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.

Why can't you risk the local food? What's going to be wrong with it?

Most airports will have somewhere you can buy a sandwich.

It's a few hours, it's hardly a massive flight. I am sure you will find a way to manage.

The boots meal deals also include fruit bags, yogurts, veg stick etc. That and a wrap or sandwich would be enough would it not?

Airline food is usually pretty revolting, doubt a boxed lunch packed by you could possibly be any worse. I also had a baby who didn't eat manufactured baby food (wouldn't touch blended food), in lieu of a hot meal at that age I would have packed a couple of cold muffin pizzas, a banana. You can get tiny ice packs which fit one compartment of one of those lunchboxes with 3 compartments, then you can cheese whatever although loads of DC have packed lunches hanging around for at least 4 hours at school.

Not a principle worth bothering about imo.

You can take food on a plane. It's liquids you can't take through security.

I take my sandwiches to work, and eat them 5 or 6 hours after i've made them. They are fine. There is limited space on a plane. One meal per one seat sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Either buy food in the airport or take some with you from home, or book a fully paid up seat so LO can have a seat of their own along with a meal and presumably a baggage allowance. I fly regularly, and always just buy something like a pack of biscuits in Smiths and just eat in departures where there is often a decent enough range of places to find food.

It's not a long flight to Turkey really so if you adults sacrificed some of your meal for the baby it's not long before you can eat again.

The point of principle is that you're not paying for her so she doesn't get a meal. If she had a paid seat, she would get one. You already get a luggage allowance which is nice of them.

DD had a great appetite but with half my food, some fruit, a BF and some crackers... she could have lasted a flight at that age. And did.

You'd have to pay me to eat on a plane- I never do it, even on long haul flights- I eat at the airport before takeoff.

Why can't you or your DH or both of you have a meal in the airport and your children eat the meals meant for you on the plane if this is such a big deal?

What a non issue. Just take something along and snacks for the planeshe'll survive a few hours.

Oh I like this idea of freezing something! Hadn't thought of that! Thanks for the sensible answers!

Lem73 babies eat in Turkey, i think we will be OK!

Also, anyone here who would fancy letting a baby who feeds herself loose with a jar of food on an plane!!??

Eh? Why will homeward be trickier?? It's an international airport you are flying through. They will have fruit, bread or something your baby can eat and again, if they don't, stock up rice crackers and fruity oaty bars and the like to keep her alive for the short trip home.

Ours ate finger food and we ate at the airport before we left and then shared our food on the flight with some fruit etc we had taken with us. It was fine, the flight isn't too long? I didn't give her the jar of food we were offered but it really wasn't a problem. Enjoy your holiday and relax.

YABVU and making a huge fuss about nothing! I dread to think how you will function whilst actually on holiday and then worrying about the journey home again .................

Re the return journey- depending on times and your hotel they may have a snack/ sandwich bar that will package up sandwiches for you to take to the airport - ours (holiday village) did.

You can take drinks for babies and infants anyway. You may be asked to taste the contents so only take resealable bottles or pouches, no cartons.

It's a plane. Limited space. If every 'greedy pig' wanted two meals, how would that work?
Honestly OP, get some perspective. She's not going to die of malnutrition in five hours, but you're likely to have a very stressful start to your holiday if you don't relax.

Also, anyone here who would fancy letting a baby who feeds herself loose with a jar of food on an plane!!??

How would a tin tray of processed slop be any better?

We've recently flown with thomas cook the main meals we had came with a 2nd box filled with a bread roll, crackers, cheese and a pudding. This was for both children and adult meals so I think between the meals you have ordered there will enough for your little one too. Plus there was an option on the flight for people who hadn't pre ordered to purchase meals so I suspect you could buy one during the flight

Don't take ice packs into airport - get good quality ziplock sandwich bags (the ones you get at Costco are fantastic). Use icepacks for journey to airport then, once through security, ask one of the concessions if they would put ice in the ziplock bag. Voila, disposable icepacks. I have used this method many times - never once has a concession refused to fill a bag for me (but then, I have usually bought something from them anyway).

Also, anyone here who would fancy letting a baby who feeds herself loose with a jar of food on an plane!!??

Will she self-administer prescribed drugs, or a bit of calpol?
Would she not be fed at all, or would the spoon have to be silver (and signed by James Martin)?

I did BLW with my two. At 11 months neither of them were eating enough that would warrant a separate meal. Me and my partner would just give them bits of our dinner. I also took eldest on a flight at 11 months. Not sure how far you are travelling but I just fed him milk on the flight. It put him to sleep and he was as good as gold there and back. Perhaps try that?

Altinkum - wow i think you have rage issues! Getting very heated over someone elses problem! i didn't realise people care so much!

I think people are completely missing the point of my post...

Let me try again...

I've spoken to 6 people at Thomas Cook, not one of them can tell me why it is not possible to pay for an extra meal on board the plane.

I am happy to pay for it, I've paid extra for our meals afterall.

My issue is Thomas Cook's 'computer says no' attitude.