Bluegrass Lass

Hi guys,

So it doesn't look like good news for my mother-in-law. They think her cancer has spread to her brain. She was admitted to hospital on Sunday morning, and they are still running tests to confirm. They have mentioned palliative care to my FIL, so by US standards I assume that is not good. So we are scrambling to figure out what we need to travel internationally with our 4 1/2 mo old daughter.

Due to my continued health problems as well as our budget, it doesn't look like I'll be able to go with my OH - he'll go with our daughter without me...so that his mum has a chance to meet our daughter just in case the worst happens.

Sooo..

#1) I assume since I won't be going, he'll need some kind of notarized letter attesting that he has permission to travel overseas with her?

#2) How does the whole car seat thing work? Will the car seat that we use here work in cars over there? We have a travel system, so I assume he will need to use the stroller/car seat through the airport and then gate check the stroller? Is there anything else we need to know about traveling through an airport with a baby? Will our stroller be able to go through security?

#3) Will he be allowed to take several cans of baby formula in his carry-on? Unopened I assume? We would also take several cans in his checked baggage as we don't want to throw her system out of whack with a different formula from over there.

#4) Obviously we will be expediting a passport for her, as we assume she can't travel on his passport. How do we get a passport photo for a baby who can't sit up on her own yet?

Thanks everyone

Weeze

1. I carry a letter from my husband although I have never been asked for it,
2. UK and USa car seats are often not compatible. Yes you can check the stroller at the gate. Stroller will go through security. They'll ask it to be folder and out on with the bags. Occasionally if they feel very helpful I have seen them leave a sleeping infant in the stroller and just pat it down.
3. We have only carried what we need for travel (plus extra in case). I bought the ready made up holiday packs which had small packs of the milk ready done. Then I took a few sterilized empty bottles. I took large containers of formula in the checked bags.
4. Lay her on a white towel or sheet and take a photo. They are very forgiving for baby photos.

Sorry to hear about the whole situation.

Weeze

Request a family eisle and bassinet. They fix onto the wall after take off and are a godsend for traveling with a baby.

sir_eccles

Here's a good summary of going through security with kids.

Parents Page | Transportation Security Administration

I've had varying experiences with having to open apple sauce packs and the like. Sometimes they don't even notice other times they get really picky.

Everything bar the child has to be put through the x-ray. Almost had a meltdown last time when young sir's cuddly toy had to be surrendered to the x-ray machine. You can carry the child through the old fashioned metal detector if they cannot walk. They (and therefore you) must not go through the new stupid scanners.

petitefrancaise

#1) I assume since I won't be going, he'll need some kind of notarized letter attesting that he has permission to travel overseas with her?
My husband has never been asked for this when travelling with the kids. I think there is more likely to be an issue if the child has a different surname to the accompanying parent.
#2) How does the whole car seat thing work? Will the car seat that we use here work in cars over there? We have a travel system, so I assume he will need to use the stroller/car seat through the airport and then gate check the stroller? Is there anything else we need to know about traveling through an airport with a baby? Will our stroller be able to go through security?

All our travel systems were bought in the USA and used in the UK and EU. Just remember to take the travel seat clip-on base with you for the UK car.Stroller through the airport is fine and then usually checked in. Make sure to ask if they can give it back to you at the gate on arrival in the UK

#3) Will he be allowed to take several cans of baby formula in his carry-on? Unopened I assume? We would also take several cans in his checked baggage as we don't want to throw her system out of whack with a different formula from over there.
According to TSA, there should be no problem taking the formula milk.Traveling With Formula, Breast Milk, and Juice | Transportation Security Administration

#4) Obviously we will be expediting a passport for her, as we assume she can't travel on his passport. How do we get a passport photo for a baby who can't sit up on her own yet?Already answered, they really are very lenient about baby photos.

The only other thing I would bring up is the Visa for the baby coming back to the USA. Maybe someone else can answer that?

I am so sorry to hear your news. I think this is one of the hardest aspects of being so far away from families.

sir_eccles

I assumed the passport being expedited is a US one for a US citizen.

Mr Weeze

Sorry to hear about your situation.

As my better half describes, we did this when mini-Weeze mkII was about 3 months old. She slept the majority of the flight.

We flew BA that time round and the bassinet was brilliant. You can't have them in it during turbulance, but other than that she was happy.

I can't remember the exact rules on tasting of formula, etc., but I think they have relaxed them. I think you can also buy it airside, if needed, in a big airport. In the UK you could phone the Boots in the airport (Edinburgh, if my memory is correct?) and check.

We didn't have to take the baby carrier as we left mini-Weeze mk I's in the UK - having one on both ends makes this much easier. I think you can check them as luggage, though I can just imagine the hell on earth that would open up should your luggage be delayed. Another option that may work is family friends that could lend one to you?

Our letter isn't notarized - it's just a hand-written, signed letter with my contact details in should they need to call.

We got the expeditited passport at the county court. It was much less painless than using the post office. You could actually phone up and make an appointment that day.

Bluegrass Lass

Yep!

Thanks for the info everyone! Its a very stressful situation without the added complication of doing this with a baby!

Weeze

For what it's worth, every airline we have ever flown with when the kids were very young was very helpful. Three whole rows of people were moved so we could get a family row, airline staff went out of their way to see if the baby needed anything. It gets cold, take extra blankets. I took two when she was very small and wished I had more. They went to the posh bit of the plane and came back with an extra I remember.

petitefrancaise

+1
I once had a tight connection at LAX and the staff escorted me through immigration (to the head of long queue) right through to the gate for my next flight.

sir_eccles

Oh that reminds me. The dad carrying the baby, instant karma. He'll hear lots of "oh he's such a good dad" etc etc.

As well as packing spare onesies for the baby in carry on, make sure he packs spare clothes for himself. Beats sitting in a urine/vomit/poop/whatever covered shirt for the rest of the flight.

Gillymonkey

HI,

I haven't read all the other replies so apologies for repition.

We had to fly at very short notice with our infant son when my FIL unexpectedly passed away.

1. Yes bring a notarized letter, best to be safe
2. We brought our travel system. We had to check the car seat part at check in which left us with the stroller. We gate checked this for each flight and had no problems at all. I think I remember having to fold it down and put it through the x ray machine but we had taken baby out in preperation for that anyway.
3. I brought some formula but put it in my luggage and just had some with me for the flight. I wasn't too worried about switching to a UK brand (whihc we had to when we ran out) .
4. Just take baby to wallgreens etc. they really don;t mind if baby is sleeping etc.

One final thing - get your OH to take a change of clothes for himself. We packed spare t shirts however baby projectile vomited over me on flight 1 of 3 on the way home. I fruitlessly searched Chicago O'hare for any type of trousers I could by to no avail so I stunk the whole way home. Not very pleasent.

mwdake

Not all airline/airplanes have those.
I once requested the bulkhead seat and bassinet on AA, got the bulkheads seats but the bassinet was a cardboard box with pink and blue teddy bears that went on the floor; my 10 month old did not seem to mind though.

Great advice, had that happen but this time the baby was an 8 year old.

GeoffM

We have had a few flights with no bassinet, or where there was a bassinet and a bulkhead but no attachment points. But then the latter was a crappy airline so I should have known. Anyway, US<->UK airlines should be ok but if you book online I'd recommend phoning the call centre afterwards to ensure that they note the bassinet requirement (I don't think you can book bassinets online anyway but could be wrong). Also, book direct with the airline for this, not Expedia/Opodo/Travelocity/etc. For some reason special requests sometimes fall through the cracks with 3rd party agencies.

Sorry to hear of the circumstances. My grandmother is pretty much housebound now, 93 years old, and I'd really like her to see my 3-year old daughter again. The previous time was when she was 4 months old. But we just don't have the money.

Bluegrass Lass

Gilly, with our travel system the car seat fits into the stroller, so we actually wouldn't be able to check the car seat. I'll have to call whichever airline we end up with to determine how to handle this I suppose. I wonder if they would let us gate-check the car seat & stroller?

She's been on the same formula since birth and hasn't really had any issues with it, so I'm loathe to change it up. But I also hate using luggage space/weight for formula. I know absolutely nothing about baby formulas over there, so I wouldn't have a clue which one to buy.

How do they get the white background for a child lying down? Every time I've done pp photos at Walgreens, I've been standing up and they pull down the background behind me. Also, when I called the PP help line, they pretty specifically said to make sure her eyes were open and she was looking straight ahead..how they hell do I make a 4mo/old do that!??!!

Very good advice that I wouldn't have thought of! Thanks!