cold salads.

There was a bar available but since, like Dan, we don’t drink alcohol, we can’t speak to the selection of different drinks.  I’d imagine they are “good”

And of course, who could taste Turkish food without sampling the baklava!

When I was there in 2023 it was breakfast time, so they had a variety of breakfast foods out.

The Bottom Line

The Turkish Airlines lounge Washington Dulles / IAD airport, if you have access to it through Priority Pass or otherwise, is definitely a solid lounge at Washington Dulles airport. It’s nothing amazing, but (depending on what time of day you’re going) it can be a nice place to sit and relax for a bit. It’s quite convenient to many of the international flights that fly out of the B terminal, but if you are flying Star Alliance international business class, you might want to check out the United Polaris IAD lounge. It’s a bit further away (in the C terminal) but it’s definitely bigger and better.

What about you?  Have you been to the Turkish Airlines lounge IAD?  How was your experience?  Leave a note in the comments

Until it isn’t…

(SEE ALSO: HELP! I’m wasting DAYS of my life in airports)

(SEE ALSO: This is why I just sprinted through the airport for the first time)

Boston and the MBTA

Boston’s transit system isn’t…the best.  Don’t get me wrong, I love this city!  The airport is close, there’s plenty of things to keep you busy, and there’s so much history and culture.  But their transit system?  It could use a little work.

Luckily, they are working on it a lot! There’s two main ways to get from Downtown Boston to Boston Airport on the public transit system.  First, you can take the Blue Line to the Airport stop in East Boston, and then hop a shuttle to the airport.  Alternatively, the Silver Line runs from South Station in Downtown Boston to the airport.  I’ve been a regular on the Silver Line ever since I started traveling.

The thing about the Silver Line is, well, it’s not exactly a “Line”.  Most of the other MBTA lines, Blue, Orange, Red (Boston sure does love to color…) are legitimate light rail.  The Green Line is kind of a trolley, trying desperately to be a light rail.  The Silver Line is just a bus.  It has a dedicated track for a few stops, but then it’s a bus, and it just runs on the roads.  That’s it.

You remember when you were a kid, and you always trying to be stronger, faster, better than your older brother? Yeah, the Silver Line is definitely the baby here…

Since it’s a bus, it’s prone to a few more issues…

ALWAYS Leave a Little Extra Time

My bus broke down!  You heard right, it just,,,wouldn’t moved.  We literally rolled to a stop at Terminal B.

Check out the smoke coming from the engine!

Luckily for me, I was very close to my terminal.  I just walked into the airport at Terminal B and made my way over to Terminal C, ready to use my Priority Pass for a quick dinner before my flight.

Then guess what happened?  My Alaska Airlines boarding pass didn’t have my TSA PreCheck number on it!  Oh no, I thought, as I jogged over to security.  I must have forgotten to add my Known Traveler Number in my Mileage Plan account.  Security took me a few extra minutes than I’m used to, and I made it to my gate just before it closed!

(SEE ALSO: “Dan, I think I’m going to miss my flight!“)

This is just one crazy example of what could go wrong!  While I’m certainly not a pessimist, it’s ok to plan for the worst sometimes.  I’ve heard stories of people getting a flat tire on the way to the airport, their cab/Lyft/Uber driver took a wrong turn, excruciatingly long TSA security lines, it could be anything!

Both the gate agent and the flight attendant informed me that they almost left me behind!

For the best time to arrive at the airport, check with your airline.  Generally speaking, you’ll be safe if you arrive an hour and a half early for domestic flights, and add another hour for international departures.  Certain airlines and airports have other guidelines.  Always check!

So…what’s your close call story?  Did you forget something at the house and have to turnaround?  Hopefully it wasn’t your son, right before your flight to Paris!

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A post shared by Dan @ Points With a Crew (@pointswithacrew)

we decided we would just head over to the Dubai Airport to hang out in the Emirates First Class lounge before our flight. Our flight from Dubai to New York was scheduled to leave at 2:35 a.m. from Dubai (ugh!).

(READ MORE: Emirates First Class A380 flight from Dubai to New York)

(READ MORE: Help! I’m “stuck” in Emirates First Class on “only” a 777!)

As such, we had decided not to book a hotel for Tuesday night and just hang out in the lounge until our flight boarded.  Although the Radisson Blu Dubai did give us a late (3 pm) checkout – one of the only good things about our stay there!), we didn’t really have anywhere else to go, so we arrived at the airport about 6 p.m.

Attempting to check in (take 1)

We walked into the (very empty) Emirates first and business class check-in lines and gave the agent our boarding passes.  When she found out we were checking for the New York departure at 2:35 a.m. (the next day) she told us that we could not check in until 4 hours before the flight!  She made a call but basically told us “sorry about your luck”

I actually was a bit surprised that she wasn’t a bit more proactive in trying to help us.  I mean, I get that we don’t LOOK like super classy first class folks necessarily, and that we ONLY booked using miles (and partner miles at that!) but I was under the impression that airlines (especially Emirates and other non-US airlines) really bent over backwards to cater to first class passengers.  At least that’s how it played out in The Wedding Singer… 🙂

I felt like shouting out “BRING ME THE HEAD OF A PIG…. WITH MY BOARDING PASSES IN ITS MOUTH!!!”

One more try!

There were a bunch of self service kiosks out there, so I thought I’d give those a try – I looked up my Emirates record locator, but no dice – it told me I couldn’t check in.  So I went over to the business class check in to see if they could check me in there, or at the very least give us gate passes so we could hang out in the lounge.  I was NOT looking forward to just sitting around in the landside part of the airport for 4 hours!

This agent also gave me the 10pm schtick, but then helpfully suggested that I could already check in online.  So I sat down and after 5 minutes or so had us checked in, at which point I returned to the counter where this same agent helpfully printed out our boarding passes and we were off to the (completely ridiculous) Emirates First Class lounge!

The facts are that your child is definitely safer in a carseat than in your arms.  True, if the plane crashes from 30,000 feet, a carseat is unlikely to make the difference, but think more along the lines of turbulence as well as taking off and landing

On a recent family air trip, we had to face this dilemma.  When I first wrote this post, our youngest was a little older than 2, so technically she couldn’t have ridden as a lap child anyways, though I bet we probably could have gotten away with it.  But in any case, we chose the carseat anyways for a variety of reasons

Lugging the car seat around the airport

One of the cons often given against bringing the carseat is having to lug it around the airport.  I can definitely see why that would be an issue, though it wasn’t too bad for us.  Although we ended up with 17 (yes SEVENTEEN) different pieces of luggage at the airport, I had a pretty good system that left us with no lost luggage there and back!  That’s one good reason to have so many kids – gives you lots of helpers to haul stuff around 🙂

Where does the car seat go?

So once you’re on the airplane, where does the car seat go?  We had an issue with this on our recent family trip to Reno.  Our flight was only about 2/3 full, so since we were in the back, we thought we’d put the car seat in the middle seat with my wife in the aisle.

Our thinking was that it would be unlikely that anyone would choose to sit there (we were on Southwest which doesn’t assign seats).  I mean seriously – is there a worse seat in an airplane than all the way in the back next to someone else’s toddler? : -D

But then we were alerted to a problem

One of the flight attendants came by and told us that because the car seat was sticking out past the edge of the seat, we wouldn’t be able to have it there if someone DID come by and sit in the window seat, since we’d be blocking their exit in case of an emergency.

That makes sense, but I was not amused since we had actually just gotten the kid to sleep in the car seat a few minutes before….

Thankfully, nobody came by to sit there, so we were able to keep the car seat in place (not that she slept very long…)