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Original poster

does anyone work for an airline, specifically Singapore?

31 replies

harrogatemum · 09/03/2006 10:40

Hi - I am planning to book a flight to Singapore on a Saturday in May for myself, DH and the DTS. They will be 18 months old so we dont have to buy them seats but the thought of them sitting on our laps for 14 hours fills me with dread. They are too big for skycots.
My travel agent says that the only way we can guarantee getting seated at a bulkhead is to check in really early.
Do you think I should risk the flight not being full and hope to get a seat for them to sit between us or would you think a flight to Singapore (ex Manchester) would be full on a sATurday and I should just shell out and buy a child priced seat so that we are guaranteed a more peaceful flight?
And is there no way of reserving the bulkhead seats?
Can anyone help me with this query???!!!!Its so much harder as there are two of them!

OP posts:
Original poster
harrogatemum · 09/03/2006 11:10

bump

OP posts:
Rojak · 09/03/2006 11:15

AFAIK you can only reserve bulkhead seats if you've requested a basinette. I've done this with both my kids when they did fit and have always been given those seats.

I have the same dilemma as yourself as I will be flying to KL in June and have seat for DS (4 yrs) but have not paid for seat for DD (who will be 20 months)

eidsvold · 09/03/2006 12:01

when we flew out to Aus - dd1 was 22 months old - but smallish. We paid for a seat for her so we could put her in her car seat... we also requested a sky cot as she was nowhere near the cut off weight regulation. I think for your peace of mind on the flight - buy them seats - you would get the four middle seats and during the flight could put the arm rests up and let the dts sleep between you and dh.

ALthough when we flew early June - the flight from Heathrow to Singapore was rather empty - we in fact had a whole row from window to window to dh and dd1 and I. Most people had a section - either the four seats or the three seats to one person. I would imagine that you probably would find the plane not that full but I guess not buying a seat would not guarantee you space iyswim. We did fly midweek though.

Having done the stretch from uk to singapore a few times - I would buy a seat for them - mean you had a lot more space guaranteed.

We were told however each time we flew that we could not be guaranteed a skycot despite booking one - they went on a first come first served basis. We did however manage one each flight with dd1.

hope that helps.

Hausfrau · 09/03/2006 12:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
harrogatemum · 09/03/2006 12:19

just got a quote from the airline for a child seat - £575, dont you think that is extortionate!!

OP posts:
Original poster
harrogatemum · 09/03/2006 12:20

also is there any way of telling how fully booked the plane is (this is a question to people who work for airlines!!)

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Rojak · 09/03/2006 12:28

Think the child fares are usually 70 - 75% of adult fare and infant fares about 10%. Have you got any miles you could redeem or have you tried any other agents as you get quoted the standard fare when booking directly with airline, whereas an agent may have some offers on.

Is it worth requesting the bassinets anyway and not using them when you get on but you would still have a bit more leg space in the bulk head seat area?

Hausfrau · 09/03/2006 12:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
harrogatemum · 09/03/2006 12:33

think I will go ahead and request the bassinets so that we should be at teh bulk head, other than that wil have to hope and pray for an empty-ish plane!!!

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janinlondon · 09/03/2006 13:41

Singapore airlines bassinet sizes:

The dimensions of the bassinets are 768 L x 298 W x 158 H (mm). Bassinets can support a maximum weight of 14kg.

Original poster
harrogatemum · 09/03/2006 13:47

oooh thanks Jan - that helps. Not sure how much my boys weigh! I think about a stone so thats alright isnt it! Just the memory of a flight with Emirates to Australia when they were 5 months old and only just fitted teh bassinets makes me wonder if they will go in them or not!

OP posts:
eidsvold · 09/03/2006 20:58

is that for both of them or each... although when I think about it we paid just over 300 pounds for a one way.

Original poster
harrogatemum · 10/03/2006 08:11

that is each!!! I cant believe it - we paid less for an adult return to Aus last year, its crazy.

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ghosty · 10/03/2006 08:24

The skycot dimensions always make me laugh ... I would love to see the 14kg baby that is only 76 cm long Grin
I have flown Heathrow to Singapore many times at different times of the year and to be totally honest with you I have never ever been on an empty flight.
The thing about the bulkheads and skycots is that they will give them to the babies that need them (ie little newborns etc) ... and they will know the age of your children from your booking even if you haven't bought them seats.
I agree that child fares are extortionate but when we travelled from NZ to the UK via S'pore on S'pore Airlines last year we still bought a seat for DD although she was 16 months because the thought of her sitting on my lap for two long flights gave me a nervous twitch ...

One tip for you: Singapore Airlines run an Online check in service. You can check in online and reserve your own seats .... They open the service 48 hours before flight departure but in order to get the seats you want you need to do it ON THE DOT of 48 hours before departure. My sister logged on 5 minutes after they opened and loads of people had already been allocated seats. The problem with this is that if your flight leaves at a difficult time like 1am (which is what time my sis left NZ) then you will have to get up in the middle of the night to go online to get the seats you want. Anyway, what they do is give you the numbers of the seats they plan to give you, show you a plan of the plane and then you can change you seats according to what is available.
I can tell you that Row 31 is a bulkhead row on a 747 ... and if you really want that seat then the 48 hour thing may work for you.
I know all of this because my sis and I had extensive discussions about this whole system ... I personally think it is a PITA as I tend to think, "I just want to get on that plane and get there safely .... "
But in your case, if you are not planning on buying seats for your twins then I might do it that way .... I am grimacing at the thought of one toddler on my knee for that length of time, let alone Twins ...

Good luck Smile

georginarf · 10/03/2006 08:37

I've just been to NZ and back with 15 month old DD (on Air NZ via LA where you have to pick up and recheck all your luggage and go through security but that's another story...). There is no way in hell she'd have fitted in a bassinet and no way were we going to hold her, so we shelled out for a seat (about £800 I think - gah)

Flights are nearly always full these days. And bear in mind that if they have seats of their own, they'll have to have car seats that fit them (i.e. fasten by lap belt only) so if you don't have those you'll have to buy them too - more expense!

I say if they'll fit in the bassinets, follow Ghosty's advice and get them. DD was very happy in her own seat, but the cost (faints)

ghosty · 10/03/2006 08:42

georginarf ... why do they NEED to have car seats? Never heard of needing a car seat for a plane ....

Did you have a nice time in NZ? Where did you go? Don't talk to me about AirNZ ... can't stand them ... won't fly with them to the UK ever again if I can help it (but like yours, that is another story .... Smile)

Original poster
harrogatemum · 10/03/2006 08:54

yes - I dont understand this thing about the car seat either...I just wanted an extra seat not for take off and landing etc but for the middle 14 hours when they might have a sleep - if they sat on one seat together in between us, they could lean on a parent each - why would they need to be in a car seat - bearing in mind that if we didnt buy a seat they would be either on the floor or running up and down the aisle......aaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhh

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ghosty · 10/03/2006 08:59

Just to point out to you harrogatemum, they won't let children sleep on the floor on aeroplanes ... safet hazard apparently. So please don't think that if you don't have a seat it will be ok they can sleep on the floor.
We tried that with DS years ago and were severely told off by the steward ... Sad
I know it is expensive but I really would urge you to get a seat ... even if it is just one for them to share ... that way you will get the three seats together on the window side of the aisle and you can have the twins climbing all over you ... but if you have another traveller there with you that will add to the stress of having to keep them still and quiet (which is a nightmare on a longhaul flight with toddlers).

HandbagAddiction · 10/03/2006 09:22

I also don't understand the car seat thing as for all children under two, you have to have them sitting on your knee with a lap belt for take-off and landing whether you've reserved them an extra seat or not. We have previously spent money of an extra seat for dd when she was just 12 months old and for a 4 hour trip to Turkey. Money well spent in my book as it gave us lots of flexibility and was just more comfortable. For a 12 hour trip to Singapore I wouldn't even consider not buying at least one extra seat in spite of the cost.

Some friends of ours - also on the same trip to Turkey with a 1 year old - took a car seat for their baby to sleep in on the flight but still had to have the baby on their knee for take-off and landing.

georginarf · 10/03/2006 09:22

they won't let 18 months olds sit in their own seat without a car seat I think - I may be wrong but I'd be suprised if they allowed it...
we only went AirNZ as no seats left on Singapore by the time we booked

We were in ChCH Ghosty and we had a lovely time staying with my parents. We decided to move over there later this year Grin

georginarf · 10/03/2006 09:24

oh and DD sat in the car seat for takeoff and landing not on my knee

bloody confusing isn't it!

ghosty · 10/03/2006 09:25

DD was 16 months and no one mentioned a car seat ... I know my friends travelled with a car seat but their baby was 8 months or so ... so that was different. I couldn't have lugged a car seat around airports if I tried ....

I remember now that you are moving! Good on ya mate!!! Smile

eidsvold · 10/03/2006 09:36

we had the car seat for the trip out to Aus - only cause we were moving here and it was easier to bring her own than to race around and buy a new one etc when we arrived. WIth singapore she was in the car seat on take off and landing... rest of the time - in her seat asleep or in the skycot. IT certainly wasn't a requirement as such and in fact so few people must do it as the cabin crew could not agree where she could sit.... could not have car seat in certain rows.

if you purchased one seat and asked for a sky cot - the dts could take it in turns to sit in the seat and the cot etc..... and you would get the bulkhead on the side then iyswim.

Original poster
harrogatemum · 10/03/2006 09:42

god how confusing is it? I dont want to have to take a car seat with me. I am leaning more and more towards spending the extra money on a seat but worry now that at check in they will tell me I should have a car seat with me. Anyone know the definitive answer?

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georginarf · 10/03/2006 09:45

I think you'll have to ask Singapore Air because it looks to me as though, as ever, they all have different rules just to make it all extra difficult and hassley. if you don't need car seats, then booking one seat would do the trick, also trying for a bassinet as well (as Eidsvold says)

I think we could just about have coped just to Singapore though with DD on our laps. Although she never sleeps on me IYSWIM, she did at one point on the way to NZ because she was so knackered. Medised, that's my advice!

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