Let me say straight out that I think the following really helps:
- The age of your baby (Carys is not yet crawling so it was much easier to deal with)
- Being as prepared as possible (so as the mum you are acting cool and the baby hopefully syncs with your aura of calm!)
My information is based upon the following:
- Traveling with a 10 month baby girl who is (now) exclusively bottle feeding and is happy eating solids (that I usually prepare for her myself)
- Traveling alone with my daughter, so no extra assistance
- A 14 hour Sydney - Los Angeles return flight, flying QANTAS Economy.
So I think I will do it all in order of the whole experience.
BOOKING
- When I booked my ticket a friend advised me to call the airline straight away to ensure they understood that Carys would be traveling as a baby and we required a bassinet. At this point you also make food arrangements for the baby and can ask questions about checking in prams, car seats as luggage.
- On QANTAS you cannot reserve a bassinet online and you should not assume that one will be allocated, you are (currently) unable to achieve this online - you must call.
- QANTAS also have no bassinets in Business Class and this is common across a number of airlines (so if you are thinking of upgrading, check first).
- I believe other airlines such as Singapore Airlines allow you to book a bassinet online.
Also, it's really good flying on an A380 - lots of extra standing room compared to the 747 we came home on.
Q. Do I need to fly Business Class with my baby?
A. I don't think so. I have flown Business Class before and I would actually be more stressed worrying about the baby screaming and disrupting others with the more expensive seats. There was more space at the bulkhead where the bassinets are located, we were well looked after and I would rather save my Business Class trips for other occasions. Face it: You might have a better reclining seat in Business Class, but sleep itself may remain elusive (even if it is just you keeping an eye on your sleeping baby).
THE AIRPORT - BEFORE THE FLIGHT
These experiences are based on flying with QANTAS from Sydney Airport (Kingsford Smith Airport).
QANTAS are happy to check in your pram and carseat free of charge, you can check their baggage allowances (including babies and children) here. I had my pram packed up in a Bugaboo Comfort Transport Bag which I had loaned from a friend, it was excellent and also allowed for me to pack a few extra nappies etc. in there too. As we planned to do alot of driving in LA we also took our baby carseat, just zipped into an unpadded carry bag. It traveled fine and had no damage. Some people 'buy their baby their own seat on the plane' then use their carseat to place the baby in during the flight. I did not do this, but there was a lady on our LAX-Syd flight doing it. I would definitely call the airline ahead to check about this as apparently there are only certain rows of the plane where this is possible.
Q. Why did I take my pram?
Mainly because my daughter sleeps very comfortably in her pram and as a familiar item it may pacify her. I was right! In the first few days of jetlag, she would sleep in her pram more than any travel cot or other space. It was a godsend and completely worth it as QANTAS let you check it in as luggage free of charge.
After checking in my luggage in and collecting my boarding pass QANTAS loaned me a free stroller to wheel Carys to the plane. It was excellent - I just had to hand it in to the crew when boarding. I also had my Baby Bjorn strapped on and at my daughter's age (10 months) this was vital for keeping things cool (also because I was traveling alone and needed both hands). I popped her in the pouch through immigration and security checks and it was just so much more convenient than struggling with my own pram at that point (I saw others trying and yes, dare I say it there was frustration and even tears, particularly at LAX). At close to 11kg Carys is almost too big for her Baby Bjorn but it was well worth the effort, and made it very easy to get on the plane, up the aisle and into the seats without much fuss.
PACKING FOR THE FLIGHT
Well I thought this was the hardest bit, but I'd say with confidence:
- Pack one nappy for every 2 hours on the plane (we packed 9, and used 7 for a 14 hour flight). They seem to, ahem, go more up there!
- Pack your own food as well. There can be some OK stuff in the little kids food pack but it's good to already know what you have on hand and feel prepared. I think it really depends on each airline and the origin from which you are flying - it can be hard to forsee what they are going to give you (I got a whole lot of Gerber stuff in jars on my LAX - Syd flight and it was so cumbersome, I was glad I had brought along my own food pouches in flavours I knew Carys liked). Fun!
- Formula both ways was fine, ignore anything you read on the internet about having to drink it infront of security or the like. I just took my own bottles with water already in them and the formula in a seperate dispenser, all packed in a large ziploc bag so it was easy for security (and myself) to access.
- Some airlines give out a little toy, not QANTAS. I took 5 or 6 toys and my iPad, it seemed to be enough. I found board books particularly helpful. I was worried Carys would get bored on the flight but the change of environment alone means lots of curiosity!
- I dressed Carys in a zip onesie with a singlet underneath for the flight and took 2 others as spares. This was enough and the zip made it much easier to access for nappy changing. These also doubled as pyjamas in LA, where it stayed warm at night.
- Bibs, bibs, bibs. These will really save you from difficult clothes changes on the flight. I took 4 for the flight (using 3) and I found it really helped.
THE FLIGHT
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| The little bean had a friend on QF11 where we had a bassinet and spare seat on an A380, happy days! |
Q. Could your daughter fit in the bassinet?
A. Yes, but only just. It was very snug but Carys seemed to like that! Maybe it made her feel snug and secure. QANTAS provided a lambswool blanket for her and I draped muslin over the top for privacy and that seemed enough. If I had put her in her usual sleeping bag she would not have fit in the bassinet. This may be different on other airlines.
My one tip for the flight is to take snacks. Carys is not a big snacker outside normal eating times but some finger food seemed to help pass the time. Our seat mate brought these mini rice cake snacks along for her daughter and Carys very much enjoyed them! They also don't seem to make alot of mess. I recommend the apple flavour as they don't seem to stain hands or clothes like the others do.
GETTING OFF THE FLIGHT
The best tip is as you are leaving the plane you say to the people standing at the door 'I need assistance.' By asking for assistance I got through immigration express both ways and at Sydney they put us on a golf cart (which Carys loved!). They also collected our luggage for us (including pram and carseat) and walked us to the airport exit both ways!
JETLAG
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| Yes, we had jetlag! Trying to get Carys to do her daytime sleep. |
I also found taking my daughter's unwashed bedlinen helped her adjust to her new surroundings at bedtime. As tempting as it was to keep everything crisp and clean, I did see her rubbing her head into her cot sheet and I think it helped that it still 'smelled like home.'
Also, underschedule the first few days of your trip. As exciting and tempting as it is, you may feel disappointed or that you are not getting everything out of your holiday activities because of the little one's adjustment. Be easy on yourself, it will change and behaviour may be grizzly!
Q. Did I deliberately keep my daughter awake / wake my her up to help her settle in to the new time zone?
A. Yes, at times, I particularly tried to keep her awake from 3pm in the new timezone so she had a better chance of sleeping that night. I do have her on 'a schedule' here in Sydney so I tried to nudge her on to the same schedule, LA time as gently as possible. I found it took a few days.
ENJOYING THE TRIP
Yes, I did, but of course it was very different to any travel I have done before. I think you just have to do less, and approach it with less expectation. It was great to come home to my non-jetlagged husband so he could help out with Carys at the end of it all. And for those of you in Australia - as I have heard before, the jetlag is worse coming home. Really. If I was traveling with my husband I would have been tempted to send him home 3 days early so there would be someone in the house without jetlag - I found the first few days back in Sydney really quite hard.
So phew there it is! I might add to this in the future, and wishing you happy baby travels!
