Stop airlines charging women extra for travelling with expressed milk

Viking yes, which is why the right to transport expressed milk without charge shouldn't be limited to women. Anyone should be able to transport it.

However, only lactating women accumulate expressed milk while away from their baby. Men do not and non-lactating women do not. When a lactating woman is charged baggage fees to transport her breast milk, it constitutes unfavourable treatment compared to if she hadn't been lactating. Both sex and maternity are protected characteristics in equality legislation, so yes: the current system is discriminatory.

Just because some lactating women are not bothered by it does not make it ok.

You don't have to be the biological producer to be the one carrying it on a flight.

Once outside the body, anyone could take breast milk anywhere (maybe travelling with the infant, or travelling between mother's and baby's locations).

For all those pp who can't fathom how a system would work or how it could possibly be fair/feasible to expect the current system to change to accommodate a minority of women... 🙄 A system similar to what the OP is asking for already exists in the US.

There, breastfeeding mothers (or anyone else) can bring unlimited quantities of chilled or frozen breast milk in hand luggage, along with any necessary ice packs, so long as they are declared to security. Same goes for formula. It's regarded as part of the personal medicine category for the purposes or air travel and the same rules apply regardless of whether you're travelling with or without a child. There is no charge.

The OP's proposal is simpler, in that she only requests storage in the hold rather than the cabin. It shouldn't be a big deal.

On a work trip, this is the responsibility of your employer - it's not the airline's responsibility!

Viking but a man with a young baby won't be generating breastmilk when away on a work trip, so they won't have any extra breastmilk to bring back with them compared to when they left.

"Men with young babies don't have to pay extra for hold baggage whereas breastfeeding women with babies the same age do."

Yes they do. If they are the ones transporting liquids. Because once outside the body, either sex can carry them.

And I just didn't see how you can be sure that milk has been stored at a safe temperature. Yes, I flew in business whilst still BFing. I discarded, because I was concerned about safe storage/temperature.

If the 'compromise' is packing a bit smarter so that you have the space to bring back what you know you'll be bringing back, that is no more than anyone who travels and knows they will bring back additional items. It is not unusual, it is not difficult and it is manageable by both men and women for all sorts of reasons.

Whatever the motivations behind these responses, all I can tell you is the overwhelming message that's coming through to me from them seems to have a really dark subtext about not getting ideas above my station if I want to work, breastfeed and keep my child healthy.

You may read it that way, but I see it as practicality.

If you can't take a few months out of your life while your baby is young to have short trips so you only need to express smaller amounts which can go in hand luggage, then, perhaps, either the job, or the baby feeding method needs to change.

Many of us here work, travel, and BF young babies. We looked at our options, and picked the ones that would sensibly work - be that a nanny, travelling with the baby, short trips for 6 months, different method of transport, or formula. Rather than 'I'm alright Jack' it's that we've been there, thought it through, and on balance can't support the petition on that basis.

As to the cost - if an MP is paid 76k, if they work 40 hours a week, 48 weeks of the year (this may or may not be correct) then for every hour one MP spends looking at this issue, one more of these very rare women could have checked a bag. A checked bag that it is the responsibility of their employer to pay for if they are travelling on business.

I won't be signing either. there are too many ifs- If the plane is delayed and it defrosts, If the bag gets lost and misses the flight. There was the one incident that hit the papers . I would rather campaign for airlines to allocate FOC seats for children next to an adult when flying .

I totally understand that for you this is a real issue, and that it would irk as it's costing you money just because you're a breastfeeding mum.

I do, however, think that the number of ladies this affects is so so small, maybe a handful of people a year? It will cost hundreds of thousands for MPs to spend their time debating, updating airline regulations, then for airlines to review and adjust their own specific policies. Then practically, it will happen so infrequently that in practise, ground staff may not actually be aware of this rule. The cost on the flip side is for a few ladies a year to spend £20-£30(?) on checked baggage, and whilst not trying to pry into your own personal finances OP, these ladies are unlikely to be on the breadline.

To me, the group of people who are away for long enough that they have deemed that they don't want checked baggage anyway (given that you then have costs of new razors/deodorants every time you fly for hand luggage), are expressing that amount of breastmilkuet away from baby, and also trust the hold/airport transport as a constant temperature that they are not just going to chuck their milk anyway is so small.

By having this rule that you are asking, airlines may also be concerned that it would look like they are guaranteeing that this could be done safely, without it defrosting/refrosting en route, which isn't the case.-

I would suggest the grammatical errors are fixed before it's submitted. "When separated from it's mother" etc

I agree with pp - unlikely that large volumes of milk would be able to be ingested in time to be useful and it can't be refrozen. Sure, I'm extrapolating to my own situation but I've managed to bf 4 kids, each for around 2 years without asking airlines to change the rules just for me. I've not given any formula, worked, travelled, gone to conferences etc. There's always been ways around it, usually expressing for comfort and building up a stash before a planned trip. Not holding up people at airports with extra liquids.

But your argument states that your baby NEEDS breast milk. I don't believe this is true. Yes, it would be nice if your baby has bm, but it is not essential. Heaven forbid you hadn't been able to bf for any reason - what would your baby have done then?

Definately not good for milk to be hanging around for a few days waiting to be used having been frozen and then defrosted.

I think lasswi has no grasp of facts and has a typical tory voter mentality of 'I don't do that/pay for that why would anyone else'

A typical Tory voter - how interesting.

Presumably women who might need to do this would have thought about the practicalities. I guess I'd pack it all in a freezer bag with ice packs, it would freeze and then stay frozen for a good while. If it did defrost then you'd have to use it within 24 hours. It's not ideal but it's better than just having to chuck it away.

The more I think about this, it would be very easy for airlines to offer this service. Not many women would need to use it, but it would be very helpful for those that do. It wouldn't be any kind of impact on the airline either. So it seems churlish to object to it, I think.

But the milk will freeze in the hold. And then defrost again. You'd need to feed it to the baby pretty quickly. And then where was it before the hold? Has it already been pre frozen? I wouldn't be feeding that milk to anyone.

OP I assume your daughter has allergies? Have you tried specialist formula? I'm not trying to be snippy; I think if you're determined to continue flying you would be prudent to look into other solutions- some degree of mix feeding or whatever. Your current set up seems too precarious.

Speaknowords, I agree and that seems the most sensible suggestion. Another backer here Santa. I'm going to sleep so I bid mumsnet goodnight. My tiredness is responsible for the typos and I don't have the energy to correct them. Good luck OP.

I think that Santas has said that her solution is for airlines to allow breastmilk in the hold, without charge. So you could specify that your hold luggage will only contain breastmilk and check that in, without charge. Fairly similar to how some airlines let parents check in a buggy/pram and car seat for free.

Xposted but perhaps there needs to be another solution. I think technology is already developed so at the airport if there was an bottle of explosives covered as baby milk it would be extremely easy to test it and remove it. Also the fact that our dear govt had already gone to so many troubles should mean that before a potential terrorist goes to the airport that terrorist should be already arrested. Otherwise what's the point of stringent legislature that should've never been allowed to pass?

I think lasswi has no grasp of facts and has a typical tory voter mentality of 'I don't do that/pay for that why would anyone else'. I travel often internally for work and as a man I find it abhorrent that many users think its okay to tell a mother to take her extremely young baby on flights. It's disgusting and a new low on mumsnet. It's not enough users have to attack transsexuals but now even attacking mothers... I've read it all now.

The facts are that the user has clearly stated her cause and either you support or move on. Not post nonsensical answers which has nothing to do with facts.

I agree OP I believe that the best form of nutrition for a child if available is breast milk as it had other qualities other than pure nutrition such as a antibodies against things. I fully support your cause and I do think it is an extremely hard compromise put on mums. If I had a daughter I wouldn't want her to pay for something out of hand (the audacity of some to even suggest) for something that her baby needs.

So how do you propose this works?

If it is in hand luggage exclude the liquid safety rules just because you say it is milk?

Apply the liquid safety rules and cause further delays at check in?

Just disapply all checked baggage fees as long as there is nothing else other than breast milk in your checked in luggage?

Nothing to do with airport security having to check bags either. It's about hold baggage

Are you saying it can't be put in the checked in hold luggage? I thought your gripe was you had to pay for checked in luggage because it could be put in the checked in luggage but not in the carry on luggage.

Re the rules for UK flights I never fly internally as always take trains. I still have no sympathy for anyone who can afford to fly complaining about the extra costs of paying for checked in luggage.

I will not be signing this. I see no reason at all why the milk can't be put in the checked in hold luggage. Not all airlines charge extra for hold luggage and frankly if you can afford to fly you can afford to pay the checked in luggage charge; particularly when if you are travelling for work the cost will either be charged to your employer or tax deductible if you are self employed.

I see no reason why airport security should be made more of a hassle whilst everyone else is held up whilst the security staff are checking bags of breast milk.