formula feeding on long haul flights from HK

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kam2350

Registered User
I need advice on how to safely feed my baby her powdered formula on a long haul CX flight to NYC next week. Ive never flown with her before and I am quite stressed about how its all going to go - especially the feeds.

How much pre-boiled water will HK airport allow in my carry on? Their website says unlimited baby milk/juice/food but nothing specifically about preboiled water to use for formula while on board.
Will the water on board the flight be boiled and safe to use?
Or should i premake all of her bottles with the powder and water already mixed? On the packaging though it does recommend not to premake due to hygiene reasons.
I also readay even suing bottled water is unsafe for infants unless it too is boiled and cooled before preparing the feed.

I do actually have premade formula cartons that i could take but its a different brand to what my DD is currently using - is it worth changing her formula for the flight to/from NYC and take her regular formula to use while there?

Would especially love to here from anyone who has done a hk - USA - HK flight with powdered formula recently.

THANKS
 
I recently flew from HK to the UK with my LO. If you are traveling with the baby, airport security are ok with you taking a flask of boiling water. Cathay do have hot water on board which I did not use. I don't trust water boiled on flights because the water does not reach 100 degrees celsius in high altitudes. However, you can ask the shops for boiling water before you board, or there are water units for you to fill up your flask in departures at Hong Kong Airport. I put cold boiled water into one bottle and used that for the first feed, then on board I put boiled water into a clean bottle to allow it to cool for the next feed.

Definitely do not pre-mix the water with the powder as it is only sterile for up to 2 hours.

Bottled mineral water is not good for babies because if the mineral content.
 
We just used water from the plane. It's what they serve passengers with so it's potable. They have both hot and cold available.
 
I'm not sure what reason Annerley have for stating all water must be boiled and cooled prior to using in formula mixup. I've just used tap water without any issues here in Hong Kong, no need to boil in my experience.

Does breast milk get boiled and cooled when nursing? There are far more bacteria in breast milk than drinking water. Why does potable tap water need to be boiled... it's not like it's not treated before it gets delivered through our taps here.

I think there is a lot of rubbish written on this subject. If mineral water is so bad for children, are there issues with children raised in the French Alps or whenever Evian is sourced from? Or children raised in any other region with natural "mineral water"? Even boiling and cooling doesn't remove minerals from water, so any formula delivered there is going to be made with mineral water.

We've never sterilized either - just regular washing with soap and warm water - again no issues...
 
Fair point 2010-NewDad. So everyone thinks I should stick to her usual powdered formula and get water at the airport rather than use another brand of premixed formula just for the flight?
 
HK airport told me this morning that ALL U.S bound flights will not allow any liquid and gel items over 100mls on board, as per US Govt rules and regulations :( This includes any bottles of water bought airport side, regardless of if its for formula or not. Since its such a long haul, i'll probably go with the premade mix i already have and maybe pack some powder formula to mix with plane water if im absolutely desperate and bub wont take other stuff. Soooooo annoying!!
 
They HAVE to be accommodating for passengers with babies. I flew in July to Toronto direct (15 hours non-stop). LO was 7.5 months. I bought bottled water - bonaqua no less - on the secure side of the airport to make bottles in air. (Airlines have bottled water on board and worst case scenario will provide you with some should yours get confiscated pre-boarding.) I brought two bottles to make during the flight, and once finished I wiped them out with Tommee Tippee bottle / teat / soother wipes bought at mothercare. Made it easier to travel with just two bottles. LO had ZERO problems with this. My formula - HIPP Organic - cannot be made more than two hours in advance and cannot be store bought in Canada or the US. We were going for SIX weeks and took 6 boxes of formula out of HK without a question asked.
When flying in / out of the US from Canada (also international flights), we purchased bottled water secure-side each time and took the water on board. All in all, we did six flights this way.
Bottom line is they don't hassle people with infants - they can't. They cannot prohibit you from taking water to make formula. Just make sure it's sealed, and a necessary amount.
The airlines I used this summer (and tested this with) are Air Canada, JetBlue, and United. All okay.
PS: The stuff about not-giving-infants-bottled-water ? It's one trip. Its necessary. And obviously these people have never had to fly with babies. It's BS. You will be GREAT!! :)
 
kam2350 said:
HK airport told me this morning that ALL U.S bound flights will not allow any liquid and gel items over 100mls on board, as per US Govt rules and regulations :( This includes any bottles of water bought airport side, regardless of if its for formula or not. Since its such a long haul, i'll probably go with the premade mix i already have and maybe pack some powder formula to mix with plane water if im absolutely desperate and bub wont take other stuff. Soooooo annoying!!
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So the airlines won't allow liquid water on board but do allow pre-mixed liquid formula? Seems an odd way to go about things!

All my long haul flights with children have been to the UK, and the rules have changed and been inconsistently applied over the years. Sometimes cartons of liquid milk (UHT) were waved through, sometimes I had to open (!) one and taste at UK security check.

I understand your reluctance to change formula brand, some babies can be fussy at the start - and nobody wants a fussy baby on a plane! You could switch a bit earlier to try and mitigate this if you have to, start introducing the one you'll use on the plane a few days/weeks earlier.

Definitely pack some formula and have it "in reserve" as it will give you another option, even if you mix it with water served on the plane (which is what we did until ours switched to cows milk).

Good luck!
 
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