to expect my child to be able to have an in flight meal

[Staceroo]

So we're flying to Turkey in a couple of weeks. I have paid for in flight meals for me, my husband and our 3 year old daughter. Thomas Cook will not allow me to purchase an in flight meal for our 11 month old.

It's a real case of 'computer says no!'

Save all the jokes about airplane food because Thomas cook have a range of James Martin meals which are pretty tasty and nutritious.

11 month old is baby led, and never eaten out of a jar in her life.

Solutions proposed by TC are...

1. "You are permitted to take baby food on to Thomas Cook Airlines aircraft if you are travelling with an infant or small child ,Most UK Airports have a Boots where you can purchase baby food and formula after the security screening point. These can be purchased and brought on board providing you do exceed you hand luggage restrictions. I Hope this Helps - Stef"

2. "book a separate seat for her she will be able to get an inflight meal, however then she will be booked as a child and will lose her infant luggage allowance and will need to pay the full flight price" (That's a very expensive in flight meal!!!!)

3. There are a range of snack and other meals available on the flight but they can't tell me what those will be, but they're not the James Martin meals.

My DS has multiple allergies. There's never anything he can eat on the plane so I always take sandwiches etc for him.

Take your own food? Not sure what the problem is with that, its only liquids you can't take through. I always take loads of food (plus buy from Boots!).

A picnic of fun stuff would do the trick, surely.
And trying to juggle two meals and a baby woukd be a mare.
She is unlikely to starve or implode on a flight to Turkey if she has just a couple of organic quinoa crackers (baked, not fried).

I am quietly sniggering at the indignation that your DD has "never eaten out of a jar in her life" whilst complaining that she can't have what amounts to a ready meal.

Heh, me too. Mine had 'never eaten out of a jar in her life' and I managed to fly with her and keep her alive.

To everyone wondering, yes, of course you can take food through security. You can even take liquids for babies.

Relax, feeding your toddler on a long haul flight is the least of your worries. Let's talk keeping her occupied for some real fun .

It doesn't have to be jars from Boots. It can be any of their food. Buy sandwiches, a pasta salad, some sushi or whatever. If baby won't eat that or would prefer an inflight meal - then swap and one of the adults eat the Boots (or similar) bought food.

You haven't purchased a seat for her so why would she get a meal?
It's not difficult to take something for her, even fruit?

11 month old is baby led, and never eaten out of a jar in her life

Ha ha - you DO know that James Martin isn't actually in the kitchen, cooking the meals to order?

I know I can take food through, and am planning to take a snack box for both girls (mainly to keep them entertained!) but I can't take sandwiches etc as they will be minging after spending 5 hours in my bag (travel time to airport & through check in etc)! Assuming I can't take an ice pack through security to keep them cool.

I will be taking fruit and breadsticks etc, but it's a 4/5 hour flight (plus the time for boarding and then getting off the plane, collecting luggage, getting to hotel, checking in) which is a long time for her to go without a tidy meal!

She has a very big appetite and will easily polish off a standard kids size meal in a restaurant or pub!

In my tweets with them i've said that yes I can have the crap meal, and she can have mine, but it's more a point of principle.

Haha! Oddboots 3 year old is already having an adults meal and will polish it off! They're not the biggest!

And to those commenting on the 'never eaten out of a jar' comment, that's more to express my frustration from the TC person on twitter assuming I can take her a meal in a jar and some formula! No thanks!

It's a fuss about nothing.

So buy some stuff in the departure lounge.

Also, yes I can buy a sandwich in boots, but more concerned about the flight home?
Unlikely to be somewhere like Boots there I think?

It seems odd to me that you can't buy a meal if it's an extra.

My three were BLW and at 11mo wouldn't have known what to do with a jar. An in-flight meal would at least look something like what they were used to eating.

Principle aside, is there anything you could take frozen? I'm thinking of cold pastries (preferably vegan or at least vegetarian). Limp sandwich early on, defrosted pakora towards the end of the flight.

It's not true they can't serve food to a baby without a seat! Cathay Pacific did for our flight to Australia. DD2 was 6mo and a lap passenger. You can book a baby meal.

However the issue here is Thomas Cook doesn't. But how long is the flight anyway? It's not like 24+ hours to Australia!

Ready meal fine but a jar is terribly below her standards?!!

And fancy Thomas Cook not taking into account baby led weaning!!!

I flew a lot with my kids when they were little and I'm sure they were offered kid's meals. Of course before the age of one I brought my own food because airline food is a lottery and I didn't want to risk there being something unsuitable. It's alright to feed babies ready made food now and again. What on earth are you planning to do on holiday? You can't risk the local food. You need to avoid salt anyway.

Freeze the sandwiches. They'll defrost in your bag as supposed to wilting.

Seriously?? If this was a real issue, would getting a ferry somewhere not have been a better plan?
There are kids who go without a proper meal for days and we you are worrying about a 4hr flight.

Seriously just buy it in the departure gates!

Cross posted. Homeward will be trickier. What kind of accommodation are you in? If s/c then again a packup.

It occurs to me that you can buy lunchboxes with inbuilt freezer packs. That might help too. Sistema, I think.

Pack your own food with an ice pack and then throw it away before security.
Don't know what she eats but surely you can freeze what she would normally have and let it defrost on your journey?

OK, so ignoring the BLW side of things, as that obviously gets you all wound up(!) If my husband was a greedy pig and wanted to buy two in flight meals the answer is still no.

give the baby some of yours and then but a tub of filthy but addictive Pringles.

Separate thing but this "baby led weaning" - isn't that just the secas finger food and giving them some of your dinner when they eye it up longingly just like mine did when eyeing a glass of wine and making a lunge for it.

Or is it a new badge of honour?

Same as, not "secas"