lucy.summers

Hello all,

We are planning to do our validation trip in October with a 14/15 month old little boy. Don't worry - he's ours!! A few things have starting worrying us and I wondered if anyone else has had to do a trip like this and how you got around it:

Quick preview - we aren't staying in a hotel but at my hubby's relatives in Perth.

Car Seat? - will we need one for the flight? Can we take ours onto the flight and then use it in cars in Oz. Do only certain types fit certain airlines? I'm sure I remember seeing a thread which said that you weren't allowed to use UK car seats in Oz.

High Chair? - shall we buy a portable one you attach to chairs (we are planning on shipping ours when we move so don't want to buy new out there.) Any ideas on the price of the portbale ones if we wait to buy in Oz. (Seem to be about £20 in UK)

Travel Cot? - considering putting him on a mattress on the floor? Our travel is way too heavy to fly for the holiday although we will ship it when the time comes.

Any other things we need to think about???

Thanks for all your help.

Lucy

fraser

No you won't need a car seat on the flight. You can put it in the hold, although if you plan to hire a car they'll provide you with one.

A matress on the floor will be fine

lucy.summers

Thanks

Do all hire car companies provide a car seat or certain ones as we may plan to book it before we arrive.

fraser

They all do, as it is illegal to take a child in a car without one in Oz, they're much stricter about it than over here.

BAY

Hi Lucy , we traveled to Oz last year with our 15 month old boy on our validation trip.

Car Seat : Yes strictly the UK car seats don't match 100% the legal requirements of Oz but we took ours and had no problems. It fitted on the plane and in the taxi and hire car in Oz. Its hardly going to be an arrestable offence in Oz ! . You'll definitely need it on the plane, a 15 month old won't fit in the basket net thingy on the plane and he won't be comfortable sitting in a plane seat without one. Our taxi driver that picked us up from Melbourne airport was very happy to use our car seat. Whilst talking about the plane definitely book up a bulk head seat, it gives you room for the little lad to play with his toys and ALSO the car seat probably won't fit anywhere else and your boy wouldn't be able to strtch his legs out when sitting in the chair.

NB. Remember to keep the care seat with you when boarding the plane else the it will be loaded with the suitcases. We gave ours to the check in people and thought they would put it on the plane, instead they put it in the hold with the suitcases and we had to go without it for the 1st leg from Heathrow to Singapore.

High Chair : I wouldn't bother taking it on the validation trip. Just took much hassle and luggage. He can sit on a normal chair with you holding him.

Travel Cot : We took ours. What sort of travel cot is it when you say it is way to heavy to take ? ! Ours is a normal standard travel cot and we had no problems. I wouldn't chance it him sleeping on the floor on a mattress. If you and him are to have a good holiday he needs to have a proper sleep each day and to be comfortable.

All the best

BAY

We flew with Sigapore Airlines and they would not let our boy sleep on the floor. It was against safety rules.

Wave the Sails

He should still fit in a bassinet at that age.

The only airline that has actual car seats that fit to the bulkhead is BA, but they code share with Qantas so you won't get those aircraft to Oz

fraser

Bloody hell you took a lot we've flown once with 16mth old and once with 2yr old and 4 month old and the only thing we ever took was a pop up crib for 4 month old and car seat for 4 month old. We nver needed a car seat on the flight and there's no way we'd have taken a travel cot

lucy.summers

Thanks for all the help - we'll see how he is size wise I think regarding the car seat issue.

High chair - fair comment - he can just go on our lap or sit in his buggy.

Travel Cot - ours is a mothercare travel cot/playpen. v v heavy and bulky - not your lightweight one you can get.

Thanks guys

Lucy

BAY

Well our boy was a normal sized 15/16 month old and he would NOT have fitted it a bassinet.

I'm not on about fitting the car seat to the bulkhead ! If you put a carseat anywhere other than the bulkhead then the poor lad wo't have room to strech his leags out due to cramped nature of seats on a 747.

BAY

Its hardly a lot : just taking a car seat and travel cot.

So how did your 16 month and 2 year old sit and sleep on the plane without a car seat ! They'd be took big for the bassinet and wouldn't be able to sit upright in the plane seat designed for adults.

As I said in an earlier post we didn't have the car seat for the 1st leg to Singapore and it was a nightmare. The lad just couldn't sit or sleep comfortably in the normal seat.

It was like heaven when we got the car seat and the lad could sit and sleep properly.

As for the travel cot I didn't want to worry about whether the holiday accomodation had a cot or not. I also had peace of mind knowing he was sleeping in a clean cot.

lucy.summers

He's halfway between the 2nd/9th centile at 17lb 13oz. Small compared to all his other friends! Not planning to use the bassinet as assume he'd already be too big for that anyway.

He's very good at control, sitting up / head etc so guess we'll see what the airline requirements are. I'm leaning towards not using one.

lynnj

By all means reuest a bulkhead seat and a basinet, i have had them before for a child over 12 months but he was only able to sit in it, not lie down, but it was still a help. As basinets are not designed for babies over 12 months priority will be given to any babies under that age and you will also only be assigned 1 adult seat per basinet space. If you want to use your car seat in an aircraft seat you will have to pay a child fare not an infant fare for him, as on an infant fare is he not allocated a seat. Car hore companies will provide a car seat but will charge for it, it varies but some companies charge around $5 per day. High chair...... a handy thing is something they used to sell in mothercare that was like a sling which would tie him into a normal chair. A cot is a must, i have a 15 month old and no way could i have him on a mattress on the floor, it would tae hours to get him to settle at night and he would end up in with me and nobody would get any sleep. Ask your rellies if they know anyone who would lend them one, there is bound to be someone they know with an old cot, but, if not it is possible to hire them. I have travelled lots with my kids when they were that age and it really isnt too bad.

Lynn

fraser

Sit !!! You're joking right he spent the whole flight running up and down

Our boy is quite small the first time he slept in the bassinet with his legs hanging over and he was fine. the second time when he was two he sat in a seat and he was fine again.

Every where we went had clean cots we made sure of it before we booked.

We'll be doing it again soon with 4yr old and 20 month old and we wont be taking a car seat or travel cot

fraser

Lucy he'll be fine for the bassinet honestly, I don't think he'll be to big at all