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Travelling with infant to oz

Travelling with infant to oz

Old Dec 1st 2012, 12:08 pm
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Default Travelling with infant to oz

Myself,wife and infant will be traveling to oz next year,yes finally we will be making the move and was wondering is night flight the better option to take when traveling with an infant?She sleeps well during the night and is active during the day hours just the odd sleep now and again during the day,so is this recommend for flying with infant.

Also any advice you can give us when traveling with an infant as in what food to take etc,what stuff we should take with us to help make the trip better,what we can and cannot take to airport that maybe told to get rid of,anything that helps with moving carrying baby around like stroller,carrier etc.

It will be our first time traveling so far with a infant at the time should be about 8 months old and just wanted some advise on anything that will make the journey more pleasant for us and other travellers etc.
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Old Dec 1st 2012, 1:08 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Not so much help with an infant, as we travelled back to the UK this year with a 4 and 2 yr old, however night flight is definitely a good idea if they sleep well. Our first flight was day, but the second was a night and the kids slept for most of it.

Remember to order a bassinet for the child, just be aware though that during turbulence you usually can't use them.
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Old Dec 1st 2012, 9:52 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

I was wondering all you guys who have traveled to australia to stay or even just for a holiday what you did as in taking an infant with you,did you buy another seat?get a bassinet?or just went as a lap child?

I thought until now a lap child would go free but its 10% of the fare,so not sure how much this would be,we was thinking of going business class,but this could be costly for us with infant.

If we got an extra seat and just went economy,would a 8 month old be too young with her seat,what do you use to give her her own seat,car seat?im sure i read about hardness etc etc.

Im looking to book soon and wondering what our options are and best way to go about this
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Old Dec 1st 2012, 11:07 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Its really easy at that age.

Booking a bassinet seat is the best idea. Even if the baby is not sleeping you can prop him/her up in it with pillows while you have your meals etc, much easier. Take a baby bag with all supplies for baby, jars of food, snacks, rusks, etc. I took 8 of her bottles sterlised and filled with boiled water and a tub of formula. I did the trip several times when my little one was still on bottles and only once was I asked to open 2 of them and take a tiny sip out. You can take your buggy but a lot of airlines make you put it in the hold now so no good for waiting on connections. Best thing is a baby carrier or sling, leaves your hands free to pull/carry hand luggage. have a nice trip
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Old Dec 2nd 2012, 5:24 am
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

You can ask for a bassinette but priority is given to babies so you aren't assured of one over 8 months. Some kids love them, others don't and you won't know until you give it a try. Both my kids were fine and slep like babies LOL in them when they were little and one granddaughter was ok but the other at that age was co-sleeping and would not be put down. The bulkhead has some advantages (bassinette plus more leg room) but some disadvantages (arm rests don't raise) but, on balance, a better option with a baby if you can get the bassinette.

General advice, travel light! You don't want to be wrangling the kitchen sink and a baby. I never owned a stroller and my grand kids don't have one either but the baby ergo carrier (or equivalent sling) was a lifesaver - carrying a baby gets really heavy really quickly if you need to do it or a long time. The "difficult" granddaughter was actually fine but that was because she slept in the sling while her dad (mainly) walked across Asia with her - fortunately, he didn't mind as he never sleeps on planes now as an adult. Take your own food for the baby, most airlines I have found give you nothing for infants. Don't know about taking bottles etc, never used them.

When you arrive in Australia, your UK car seat won't be legal so no point in bringing that.

As AJCS said it's really easy at that age.
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Old Dec 3rd 2012, 12:13 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

A couple of points, based on experience.

(1) Children of that age may suffer on takeoff/landing due to the pressure change in their ears. Anticipate that they may cry, and don't be too distressed yourselves about it.

(2) Take enough milk powder and other food to survive an extra 12 hours longer than the scheduled flight. That is, milk powder in platic ziploc bags, with empty sterile bottles that can be filled with water by the cabin crew.

(3) Take at least one complete change of clothes/pyjamas.
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Old Dec 3rd 2012, 12:46 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by bra_boy
A couple of points, based on experience.

(3) Take at least one complete change of clothes/pyjamas.
I believe that the above should be changed to read "for yourselves as well as for baby".

Who wants to travel UK to Australia possibly smelling of puke (or worse). On the other hand, might ensure a few spare seats around you.
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Old Dec 3rd 2012, 9:42 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by brian.w

I thought until now a lap child would go free but its 10% of the fare,so not sure how much this would be,we was thinking of going business class,but this could be costly for us with infant.
If you go on an A380, the seats are huge.
My company flew us BC and we had a seat for our 3.5 year old, but she preferred to share my seat- plenty of room for us both (unless you are very well apportioned!) I am pretty average size but we slept comfortably cuddled up and there was lots of room to move about. Her own seat held all our bags and her toys!
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Old Dec 3rd 2012, 11:27 pm
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Top tip - if the cabin crew see dad struggling with baby, they may well offer to take her off your hands for an hour or two. Worked beautifully for me on SQ. They don't tend to so helpful for mums with bubs. Hooray for the double standard!
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Old Dec 4th 2012, 2:31 am
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by bitzenpces
I believe that the above should be changed to read "for yourselves as well as for baby".

Who wants to travel UK to Australia possibly smelling of puke (or worse). On the other hand, might ensure a few spare seats around you.
The one time I didn't take a change of clothes was the one time Mini vomited a bottle of milk over me, 2 hours out of Singapore, during turbulence so I couldn't even go the loo to clean up.

OP: Have you tried Emirates? It used to be free for babies, not sure if it still is.

How old is the child? We bought a seat from about 8 months old as he was too big for the bassinet and didn't fancy holding him all that way. We had an amazing thing called the Sit N Stroll, which is a car seat which converted into a stroller. We'd wheel him through the airport in it, retract the wheels and strap him in on the plane, wheel him across the airport the other end.
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Old Dec 4th 2012, 5:05 am
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by James516
Top tip - if the cabin crew see dad struggling with baby, they may well offer to take her off your hands for an hour or two. Worked beautifully for me on SQ. They don't tend to so helpful for mums with bubs. Hooray for the double standard!
Does work sometimes, I remember a young French mum on one of my flights, going Brisbane to Paris, with two kids under 4 She looked exhausted before she started, and the crew looked after both kids for almost the whole of the first leg - much to my relief as I was sitting opposite!
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Old Dec 4th 2012, 5:46 am
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by Pollyana
Does work sometimes, I remember a young French mum on one of my flights, going Brisbane to Paris, with two kids under 4 She looked exhausted before she started, and the crew looked after both kids for almost the whole of the first leg - much to my relief as I was sitting opposite!
Sheesh, I can remember the flight from hell on my own with one at 12 weeks and the other at 3. The only attention I got from the bimbette who spent her time flirting with a mid thirties chap a few seats in front of me, was to ask (after30 minutes) whether the call light was on for any reason! Never mess with a very thirsty BF mum! - both barrels! That was just the final straw though and after writing a snotty letter to BOAC I boycotted them for 25 yrs (the return flight was perhaps too helpful - suspect there was a note beside my name - this woman bites!!!).

Anyway, helping families with babies depends on the airline - some of them now actually ban assistance on OH&S grounds apparently! (I got that from a current cabin crew person). Best to figure to be totally independent!
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Old Dec 4th 2012, 8:23 am
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by quoll
Sheesh, I can remember the flight from hell on my own with one at 12 weeks and the other at 3. The only attention I got from the bimbette who spent her time flirting with a mid thirties chap a few seats in front of me, was to ask (after30 minutes) whether the call light was on for any reason! Never mess with a very thirsty BF mum! - both barrels! That was just the final straw though and after writing a snotty letter to BOAC I boycotted them for 25 yrs (the return flight was perhaps too helpful - suspect there was a note beside my name - this woman bites!!!).

Anyway, helping families with babies depends on the airline - some of them now actually ban assistance on OH&S grounds apparently! (I got that from a current cabin crew person). Best to figure to be totally independent!
I'd heard that technically they aren't supposed to assist on OH&S grounds.
I must admit there are occasions when even I have been tempted to offer to help stressed mothers like that one, but with my total inexperience of babies I would be no use anyway!
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Old Dec 4th 2012, 10:26 am
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Default Re: Travelling with infant to oz

go for a night flight and wear them out during the day, so they sleep most of the flight. take one or two small toys, some snacks from airport, formula/milk bought at airport after security. we took a stroller (cheap fixed position) this was stored in cabin during flights (we also took child regins as she was walking).some spare clothes couple of t-shirts a pair of trousers (plane cold because air-con). stroller comes off at stopover so easy to either put child in for customs check or fit a strap to the stroller to sling over your shoulder when not in use. quick walk around during stopover wash change with a snack and back on the plane. more sleep until end of second flight and all off again if you dont want to use the stroller thats fine but it's also a wheeled trolley for all the hand luggage.
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Old Dec 4th 2012, 10:56 am
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Smile Re: Travelling with infant to oz

Originally Posted by Family of 3
The one time I didn't take a change of clothes was the one time Mini vomited a bottle of milk over me, 2 hours out of Singapore, during turbulence so I couldn't even go the loo to clean up.

OP: Have you tried Emirates? It used to be free for babies, not sure if it still is.

How old is the child? We bought a seat from about 8 months old as he was too big for the bassinet and didn't fancy holding him all that way. We had an amazing thing called the Sit N Stroll, which is a car seat which converted into a stroller. We'd wheel him through the airport in it, retract the wheels and strap him in on the plane, wheel him across the airport the other end.
OP Emirates bring food in little jars, no idea as to brand or sweet or savoury that is made for babies around at the start of the flight and they have strollers at the start of a flight and at any stop overs for parents to use, they also give the children packs of toys but its a good idea to take a familiar toy with you and agree night flights are best.......
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