How do you take a baby on vacation??

↑ Marion ↓

Mon, Jan 11 2010, 10:35 pm

You are NEVER guaranteed a bulkhead seat, unless maybe you're travelling with mamash a newborn. They give them to the youngest passengers first, on a first-checked-in, first-served basis. (Wanna ask me how I know?) This is true of all airlines I have ever travelled with. And is a LARGE part of the reason I now always use the web-check-in feature 24 hours before my flight. If I'm checked in then my infant is checked in.

↑ shabri ↓

Mon, Jan 11 2010, 11:26 pm

Marion wrote:

Ditto. And even if you get the bulkhead, there is no guarantee that they will have bassinets on board (happened to us) or that the mechanism will not be broken (happened to us).

↑ hadasa

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 12:13 am

This reminded me of a funny story. I was flying alone with a nursing baby, and the lady at the check-in very considerately gave me a bulkhead seat for a bassinet. When I got on the plane, I find my bulkhead seat to be in the middle, squished between two huge men! There was barely room for me, let alone with a baby, and forget the bassinet! Imagine needing to nurse in that situation! Funny thing (and good thing) was, it was a pretty empty flight, and I had no problem finding an empty row of three seats to spread out on. I guess those guys wanted the legroom, but I think the checkin lady should have realized there was no room for me there, especially if the rest of the plane was empty!

miriamg

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 12:30 am

Pack n plays are pretty difficult to shlep - considering that you will also have your luggage and a baby in the stroller. Hotels and many vacation apartment rentals will have cribs or pack n plays available. If you're staying with friends or relatives, chances are that they will be able to borrow a pack n play for you.

In terms of traveling with the baby, when we traveled to Israel on vacation when our first was a baby, we took a snap n go (actually the graco snugrider) with the car seat carrier, and it was great. It was easy to strap in to cabs (unlike the convertible car seats) and fold up into the trunk (I think that we had to pay an extra few shekel for using the trunk) and the snap and go was narrow and light enough to take on buses or anywhere as a regular stroller. But you have to know your kid - not all 9 month olds will be happy to sit in the car seat position all the time.

Isramom8

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 12:47 am

Ideally, I'd buy a travel system, check the stroller part with my luggage and use the carseat on the plane. Bening unrestrained is dangerous; although a carseat means paying for the child's seat on the plane. You'd have to do it if your baby were two years old, so why doesn't your baby deserve to be safe already now?

In Israel, I have stowed the stroller part in taxi trunks and buckled the carseat onto the taxi seat, with no complaints from drivers. Of course, a sherut from the airport will charge you for an extra person if your baby takes up a seat.

↑ Inspired

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 12:58 am

AFAIK you can only use a convertable seat forward facing on plane.

I have had taxi drivers charge extra for putting your luggage in the trunnk or on the roof- if they get out to help you. I'm pretty sure thats standard.

↑ shabbatiscoming ↓

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 10:52 am

LiLIsraeli wrote:

El al told me that bassinets are given until 1.5 years old. The travel agent also told us that if you reserve the bulkhead seats with a bassinet, you are guaranteed to get it.

I have also seen the baby seatbelts advertised in baby catalogs (such as "One Step Ahead"), as well as a carrier for a large car seat.

what el al told you is just not true. we traveled with my daughter when she was just over a year and were told that we would not be allowed a bassinet (anyway, many times the child is too big for one) and that if we are lucky we will get a bulkhead, but no guaranties.

↑ shabri

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 2:37 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

LiLIsraeli wrote:

And I sat next to a couple who had a 19 month old in a bassinet on ElAl. It really deps on the flight staff, whats available and what they are willing to do. They say up to a yr, but sometimes you can get lucky. By the way, even if they baby can't lie in the bassinet, its nice to have a place to out them down and let them play with toys,

↑ shabbatiscoming

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 2:40 am

shabri wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

LiLIsraeli wrote:

dont know, we have only flown with el al, to america and south africa and both times we were told that the cut off for a bassinet was 6 or 9 months. weird.