HELP. ADVICE NEEDED AGAIN....AIR TRAVEL.....

[charlie95]

sorry ot be a nuisance but i'm worrying now ;

flying to lesvos nxt wk.

been told by friend that when she went to greece with baby, she wasnt allowed to pack the baby milk & food she took with her in her luggage. therefore had to unpack in the airport , transfer some of this into hand luggage and even had to leave some stuff behind.

is this always the case ?

why can't airlines be baby/family friendly ?

there must be hundreds of people who travel all the time that NEED to take baby food/milk with them because you dont know whats out there til you get there.

and how do YOU all manage with pushchairs on planes ? where do they go ? are they usually ok when you retrieve them in your destination ? are the airliners/airports ok about packing them ?

and why arent' babies alowed a luggage allowance ? or is it just me ?

PLEASE HELP. TRY TO BE SYMPATHETIC. THIS IS ALL NEW TO US. NEVER BEEN BEFORE.

i cant even get through to the airline company to clarify these things.

ps travelling with first choice airways

I can't think why your friend had to unpack milk and food - was it dried milk? Maybe it was too heavy?
Check the ailines website and see if it says anyhting.
Babies don't get a luggage allowance because you aren't paying for their ticket, or the full price for a seat.
They will take your buggy from you either at the boarding gate or as you get on the plane. It will re-appear on the baggage carousel, and may well be a bit squashed / grubby, but most survive.

You will be fine!

Not allowed baby milk in suitcase?? Ok...now i am worried too

If customs pull me over it will be for the cocaine-look-a-like bag of washing powder i have stuck in a food bag ....

Pushchairs usually go with you up to boarding the plane, and should be specifically tagged at check in, and then get folded and put in hold. When you fold it make sure you don't leave any clips or straps loose, which could be used to handle it or get caught, and you can get a special bag for many models but we've not had any problem with just a folded stroller . Whether you can reclaim it before the baggage reclaim carousels the other end depends on which airport you are going to and the airline.(We've had probelms at Gatwick). If you disembark on the tarmac rather than dock at the terminal, you could wait by the plane until they offload it (should be among first out of the hold). You may want to take a carrier though , in case you can't get it until the baggage hall and have to walk a way first. Babies don't get an allowance as such as you don't pay for a seat for them but you can normally take equipment with no excess charge. You can normally take extra bags just not extra weight, and we have always found it quite adequate, although some budget airlines are more limited now. Have you checked the details fo your airline on line ?

Not sure about baby food and milk. We never had a problem but during the Foot and Mouth outbreaks a few years back some countries were fussier.

Info re: baggage \link{http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/info/travelinfo/flyingbaggage.html#infant\here}. 20kg per adult plus a pushchair, no mention of food stuffs being not allowed in baggage but you could check with Customs. Also \link{http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/info/travelinfo/flyingchildren.html\re: flying with kids}. hth

thanks guys - feel bit better about pushchair now, although we thought we could strap packet of nappies within it ???!! using a big strong luggage strap.??

I'm sure you could buy nappies out there ,doubt they'll survive with the pushchair, just take enough for a day or two. You may even be able to get them supplied by pre-ordering a Baby Pack.

thanks for that lizs - hadnt seen that on website.
silly me.

any experiences of taking baby milk ?

what about how you normally entertain kids on 4 hr flight ?
baby is 1 yr just - she wont even sit still 5 mins in highchair at the moment. son is 5 yrs.

I have three children and have flown regularly since DS1 was six weeks old and have never had any problems bringing baby stuff - what was the problem with the baby milk/food? It sounds to me like your friend's luggage was just too heavy so she was over her baggage allowance. There can be an issue about perishable food (meat, etc.) but in that case you just aren't allowed to carry it anyway, regardless of where you pack it. Of course people bring baby milk and food on holiday all the time as the same brands aren't always available. Some airlines are nice and you can collect your pushchair at the bottom of the steps when you get off the plane (very handy if it's miles to baggage reclaim) but do check when you hand it over - I have been known to wait at the bottom of the steps for ages and then be told the policy has changed and you have to get it from baggage reclaim. Also, don't panic if you can't see your buggy on the carousel - in some airports they come out from the "oversized luggage" hatch. As has been mentioned, make sure there are no dangling staps/toys etc. that can get caught, causing damage. When my babies were small enough I found it easier to carry them in a sling and check the pushchair in with the rest of my luggage. If you are flying with an airline that doesn't pre-allocate seats you can be left at the bottom of the steps trying to fold the buggy and juggle the baby while everyone pushes past!

my dd got a luggage allowance & she didn't have a seat. TA told us if we vrought a seat she would have it. Spoke to the airline & DD was entitled to an allowance. TA told us she wasn't as they wanted us to fork out for a seat to get more money. Airlines said that they don't always tell the truth.