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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To assume that travelling Ryanair with an infant will be vile?

32 replies

birdofthenorth · 13/09/2011 14:30

Flying with Nazi Air tomorrow. DD is 12 months. Is it safe to assume every aspect of this will be vile?!

Couldn't afford their crazy priority check in charges so will probably end up separated from DH.

Having to squeeze her travel cot etc into our suitcase as carrying it separately would have been £40!
They don't heat bottles so she will have to
drink cold milk. Or BF, which may not be fun crammed next to a stranger.

I also assume the changing unit will be up to Ryanair's usual crappy standards, so I will probably end up covered in poo.

Should I start popping Valium now in anticipation?!

OP posts:
TattyDevine · 13/09/2011 14:31

Flying with Ryanair is vile, full stop.

Chocobo · 13/09/2011 14:32

YANBU - any travelling with RyanAir even without nfant is bound to be vile!

cornflowers · 13/09/2011 14:33

Erm... travelling with an infant is generally pretty vile irrespective of the airline, especially long haul. Not sure why you're flying with Ryan air in the first place if you hold them in such contempt.

ObiWan · 13/09/2011 14:33

It might be O.K.

Depends on where you're going, how long the flight will take, the time of day etc.

Think positive!

mousymouse · 13/09/2011 14:33

you will be fine. as long as you don't expect too much.
wrt milk, you can carry a thermos with you that you get through the security empty and have filled with hot water at a coffee shop. but bf is much easier.

Ladymuck · 13/09/2011 14:33

How long is the flight? Change her before you get on and you may well be fine. Am impressed that travel cot will fit in your case (and not go over the weight limit! But yes, basically they don't want you to fly with infants. It slows them down.

freesiaLiliy · 13/09/2011 14:33

pop away!! buy the duty free and enjoy wherever you are going without thinking of the torture trip home. Grin

porcamiseria · 13/09/2011 14:34

YES..... no in all seriousness you will most likely get a seat together, just get DH to go to front opf queue and save seats

re BF, again get DH to get a row of 3 seats and hope that its not 100% full

I cant see it will be on a mid week day out of holiday season

you will survive!

belindarose · 13/09/2011 14:34

I'm not a fan, but we did it last year when DD was 12 months and it was hitchless. How long is the flight?

Original poster
birdofthenorth · 13/09/2011 14:40

Flying Ryanair to a friend's wedding because it was the only option available.

I think wearing a scarf & BFing is probably easiest

I think it's a 3.5 hour flight so yes poo/permitting one nappy might do!

Urgh. Bracing self. And remembering to carry cash for a post BF gin Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
birdofthenorth · 13/09/2011 14:42

PS travel cot is Phil & Teds The Traveller, tis light as a feather & fits free in most overhead compartments... except Ryanair, of course

OP posts:
mayorquimby · 13/09/2011 14:42

Ryanair
[worship emoticon]

hellhasnofury · 13/09/2011 14:43

We used Ryanair this summer to go to Spain. It wasn't the most luxurious experience but it wasn't awful. The flights were on time, we easily got seats together (as did the vast majority of those who wanted them) and we arrived early on both legs of the journey.

mousymouse · 13/09/2011 14:44

""
and even if, it is your right to bf where ever you need.

ForYourDreamsAreChina · 13/09/2011 14:46

It will be awful because you've decided it will be.

I flew alone with dd many times (from her being 10 wks old) and always with Ryanair,in the days before priority boarding (ie when it was even more of a rugby scrum than it is now) and it was always fine.

No-one will actively choose to sit next to you with a small child, so I imagine you'll be fine on that score. I imagine you'll also plonk your child onto the middle seat so everyone thinks that seat is legitimately taken, then you get 3 seats when you've only paid for 2 (that's what most couples travelling with smalls seem to do) so that will be nice and comfy too.

choceyes · 13/09/2011 14:49

We flew 1.5hrs each way with Ryan air with a nearly 3yr old and a 12 months old.

Was OK. My 12 month old is really fidgety, and I BF as much as possible and also walked up and down a bit with her in the sling. Didn't change nappy though.

Milsean · 13/09/2011 14:51

What did you pay for your flights?

Woodlands · 13/09/2011 14:54

We flew with Ryanair earlier this year when DS was 10 months. On the way out we got a row of three seats to ourselves. I BFed DS and he fell asleep for most of the journey. It was fine. On the way back, another Ryanair flight arrived at the gate next to ours, even though ours wasn't due in for another half an hour or so, and so they started forming a queue - so then everyone else was sheeplike and joined the end of the queue. DH wouldn't let us join the queue, with good reason, as it was at least another 45 minutes before we even started boarding, but it did mean that we were almost last on the plane. We did manage to get two seats together and the other guy on our row was very friendly and nice (made a fuss of DS, shared his sweets with us!). It was OK. The worst things about the whole experience was a)all the additional booking fees they charge, b) the miniscule luggage allowance and c) the antisocial flight times.

Oh yes, and the infant charge was £20 - in one direction that was more than DH and I paid for our tickets. It would have been nice if we could have booked a separate seat for DS, paid less and had a hand luggage allowance for him, but apparently Ryanair don't let you do that for an infant. Obviously we would have had him on our laps for take off and landing, but no.

Original poster
birdofthenorth · 13/09/2011 14:56

ForYourDreams -good point. Must think positive. May even enjoy it Smile

Excellent point re using DD to hog middle seat. Joy.

OP posts:
TeddyRuxpin · 13/09/2011 14:56

Flew twice in the last year with ryanair.
DD was 7 months the first time and 15 months the second and it was fine.
If you get in the boarding queue early you will be able to sit together and most people don't want to sit next to an infant so DD ended up getting a seat to herself that we hadn't paid for.

LydiaWickham · 13/09/2011 14:58

It will be vile because they are always vile.

Minimise this - breastfeed and don't worry about the thoughts and feelings of strangers.

If you are not sat next to your DP, loudly say to the person you are sat next to if they mind swaping with your DP (point to where your DP is) as your DD will probably cry the whole flight (that should shift most people).

Change your DD's nappy before the flight, airports changing facilities are normally ok. Hopefully she won't do a big poo on take off and you can wait until landing to change her again.

Buy chcolate and water at the airport before the flight to take onboard (air side, not land side or they'll take it off you), far cheaper than on the flight.

Start saving for next flights so you can go with an airline that don't hate their customers.

ForYourDreamsAreChina · 13/09/2011 15:00
Wink
mumsamilitant · 13/09/2011 15:02

Can we add Easyjet to the vile list please!

EricNorthmansMistress · 13/09/2011 15:07

Flying with a baby can be fine, or it can be hell. The airline is pretty irrelevant IMO. I've flown with Ryanair on my own with Ds several times as well as with Monarch. It's easier now he has his own seat (Try keeping a mobile 19mo on your lap for three hours!) but 12mo is still snuggly and should be ok on laps. They let people with babies board first so no reason why you should be separated from your DH. Breastfeeding will be the absolute best thing you can do to make the flight run smoothly. The changing table thing is fine, poky, but fine.

mousymouse · 13/09/2011 15:13

"They let people with babies board first " no Ryan air don't. if you don't pay for priority boarding you have to get your elbows out just as anyone else. (in that respect easyjet is nicer)