DO NOT fly British Airways pregnant or with kids

[StilettoMom]

I am 5 months pregnant and I just finished a week long trip to London from Vancouver, Canada, and had the worst possible experience ever on British Airways.

When I got onto the plane, I asked for assistance to put my carry on luggage onto the overhead compartment, but the cabin crew refused to help me. They told me that "health and safety" regulations prohibited them from doing any lifting. I asked them what I was supposed to do with my suitcase, and finally the crew agreed to let me keep it in a closet in between Business and First.

During my flight, I was made to feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable when I had to retrieve an item from my suitcase, as I had to walk through Business class.

When we arrived in London, we had to go down a set of stairs to get on a bus to get tot he terminal. Once again, the crew told me they were unable to assist me with my suitcase, and their solution was to suggest I leave it on the plane and "perhaps" another passenger would bring it down for me. I was told that as a passenger I am not supposed to carry any luggage that I am unable to lift over my head. I ended up struggling with the suitcase myself.

On the way back, thankfully other passengers assisted me with my luggage, but I did notice that the bulkhead seats were not prioritized for pregnant women, or for small children. A friend happened to be on the same flight with his 15 month old, and he was given a bulkhead seat so that his baby could sleep in a bassinet during the flight, but there was a woman 3 rows back with a 21 month old who was forced to keep the hold on her lap the entire flight, even though there were adults sitting in bulkhead seats who would have been more than capable to sit in a regular seat.

Aside from a few exceptions, the staff were rude and totally unhelpful. I was given a dirty look when I walked all the way tot he back of the plane to use the toilet (as the one in the middle was being used), not one made any effort whatsoever to assist in my trip. Plus, despite being at the airport 3 hours early, my suitcase failed to make the flight.

After sharing these thoughts with friends, I have been told my many people that they suffered similar experiences.

I have made several other flights since I have been pregnant, and no one has managed to make me feel as uncomfortable and unwelcome as British AIrways.

a bit precious jules ?
probably best that OP doesn't fly ba again though, so the rest of us know that at least one primadonna is elsewhere

Aw, c'mon, a bit harsh. Reckon she's got the message now

PMSL @ AitchTwoOh - ooowwerr you can be harsh

Nothing quite like a sweeping statement!
If I NEVER flew with an airline that I might have had one problem with then I'd be swimming everywhere for future holidays.

Although a few months back I was not a huge BA fan due to the strikes threat, I've never had problems like that with them and have always found the staff extremely friendly and helpful. I last flew with them in September and they were lovely. A friend was travelling on the same flight with a 4 year old a toddler and a baby and she is disabled and they were extremely helpful.

As others have said, why on earth were you carrying a bag that was too heavy to lift? I'm pretty sure BA as most other airlines specify the size and sometimes weight of hand luggage and make it clear you must be able to lift it. I flew yesterday with another airline who were weighing peoples luggage at check in if it looked heavy.

I agree with others regarding infants and bulkheads. If you don't book them, you are not likely to get them. I have never had a problem when I've travelled with my children when they were infants and I've had 4 of the little darlings. I have always got a skycot/bassinet when booked.

Ref your difficulties at walking to the toilet, perhaps you could have removed your stilettos?

I am no fan of BA (I have had numerous crappy situations where unhelpful staff both on the plane and on the ground have only made the situation worse) - I have found their customer service over the years to be generally unhelpful, and I have come across more rude and snappy stewards than on other airlines.

But I do agree with the others - if you cannot manage your bag, then you need to re=pack it. And yes, if you want bulkhead seats, you need to book ahead (although this too is no guarantee)

We do always check BA flight schedules (have a lot of airmiles!), but generally wodl prefer to travel with another airline. It's a shame, as their business class seat configuration (2 forward, 2 rear facing) is the best I have come across for travelling with children - in a lot of the newer re-fits, travelling business with young children is really hard, as they cannot see you when seated for take-off/landing.

Thought when I read your OP that you had kids with you. Now realise you didn't. May I suggest you hire a private jet next time? Don't think you're cut out for travelling with the masses.

BTW - Was it the stiletto's preventing you from walking to the the toilet unassisted?
How about
<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fab/52/seda1.jpg&imgrefurl=andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fab/52/fab52.html&usg=__1fqzDvXIPMtvbsMpP3y3UcbEVQA=&h=288&w=392&sz=38&hl=en&start=36&zoom=1&tbnid=r5sDJPwye84qQM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=174&ei=52drTYD7A86M4gaa8sHfCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsedan%2Bchair%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D575%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1026&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1063&vpy=288&dur=346&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=197&ty=92&oei=ymdrTf_6FsyxhAezsp3EDQ&page=3&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:36&biw=1366&bih=575" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">something like this?

OP not been back yet?

You lot frightened her away.

Have only had good experiences of BA when pg and with dcs actually - most airlines in fact are fine.

It is as easy or as difficult as you make it yourself and by being a bit of a mardy woman and taking your kitchen sink with you you have made it especially hard.

Oh and you are completely wrong about the bulkheads and the travel cots which will only fit something under 6 months ime.

I think she's limped off to FuffyMumsRUs for a spot of tickering and hugs.

What on earth are bulkhead seats?

I'm surprised that you seem to be complaining about rather trivial matters when your suitcase didn't make the flight. I would have been annoyed about that.

We have frightened her away.

Re reading it, I don't think she was expecting help going to the toilet, but assistance with the flight?

I've flown loads (lived abroad) with 1 month old, 3 month old, 1 year old (you get the picture) plus loads when pregnant part of job (loved being 'grounded' at 7 months).

Flying is not the most comfortable experience, crews are sometimes wonderful sometimes not so. It's the same at the supermarket, businesses etc.

I do think many people get somewhat precious in their pregnancy and their 'rights' and that this is a time when they are wrapped up in cotton wool. I think we are fed all this nonsense by books and old wives tales, alongside being frightened that we might lose something that IS precious. Then as lots of people point out actually when the second comes along you realise that life does not stop when you are pregnant, you heave, haul and work very hard.

the first row of seats, belgo - where you can have a bassinet ofr a baby (only useful under about 8 months, ime), or the car seat for toddlers (supposed to be up to 18 months, I thin, but dd2 only just fitted at 14 months, and she was a tiny baby)

you get a bit of extra legroom, and seats are hard fought for

bulkhead seats have more leg room. As others have said you need to have fit and able people in them as they are right in the escape route in the event of an accident.
Not sure why pregnant qualifies you for more leg room?
As the op plainly has run screaming from the site I guess we'll never know.

I suppose you could argue that a pregnant woman needs more leg room due to the risk of DVT on long flights.

The little extra leg room isn't going to make much odds. She still needs to move around as much as possible and there will be other people on the flight who have a high risk of DVT too. If you consider the risk too high you don't fly. If you accept the risk than you have to take a number of steps to reduce it - not faff around demanding a seat.

Op, PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE fly Ryanair with two toddlers and a bump and then come and tell us about it!

Another person here baffled as to why you can't lift your own suitcase (unless you have some condition you haven't mentioned). As far as I know, that advice went out around the same time as ration books.

I have to laugh at your toilet experience "no-one made any effort to assistant in my trip" - what exactly would you like them to do? It is quite hard wiping yourself when heavily pg, I know [grin}

Flipping heck - you took carryon so heavy you couldn't lift it above your head? That's stupid (and super annoying for other passengers and the crew) even when you're not pregnant. Your experience doesn't sound particularly bad at all, no. Not compared to my first long haul flight, in which I was sat across the aisle from a guy who went into air rage meltdown and the plane had to make an emergency ten hour unplanned stop in Indonesia. However I wasn't pregnant or accompanied by children, so I guess that doesn't count.

I believe bassinets are only suitable for babies up to 9 months from memory, having used one in November. Thank god DS still under that as we're flying from London to Australia on Friday.

Amusing as it is to think the OP wanted help wiping her bottom, I think the "no one helped with my trip" meant the trip as a whole, not her trip to the toilet.

beanlet - tell us more about the air rage incident!

Ryanair are truly the crud at the bottom of the travel barrel. Mind you, at least they try and sell you farking scratch cards and give themselves a fanfare for landing on time where they said they would. I have yet to see a happy looking Ryanair staff member, though. They all look like they're doing community service under extreme sufference.

Sky cots are usually given to youngest infants on flights and aren't suitable for some infants over 12 months. Some 21 month olds are more like a 2 year old IMHO and wouldn't fit in a sky cot so saying the other passenger was forced to have her 21 month old on her lap is silly. If you find yourself in this position, ask the cabin crew if it is possible to be moved to a row with a spare seat if available and 9 tmes out of 10 the cabin crew will help find a row (if you ask nicely and not in a "I'm a princess" tone), you can then move around after take off when the seat belt sign says it's safe to move around.

Crikey how precious is the OP?

You're 5 months pregnant, not terminally ill. Carry on luggage is supposed to be small and light enough to stow in an overhead locker - if you can't put it up there then it should have been checked into the hold.

Being pregnant doesn't mean you can't lift or carry anything you know - you need to be careful as the ligaments are softer in pregnancy so increasing the risk of strains but it's not a total ban. The risk is to you and not your baby anyway.

I think staff should priorities the elderly, disabled and parents travelling with young babies in terms of offering assistance. A halfway-through-her-pregnancy-otherwise-fit-and-well lady isn't exactly a priority!

Oh and we flew BA to Spain last year with my disabled DD2 who was then 6 and BA ground and air crew couldn't do enough for us.

It's also worth noting that BA are quite clear about the need to be able to stow your own bag.

Surely if your carry-on is too big to go under the seat then it is too big to be a carry-on?