Etihad and Bassinet

[KWordy]

Can anyone tell me of their experiences flying with Etihad and requiring a Bassinet for their little one?

We are a family of four travelling to Brisbane in December and I'm feeling anxious that we might not all get seated together. I was advised by Etihad that we do not need to pre-select our seats and that these will be allocated to us when we check in. I'm worried we could be seated separately if we don't pre-select seats.

How old is the little one; I ask only as bassinets tend to work better for newborns and very young babies rather than say for a child coming up to a year old.

Are you all UK citizens or Australian citizens?.

I ask only as entry to Australia is closed, except for Australian citizens and permanent residents or those with an exemption. All travellers entering Australia need to undertake a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a designated facility (for example a hotel) at their port of arrival. Australian citizens, including dual nationals, and permanent residents need an exemption to leave Australia unless ordinarily resident in a country outside of Australia.

Our daughter is just coming up a year old. So she will be 14 month when we fly. I had heard they are quite strict on how big baby is but I know she is in the correct age bracket still. The trouble is our daughter prefers her own space to sleep. Much orders to sleep in her cot than on someone's lap!!

We hold PR visas and have checked and we are able to travel. We are moving back there from UK.

Regarding our seats - I'm thinking I may booked our set of seats together to ensure we have something secured to all be together and then play the whole bassinet thing by ear upon checking in and if we can all sit together, in an area where a bassinet can be placed then we will amend our seating then!!

Fair enough re your visas.

Your daughter will likely be too tall to fit comfortably into their bassinet and weight is also a consideration (the weight limit for their bassinets is 11kg). IIRC bassinets cannot be placed on the floor of the aircraft and have to remain on the table. I would book 4 seats together or as 2 x 2 seating.

Safe journey back.

14 months is too big for a bassinet. Even if you book it a smaller baby will take priority. She will probably be over the weight limit.

I've had a bassinet for my dd on Etihad but she was a baby. I don't think a 14mth old would fit in a bassinet tbh and they would prioritise babies for these seats

Just checked and the recommended age limit for bassinet use on international flights iseight months. The weight limit is 11kg (25lbs).

Thank you all for your replies. It would have been nice for Etihad to have advised me when talking on the phone to them that she would probably be too old for them. Seeing as they have her age on the booking!

I'll go with it and have her on my lap. Can't afford to pay for another seat for her. It's cost a small fortunate as it is!! Thank goodness it's just the one way!! 😆

Have you booked already? Just that Air New Zealand have 'skycouch' in economy that fold into beds so maybe an option for you.

I think emirates are more generous with bassinet size too if I remember rightly. Flew back from NZ to Europe with them when my daughter was 13 months and she slept in there. She's small for her age though.

Ive flown a lot with toddlers long haul though and honestly mostly used bassinet for holding all the crap they accumulated (toys, blankets, nappies etc). What was most useful was the space at the bulkhead. Means they can play at your feet and therefore out of the way of cabin crew/other travellers. So even if you can't get bassinet or afford extra seat, try and get bulkhead if possible would be my suggestion.

@Mylittlepony374

Have you booked already? Just that Air New Zealand have 'skycouch' in economy that fold into beds so maybe an option for you.

I think emirates are more generous with bassinet size too if I remember rightly. Flew back from NZ to Europe with them when my daughter was 13 months and she slept in there. She's small for her age though.

Ive flown a lot with toddlers long haul though and honestly mostly used bassinet for holding all the crap they accumulated (toys, blankets, nappies etc). What was most useful was the space at the bulkhead. Means they can play at your feet and therefore out of the way of cabin crew/other travellers. So even if you can't get bassinet or afford extra seat, try and get bulkhead if possible would be my suggestion.

Sorry for slow reply.

Yes we have booked!! Hadn't heard of that airline before. However I have now come round to the fact that a bassinet is quite likely not going to work or be possible. I'll just try my best to relax and hope the flight isn't too bad a journey and take whatever I can to try and entertain our little one. We have booked three seats of the four in the middle aisle. You never know.....we could get really lucky and have an empty seat next to us to lay her on. I'll just have to go with it and deal with whatever happens.

Not Etihad but I've been Emirates with a 15 month old and she still was ok in a bassinet. Normally if you've stated you need one they automatically place you front row as that's where they slot in. So I'd just clarify if you have a bassinet and are all together then if will be fine!

(Caveat this with I spent half the flight holding onto my daughters ankles whilst she stood in the bassinet waving at the rest of the flight 🤦🏻‍♀️)

@jakeyboy1

Not Etihad but I've been Emirates with a 15 month old and she still was ok in a bassinet. Normally if you've stated you need one they automatically place you front row as that's where they slot in. So I'd just clarify if you have a bassinet and are all together then if will be fine!

(Caveat this with I spent half the flight holding onto my daughters ankles whilst she stood in the bassinet waving at the rest of the flight 🤦🏻‍♀️)

Wish I was flying with Emirates. That's who I usually fly with but unfortunately they don't seem to be flying at the moment. Or if they are it's all booked up until February.

All I can do is wait till I'm checking in I suppose and go with whatever happens. As long as we get there safely that the important thing.

Haha the comment at the end tickled me.

Sorry just re-visiting this thread for another question I have......if I was to book an extra seat for my one year old is a car seat required for her to sit in or can just just be on my lap for take off and land and then sit in her own seat without a car seat?

I think for take off and landing she'll need to be on your lap with a seat belt extender.

I haven't flown Etihad but I'm fairly certain with young kids you'll all be placed together.

I've done that flight numerous times and I would always buy that extra seat. It's a shitting long journey and you want to make it as comfortable as you can.

Where are you flying into?

I'm sure you know this, but it's highly likely you'll get bumped a few times with your flights as there's a cap to the amount of arrivals Aus is accepting and airlines are bumping economy class for business class passengers for more $$.

My thoughts exactly about that long flight and thinking it's a good idea to try and get that extra seat. Don't think our car seat is FAA approved though having just had a quick google. But I'm sure she would settle on her own strapped in by the seatbelt but wasn't sure if she would only be allowed her own seat if she was in a car seat?

Well wanted to end up in Brisbane. However had an email yesterday to say the flight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane had been cancelled due to them currently not flying there. Therefore we have rebooked this morning to fly in to Sydney. We have deadlines to enter by February so to say I'm a little worried is an understatement. But...have to try and remain positive...by hook or by crook I will get us there! Lol.