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TIPS - Bulkhead Seats

These are the seats directly behind a bulkhead, or divider wall. This is where
you will be seated if you use a bassinette. There are pros and cons for seating
in this row:

PROS

• More legroom


• Bassinette


• Often close to galley and first for food service


• Generally close to toilets - easy access

CONS

• You have to put everything in the overhead compartments


• The noise from the galley can wake baby


• People lining up for the toilets and chatting can wake baby


• You can’t move the armrests

If you want to sit in the bulkhead seats then ask for them when you are checking
in.

TRIPS - To London with a 7 Month Old (March 2000)

Our first trip overseas with a baby was in 2000 when our eldest was 7 mths old. Here's a short account of our plane trip:

Loll is seven and a half months old and is already a "veteran" flyer having been to Melbourne and Adelaide since Christmas. But the flight to London is a much longer flight and there is a sense of trepidation about how he will cope. Although Loll is a generally happy and smiley baby who likes to meet new people, he is also teething and can be grumpy.

We set off from home in a taxi and arrived at Sydney Airport which was bustling with people and littered with construction sites. We lined up at the checkin counter and when it was our turn to checkin the woman at the counter said that she would try to get us a spare seat for Loll (I think she liked him!). After checking in hubby went to change some money while I filled in our immigration cards - under occupation I wrote "mother" for myself and "baby" for Loll for a laugh. We then headed off to the departure gates where we arrived with only a few minutes to spare. They called for people with babies to board first but by the time we got to the gate they had made a general boarding call and people had started to push in front of us. We still had our stroller but noone seemed to want to take it and in the end we carried it onto the plane and placed it in our overhead locker.

By this time Loll was tiring of his new adventure but he perked up a bit when we placed him on a seat with his toys. Then he tried to eat the safety advice card and rip up the inflight magazine. His perkiness didn't last very long and this coincided with the taxiing and takeoff so by the time we were levelled off in the air he was not a happy-chappy. One of the flight attendants assembled the Skycot for him and he quietened down once he was in his own seat.

Loll was a hit with the flight attendants and even received a small toy from one of them. We were seated just outside the galley and so he watched them as they worked, smiling and babbling with them which won their hearts! He also managed to sleep quite well in his seat but also spilled half a tin of mixed fruit all over his mum just before our descent! I hadn't packed a spare shirt for myself - only for the baby - and so I was quite self conscious and wore my cardigan buttoned up in spite of the heat.

It was hot and balmy when we arrived In Bangkok. Once off the plane we began to experience rock star treatment due to our little man. At the immigration counter we were pulled out of the long queues and taken to an express counter and everywhere we went people came up and said hello to him. He just smiled back at them and acted like it was all normal! When we arrived at our hotel we had several staff members fawning over him and when we went up to our room we found that we had been given a huge suite complete with a kitchenette.

STUFF - Cute clothes for travelling babies

Came across these cute clothes from a Cafepress store called "Global Nomad and Third Culture Kids". The store has cute t-shirts and onesies for globe-trotting babies - like this one:


I can't walk, but I can Fly!
Infant Creeper from Global Nomad and Third Culture Kids

TIPS - bassinettes

Bassinettes vary in size and comfort between airlines and even between aircraft from the same airlines. Some airlines, such as British Airways, have special combo seats that resemble a bouncer, complete with a 5 point harness while others are a simple pull-down shelf with a big of padding.


Skycot (British Airways, photo taken 2000 on a 747-400)


Bassinette on JAL

Most bassinettes are not suitable for toddlers due to their weight restrictions and their length. Keep in mind that during takeoff, landing and turbulence, your baby will not be able to use the bassinette. It also blockes access to the aisle and so you may find yourself having to climb over seats to get out.

TIP – If you are on a plane with individual TV screens and you are going to use the bassinette make sure that you pull up the TV screen before the bassinette is installed, otherwise you won’t be able to watch TV!

Check with your airline about weight restrictions (airlines such as JAL have info on their website) and whether you can pre-book a bassinette – some airlines give them out on a first in, best dressed basis on the day and others give them out according to baby’s age.

TIPS - Planning the Flights

The most important aspect of taking a long-haul trip is the preparation. When planning your trip it’s important to consider the flights and not just concentrate on the holiday. The flights may only be 24 hrs or so of the trip but a bad experience can coour the rest of the trip.

When shopping for flights, aside from price, there are several things to take into consideration:
- Facilities and amenities for babies onboard the plane – does the airline have bassinettes for babies? What type are they? What is weight limit? Can you pre book a bassinette?
- Food and nappies/diapers – do they supply and infant meal? Do they keep supplies of baby food and nappies/diapers on board?
- Reputation – what do other people have to say about their experiences with the airline?
- Added extras – do they have a “Sky Nanny” or dedicated services for families?