Voltore

So, looks like we'll heading back across the pond for a week with our new nipper who will be 4 months when we travel. Flying DC to London and then hiring a car, any advice from those you have done it before us would be appreciated. (Post Thanksgiving but pre xmas)

Looks like we'll travel BA or Virgin and try and grab a bassinet position compared to United who seem to want us to pay full fare for junior.

Thanks in advance.

ian-mstm

Nothing to offer travel-wise... but make sure the little nipper, if born in the US, has a US passport prior to travel.

Ian

naomi

We flew with our daughter when she was about 4 months old, and it wasn't too bad. She basically nursed, slept, cried a bit, pooped a lot. We flew BA, and we were supposed to get a bassinet but they didn't have any, so she basically slept on my lap the whole time. Main advice:
Nurse or give a bottle on take-off/landing
Take plenty of diapers, wipes, spare clothes for the baby and for you
Have a glass of wine.

Good luck!
Naomi.

orangemirror

I'm going to be doing this in a few months too. One thing I was just thinking - What do you do about having a car seat when you get to the UK?

Voltore

We're in the process of getting that, all paperwork has now arrived. Thanks

Voltore

Probably planning to add that to the car rental right now.

Ozzidoc

Just wanted to say - good luck! Very exciting

anotherlimey

I saw a neat trick on a flight a few months ago. A couple next to me brought an inflatable baby-sized lilo, they put it across their two tray tables, put a few blankets on, then put the baby on top. That little baby slept the whole flight, lucky for me.

Mummy in the foothills

We had a similar experience flying home with an almost 4mth old. We took the baby carrier thing so I wouldn't have to fight with a stroller, my Dad was buying us one as a present while we were there.
BA did find us a bassinet he slept between that and my lap the whole time.

Family_Guy

I am big fan of daytime flights with kids and you have several to choose from with a Washington departure. It doesn't seem to make a lot of difference to the kids but from experience it makes it a whole lot easier for the parents.

Apart from the Direct flights, Air Canada and other carriers offer viable daytime flights East bound with easy connections.

Enjoy your trip and congrats on the new arrival.

lisag8070

I definately agree with this, it helps the poor little tykes ears...my daughter suffered with the air pressure and this was the one sure fire way to make sure she didn't scream the plane down..

mayhemuk

What do you mean? Are they a bit casual about bassinet availability?
I have booked and preassigned the bassinet row and am thinking with buying a ticket for a <1 year old that the bassinet is provided???

Gee. Do I need to call them again! Or is the bassinet not worth fighting for?

Mummy in the foothills

I never asked for one, it just turned up, I was on baby #1 and had no clue, what can I say
I second or third the nurse on take off and landing. It worked a treat.
You could always call and confirm that they have some bassinets on the plane, or take the baby car seat and put that on the floor in front of you instead of the bassinet.

Lottie

Haven't posted for a while, but had to reply to this....

We travelled back to the UK in April with our (then) 5 month old twin girls. Here are my hints and tips!

* Arrive early at the airport and try and get the bulk head seats
* Try and book the bassinet, but be prepared baby may not sleep in the bassinet - both our girls refused
* Nurse/feed on take-off and landing
* Spare clothes for you and baby - I as projectile vomited on 5 seconds before landingw
* We took baby bjorn and stroller - no car seats. We hired the car seats in the UK with the hire car
* Lots of nappies, wipes and pacifiers
* If using formula be prepared that the UK may not sell the brand you are using. Also, US allows you to take water through for bottles, UK does not
* Nighttime flight was great as the girls slept pretty much the entire flight, daytime flight was tough as they were awake for pretty much all of it
* Ask for help if you need it, airline staff, airport staff and passengers were just great when they saw us travelling with very young babies
* When you get to the UK keep your baby on the same schedule, i.e. if you arrive at 7am do what you would normally do at 7am. My girls didn't seem to get any jet lag and frankly I was too sleep deprived to notice
* Stock up on decent sleep sacks, cheap babygrows (Tesco's/Asda), Karvol, Calpol and Snuffle Baby when you are back home

Good luck and enjoy your trip back to the UK

Lottie

made of kent

bassinets! we flew to Canada when the twins where 7 months old, I booked them, and they claimed they where too old, 6 months or younger! I pointed out that medically they where 5 1/2 months as premies, and I had discussed this with the person on booking!
anyway their was a 5 month old on the flight as well, and they didn't have one either, despite family also booking one!
We where split up "for safety reasons!" never quite got to the bottom of that one? and with twins you can't even take it in turns to swap arms.
fortunately for us, but unfortunately for them, me and hubby got seated, on different rows, next to a Muslim family on their way to a funeral (he got the 18 year old girls, I got the sisters of the deceased) turned out there were about 30+ of them on their way to Vancouver on the flight.
The man who had died was in his 40's and also had twin boys aged 10, the family, bless them took the boys of our hands, when they where awake, up and down the plane, it was wonderful, when we arrived in Calgary, the family thanked us! as they said they thought it was going to be a terrible journey, but our boys had brightened it for them, and they felt it was a good omen that they where next to us.
the trip back a American woman, had a dispute with the stewards and next thing we know, we as a family are together, they move the SA couple next to me into business class, she came up later and explained she had 5 yr old twin girls, and saw we where in different rows, so told the stewards to move people!
practical note, def, fed them on take off and landing, the tables even without the lilo idea, works.
stick pins in your baby in the check in line, Joke! both of mine screamed their heads off, at check in and we got to the front of the line, even thought it didn't help our seat allocation! have a lovely time