Hellobee Boards

Why not just check them at the ticket counter with the rest of your luggage ?

You can get two decent seats for under $100, so I would buy new and donate (or have them keep them if there's any chance you'll go back before they outgrow the need). But we have the financial resources to do that, so it would be worth it to avoid the stress of hauling them and so I wouldn't worry so much about how they're handled by baggage people.

I'm only suggesting bring your own because I imagine you'll need car seats to get from the airport to your parents. Unless they are picking you up and you trust them to install the seats. Then I'd say buy and just leave them there for any future visits. You can get a perfectly acceptable carseat for under $100. It may not be what you would use at home on a regular basis, but for short term occasional use its fine.

Check them with your luggage. That's what we did and it worked great every time.

If you're conscious of a budget, this isn't a reason to blow $100+ when you don't have to! Just check them with your luggage as pp have said. No fuss, no stress and no extra out of pocket cost!