air travel (short haul) with an 18 month old

[aereoplane]

Can you give me your tips please?
PFB so worrying probably too much.

Can I take a car-seat on the plane, would this mean I can't take a pushchair.

All tips welcome, many thanks.

Which airline are you flying with? The rules will differ with each one.

Check with your airline. We flew with DS when he was about 10 months, I forget who with though, but we were able to take his car seat for him to sit in in the plane (or we could have it in the hold if we had wanted) plus we took his pushchair, plus a travel cot in addition to all our normal luggage.

Does he still drink a bottle? - may be useful for take off & landing to be sucking on something. And just a few simple things to keep him amused, - soft book, a compact toy of some kind.

Feed on take off/ landing.
Get an aisle seat and let him wander up and down so you're not wrestling a squirmy toddler the entire time.
KLM have let me take my car seat on to the plane before, most companies make you put it in the hold though.
Check out your airlines luggage allowances. Easyjet let you take two pieces of baby equipment free. KLM it's one but your toddler has their own baggage allowance. Everybody's different.
If you have a portable dvd player/laptop it's a great tool for distraction you can squeeze 32 mindnumbing episodes of peppa pig between amsterdam and edinburgh!
Food in pouches even if you don't allow it at any other time is good for mess minimisation, suck directly from pouch.

We took pushchair on the plane. You fold it down and leave it at the bottom of the steps and they put it on the plane for you. We put the car seat in the hold. Ryan Air carried it free as LO was under 2 at the time. We also managed to sneak a pack of nappies into the seat and then wrapped it round and round with clingfilm to prevent any damage whilst we were travelling.

Word of warning re food pouches: Leeds Bradford airport security woul not let me take them airside as they considered them to be liquid, even though I volunteered to taste them.

Thank you :)

I think it's easyjet and I think they allow a carseat and pushchair onto the plane on top of hand luggage?

I have only flown a few times and have never ever in my life walked about a plane so guess I will have to do so with a toddler? I've never even been to the loo on a plane! I just prefer to sit down for the whole flight wiggling my toes and praying I am not about to die

RE feeding on take-off and landing - will they allow me to breastfeed while the plane is landing? He doesn't have a bottle, just a cup.

Hi Aereoplane,

I was told a couple of times that I couldn't bf on take off or landing (can't remember which airline though but NOT Easyjet) because little one must be facing forward on your lap at these times. But to be honest, I did it anyway and once you are close to landing/take off, all the cabin crew have to go and sit in their seats too so they can't see what the heck you do! You'll be fine - just have lots of small toys to distract, and his favourite snacks. It's amazing how much time eating can use up on a plane!

Best time to fly with a LO is meal time if possible. Take his/her meal with you - lots of titbit things. Intersperse with little items to entertain and amuse so the meal takes as long as possible. (Flew with DD when she was 11 weeks. Just waited until the crew took their seats for take-off and bf her. Did the same for landing - was a 90 minute flight.) Hope it goes OK.

I've flown easyjet and they advise you to have baby facing forwards for take off and landing but it's up to you to do what you think is best so long as baby has seat belt on. I've had the same advice several times with easyjet so think it's unofficial company policy.

Re luggage easyjet will definitely let you take carseat, buggy and hand luggage.