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Galley Gossip: A question about traveling with car seats and strollers
Dear Heather,
Okay, so how bad is to have a one-year old on a plane without an actual 'seat'? Please tell me it's not the worst thing in the world????I wanted to bring a car seat on board, but they won't let us because we're not buying her a ticket. Also, should we check the stroller on the plane? We have a bugaboo, and I hate for it to get ruined, but it breaks down very easily. We could get a bag for it? Do you know if they make specific bags for strollers? Any advice please????????????
Thanks,
Marlo
Dear Marlo,
It's not the worst thing in the world to have a one-year old on the airplane without an actual seat! Now take a deep breath and relax, Marlo, because you are a good mother, whether you buy that seat or not, and you're going to need all that nervous energy in flight entertaining your daughter. Trust me, I know. Whenever I travel with my little one, regardless of how well behaved he is, I always end up feeling completely drained by the end of the trip.
As a flight attendant, it is my duty to tell you that it is safer for your daughter to travel strapped into a car seat that has been secured to an airplane seat. But let's get real for a minute, because that, I know, is not always possible for some to do, particularly in this day and age when people are just struggling to survive. With that said, I must tell you that I have traveled with my son, along with my guilt, minus the car seat, on the airplane one or two times. My advice to you is to keep your seat belt fastened during the flight while you hold your daughter in your lap, because turbulence happens, even when the seat belt sign is not on.
You stated that you want to bring your car seat on-board, but the airline won't let you because you are not buying the extra seat. I do not know which airline you are traveling on, but if you were traveling on the carrier I work for, I'd tell you to take the car seat with you anyway, just in case there is an open seat available. If there's not an extra seat, the airline, at least my airline, would then gate check your car seat. Key word is gate check. Gate check means you are checking the item at the gate. Once at your destination, the car seat (or stroller) will meet you at the aircraft door, not at baggage claim.
If you do bring a car seat on-board the aircraft, please please please make sure it is approved by the FAA and do read the installation instructions before it is time to install the thing. I can not tell you how many times people come aboard and do not know how their car seat operates and get angry at me when I can not tell them how THEIR car seat works. There are hundreds of different makes and models produced each and every year, so unless you come across a flight attendant who has a child that uses the exact same model as you, chances are that flight attendant is not going to be able to help.
When traveling with a lap child, try to get an aisle seat. With so little leg room, it is impossible to get anything out of the diaper bag when the seat in front of you is reclined and there's a baby sitting on your lap. If you are in an aisle seat, you'll be able to swing the diaper bag into the aisle in order to grab whatever you need out of the bag - bottles, diapers, toys, etc. Just make sure to check and see that the drink cart is not rolling in your direction beforehand. And if there is a drink cart parked at your row, ask the flight attendants if they can spare a few plastic cups, "stacking cups", in order to keep baby busy for a good five minutes. Hey, every minute counts when you're on the airplane with a child.
As for the stroller, I also own a Bugaboo (as well as a BOB for jogging and a Maclaren that I keep in New York) and I can not say that the Bugaboo breaks down easily, not when you're in a hurry and you've got your hands full, nor can I imagine lugging that thing with me anywhere, except to the mall, and perhaps to the beach for a nice leisurely walk. Keep in mind that if you do decide to check the Bugaboo, most likely you will have to pay a checked bag fee, and add that fee to the price you're going to pay for the Bugaboo transport bag, and you'll be paying close to $200. While I do love my Bugaboo, I don't love it THAT much. And I would not want to be the passenger standing behind the Bugaboo family at security. When it comes to travel, think light, think easy, and think disposable. Whenever I travel with my son, I use a cheap umbrella stroller I bought at Target. What I like about the stroller, besides the fact that it was cheap, is that I can attach it to my rollaboard, if the kid feels like walking, or hang it in the closet, so that I don't have to check it, and if I do have to check it and it does get ruined, big deal, I'm out $25.
Hope that helps!
Happy travels,
Heather
Filed under: Gear, Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Raymond Oct 20th 2008 11:12AM
Oh PLEASE no! NOT the "stacking cups!" Nine times out of ten, those cups get stacked and knocked over and over and over. Not only is it annoying niose wise, but they almost always end up on the floor and SOMEONE will have to pick them up! I do not have a child, but I have worked MANY a flight when there are many on board. For the most part Mommy, don't worry about a thing...all will be fine if you just plan ahead a bit. Also, another good idea is to sit twards the rear of the plane, or close to the lavatory. Its always a quick although tight place to escape for a few minutes if sweetness needs a change or is just getting a bit freaky on you. There is usually a mirror in there to make funny faces in! Don't forget to warsh yo hands! Happy Flying Good Mommy!
Heather Poole Oct 22nd 2008 2:32PM
Raymond,
Never had problems with the stacking cups ending up on the floor. Gold fish and crackers, yes. Cheerios, oh god, don't even get me started. But cups, no...not that I can remember. BTW, I need your address, mailing you a stack of cups today. :)
Carrie Oct 20th 2008 2:58PM
In all fairness if you're paying $750 for a stroller, that's a continental coach flight in itself. What the "frog" Bugaboo costs, I paid for my flight to Germany....
Heather Poole Oct 22nd 2008 2:33PM
Carrie,
When you put it that way... So true. And for the record, my Bugaboo was a gift, a very very very nice gift. :)
seizetheday1788 Oct 23rd 2008 12:35AM
I guess I'm too much of a cheapskate, but I adore the sling-style strollers you can pick up almost anywhere for ca. $17-25. My niece loves them and they're perfect for when i want to just go walking with her, since they're light and not too confining so she can see what's going on around her.
seizetheday1788 Oct 23rd 2008 12:53AM
I guess I'm too much a cheapskate, as I love the $20 sling strollers from almost any store. They're light, neat, efficient, and don't block my baby niece's view of what's going on. And most now come with nice detachable sunshades to keep baby from getting too many rays.
Kevin Oct 20th 2008 4:51PM
While not a flight attendent I was born and raised in the industry, have 25 years aircraft mechanic experence, have been the director of saftey for a major airline and currently a professor at an aiviation institute. Planes, like cars when I was little seat belts or car seats were optional, no one will ever make purchasing a seat for a 1 year old on a plane mandatory. If you have ever watched or been in a rapid decompression you will know why every child should have a car seat certified by FAA on every flight.
The odds of having a problem are long but who wants to take the chance. Put your kid in a saftey seat, check your stroller at the gate. Most children suffer from change in pressure so either have a bottle or candy to suck on for them.
Heather Poole Oct 22nd 2008 2:36PM
Kevin,
When you're right, you're right, which is why my guilt went along with me when I left the car seat at home.
Debbie Dubrow Oct 20th 2008 9:03PM
Heather,
You make a great point about knowing how to install your car seat before you get on the plane. If you rent a car, you'll need to install it again, so it's helpful to bring along the manual.
When we can, we do without the stroller altogether and use a sling to get through the airport (most of the time TSA will let you pass through security without removing baby from the sling), but I also like the Quinny Zapp stroller because it folds down small enough that it can fit in the overhead bin. There's no risk that it will be lost or damaged by the airline in transit (both of which have happened to our umbrella)
Debbie
http://www.deliciousbaby.com
Heather Poole Oct 22nd 2008 2:38PM
Debbie,
Quinny Zap, you say? Never heard of it. But I will be looking that up, a stroller that fits into an overhead bin. I hope it's not like those suiters that fit into the overhead bin - barely, and that's when the bins are wide open. BTW, nice website.
Maz Oct 21st 2008 1:30PM
I would first like to say that your point about knowing how to install a child restraint is a very good one. When I first became a Flight Attendant I was absolutely amazed at the number of people who have no idea what to do with the thing!
As for lap children...I cannot deny that I am absolutely terrified by them and shocked that you make light of the fact that the practice is allowed. In the event of something like a down draft or aborted take-off there is no possible way to restrain the child--no matter how tightly you are holding him. And as all of us in the industry know, there is no warning that these things are about to occur and it is physically impossible to hold on to anything.
Aside from that, as a Flight Attendant I've no doubt that you have experienced all of the same scary situations that I have--the lap child on the aisle seat that is not being held tightly, if at all (even though you briefed the parent), and the wee one winds up in the aisle during the take-off roll. Or how about when one parent hands the child across the aisle t othe other parent during landing. My favorite is the sleeping parent with lap child--completely oblivious.
The fact that the FAA and the airlines allow this to happen misleads parent to believe that the practise is safe.
It is not safe and should not be legal, and while you made the point that many people are "struggling," I always wonder how that parent will feel if anything happens. How do you live with the decision that your child's life and safety were not worth the price of a ticket? I cannot imagine struggling with that for the rest of my life.
Heather Poole Oct 22nd 2008 2:46PM
Maz
You are right, if at all possible a parent should make every effort to purchase a car seat. I'm sorry you feel that I made light of the situation, as that was the last thing I wanted to do, but the fact of the matter is some people REALLY can't afford the seat, and yet they have to travel. Just trying to keep it real.
Before the birth of my 2 year old, I was one of those FA's who said they'd never travel without the seat, and I learned the hard way, never say never, particularly when you're a commuting FA and your husband travels for a living (last minute travel) and you have no family to help out in a time in need, which means you have to take the kid with you when you're on reserve to stay with grandma, and there are not enough open seats on the flight for the both of you, and to buy a ticket, on the same day, is not an option. Of course I felt guilty the entire time, and hoped no one knew I was a FA, and prayed everything would be okay. Thankfully it was.
Yes, I'm with you on the scary moments, like the pass the kid across the aisle on landing...now that's nuts! And unfortunately that is what tends to happen when parents do not bring the car seat.
So bring the car seat people, and if you can't, keep the kid in your lap, and keep that seat belt fastened!
Sue Oct 21st 2008 4:21PM
I have a question. We have a flight booked to Orlando with an airline that has seat assignments. Twice they have changed our seats so that we are not sitting together. The first time we were able to have it corrected. But this time, I guess the flight is completely booked and so far they have not been able to find us two seats together. My concern is that my mother is a senior and afraid to fly. Is there anything I can do? And why do the airlines do this? We booked months in advance and used this airline to make sure we would be sitting together. We flew to Orlando last year and did not have this problem. Does this happen often?
Just wondering and looking for advice.
Thank you.
Heather Poole Oct 22nd 2008 2:49PM
Will answer your question in detail on Monday.
mikey Oct 23rd 2008 12:31PM
Re: Bugaboos and travel:
Leave the Bugaboo at home. It's a nightmare to travel with. I bought the special travel bag made by Bugaboo in order to avoid the likelihood of mishandling or damage, and it makes it even more of a pain in the neck: You have to remove the wheels, break down the stroller, zip it up -- preferably before even getting on the jetbridge -- all while juggling your diaper bag, carry-on, carseat and child.
And, depending on the final destination, your Bugaboo made just be completely useless. Are you going somewhere where you'll be taking stairs (e.g. NYC subways)? Are you visiting family who, perhaps, might not be as adept at breaking down and reassembling the stroller for car trips (e.g. Grandma is watching the little one while you take a side trip)?
As someone suggested earlier in the comments, it's far easier to leave the big stroller at home and buy a cheap umbrella stroller at your destination ($15 for the cheapest, $40 for top-end). Leave it behind with family (if that's who you're visiting), leave it at the hotel for them to donate away, or bring it home if you fall in love with how easy it is compared to the Bugaboo (as we did with our $40 K-Mart stroller after our last trip to NYC).
Yes, buying a stroller at your destination is an added expense, but it's so worth it to avoid the complete and utter frustration of traveling with a Bugaboo.
mrrllg Oct 23rd 2008 12:56PM
Any parent who cares so little for the safety of their child should not have children. Buy the seat! And don't try to intimidate the airline or your seatmate into giving you a free seat for the car seat when you have paid nothing to bring the child. No ticket, no car seat, no question.
jennifer Oct 23rd 2008 11:59PM
I've read all the comments and can't believe I'm the only one to notice in the first picture the "parent" is sitting in the window seat and the car seat is in the middle seat...BIG No-no. Please if you have a child in a car seat, the car seat must be placed in the window seat on a single aisle plane or in a seat on a dual aisle plane that does not block another person from access to one of the two aisles. Don't get me started on if you have two or more lap children in the same row.....But maybe you have an article planned on these topics for later.
Heather Poole Oct 24th 2008 1:39AM
Jennifer,
OH JEEZ, thanks for pointing that out! I had the hardest time finding a picture of a baby in a car seat that I could legally use, so that when I FINALLY came across the one I posted, I was so happy to have found one I didn't notice the placement of the car seat. You are right, and thank you thank you for pointing that out!
CAR SEAT NEXT TO THE WINDOW, not on the aisle! I do hope that photo was taken BEFORE takeoff, as in right before the FA told her to move it to the other seat.
Thanks again
Virg Lovett Oct 26th 2008 1:56PM
Expensive stroller!!! Give me a break...too many parents (I use that term loosely) only get the fancy strollers to impress other parents! Wheels, seat and the airlines are going to be handling this item for you!!! did you remember your last suitcase??? I have been a baggage handler, flight attendant and csr to name a few of my many hats of trade and if you want to be smart about it, keep things cheap and simple! Save the fancy stroller for the trip in the park near your home! It's expensive and if it get damaged the odds are not in your favor it will get fixed or replaced! Think ahead mom when it comes to toys and stuff to amuse your child...the cups are not going to cut it and you know it! Minutes do count and if you have many to count make them worth every one!
Traytable Nov 6th 2008 10:55AM
Airlines in Australia provide for the use of the infant seat belt for children on laps under 2 years of age. Parents may buy a seat for a child under 2 but they must be able to sit up unsupported.
Car seats are allowed but must be approved by certain authorities and be placarded accordingly. In this case a seat must be bought. 'Booster seats' which do not attach to the aircraft seat or structure are not permitted.
Baby slings may be brought on board but cannot be used in place of an infant seatbelt. If the child is not old enough to sit unaided in the aircraft seat or in the approved car seat, it must be placed in the infant restraint seatbelt. No infant belt= no fly.
Opinion is still divided on the use of these seatbelts but in my view it's better than nothing.
Totally agree, the number of parents who make the 'pass' across the aisle on takeoff/landing is crazy! I once had to get up to get a child whose mother ignored it running around the cabin prior to takeoff. I saw out the window we had one plane in front of us to take off so I grabbed the kid, jammed him in his seat, said 'Stay here!!!" (he was 3, and understood me perfectly!) and mom said 'whats wrong?" giving me a blank stare!!
Yes, she did get a 'little chat' after takeoff!!!! Really!!! Some people...