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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Airport transfers

23 replies

JollyJlly · 04/02/2020 07:59

We’ve booked a holiday with a reputable company including our 8 month old. However when checking what the transfer arrangements are, they are just meant to sit on your lap for the 3 hour journey. AIBU to worry?

OP posts:
JagerPlease · 04/02/2020 10:48

That's fairly standard unless you pay extra for a private transfer and car seat. Presumably it's a coach transfer so the same as it would be getting on a national express or something here

Bibijayne · 04/02/2020 10:49

Fair standard. But most airlines will let you take a carseat free of charge in your checked luggage. You can then use this in a car/ on a coach the other end.

Original poster
JollyJlly · 04/02/2020 12:22

Anyone had experience of doing it? I’ve been told they don’t budget for children under the age of 2 having their own seat so if we take the car seat it a) might not have a seat and b) might not fit.

I may just be over thinking it - first holiday with baby and first baby Confused

OP posts:
Amanduh · 04/02/2020 12:25

Done it lots of times with own baby from months to 2 years and lots of relatives babies. Lots and lots of other families too. Just standard really.

PumpkinP · 04/02/2020 12:25

Yabu, buses in the Uk don’t have car seats and I carry my baby on my lap sometimes. Surely a coach is similar? Take a car seat if you want but I wouldn’t.

Amanduh · 04/02/2020 12:26

(Yes you can take car seat but the coaches are often full. My son just slept every time anyway)

MrsCipo · 04/02/2020 12:48

I remember this from a holiday when our DC was about 12m. We got on the coach transfer and were told we MUST all wear our seatbelts, it was strictly law locally and police regularly spot checked coaches and fined those not wearing them. So I asked for an infant's seatbelt for my DC (like you get on plane) and they just shrugged and said to just hold him on my lap Confused Slight contradiction Hmm

GinDaddy · 04/02/2020 13:04

Wonder where all the "rear facing is the only waaay" mob will be on this thread?!

Original poster
JollyJlly · 04/02/2020 13:23

@GinDaddy - hence my concern wouldn’t do it in the UK but have no need to as have car. Nice to know others have done and ok.

OP posts:
inwood · 04/02/2020 13:30

Standard. I'd take a car seat. My arms would get tired!

PumpkinP · 04/02/2020 13:34

It implies there are two of them so surely they can do an hour and a half each.

Purpleartichoke · 04/02/2020 13:41

Sorry, I accidentally hit Yabu.

I wouldn’t be ok with a baby on my lap if you are traveling in a car. If it’s a coach, it’s trickier. There is often no way to secure a car seat even if you have a seat, so you would have to hold baby anyway.

cjt110 · 04/02/2020 13:41

We went away with DS who was 10m old. We got one of those baby bjorn type carriers for him and had him forward facing attached to my husband both on the plane and on the transfers.

Original poster
JollyJlly · 04/02/2020 15:02

@cjt110 we have one of those. That’s a great idea. Thank you.

OP posts:
LIZS · 04/02/2020 15:03

Can you book a private transfer/car hire with car seat or use train? Otherwise this is normal for a package.

Comefromaway · 04/02/2020 15:07

Years ago when dd was a baby we had one of the simpler rock a tot car seats. They went through as hand luggage and fitted in the overhead compartment.

cjt110 · 04/02/2020 15:08

No probs. It kept him safely harnessed without being too restricted. Worked brilliantly for takeoff and landing.

We had one taxi once with a car seat that was far too small and wouldnt strap in. Far safer in the carrier with the belt over him and I.

eurochick · 04/02/2020 15:53

I'm not sure it is safer to have a seatbelt over you both. I stopped doing it because I read that in the event of an accident your body would be flung at full force against the belt with the baby in the middle.

We've always hired a car or book a private transfer with our own car seat to avoid this issue.

milveycrohn · 04/02/2020 16:01

I went on a coach recently (about a year ago) on the continent somewhere, that DID have a special seat for a child. Unfortunately, I cant remember whether this was for a young child, or a baby.
ie, the all the coach seats had belts which were expected to be worn for the adults.
This seat was a 'funny' design. DId not tilt (coach seats only ever tilt very slightly).
So we were told it was because all coaches had to be fitted with them.
That said, as far as I remember, it was only 1 or 2 seats on the coach, that would either convert for a child, or enable a baby carrier to be attached. If there are more children, then I have no idea what people do.
No one on the coach had a young child or baby, so I did not actually see this 'in action'.
I assume it was a new coach, and this is part of the design

MrsCipo · 05/02/2020 08:47

Holding baby in a sling is a good idea, but don't have the seatbelt over both of you Shock If there was a sudden stop, baby would be crushed between you and the seatbelt.

JasperRising · 05/02/2020 09:14

I was a bit taken aback looking at holidays with coach transfer and finding this - especially as the young sales reps kept telling me it was safer for him to be on my lap. Safer than what?? I guess safer than on his own seat with no car seat... Even if they did have a seat free for you to use, the coach seat belts aren't compatible with most infant age car seats.

I just couldn't bring myself to do it so we booked a private car transfer so we could use a car seat.

rainylake · 05/02/2020 09:18

I travel by coach in the UK quite regularly. No legal obligation to use child seat in a coach and a child seat usually wouldn't work with their seatbelts anyway. Overseas coach would be the same I guess. I have done the "baby on carrier with seatbelt inside the carrier not over baby" thing - it works well if you have a baby who will tolerate being in a carrier while you are seated. (Don't put the seatbelt over both of you - that's extremely dangerous as pp have said).

okiedokieme · 05/02/2020 09:22

On national express in the U.K. I've seen infant carriers strapped in and they have kids booster seats. You have to pay for the extra seat though

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