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Original poster

that long walk to passport control with a toddler and no pushchair

107 replies

bettya · 01/03/2015 12:26

Is it just me or is that walk from the plane to passport control with a toddler becoming more difficult. When she was tiny it was fine I could pick her up for the walk but now its getting almost impossible to pick her up and walk for more than a minute. Anybody else have the same problem and how do you cope? is there any way to get them to bring the pushchair to the plane door?

OP posts:
Waswondering · 01/03/2015 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Quangle · 01/03/2015 14:06

It's getting on for 1 km at Gatwick. That's a long way to carry several kils of baby and toddler.

myotherusernameisbetter · 01/03/2015 14:09

You must either be unfit or you have a giant toddler. I'm not the strongest woman on earth but I could still carry either or both of mine until they were about 4 and they were both big boys.

Quangle · 01/03/2015 14:14

Really? The journey I'm thinking of I probably had 25 kilos worth of children to carry - one sick - plus bags. I don't want to carry that for a mile! We do actually pay the airports for a service and on this they don't deliver IMHO.

BuildYourOwnSnowman · 01/03/2015 14:15

I can carry a child no problem. It's all the bags that are the problem!

yearofthegoat · 01/03/2015 14:17

Could you book a wheelchair to meet you so you could be pushed and have your little one on your knee? Or can you request a pick up in a buggy? It would be worth asking the airline/airport what facilities are available, they might be able to help.

OddFodd · 01/03/2015 14:20

A wheelchair Year? For an able bodied person?? Don't be ridiculous!

God that's made me really cross.

OP - get a trunki.

museumum · 01/03/2015 14:27

Packable sling - ours is a teavel boba but there are others too. It goes into a small pocket and can go on my front or back. It's the ONLY way I can stop ds from running riot in the crowds after being cooped up in a plane for a few hours. I just can't carry him when he wants down, it's like trying to carry a live fish! I keep him tucked tightly into the sling till after baggage reclaim.

BertieBotts · 01/03/2015 14:37

I give my 6 year old a piggy back occasionally Blush but it's tricky when you're trying to steer several bits of hand luggage too.

Oh - best tip. Take a backpack as hand luggage, still heavy, but once it's on you don't have to worry about it and then have both hands free for rampaging toddler.

Lagoonablue · 01/03/2015 14:40

Hippychick hip seat

MissWimpyDimple · 01/03/2015 14:56

I remember this nightmare very well! Tired grumpy 2y.o and luggage. And yes it's really really far!

I had a hippy chick seat which helped a bit, a trunki which was ok when it worked, nightmare to carry when it didn't.

I got wise to taking coats off and packing them in hold luggage and wearing a backpack.

I'm glad it's over!

Longdistance · 01/03/2015 15:02

At Heathrow I hopped onto the little car that takes the wheelchair passengers. I did t ask for it, but was politely offered a ride. I had dds 15mo and 2.9 at the time.

Think it depends on the airport more, than the airline. Not many, if any will let you take a buggy onboard. Also true for collecting buggies at the other end. Depends on the airport and its layout.

Lilliana · 01/03/2015 15:09

We have just got back off holiday and had our pushchair at the plane door both ways. We were the last off though and other pushchairs had been left and were being taken to baggage claim so I guess the parents left the plane before the chairs were brought to the door. Maybe hang on a bit as they don't come out of the same door you do so have to be carried around be someone. (Only know this as we saw the guy bringing them through a random door and we had to wait a while for him to come back with the next one!)

Lilliana · 01/03/2015 15:12

This was Heathrow btw

Rhianna1980 · 01/03/2015 15:23

I got a baby Bjorn carrier called One, I used it when we travelled . It's supposed to last till the child is 3. It's brilliant.

climbing · 01/03/2015 16:25

I fucking knew someone would suggest a wheelchair at some point.... Angry

NickiFury · 01/03/2015 16:27

They always took buggies on the plane when mine were little. They'd be waiting on the Tarmac or by the tunnel exit when you got off the plane. Do they not do that anymore?

mousmous · 01/03/2015 16:27

trunki
sling
hipster

Sunnyshine · 01/03/2015 16:37

Last time we went abroad we took a ring sling. . We just sat her in and wandered along. They are great and saved tired legs and moaning. She was well past toddler age too!

Sunnyshine · 01/03/2015 16:42

Not me but a stock picture. Says up to 35lb but we definitely used it way past that!

that long walk to passport control with a toddler and no pushchair
Artandco · 01/03/2015 16:49

Sling when small, then they just walk.

Always rucksack as hand luggage so no bags to drag or fall off arm.

And don't take loads, what are you all taking? We have x2 children, 1 year apart, and one rucksack has always been adequate for nappies/ snacks/ change clothes/ random stuff like kindle etc for x2 children and an adult. We have flown roughly twice a month since children were weeks old, both short and long haul.

anotherdayanothersquabble · 01/03/2015 18:04

I second the ergo baby. Comfortable back carrying position. Take a rucksack as your hand luggage and put that on your front.

I can't see how but I have a vague recollection of taking a scooter on one trip though can't see how that would fit in hand luggage.

This phase doesn't last forever but it is a pain!

Worst memory, three kids, 6, 4 and 2, three trunkies (sold shortly afterwards!!) plus my rucksack, transiting from terminal one to five at Heathrow. Never repeated and the trunkies never made another trip!! Lovely fellow passengers and ground staff at T5 helped.

bonzo77 · 01/03/2015 18:12

There are a lot of sanctimonious, non-empathising twats on here!

Yes, the walk is a night mare. A sling is a godsend In these circumstances. Sling on back, backpack on front plus bum bag for purse, passport etc

myotherusernameisbetter · 01/03/2015 18:33

I don't know what is sanctimonious - put backpack on back, pick up toddler and walk.

Biggest non issue ever - if they are too heavy then take their hand and walk them.

Quangle · 01/03/2015 18:41

myotheruser single parent, one large baby, one vomiting toddler, one changing bag, one cabin bag, one mile to walk. Why is it hard to accept that that's hard to manage. It was five years ago now and I still remember that awful journey. As I said upthread, airports are paid by us to provide a service and in his they don't.