Flying with Evenflo Triumph DLX

I have not flown with that seat, but I have been on SW many times (including this past week) wiht a britax marathon and a go go babyz wheel attachment (which is AWESOME!)...I have found that it is best to use a seat belt extender (although this is mostly because of the wheels)...my best advise is that one of you should go on first and get your seats and put the car seat in...Stay calm while doing it! I make the extender about half tight, then clip it into the buckle by the window side of the window seat...thread it through the back of the car seat and buckle on the other side. We had an issue once when we didn't use the extender - when tightened, the seat belt buckle ended up in the middle of the back of the car seat, and we couldn't reach it to unbuckle...

As for southwest, they are amazing! Great with kids (plenty of snacks and lids on drink cups), and they have coloring book that you can ask for...they let families board after the "A" group - which is 60 people. You can get a number in the A group if you go online to check in EXACTLY 24 hours in advance (although don't stress about this because like I said, families go between the A and B groupings). they will let your 2 year old say hi to the pilots...great customer service!

We also own this seat and I specifically bought a second, smaller seat for our trips. We fly transatlantic and to the east coast several times a year - and I don't know how one poster can describe it as calming - the seat it one giant hassle. I often fly alone, so I knew that the triumph was too heavy and bulky for me too lug around.

Even with the smaller seat it is still a pain, you will have to get the kid(s), the carry on and the seat(s) down the aisle, preferable without causing serious injury to those already in their seats (I do not believe SW offers priority boarding...I would call and ask).

If your partner is coming with you it might be easier, since one of you can hold on to the toddler while the other one is strapping in the seat.

On the upside, I am pretty sure the seatbelt will fit without an extender, there is no latch, so practice how to thread it before you go, you will likely have to undo the cover a bit. There is no place for the tether, make sure you secure it to the seat so it doesn't injure your child in a turbulence.
Also, it is true that during the flight, my daughter behaves a lot better in her car seat... except for the kicking the seat in front of her, that is almost unavoidable.

We are going again for x-mas...I am not looking forward to it. But see the positive: once you have landed you will get to spend a good time.
Good luck!

It's great that you are taking the seat for her to sit in! It will create a much calmer atmosphere for you and your child.

You may want to ask your question on car-seat.org. There are lots of great techs there who can help you!

We have flown many times with car seats and we own this car seat but have never flown with it - that being said I can tell you the following: there is no place to attach the rear tether; you will probably have to unhook the little tabs that secure the cover in order to reach through the back to hook the seat belt (just like you would do if installing it in a car with the seat belt); you may need an extender although you may be lucky and not have the buckle end up buckled right in the middle of the seat (thereby irritating the little bum sitting in it). Good luck - I think the biggest issue flying with this car seat will be the weight. Another thing to consider is the fact that your child's feet will most likely reach the seat in front of you (unless of course you are in the bulkhead row) which generally causes some irritation to the person sitting in front of you, just be prepared. Lastly, I don't know if Southwest allows people traveling with small children board early, or if you are traveling with more than one parent but if so, if there is any way to manage it, I would suggest that one parent (or adult) get on the plane to get the stuff on, get the seat installed, etc., while the other stays out in the boarding area with the children until the last possible minute. This way your 2 year old will get an extra 20 minutes to run around and you won't have to manage both children while you are trying to get the car seat organized - you can just get the kids on and buckled up. Have a great trip.

We have used an Evenflo Triumph on Northwest and Alaska airlines forward facing and did not need an extender. The top tether does not attach anywhere you just need to run the lap belt through the back of the seat. You will need to pull the cover back a little bit but it does not have to be removed. It is easiest when you are traveling with two adults. My husband boards first with the seat and carry-on and attaches it while our 1 1/2 year old and I hand out in the terminal and board last so that he can run off some last minute energy. It is a bit bulky to carry but we usually fasten the strap and carry it like a backpack which helps a little. We have found it is less stressful to have our son in a carseat vs lap flying.

It's great that you are taking the seat for her to sit in! It will create a much calmer atmosphere for you and your child.

You may want to ask your question on car-seat.org. There are lots of great techs there who can help you!