Lap Baby
If your baby is less than 24 months old you can choose to fly with him on your lap, thereby saving the expense of an extra seat. This is something I have taken full advantage of (always squeezing that last holiday in before my girls' second birthdays). The Airlines are always very accommodating in that they will place you next to an empty seat if there is one. I recommend checking in early (early bird gets the worm), always be super nice at the check-in counter, ask them if the flight is full and if not, can they place you next to an empty seat. Of course, if the flight is full, there is nothing they can do. I must say though, about 80% of flights I have taken with a baby on my lap, and basically every flight I have taken alone with the kids, I have had an empty seat next to me. Think about what days you are flying; mid week flights tend to be less full (unless you are traveling in holiday peak).
You can obviously not bring your car seat on board if baby is sitting in your lap, and it can be tough on a long haul flight (even more so if you are traveling alone), but for me personally it is not so bad that I cant survive a 11-15 hr flight and the $$ save is worth it.
Many airlines provide bassinets for your baby on long haul flights. Sizes and weight restrictions vary but on average it is about 6-9 months old and 20 lbs (I will do a future blog post where I will set out specifications for each airline). If you want a bassinet, call the airline as soon as you have reserved your tickets and ask if they have any available. The bassinets can only be put up in certain seats and they therefore only have a few available on each flight. An added bonus of getting that bassinet is seats with extra legroom :)
Car Seats
Many people bring their car seats with them on flights. My opinion has always been travel as light as possible, and I just dont want to drag a giant car seat around - and when travelling alone with two kids it becomes an impossibility. There is an urban legend that you have to have car seats on board when flying with toddlers but it is simply not true (I have certainly never been kicked off an airplane).
That being said, there are advantages to bringing a car seat on a flight. It is easier for most kids to fall asleep in a car seat and many kids accept more readily that they have to stay put when in their car seat.
Some people also feel there is a safety concern in case of turbulence (although most people do secure their babies with the seat belt provided, that links into your seat belt when flying with a baby on your lap).
You can buy a flight vest such Baby B'Air flight vest for baby (I myself have been very satisfied with this). I have experienced turbulence with a baby in my lap and I have never had an issue. They have had their travel vests on and I have had a firm grip around them (even if it has made them cranky), and I have (obviously) never felt my baby was unsafe.
If you do travel with a car seat, I recommend getting a car seat travel cart. It is basically wheels and a handle that you can place your car seat on and wheel it through the airport (with baby in). If you are checking your car seat in, it might be worth investing in a check-in car seat bag to protect the seat from dirt, peeing security dogs (dont ask) and keeping all the buckles and straps safely contained.
Many people bring their car seat so that they can use it in their rental car when they land. I have always just rented the carseat with the car (all major rental places have carseats for rent). There is always a section for carseats when you rent a car online.
Many people are wary of renting car seats because of fears that they are not up to par or dirty. I must say, I have never had a problem. I have rented car seats in New York, Dallas, England, Italy & Denmark (many times) and I have never had a problem apart from one time; I thought the car seat looked a bit tatty, complained and was given a brand new one immediately. They are normally professionally cleaned and you get them still wearing the plastic bag. That being said, If I was traveling to a third world country, I would probably not rent a car seat (in fact, I would probably not rent a car).
Isle-Walking
The first flight with baby I ever took, I did as I had always seen other parents do and patiently walked up and down the isle carrying my baby and, later when Sienna could walk, I would follow her up and down the isle as she was toddling around grabbing other people's snacks, tucking their sleeves and introducing herself. Up and down in a neverending game of human ping pong. The biggest problem was that once Sienna knew there was exiting stuff outside her seat that is where she wanted to be.
All. The. Time.
Even during take-off and landing!
Whilst pregnant with my second girl, my cousin (who is an around- the- world-travelling-jetsetter- always-going-somewhere mother of 3 boys) told me that she never let any of her kids leave their seat unless it was for the bathroom. I was dumbfounded at first unable to imagine how she managed to keep 3 boysterous children in their seats for a long haul flight to New Zealand.
I decided to put it to the test when Amalia was born. By then Sienna was old enough to be fully entertained by ipad and TV and old enough to understand a reasonable explanation as to why she had to sit in her seat. Amalia was allowed to crawl on us and be on the floor in front of the seats between my husband, Sienna and myself and that was it. And the results have been awesome!
Because she has never known anything else, she has fully accepted the limits of traveling on an airplane. She has basically been the easiest baby ever to travel with, happy to be in her designated space. The flight attendees very much prefer the children sitting in their seats for safety reasons (those food & drink trollys are heavy and they dont always see a little one toddling around).
I totally understand that if your baby is screaming her head off it might help walking around with her, but if avoidable, my recommendation is that you don't "isle-walk" - it makes for an easier, more comfortable flight.... for everybody.
Ok there is going to be Part Three to this....
next part will be about rude people and removing yourself from your own paranoia..
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