To expect British Airways to sit me next to my breastfed baby's basinette on a 27 hour flight?

[TheToadLessTravelled]

Looking for advice from more seasoned travellers.

Booked for a 27 hour flight with DH and 11mo DS tomorrow.
Had booked to all sit together but British Airways lost/changed the seat allocation somehow and we have ended up with DH near the basinette and me where I could not even see the baby.

BA have been really unhelpful and I am really stressing about the flight now.

Three calls to BA have given three different stories about whether/how we can be moved but we are still not together although at least I can see DS from where I now am moved to several rows back.

The last agent said all bulkhead seats are now allocated and all cot positions booked on the whole flight in all classes which I thought would be unlikely.
Also told me there are no flights close to that time I can switch to.
Also told I cannot switch seats with DH so I have the cot position seat.

DS is tall and wriggly so even if me and DH swap seats so I can BF on takeoff the person next to me is going to have kicking feet in their lap. I don't want to be a total pain to other passengers but us sitting apart is going to mean a lot of getting up and down, shouting out etc I can just see it going wrong.

Any advice on how to get this resolved?
Not sure what else I can do

Giserable-We have tired to do that but it will only let us chose DH's seat for some bizarre reason. Basically according to Emirates when he spoke to them they said that it will be me with the 2 boys and him on his own. If thats the case then I will be taking his seat and spend a lovely relaxing flight reading and watching the tv lol! Im sure there is a way of doing it but at the moment it's not letting us do it!

Thanks backinthebox...DH is actually flying home with Emirates tomorrow(he is in Abu Dhabi at the moment) so I will get him to ask them while on board. We are not going until the end of May and obviously a lot can change in that time but at the moment I really cannot see him being able to sit still (or even sit!) for that length of time!! I assume there is no other alternative? Car Seat? I have never flown with children so no idea what to expect!

Don't worry about him going for a leg stretch - it's actually recommended for all passengers to get up and move around at some point on a long flight. We let our kids sit on the floor buy our feet and play (my kids are small atm!) or let them play in their seat. There's nowhere they can go at 36000ft!

ihearttc

What happens when you go on the EK website? Can you see the details of the booking for you and the DC? If so, there should be an option to select your seats or change those assigned to you upon booking.

Was the booking made directly with EK?

If all else fails call them and explain the situation. We were given separate seat before due to bookings being made separately but they were happy to change things for us at the transit desk. It meant sitting a lot further back than I like to but it meant we were together.

I rarely fly with DH but I like is to all be together because I want him to suffer too

I haven't actually looked at the website myself-DH looked about a week after we made the booking and said it wouldn't let him do anything with our booking but he could book his seat. Maybe I should have a look myself...he was probably doing something wrong knowing him.

It was booked in a very complicated way-the holiday itself is through Virgin but with the flights etc it worked out really expensive to do it that way so Virgin said they could book Emirates flights as well which were much cheaper so thats what we've done and then DH's flight is booked with all his airmiles.

We are flying with Emirates but the hotel is booked through Virgin. The only thing is we don't get the transfer but DH is over there so much that he knows half the taxi drivers I think lol...so he's just going to get a taxi to take us from the airport.

Backinthebox-it's good to know that he can go for a leg stretch...my issue is that I possibly won't be able to get him to sit down at all!! If there is something to open/fiddle with/pull etc he will do it! He is an absolute nightmare (But completely adorable with it!) and literally will not sit still for a second unless harnessed in someway. He hasn't got much speech at the moment as he had glue ear(had tonsils/adenoids out last week!) so we can't really reason with him but hopefully in those 8 months he will calm down a bit! I keep looking at him wondering what on earth were we thinking booking this holiday!! Its a fairly long flight for a first time...I could have broken him in gently and gone to France/Spain but DH really want to take us all to Dubai as he spends so much time there.

You have been so helpful...thank you!

back in the box I am loving your posts and they have somewhat lessened the dread I'm feeling at flying longhaul with a 20 month-old in 2 weeks time.

I remember those heady days (not too long ago), flying alone from the UK to Australia to visit family, downing a wine or 3 before the flight, watching 8 chick flicks in a row and having nothing more pressing to do than sit in a calm haze and wonder when dinner was. And I hated being seated near screaming children... My, how times have changed!

Anyway backinthebox if you are still with us I was wondering what your best advice would be for a nervous flier (hence the 3 wines pre-flight) who, in addition to going white and clammy before every take off, will soon have a lively toddler to contend with in an enclosed space for lonnnnng time. I have visions of him, red-faced and bent-backed, screaming all the way from Glasgow to Brisbane.

I don't expect you to tell me that planes don't crash - or even that bulkhead seats dispense wine - just something reassuring. I'm the kind of person who lies awake at night for weeks beforehand, worrying about flying.

Ahhh......I had similar (think I mentioned upthread) I booked a flight through Emirates website. It was American Airlines operated by BA so I had no seats allocated on theBA/AA flight until the very last minute and couldn't change them either.
Luckily we were together (although it was just kids and I, no DH)

You may have to just leave it to luck but I would certainly look on EK's website yourself and if you have no luck then call Emirates themself.

marquise I feel your pain. Unfortunately I have no words of wisdom, alcohol is my friend. Luckily my kids are older and more than capable of amusing themselves, getting themselves a drink or going to the galley to ask for a glass of wine for Mum

I did a 14.5 hr non-stop last year (without kids) and the GP prescribed Xanax but that's not a solution with a toddler as it does knock you out somewhat. I was capable of going to the toilet, eating, drinking, talking etc but there's no way I would have been able to entertain a young' un.

I try and comfort myself with the knowledge that 3 of my friends are airline pilots, 2 with young kids. If it was dangerous they wouldn't do it. Such a cliche...

Aw Giserable, I feel much better already, thankyou.

I know it's a stupid fear to have. The irony is, my father was a light aircraft pilot when I was little and I thought NOTHING of going up in a teeny tiny plane with him when I was about 7. I don't know what changed.

Hopefully I'll be so consumed with trying to keep the little bugger one amused that I'll hardly notice the plane is airborne!

backinthebox this has happened on long haul flights. At least 5 times in the last 18 mths and as recently as July this year.

I always request a bassinet and it often initially shows on the booking but when we arrive at the airport we've been moved. On the ocassions when I have had a bassinet the older DC's have been seated away from me and not ways together. Apparently BA have no issue with a 3&4 year old sitting away from their parent. Fortunately most passengers have an issue with sitting next to an unaccompanied 3 year old and the issue gets rectified once on board.

Incidentally I flew long haul with air Berlin recently and we didn't sit in our allocated seats it was easier for DH and I to sit next to each other and pass baby back and forth and have the two DC (now 7&6) together on the other side and we were properly shouted at by the stewardess who accused us of endangering the lives of our children and suggesting that they might die because we wouldn't be able to assist with oxygen masks quickly enough on the event of an emergency!

Just wanted to venture on this thread and sing the praises of Air NZ - at least their 'flagship' plane, which flies via LA to Auckland and has the skycouch seats. Same plane all the way, just a refuelling stop for a couple of hours or so.

Everything was absolutely brilliant. We were in economy (which is where the skycouch seats are) but nothing felt cheap. Food, service, staff were all brilliant. DD (then not quite 2) and I slept very comfortably together on the skycouch, DH was lucky enough to wander off and find another seat. The entertainment system was fantastic and I particularly loved being able to order a Virgin Mary in the middle of my film. I did it several times .

They're amazing with kids too - they have age appropriate entertainment packs, and lots of games and things to do on the entertainment system. All the staff were great with the children on board. And one mother had a teething baby who wouldn't settle at all, so one lovely member of cabin crew took the baby for a while so the mother could get an hour or so of sleep. I've never been so happy on a flight.

I think it's spoilt me for other airlines, quite frankly. DH & I recently flew Virgin from the west coast of US, and were really disappointed. We'd paid for Premium Economy and were wondering how on earth Economy could have been any worse.

BA have always been ok though. Although I get the rage with online check in, but that's my fault for being a tech numpty, not theirs.

I don't work for Air NZ by the way, and I've only flown with them twice. Same plane. Their other routes/planes could be terrible, for all I know

Having lived 14 hours away from the UK when DDs were small I have had this experience many many times, and with different airlines including some who otherwise are renowned for bending over backwards on service, which isn't always the case with UK carriers. However I have learnt by experience that once you have tried and failed to sort it on the phone then best to just keep making your needs known at the gate, on the plane etc in a pleasant way. On occasion DH and I have even sat our young DDs down in the ridiculous seat allocations, the FAs soon take action! It has always been sorted out, sometimes without even resorting to asking the FAs. There are some nice accommodating people out there who are happy to move to help you out. Good luck, my worst ever flight was when DD was 18 months and decided to walk the 3000 miles, for 13 hours over night and we were sat in the middle of a SAGA party who were absolutely full of "useful suggestions" on how we might settle her.......

ihearttc

With regards to taxis, getting a regular RTA taxi from the stand outside Terminal 3 arrivals is the best way to go.
You may get men inside the arrivals hall offering you taxi services but they are not official and are not licenced, therefore not insured.
Seven years down the line and I still get in RTA taxis as the best way home (except last month when I had to drive over an hour home after a flight from the UK )

Emirates are ok. They have a new fleet and the ICE entertainment system is the best I've ever seen. Not a huge amount of legroom (although their A380s are very nice) and the food is usually good. There are hundreds of movie and tv channels with everything on-demand. There are loads of audio channels as well as lots of games.
Service is hit and miss and I never bother using the call button as it seems to be optional as to whether the cabin crew answer it or not. They're fine if you wander down the back to ask for something though.

BTW, you are aware that May will be very hot? You'll be hard pushed to spend the day outside.

Its a A380 we are on I believe...DS1 is ridiculously excited at the prospect of a plane with an upstairs!

DH spends a huge amount of time flying backwards and forwards to UAE...he is in Dubai at the moment and is coming home tomorrow night. I would have actually preferred to fly with Virgin or BA but he reckons that Emirates are much better to fly with for some reason. But then he is always travelling on his own and work play for all his flights and stuff.

Yep I know about the temperature-that was the main reason we were trying to book for October(it either had to be May half term or October half term) but it was such a good deal for the may that we thought we'd just go for it. I figured it was going to be boiling anyway that a few more degrees wouldn't make that much difference but I might regret that. We've got lots of things planned that won't involve being totally outside if all goes to plan but I have to admit the temperature is worrying me a great deal. DH spends all his time in offices,cars and restaurants so doesn't really notice how hot it is so he has assured me that it's bearable!!!!??

The A380 is a nice comfortable aircraft and great for kids who can lose themselves in movies, tv and games.

About the end of October is when it gets nice - November and March are my favourite months.

Places like Wild Wadi and Aquaventure aren't too bad in the hotter months because there is cool water to get into. It's ok to be outside for a little while just not for a whole morning, afternoon or day.

If you've not been here before then the kids can got to the movies, Ski or play in Ski Dubai, in Dubai Mall there's ice skating and the aquarium/underwater zoo. there are multiple soft play areas, a boat trip from the marina up to the Creek or vice versa, organised desert trips in a 4x4 in the afternoon which finish in the desert in the evening with dinner, camel rides, sand-boarding etc...
Kidzania in Dubai Mall is a full day and the kids here are in school then so should be pretty quiet.

If I can be of more help (been here for a few years and have kids who've grown up in the Middle East) don't hesitate to PM me (sorry if I'm telling you what you already know).

Update from the airport... Still not seated together but they are going to ask someone to move so we can. We find out at the gate. Fingers crossed!

Turns out its Singapore grand price this weekend so we are on a genuinely full flight with no wriggle room at this late stage

Staff at the terminal 3 desks have been lovely, such a contrast to the call centre

Giserable-Do you live in Dubai then?

DH has just had an interview for a job in UAE so wants us all to move over there...holiday was booked before his interview but I really don't want to move. Im an only child of aged parents and I don't want to leave them (they will never fly so it'd be me coming backwards/forwards to see them all the time).

He hasn't actually got the job yet but even if he doesn't get this one then I think he probably apply for another one...was approached by a company while over there.

We'd planned to go to Wild Wadi and Ski Dubai and I feel the need for a days shopping so DH can entertain them that day. We were also thinking about the desert safari and without giving too much away one of his clients were doing something for us as well involving sea planes which should be amazing.

Thank you so much and yes I will PM you if I may...he is so excited about the prospect of living over there and Im really not!!

Backinthebox - do you sit at the pointy end then? :) I'm a complete plane geek (even made a short film about the smaller ones) but also a nervous flyer so I'm loving reading your posts :)

OP - hope some lovely passengers help you out.

I have flown BA with a bassinette on a 747. IIRC, there were 4 seats and 2 basinettes, so we couldn't all sit together as 2 adults, 2 kids and baby (2 seats in front of basinette and 2 seats in row behind). The 2 people beside the basinette pretty much have their knees in the bassinette so unless its your baby in the basinette isn't not that an attractive an option. No point in calling better to ask when you get on the plane and of course you can swop seats with your DH.

Well we have the final outcome. I am sitting about 10m from my baby, can't even see him. My husband is now boxed in by the window so can't even get out to jiggle the baby.

British Airways have just kept fobbing us off and now I am about to turn my phone off for takeoff. We can swap seats etc but it's going to make for a much tougher flight for all concerned.

I am never flying BA again

I can't believe the people sitting next to your baby don't want to swap with you. Selfish swine.

We have a happy outcome - lovely lady switched with me baby feeding and ready to fly. So relieved!!!!