International flight with baby

[Shazzer]

Hi All,
I know there have been several threads on this topic before and have found them most helpful but here are some additional questions which I hope you can help me out with.

We're going to Singapore/Malaysia in January with our baby who will be 9-months then. It'll be our first international flight with baby. We've booked a basinet with the airline, reserved bulkhead seats and requested for baby meals for the flight.

Questions:
1. We are travelling on a Boeing 777 which has two seats (window) and five seats (middle aisle). Our travel agent reserved window seats for us one way and two seats in the middle aisle on return. Which is better if we are early enough to request upon check-in? With the window seats, there's no chance for baby to have his own seat.

Will he have to be in the cot the whole way? Are we allowed to let him crawl and stretch his legs a bit on the floor space in front of us - if I recall, the window seats are next to the exit which usually has a slightly larger leg space.

2. Baby meals - I have no idea what will be served. I just requested for no-salt/sugar meals. Any experience anyone?

Would the flight attendant be able to warm up the baby food jars and bottles I'd be bringing along? Any items that I shouldn't bring on board since they've imposed some restrictions on food and drink containers?

3. Restroom/Changing facilities
Any tips or advice in this area? Recently we went to a restaurant in Helsinki and simply assumed that there would be baby changing facilities. It was most difficult and unpleasant when the restaurant didn't have such facilities available! Not even a small space or platform of any kind to change baby's diapers (so just want to make sure in advance with the airplane - funny how one doesn't notice things pertaining to babies before one has their own!)

4. BTW, we're flying via Stockholm on our way there and then via Zurich on our return to Helsinki. About 2-3 hour transit time at each airport. Haven't been to Zurich airport and don't remember Stockholm airport much. Baby friendly? We're not bringing a stroller with us on our way there as we're planning to get one in Singapore. I hear Stockholm has babyseats attached to their baggage trolleys?

I think that's all for now! Appreciate your time and replies.

The busy little planner!!

[richard berman]

Sure I let my kids ran up and down the plane, never had any problems only a few dirty looks, but who cares kids are kids and have to move around. Make sure you bring along his best books, toys etc.

As for the baby food on the plane you will find it will be normal baby food out of a jar, and as for heating up the milk bottle they have alot of hot water on the flight for all those cups of tea.

As for changing him, some planes have the tables in the toilets, if not you may have to do it on your lap.

Don't stress about the flight the kid will be fine, just let them play and make sure you have somthing for him to stuck on take off and landing, you do not want to start the holiday with popped ears,

All the best

[enk]

Remember the diapers. And doublecheck that you have them. (My ex
forgot to bring them when we flew with a 9-month-old to Chicago and we
had to run around the airport we were switching in to look for some.)

Bring baby food with you if the babe is eating solids. My kids all hated
KLM and BA baby food.

Like Richard said, sucking is good for popping ears during takeoff and
landing.

-enk

[karen]

When Reino was a baby and we flew on Finnair to New York, I had requested a bassinet. We were seated in the middle seats and they couldn't attach the bassinet to the wall because it wasn't a fixed wall or something like that. They would only attach a bassinet to the seats where the windows were. They were happy to place the bassinet on top of our feet, but not the wall. Your ds might be too big for the bassinet, too. Reino was 7 months and I don't think he was able to lie down in it. It was more of a place to put him while I ate.

But don't worry much. Your baby will be fine. The flight will possibly be the most uncomfortable for you, but as he gets older it will get easier.

I always took Reino's food with me. They can heat it up with hot water. One thing that was a lifesaver was the Tutteli(?) porridge in the little box. Take some of those and a spoon for emergencies. I had never given them to Reino but took some along for an emergency. We had that emergency in the airport on our way home. I was in line to check in and he was starving. I remembered the porridge box and my sister fed it to him. He slurped it down. You can just tear the corner off, squeeze it onto a spoon and feed him just about anywhere.

I was talking with a friend a couple of days ago about traveling with kids. If there is a play area in the airport, I always try to let Reino take a break and enjoy himself when we can. I've had to call on him a couple of times to really push himself to the limit when we travel, so I feel it's important to let him be a kid when I can. Once we arrived in some US airport where they thought it was funny to charge for luggage carts for international arrivals. Who gets off the plane from Europe with three $1 bills in their pocket? I couldn't get a cart and we had three large bags. I pulled two and Reino had to pull one. I think he was 3 years old at the time. It was slow, but he did it. He may have been wearing his own backpack at the time, too, since we always have the maximum allowed carry-on luggage.

[tonypaxton]

I am flying to St. Louis MO on Wednesday. I bought a carry cot (kantokassi) from here...

http://www.pikkupingviini.fi/index.php? ... cts_id=100

The finnish mother-in-law suggested it would make the trip easier

[Rosamunda]

I did the Paris, South Africa trip several times with my 3 kids when they were small. the bulk head seats do have more leg room. I remember once checking in 3h early at Jo'burg only to be told that the plane was leaving from Cape Town and all the bulk head seats had been taken....

As I was travelling alone with the 3 kids we always had the centre seats because the toddlers weren't allowed to sit alone. Once we had a grumpy git sitting on the end seat and the plane was full, so he couldn't be moved. But mine slept thru (it's an overnight flight) so he shut up and dozed off too. I didn't sleep a wink that time due to turbulence and babies have to be HELD when the seat belt sign is on. If yours is 9mths he won't fit in the bulkhead cot anyway.

Ask the airline about taking babyfood on board. I'm not sure it's allowed anymore (max 100 ml liquids). Maybe biscuits, apples to suck on would be an idea.

My advice is TONS of fresh air and exercise just before the flight. I let mine run havoc in the terminal building. Then they usually calmed down and slept OK in the plane. Nine months is a difficult age because they are so curious and mobile.... and too young to sit and read or play Gameboy


We once paid extra for a seat for babe (I think we used airmiles) because the travel agent told us the flight was always full and I couldn't face sitting next to another grumpy old man. Nowadays I have noticed that the airlines invariably sit LOLs (little old ladies) next to families with young children. They have probably had too many complaints from grumpy-git business men who think they deserve preferential treatment

Good luck! and Bon Voyage!

[scoobymcdoo]

Get him used to eating bananas as they are ideal for the airplane. You wont be allowed to take a fork on board so pack a spoon to mash it with if he wont take bites from it. Take some rice cakes too for him to chow on and while away the time. He is not overly mobile at the moment so you dont have to worry about him running up and down the plane, crawling around in the ailse though is fun for them.

All the toilets on the planes we have been on so far have had pull down tables to change them on, it is very cramped in there and beware of him pressing the 'help' button ! Or get used to changing him sitting on your knee.

Take your sling (if you have one) for the transfers. If you cant get a trolley then at least you have the sling for him- do you need one- I have a Baby Björn if you'd like to borrow it.

As far as food goes it will probably be baked beans and sausages- we've had that a few times! Just take some porridge cartons (as TM suggested) and get him used to eating it cold- airlines always warm things up too hot! Spponing it out the carton is very easy.

Just relax, the more you stress about the flight, the more D will pick up on it and play up to your fears. Enjoy it and pray that he sleeps lots!

Hannah and Sophie (31 flights in 21 months)

[Shazzer]

Thanks so much everyone for the reminders, advice and assurance!

Good tips for the baby food and snacks - will definitely check out the Tutteli porridge. Will bring the bananas and rice-cakes. Check baby food jars. There goes travelling light

If yours is 9mths he won't fit in the bulkhead cot anyway.

Oh no...where do I put him to sleep then? It's about 13 hours minus all the stopovers and it would be quite uncomfortable to have him in my arms when he's asleep.

Perhaps a better idea would be to get the soft carrycot (kantopussi) as Tony mentioned and try to get regular seats and lift up the handrests? Help! Bulkhead seats handrests are fixed and won't be of use if baby needs to stretch out.

Hannah - Yes, we'll be using our Baby Björn during transit. Thanks for the offer though but if you have a soft carrycot we can borrow, that'll be great!

Tadpole's Mommy wrote:

But don't worry much. Your baby will be fine. The flight will possibly be the most uncomfortable for you, but as he gets older it will get easier.

You're probably right!! We did a domestic flight Hkl-Oulu when baby was 2 months old. He proved to be such a good little traveller. Slept right through. We took a photo of baby's first flight and there he was beaming happily while Mummy dearest looked positively green....

Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone! If you think of anything else which was useful for you, just pass it along! Thanks again!

[Rosamunda]

If yours is 9mths he won't fit in the bulkhead cot anyway.

Oh no...where do I put him to sleep then? It's about 13 hours minus all the stopovers and it would be quite uncomfortable to have him in my arms when he's asleep.

Call the airline (or maybe check their website?) to find out the dimensions of the cot. The first time I flew to RSA with mine the youngest was about 10 or 11 months old and he didn't really fit but he was a big baby. But it was probably Airbus not Boeing so the specs are not the same. But as I said, even if babe is asleep in the cot, you will still have to hold him/her if there is turbulence. You could put a cot on the floor at your feet if you have a bulk head seat, I think there is room. But don't count on getting a spare seat the whole way. If you ask for a bulk head seat in the middle chances are you will be sharing it with another family!!!

[Xochiquetzal]

Odd - Maia fit into the bassinet until she was 2. They never quibbled about her size or weight - just as long as she was under 2 years old. That was BA and Lufthansa.

First flight from Finland to Los Angeles, I let her sit in her car sit in the seat next to mine. The car seat barely fit in there, though, since the bulkhead row seats don't have armrests that move up and down. But the car seat was darn nice for carrying her in the airport during layovers.

For the second and third trips, she was happy in the bassinet for the entire trip. It's just really important to request the bulkhead when booking and to make sure to get to the airport early so you can guarantee you get a bulkhead then.

[RA]

This was great help to us too, thanks. We're off right after Christmas.

Shazzer, my friend just flew with her son (he was born a couple of weeks before D and you both had the same due date), and he still fit in the bulkhead cot but he's quite small so I'd follow Penelope's advice and call the airline and get the dimensions.

N is so big now she won't fit so she'll be travelling in my lap if there's no spare seats, but there's three of us to interchange holding her anyway. Coming back with her imight be a nightmare though since I'm coming back alone, so I'm thinking we should get her her own ticket so she can get her own seat? She'll be one and a half then.

Baby food doesn't come under the restrictions so you can carry as much as you think you'll need.

Anyone have any suggestions for toys that we could take onboard (Right now she's loving pushing a doll's stroller around all day long, that, and swinging, but I'm guessing that won't do onboard ) Or what games could we play? Our flight's overnight though so I'm hoping she'll sleep through, but just in case she doesn't.

Would drinking using a straw work for the ears during take-off and landing? After all the ear stuff we've been through lately I think I'm dreading this. When we flew with her last time she breastfed during the first take-off but didn't during the second or any of the landings and her ears didn't bother her at all, or it didn't seem like it did. She was 5 months then.

[JuliaB]

I got Sofia a "peek a boo" book with little flaps that open to reveal something new. I did not show it to her untill we were on thw plane and she was fully entertaind for hours. Try and find something small with a lot of functions. You have to carry so much with kids that the more entertainment you can cram into a small space the better.

I am thinking of getting a new book like that for our flight to America in a couple of weks. Good luck.

[scoobymcdoo]

JuliaB- do you have a magnadoodle for Sofia? We have a small travel one that Sophie loves- highly recommend for a long flight.

[Rosamunda]

BTW rice cakes have a higher GI than sugar... you might want to avoid those. Banana is better.

[Wheely]

Hi,

If you need one I have got a soft carrier cot that we do not use. You could check whether it would be suited for you.

Marianne