Did anyone buy a <2 yr their own seat on the plane?

[Guest picklesmummy]

...and if you did, did you use a carseat or a flight harness for them (or neither?)

 

DD will be 18mths when we fly and we've paid for her to have her own seat, as I can't imagine having her on my lap for 24hrs! I've just been looking at the Quantas website as they seem to say that a carseat or flight harness thing is necessary for little ones - think we'll be going with the latter, as I don't fancy dragging a carseat about with me! Interesting to hear what others did though?

[Hazel M]

Sorry am no use to you but I'll also be interested to know others answers as our youngest will be around 18months too when we are hoping to go.

I dont fancy having her on our lap the whole time either - but then the cost of another plane seat will make a big difference too It's an expensive malarkey, so maybe I'll end up having to be her seat myself

 

Hazel.

[Guest picklesmummy]

Thanks Hazel - when are you hoping to head out to Oz? Where are you planning to settle? Sorry so many questions - be nice to know some other families going through it all at the same time as us!

 

I think our LOs must have been born about the same time (My daughter was born in March '09). I'll let you know if we get any more info about flying with toddlers. If we do have to have some sort of restraint I think we'll buy one of the CARES flight harnesses, although they are expensive (about 60 quid). Still, we should be able to claim it back as part of relocation, I think

 

PS. Still trying to sell our house too!

[Guest Coleybear]

Hi

I would love to hear if you have any more information as we intend to fly with Qantas too and our son George will be 18 months as we head over in August. I was going to risk it and take the chance of getting a spare seat on the plane but not sure. What is a flight harness?

Thanks

[Hazel M]

Thanks Hazel - when are you hoping to head out to Oz? Where are you planning to settle? Sorry so many questions - be nice to know some other families going through it all at the same time as us!

 

I think our LOs must have been born about the same time (My daughter was born in March '09). I'll let you know if we get any more info about flying with toddlers. If we do have to have some sort of restraint I think we'll buy one of the CARES flight harnesses, although they are expensive (about 60 quid). Still, we should be able to claim it back as part of relocation, I think

 

PS. Still trying to sell our house too!

 

Hiya,

 

Well, we were hoping for September butI think that may now be a little optimistic because of waiting for the house sale, unless we lucky enough to get some 1st time buyers come in pretty soon who can move fairly pronto.... fingers crossed though! We need to sell before we can move so that we can pay for flights / rental etc. Hoping to be living south somewhere, we'd be looking at Mount Barker / Aldinga / Mclaren Vale /Sellicks Beach. What about you? And when are you going? Be good to keep in touch. Will need friends to keep me sane!!!

 

Hazel.

[Hazel M]

Laura was born June, so you were just ahead of us there!!!

[andy and lindsey]

Hi I came over a few years ago now with an eighteen month old on my own and I booked a seat for him ( he's five now). I brought a car seat with me and luckily it was one that could attatch with the lap belt seat belt. It was great I was able to recline it and he slept for a whole hour!!!! Mine are bigger now but had I got little ones I would definately do it again. I flew with Singapore airlines and was helped on with seat, child and bags - it was great - hope this helps

[nikkinoodlesuk]

Hya, mine was 18months when we travelled, we didn't pay for a seat of his own as we thought he looked to small and was never told about a car seat option.

As it was we flew with singapore airlines and was given seats with loads of leg room right in front, and a basinnette for baby to sleep in, so he was only on my lap when he was awake and as it was a night flight he slept grea in the basinette.

 

How ever we have recently visited old blighty my toddler now nearly 3, had seat of his own, with no harness or car seat and he was absolutely fine, when he got sleepy I just raised the arm rests (between seats) and he just laid down accross me and his dad, and had a snooze..!!

 

I'm sure flights will be fine and I think in general kids love planes

[Hazel M]

It was great I was able to recline it and he slept for a whole hour!!!!

 

I love it!!!

[Guest guest3462]

Hi, when we came out we flew with emirates with our 18mth old and 2.5 yr old. We brought our car seat for the youngest which just fastened with the lapbelt just as it would in your car, if you google your carseat and go to its website it should tell you the code for flight safety, then there is a list on the qantas/emirates/singapore websites to see if they allow that particular seat. Our eldest just had the seat and was fine, she just had to sit on my lap for take off and landing. The car seat was a godsend and Lizzie was really comfortable for the whole flight, It also made a good headrest to lean on!! I have to admit though that it was a royal pain in the ass carting the seat through the connecting airport, with 2 tired babies and all the handluggage too.....though I believe Qantas will relocate your seat to the gate for a small fee. (wish we had known about that then!)

It is an expensive option buying the seat, but so worth it because 24 hours is a very long time for a child to sit on your knee!

We have continued to use our UK carseat while we have been here and she will be 4 in january and ready for her booster, but the carseat laws have just changed here and the seat is not deemed legal anyomore so we have to change so you will not be able to use your carseat when you arrive, you'll have to buy an aussie one!! :-(

........she will be going into her booster seat in October a few months early as I refuse to pay $200 for a carseat for a few weeks! (The yorkshire in me I guess! lol)

HTH

JC

[Guest kfoley0681]

a flight harness is very simular to a seat belt and attaches to the plane seat belt.

[Guest katieb]

Hi There,

 

Please see attached link for details of the harness that is approved by the CAA:-

 

Cares Flight Harness

 

It's called a CARES infight safety harness which has been approved by the CAA and is recommended by most airlines.

 

I have bought one to use this weekend to flight back to UK with my 20 month old so will let you know how I get on. Got mine a bit cheaper on Ebay.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Katie

[Guest picklesmummy]

Hi all

 

Thanks so much for the replies and your experiences - really helpful info! Katieb, that's the harness we were looking at buying too, although I hadn't thought of looking on eBay for it.. top tip! Actually, as others have said I think a carseat would be cosier for LO but as we won't be able to use our UK carseat in Australia (thanks JC - didn't know that!) it seems a shame to have to drag it all the way through two airports only to then have to get rid of it at the other side! (and as it'd be useless to everyone else too, it's not even as though we could sell it on). Sooo.. I think we're going to have to go with the harness option. Now all I think is a bit of luck and hope that she'll sleep the whole 13 hrs to Singapore

[Guest picklesmummy]

Hiya,

 

Well, we were hoping for September butI think that may now be a little optimistic because of waiting for the house sale, unless we lucky enough to get some 1st time buyers come in pretty soon who can move fairly pronto.... fingers crossed though! We need to sell before we can move so that we can pay for flights / rental etc. Hoping to be living south somewhere, we'd be looking at Mount Barker / Aldinga / Mclaren Vale /Sellicks Beach. What about you? And when are you going? Be good to keep in touch. Will need friends to keep me sane!!!

 

Hazel.

 

Hi - we've booked our flights for October, although we still haven't sold our house yet either. At this rate we might have to just go and leave power of attorney with my parents to sell the house, although it'd be a pain to do that and I'd rather have it all done before we go! How long have you had yours on the market? Ours has been on six weeks now and it's been soooo slow - three viewings and no offers yet We're going to be in North, at Mawson Lakes

[Hazel M]

Hi - we've booked our flights for October, although we still haven't sold our house yet either. At this rate we might have to just go and leave power of attorney with my parents to sell the house, although it'd be a pain to do that and I'd rather have it all done before we go! How long have you had yours on the market? Ours has been on six weeks now and it's been soooo slow - three viewings and no offers yet We're going to be in North, at Mawson Lakes

Hi,

We put ours on the market before Christmas - only had one viewing, then we swapped estate agents as the 1st ones were worse than useless, so with the new agents we've been on for 3 weeks. Had a viewing last week who liked it & want to put in an offer but not til they get a buyer for theirs.....

 

Hopefully we'll both get the right people through the doors soon x

[niknjas]

Hi

Phoebe was 2.5 years old when we flew with Cathay Pacific and knew nothing about the car seat. Had asked my friend who works for American Express commercial flights for advice and she said she would not have bothered. We booked a seat for Phoebs on the back of it. She spent some of the time in it and some of the time lap hopping between hubs and I. Still thought it was worth having the extra seat though as she could lay down on me and her seat to sleep.

Niki

[Guest Nat]

Hi

 

When we came over I bought my then 15month old a seat. We flew with malaysian airline and when I booked they said I would take my car seat on with me. When we got to the check in, they took the car seat off of us and I assumed it would be put on the plane. When we got on the plane, there was no car seat and it had been put in with the luggage.

 

I was actually pleased that they didn't put the car seat on, as I feel it would have taken up too much room, but to have the extra seat between us, meant the kids could stretch out more. She slept half on the seat, half on me and it worked out really well.

[Guest mark&rachel]

We came out in March with an 15 month old. we didnt get a seat as we were hoping to use the Air Cot but it was soooo small it was a struggle. He was ok on the way to Hong Kong but from Hong Kong to Adelaide we had our son and ANOTHER child in the cot next to him. The mum of this Korean baby was a few rows back enjoying the quiet whilst we got the moving, crying etc of another baby. Well worth buying an extra seat if you can.

We flew Cathay and to be fair they were ok its just there is a limited number of positions for a baby so you may get stuck with somebody elses child.

Airline will be able to tell you which car seats are compatiable.

[Guest The Dimmocks]

We brought seats for our 2 year old twins. We fly to Majorca from UK when boys were 18 months old and that was long enough to have them sitting on our laps. If we had flown when they were 18 months I would have brought them seats. At least you have the option of having them on your lap or on their own seat.

[Hazel M]

I'm a bit confused about this now... do the airlines not let you have a seat for them WITHOUT a car seat being used? Coz I'm thinking if it's just takeoff and landing to have them on your lap then that wouldnt be too bad - as long as they could sleep/ sit on another chair during the flight???

[Guest mark&rachel]

I'm a bit confused about this now... do the airlines not let you have a seat for them WITHOUT a car seat being used? Coz I'm thinking if it's just takeoff and landing to have them on your lap then that wouldnt be too bad - as long as they could sleep/ sit on another chair during the flight???

 

 

Hazel, all airlines seem to have slightly different policies. When we flew, joshua was 15 months old and he was on our lap, then into a moses basket type thing which was tiny. Otherwise its on your lap for the whole time. We were lucky that we had a 3 year old and a 5 year old too so the 3 of them could fit on the 2 seats.

 

Night flights are the way forward though as they were asleep within 45 mins of leaving heathrow.

Cathay let us keep buggy up until very last minute and made us priority seating so we were on first. they do that with all families with under 2s.

 

Im sure most airlines are the same. I phoned Cathay with a host of questions which they answered without getting the hump. They are up to date as opposed to travel agents who dont necessarily know the new procedures of airlines that are changed all the time.

 

My advice would be to phone Qantas and speak with them

[Guest D&LA]

Hi, if kids are under 2 you can either book a seat or they sit on your lap. If you book a seat they must sit on your lap for take off and landing (and if turbulance) , unless you take an approved car seat, in which case they can sit in the car seat at those times. Hope this helps !

[niknjas]

If you sit them in a seat of their own, they will will give you a harness that adapts for themso they are straped in securely.

Niki

[Guest picklesmummy]

Hi,

We put ours on the market before Christmas - only had one viewing, then we swapped estate agents as the 1st ones were worse than useless, so with the new agents we've been on for 3 weeks. Had a viewing last week who liked it & want to put in an offer but not til they get a buyer for theirs.....

 

Hopefully we'll both get the right people through the doors soon x

 

Hi - sorry so slow - it's been manic here! And to think that now is the calm in the storm - at the end of July our stuff is being shipped, we're moving out and everything will happen at once! I'm thinking not to think about it too much!!

 

Our agents were utterly useless to start with too, although thankfully they've seemed to pick up their game a bit the last fortnight or so. We've had a steady viewing a week since we dropped our price (about three weeks ago) but no one has actually put an offer in yet That said, we've had at least two viewings that were just people speculating - i.e. they didn't have their houses on the market at all, but they just fancied having a look about at what else was on offer and what else they might be able to afford. Grrr... of course you don't actually find that out until they're already round looking at the house! I think it's really rude, and so frustrating because it takes so long to get ready for a viewing and then to find that it's actually all just a waste of your time.. Oh well! Fingers crossed we both get the right people along soon.

 

If you sit them in a seat of their own, they will will give you a harness that adapts for themso they are straped in securely.

Niki

 

Hi Niki - which airline was this with, please? If Quantas do this too then I'll save my money and use their harness!

 

Night flights are the way forward though as they were asleep within 45 mins of leaving heathrow.

 

I'm hoping for the same with my LO! How long did your little boy sleep for? I saw the post further up where someone said that their little girl slept for an hour... I'm hoping that was a typo!!