first time flyer - short haul with 4 MO - am I mad?? tips please

[rollercoaster1]

hi, in a moment of madness I booked an easyjet flight to ireland. Travelling alone wit my 4 MO. starting to panic about the prospect of getting travel system (car seat/buggy) from a-b along with case and baby. Anyone travelled easyjet with baby. would you recommend checking in pram and car seat and carrying baby in sling or keeping travel system until departure gate? Also dreading idea of having to BF on a cramped plane. Any tips or advice welcome!

You'll be absolutely fine.

I'm not sure what the rules are about car seats, I'd suspect that you are not allowed to bring them on the plane unless you buy a seat for your baby.

However you are definitely allowed to bring pram to the steps of the airplane and then rescue it from luggage afterwards. That might be a bit of a walk though so I would probably bring the sling as well just in case. If you are a sling expert it may be just as easy to check the travel system in and do it just with that.

I wouldn't worry about the BF. People will go out of their way not to sit beside you once they see you have a small and potentially loud baby . I have found though that people are helpful when you are on your own and will hold on to things for you if required.

thanks rookiemater, appreciate that! Think I will probably end up checking the whole thing in to save myself trying to get it through security, on and off conveyor belts and down steps etc My friend gave me one of those baby bijorn carriers and my DS seems to nod off the minute hes in it! Maybe will get a row of seats to myself for first time ever on plane thanks to DS

you will be fine. Easyjet are surprisingly good with parents with small children. I'd do with the sling if you can, because there may well be steps to negotiate. I remember abbout three flights of stairs en route to our easyjet flight.
If you are worried about bf on the place, take a pashmina or somethign that you can drape aroudn you a bit to give you a little more privacy.

Sling is definately the way to go and if your buggy is lightweight then take it just so you dont have to carry your hand luggage about, as soon as you arrive at the airport get a trolley and pile everything including folded up buggy, if they call the flight and havnt boarded children first go to the front of the queue and ask if they normally board small children first.

you will be fine, much easier than with an older mobile child!

check in the travel system and take the sling, also lots of nappies and clothes (on her first flight dd got through two outfits and I got through two tops)

and IME people much prefer a quiet bfing baby than a screaming one you are too embarrassed to feed. Feeding during takeoff and landing is a good way to help equalise the pressure and stop their ears hurting, too.

NB does dd have a passport? If not get cracking as it can take a while

God - passport!! I was told babies dont need ID, am i right?? If not Im in trouble! Thanks for all the fab tips above girls, Feeling better already

Babies do need a passport. We travelled with both DCs when they were 12 weeks old and both required a 5 year passport (they have to renew after 5 years to update their photo.....tbh I think it should be more frequently since I am not certain that even I would have recognised the baby passport photos for the 5 year old that they were the last time they used them!)

Just wondering, what happens at security when you go through with a sling? Do they make you remove the sling to pass through the detector gate thing (get me.....so technical!)?

I would definitely agree with others with regard to checking in travel system. It's fine on the way to the plane but then you end up walking miles to baggage reclaim at the other end to pick it up, with baby in your arms, along with everything else you've taken on the flight.

babies def need a passport for international flights - get on the case

I was never asked to take the sling off or dd out going through the security arches but it was a cloth wrap one, not a Bjorn type full of buckles etc. Be prepared to do so in case they ask (which they are within their rights to do, even if they're alseep)

have just checked out easyjet terms of carriage and kids under 16 dont need photo id for domestic flights (Im going luton to belfast so thats ok) - phew! Will have to get on the case for holidays later in the year though!

aha NI is ok
I was thinking you meant Eire

we did an 11 hour flight at 3.5 months so this should be a piece of cake. (and 11 hours truly was fine too.)

we were able to bring the buggy up to the gate but had a sling too. (and needed it on the first leg, because they had to put the buggy in the hold.)

hi chandellina - wow! You were really brave! Until now my 4MO has just about made it with me to the lcoal sainsburys and the odd baby group so the short flight to ireland is a bit of an adventure but Im feeling encouraged by the messages on here - we will survive!

Hi Rollercoaster!
You'll be grand! My DS is now 9 months and we've flown over to Ireland to visit my parents quite frequently (just the two of us). First trip when he was 8 weeks old.

Not sure about easyjet & passport, but I've only ever needed his birth cert with Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Aer Arann. It was checked at Dublin Airport Passport control, but we've never been checked at either Shannon or Cork.

I always found it easier to have DS in travel system right to door of the plane. Mine is one where the car seat clips into the pushchair, so when we get to the steps of the plane, I take car seat off (with DS still in it), leave that on tarmac while I fold the wheels, then take DS out of car seat and on we go! (first time we travelled, I had him in sling which was really handy but with a bad back I couldn't carry him for long so it was great having travel system)

Staff are always really helpful especially if you're travelling alone with baby. Don't be shy about asking cabin crew to hold baby while you fold/unfold buggy, and even getting yourself settled in your seat.
They're usually delighted to get a cuddle of a baby! and don't forget, there's usually lifts at the departure gates for disabled passengers. They'll leave it at the bottom of the steps again when you land, which is great for getting to baggage reclaim (and it means you're not trying to pull case, car seat and buggy off the belt while holding baby, and if you're flying into Dublin, there can be a huge queue at passport control so you may have to wait for a while - again not an issue if you're ok holding baby and changing bag etc for that long)

My travel system also is one with two handles rather than one straight bar, this is also great if you've got a case on wheels with a pull-up handle. Just hook it over one of the pushchair handles and off you go...no need for an airport trolley!

Sorry that was a bit long-winded! But hope it helps! If you need any advice re Ireland etc, just ask!

hi there thankls a million for taking the time to write re Travels system and flights etc. You sound like you have it all sorted! Its funny the things you find to worry about first time! I wondered if taking the TS to the plane would be a bit tricky esp at security - do they make you dismantle it and put it through conveyor belt security thing? Was thinking it might be easier with wee man in a baby carrier? Also another silly question - does a TS that breaks down into car seat and wheels count as two pieces of hold luggage or one? Not sure with ryannair etc but with easyjet you pay separately for each piece of hold luggage. sorry for silly questions!