LH flight with infant - gear logistics/suggestions?

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woodk6

Registered User
I will be flying home to California this summer when our baby is about 2-3 months old. I'll be without my husband (at least on the flight over, maybe on the flight back too) in business class on Cathay Pacific. My question is, how have you all managed with all of the baby gear? I have a stroller and car seat in California so I don't need to haul them on the plane unless it's necessary. I'm wondering if I can get away with carrying the baby in a sling the entire time and using the airplane bassinet when I need to. But that might be too hard without the stroller. Am interested to know how others manage with luggage, baby, stroller, etc.

Also, have any of you flown Cathay business class with an infant (I'm told they have one seat with a bassinet)? I have some anxiety about this as I know those seats are expensive and I'd hate to disturb anyone - though I've seen kids in biz class on that route all the time. My husband's firm pays for the flights and he's worried about me getting the help I might need in economy class. Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated!!!
 
Have heard that they allow kids in only one of the business class decks, so not to disturb the other passengers. Can't remember if it's upper or lower.
 
The bassinet is in the lower deck but I've been in the upper deck with young kids before. I wouldn't dare bring an infant up there though!
 
I would buy the infant a separate seat and use the car seat on the plane. That way you have three places for him: bassinet, your lap, his seat. Each one has advantages. Depending on how active your baby is, the bassinet might not contain him so you can't rely on the bassinet whan you are trying to eat/go to the bathroom. Also, depending on the degree of the turbulence, sometimes they have you remove the baby from the bassinet and again you are stuck.
I agree that business is better than economy, if only due to the number of attendants per passenger. Some crews will do some "babysitting" for you, others won't.
 
Lap Babies

Did the "lap baby" thing w/ my DD when she was 14 months & I was 2 months pregnant w/ no. 2.

1) Checked-in the stroller
2) Used my large back-pack as luggage
3) Carried dd in sling on the plane

Managed it on the flight from SF-HK. I was lucky & seat next to me was empty, so I could let her lie on that.

In the air-port my plan was to put DD in stroller & back-pack. In reality, carried dd in sling and pushed back-pack in stroller.

On the way home it was crowded, but managed. LA - HK.

Did lap-baby when younger was 8 months old. Nice folks held him when I ate. Did the same thing w/ sling and stroller.

Both flights were economy class.

Details on advice I once wrote out is here:
http://ihome.ust.hk/~lbcaplan/hkbb/flyingbb.html
 
i flew with bub in business on CX when she was youngest 9mths, then at 18mths. she didn't fit in the bassinet. but for yours, your baby will. it's a designated seat 14D or sth (on the lower deck). ask to book the bassinet with your travel agent, you only need to pay 10% of full fare. i usually call CX to confirm that i have booked that seat (altho my baby doesn't fit in the bassinet, that seat have tons of leg room & it's like a little corner to yourself). if business class isn't full, no one is going to sit next to you, so you'd probably have one more seat to put your stuff once airborne. If you're happy with carrying baby in a sling, i don't see the point in lugging a stroller on board. then you'll have a hand to pull a tow-along hand-carry, with all your necessities. i usually have diapers, 4 sets of change of clothes (for me & bub, maybe more for bub), burp clothes, small towels, creams, wipes, small blankie, all packed separately in ziploc bags so they'r better organized easier if you'r bfing, so no need to worry about bottles). i suggest you use a hand carry that can be zip-opened from the top, so you can keep it opened thru-out your flight on the floor.

do go to bumps to babes to get one of those infant flight vest. cx provide the infant seat belt, but since yours is gonna be 2-3 mths, maybe the belt is too large for him/her.

if you're bfing, then offer breast (which baby never rejects!) during take-off & landing to help pop ears. i let baby put on the flight vest, loop my seat belt around the flight vest (you'll see the instructions when you get it), turn her around & cover my shoulder with a blankie & baby nurses away.

CX business staff are VERY helpful & nice. both stewardess & stewards. esp if you're travelling with a baby, they're very helpful. it's a blessing that you'll be travelling in business. it'll be easier than you think.

bon voyage!
 
I agree with the above post.With and infant that young,I would only travel with the sling or baby carrier and book the bassinette.That way your hands are free in transit.For the most part its a very easy time to travel with a child and in business class it should be very pleasant.Good Luck!
 
plus, if you have a choice, always choose business. the staff are nicer & more helpful, and freer to help you. the bassinet is bigger, more legroom for your stuff. great tv selection once. it's actually not bad....
 
Thanks everyone! This has been very helpful. I think I will forget the stroller and use the sling. I will definitely buy the Baby B'Air. I saw it in Bumps to Babes. I also bought this really great thing called a Hooter Hider when I was in the US for the plane (and I suppose just breastfeeding in general). It's like a really trendy, cute breastfeeding tent. www.bebeaulait.com

Thanks again for the help!
 
travelling with a child that age is EASY! it's when they become mobile that things really get difficult!!! (and i fly economy, not business...can't imagine the luxuries you'll get up front...)... i'm turning a pale shade of green!!!didn't know i had envy in me!
 
Finally getting around to taking this flight!

The biz class bassinet seat is 11G to LAX (747 plane).

Also, carrying baby in sling. I take it that I'll have to take her out to go through security? Your experiences here would be appreciated. I have a Maya wrap and it's a pain to get her in and out. We're still practicing with it but I don't find it as easy to use a some people do.
 
yes, you will have to take her out of it, and most probably run it through the x-ray... i had to hold my baby out in front of me on some occasions to go through security...
 
Woodk6, I've taken my baby through X-ray in HK 4 times since birth, he's now 9 mths, and each time the staff have allowed me to leave him in his stroller.

Usually they will just peek in and inspect it trying not to disturb the baby.

The one thing you will need to do, is allow passport control to be see the baby's face clearly.
 
I found the samw thing in HK airport, didn't have to take baby out of stroller, but every other airport I have been in makes you take baby out of sling or stroller. I am envious too, have always flown economy, and also agree the younger the child, the easier it is. Since your husbands company pays for it, I would also recommend buying an extra seat for the baby and using the car seat. I remember a trip we took vancouver to Hk with lots of turbulance and every time I got the baby to sleep in the bassinette (he was 3 months old) there was turbulance and I had to take him out and he woke up. I had no sleep at all!
 
i'm just judging from my last trip in march...
the airports that we went through security were...

hk
tokyo
portland, oregon
vancouver, canada
calgary, canada
and
regina, canada

for each place the requirements were different....
 
I took my wee one back to Europe when she was 9 weeks old. We were in business on CX and the crew were really lovely. I didn't like the bassinet as I couldn't see the baby in it if I was lying down so she lay diagonally in the seat next to me which fitted her perfectly (we had bought her a seat but I think that one is the last one they are likely to give out so you may be lucky). Almost all of the passengers on my deck had children of varying ages so we didn't really disturb anyone. I didn't know about car seats on planes by that point but didn't need it. She was feeding so regularly that I wasn't going to get that much sleep anyway.

We went back too Europe again when she was about 9 months old but this time in economy on CX. Again, exceptional crew who were so helpful. At the back of the plane, there is one area where the 3 seats by the window become 2. We got the first set of seats that were a 2 but it meant we had a bit of extra space by the window as well as the seat pockets of 3 seats in front of us. This was great for putting bottles/toys etc in so you weren't constantly having to get up and get stuff out of the overhead cabin. We did take the car seat on this trip which was a godsend as she was only just able to sit up properly and it meant I didn't have to hold her the whole time. It also raised her up a bit higher so she could see the TV screen (although she couldn't listen to it).

The great thing about Hong Kong airport is that if you take your stroller to the door at the other end, by the time you get to Hong Kong, it is waiting for you by the aircraft door. This is not the case with other airports (especially UK airports) where you have to collect it from the baggage carousel which is invariably 300 miles away from where the aircraft is.

A friend of mine with 2 wee ones travelled back on her own with both of them and their car seats. She said she just asked the airline for special assistance beforehand and they helped her through everything.

We took my daughter back again when she was 18 months old. Again economy but there wasn't much point in spending to sit up front as she was running up and down the aisles for most of the flight.

Coming through the airport at London Gatwick was so horrendous that I still need sedating just thinking about it :mad: - I spent 2 hours arguing with a horrid little man with a chip on his shoulder who refused to let me take anything on the plane for my child (for whom we had bought a seat) other than her car seat. No bottles, no food, no toys. Hey, it's only a 13 hour flight plus transit time at either end, why on earth would she want any kind of food or entertainment. This, I may add, was not for security reasons, it was just because he was a moron.

From my experience, I would say CX must be one of the most baby-friendly airlines regardless of which class you fly in and Hong Kong is definitely the most baby-friendly airport I have been through.
 
Anybody had experience flying to Sydney with baby? I'll be flying on my own with my 14 month old baby in a few weeks time. It'll be her first time flying!

I think I'd need a stroller as I find it too difficult to carry her for a long time in a baby sling - any brands of stroller to recommend?

Just checked that my baby is longer than the bassinet - anyone had this problem? I can't imagine carrying her on my lap for 9 hours!

On takeoff/landing, what if my baby wouldn't take the bottle? Any other ways to ease her ear popping?

Any tips would be much appreciated!! :thanks
 
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