Eclipsepearl
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Not only does the seat make the journey more comfortable for both her and you but this is actually the only way to fly comfortably with a child.
I'm a former Flight Attendant who used to hate to secure the coffee pots and then see the babies loose in their parents' laps. Our most precious passengers unsecured! I'm now a mom of three myself and we fly between Europe and California about twice a year, plus shorter trips in between. Even though I'm alone, I always have brought a car seat.
Lap children are allowed because statistically, flying is so safe, there's very little chance of anything going wrong. If it does though, a lap child has no protection.
If you are flying a U.S. company, check that your seat is FAA approved. Most car seats sold in the U.S. are;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
If it's a non-U.S. company, search with the name of the airline followed by "children" and that should give you the right page with information on whether your seat will be accepted. Often I've "gotten away" with using a foreign seat. When I worked, I didn't check seats out of principal because I felt that if the parent were conscientious to bring one onboard, I wasn't going to hassle them further with inspecting it.
My toddlers were much more settled and much easier when they were in their familar seat. Not to scare you but some parents haven't been able to keep a hold of their little ones and have been "off loaded" as a result.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-01-23-airtran_x.htm
I will admit that I've strapped down an unhappy little one more than once. Toddlers hate to be confined and simply don't understand that they have to be seated sometimes. Firmly anchored in, I could then consol them while we landed.
Besides, taking your car seat onboard virtually guarentees that it'll be there at your destination. Checking them risks damage and loss. Wont you need it when you get there?
Remember that both the car seat and the stroller will *not* count against your baggage allowance. You can take both to the gate of the aircraft.
If you really don't want to pay for a seat, call the airline or talk to your TA and see if the flight is full. Then, at check in, ask nicely if you can have an empty seat next to you to place your carseat in. They often do this for families.
To get through the airport, they sell all sorts of gizmos like this;
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_k...
Some make the car seat into a backpack. Some parents get cleaver and strap the car seat to their stroller. I simply use a small metal luggage cart with an extra bungee cord and it works great. I skip on the stroller and she can even ride in it (she was 3 1/2 the last time). She usually prefers to walk and then I load the carry-ons abord.
This is a tricky age to travel. I both saw this working and experienced it with my three.
For entertainment, get her at least one new toy, anything and it doesn't have to be expensive. Keep it and give it to her once you're on the plane. Coloring things, books and stickers are also easy to bring and keep them occupied. No one will mind if you read quietly to her.
I actually don't recommend a portable DVD player *unless* she can watch it without sound. I doubt she'll wear the headphones but try it at home. The light can also keep them awake...
Just some other small tips;
-When you hand over the stroller at the door of the aircraft, have a bungee cord to double secure it so that it doesn't pop open en route.
-Bring a change of clothes for both of you.
-Bring way more diapers than you think you'll need
-Learn to change her standing up (don't try to fit him on those tiny babychangers and toddlers hate to lie down in strange places)
-Bring an empty sippy cup to fill during the services. This will prevent spills in the air.
-Get up and move around with her but keep an eye out. Those carts the F/A's use are the perfect height for hiding little ones
-Bring snacks. Don't fret security. I've never had anything taken away (yes, water but not snacks) and that's the only risk. If you have something not allowed, they simply remove the item. No scenes, no speeches, no arrests!
-Try to sit in a bulkhead seat so that there's no one in front of you
-Bring slippers, especially if you're not in the bulkhead!
It's actually a myth that children need to suck on something for take-off and landing. I rarely saw it in my 13 years as a Flight Attendant and my third child just finished her 6th round-trip transatlantic flight. That's not counting all the flights I've made with her older brother and sister before. I have never, ever done anything special with them for take-offs and landings.
ENT specialists simply recommend that the child is awake for landing;
http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandaltitude.htm
The delicate time is not during take-off or landing/touchdown but at the *top of descent*. This is usually 40 minutes to an hour before landing and everyone's ears have to reverse the pressurization. I can confirm that when I worked, if any passengers had ear problems, this was the time. Not just children either! They actualy felt *better* as we got closer to landing.
The BEST way to avoid ear issues is to take your little guy to the doctor a few days before flying. My son was good at getting symptomless ear infections. Make sure yours' doesn't have one of those! The doctor will look in his ears and make sure they're clear and infection-free. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes.
For more information, I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my professional and personal experience of flying with my own children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents have contributed over the years;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
Just get plenty of sleep the night before, including yourself. Toddlers have a lot of energy and fall asleep at all the wrong times!
Be prepared and you'll survive! Have a safe trip. |
missxx
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Poor you. Not an easy thing to do. I personally would buy another seat, but some airlines don't allow children under 2 to have their own seat. Just make sure your child is extremely tired before the flight, that way they might sleep for a few hours giving you a bit of a break. Good luck. |
cumbrian traveller
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so am i , travelling to the usa tomorrow and i am dreading it .hoping that he will sleep at least half the way there , he will just be sitting on my lap as i was not given the option to pay for another seat , good luck i think we will need it . |
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