long haul flight with 5 month old - advice please!

[cosmicdust]

We will be flying Dallas Texas - London (home for the holidays - yay!) with our ds who will be almost 5 months when we make the trip. We're fliying on BA.
This is the first time I've ever flown with a baby so I was hoping for some general advice.
Also I went on the BA website and it says something about providing travel cots or Britax rear facing seats that attach where the travel cots do. Any idea which would be better?
Should I take ds to the gate in his travel system buggy/car seat combo or use a front pack?
Thanks!

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o yes, i agree with the "death stares" advice. I was so nervous the first time i flew with ds (now 20 months) - silently begging him not to squeal and all anxious about other passengers tutting and muttering if he made too much noise. Now I just think bugger it, i've paid for my ticket just like everyone else and I've been on plenty of flights where children cried. If he cries now i just concern myself with soothing him instead of getting into a flap worrying about other passengers.

i've always taken the pram with me - and sometimes i've asked the crew to take it onboard the plane at the door (sometimes they are happy to stow it with crew coats and bags, sometimes not) - makes such a difference as plenty of times they haven't brought the pram to the plane door on arrival (ask for a ticket saying "aircraft side delivery" at check-in) and i've had to lug ds and my overstuffed hand baggage for what seemed like miles at heathrow to baggage reclaim.

It won't be as bad as you think

Watch the look of horror on the faces of other passengers as you check-in and board. Its a few hours out of their lives, they'll get over it! Be considerate but ignore the tutting.

When I have flown long-haul with a baby we had a bassinet. They could sleep in it and play in it. DS2 spent most of our flight to Australia sitting up waving at people at 10 months old (not so great during the 'night' part of the flight!).

When we first flew we had a nearly 2 yo and 10m old. Second time it was with a 5, 4 and 2 yo. Both trips were fine. The cabin staff will probably be happy to take the baby off for a walk if they see you need a break.

I don't know the rules for the travel system, my understanding is that umbrella fold buggies can be handed over when you board.

HTH and good luck

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Thanks for the advice! I phoned BA yesterday and got the cots ordered. Looks like there'll be at least 3 babies on the flight home so maybe it won't be ds who keeps everyone up. My dh will be with me, so that will really help.

BA were just lovely to me when took dd alone on flight - but agree re asking early for bassinet etc. Out of interest -how old do they have to be before these are of no use? dd flying to S. Africa when she'll be one so not sure if by that point we'll be beyond point of it being much use.

also ask if they can give you a little flight book - they log all yoru los flights and get captain to sign it (so nice little keepsake for her)

as for wankers who have a go, never mind them its the poor parents who suffer most if dc have been kicking off all flight...

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thanks christiana will do - although she is content to sleep monkey style on me, not sure I'm that happy with that as a solution for 10 hours...

Drink heavily.

Use a sling (something like a Coorie which is easily put on and off and doubles as a blanket/changemat/all sorts)

Do not expect to be able to put him down.

Pack a change bag plus a small bag which you can stock with wipes, 1 nappy and a nappy sack so you're not trying to man handle a change bag and a bay along the aisles and into the tiny toilet.

[experienced sigh]

The sling means you can cuddle your baby hands free during the flight and also so she won't fall off you if you both fall asleep at any time.

re: the cot.

They usually say you can 'request' a cot, not book one and have it guarenteed as such (IME). Personally I call a couple of weeks before, then a week before, on the day, oh, and mention it at check-in too!

Take a change of clothes on board for yourself & hubby too.

When dh & I made the flight from Heathrow - Singapore [on way to Australia] dd vomitted all over dh. Luckily I had packed spares & he didn't have to sit in sick soaked clothes! [This is after he insisted it would be a waste of hand luggage to take spare clothes]

Take more spares for baby than you think you will need.

Get used to changing nappies in confinded spaces!

And to follow on from Ohforfoxsake, make sure you get their well in time for booking in, mmore of a chance to get that skycot!

o yes, do bring a change of clothes for you all

ds has been sick over me and dh many times

the first time i didn't have spare clothes for dh and he had to sit through the flight looking like an extra from Miami Vice in his white vest and black leather jacket (complete with the gold cross he normally wears inside his clothes but was clearly on view). still, it amused me for a good few hours

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Has anyone ever flown with Virgin? Im guessing its the same deal with the basinette thing but just wondered if anyone had experience of them. Also what happens now with bottles, we're going to Japan and I would like to take 3 made up bottles of formula and a jar of food.....very confused!!!

I haven't taken a baby on Virgin but I have seen the skycot thing in action when I flew with them. In this case it clipped onto the front row in Premier Class. They heated up stuff for the baby and were generally very helpful, as far as I could tell. The baby cried a bit but the attitude of most people was 'we were all babies once'. One or two people tutted mildly, but they would have tutted at anything, I imagine.

You can take baby milk through security if you are prepared to sample it yourself in front of the security person.

Thankyou thats very helpful :0