General Travel
1877 967 5302Flying and Traveling Tips with Infants – Part Two
June 10th, 2009 by Sean Sutherland
Photo by wwhyte1968
Flight Centre’s Sean Sutherland returns with part two of his Flying and Traveling with Infants blog series. Sean discusses clearing security and customs, taking bassinets, car seats, and strollers onboard, and provides some great tips for your vacation and travels.
When lining up at airport security and Customs keep an eye out for the family lines as these are setup to help you get through quicker. People who travel infrequently often don’t take advantage of these lines because they miss the signage. If you miss the family lines you can often find yourself being grabbed by an official and taken to the front of the line.
When it comes to strollers some are just too big so when booking your airfare it’s worth checking for any limitations. I have found that umbrella strollers are best for travel. It is important to note that you may need a tag for your stroller so make sure you confirm if it is required when you check your bags. Most airlines and airports allow you to use your stroller all the way to the aircraft door where you then drop it off. The stroller will be available at your destination (usually) immediately where you exit the aircraft. Occasionally there may be a small wait as one of the ground crew must open up the aircraft underneath and bring it up the stairs. That being said it doesn’t always work this way and sometimes your stroller is not available until after you clear customs and make your way to baggage claim. Once, a big surprise for us was arriving in Sydney airport once with two small children and a lot of carry on. We expected our stroller would be there but it was an extremely difficult trek to retrieve it. If you have recently visited an airport like this please comment below.
Not a great day in the history of aviation photo by Lance McCord
Normally, families with small children are some of the first allowed to board the aircraft so make the most of this and be sure to be at the gate before your boarding time. Many families prefer to spend the least amount of time on the plane but the risk is that you get on board and there is no space in the overhead bins for your belongings. You can then find yourself with the items you need elsewhere or under the seat in front of you restricting your legroom. That said, if you have small children you may prefer to store your belongings under the seat in front of them anyway.
Some flights also have bassinets that connect to the bulk head so your child can sleep while in flight but remember, they still need to be in your arms for take off and landing. It’s our experience that they’ll try and assign these to the youngest infants first and although this may sound unfair, they are designed for younger infants who spend most of the time sleeping. Or, so we all hope.
Be sure to check that your car seat or capsule is airline approved before you purchase it because if it’s not you will not be allowed to use it on your flight. Best bet, as always, is to check with your Flight Centre consultant or airline for details before your vacation.
In the next Flying and Traveling with Infants blog post Sean will discuss medication, diapers, and ways to keep your child entertained and happy. Sean Sutherland is Flight Centre’s Global Ecommerce Leader.
Categories: Tips and Tricks
