Travel Bassinet for 12 month old for flight?

[Anotheronetwoone]

Hi all,

flying to US with baby and I’ve been looking for a portable bassinet to put baby in to sleep. Has anyone seen anything like this for an older baby? I can’t find anything except bassinets for 0-6 months!

thanks

You won’t get a bassinet for a baby that size and they will be above the weight limit for a sky cot. my baby was spilling out at 8 months.

you can get inflatable seat extenders, where they can stretch their legs out as to go on the seat more easily.
check on Amazon. most airlines let You use them. stokke makes a child suitcase designed to do the same thing.

Thanks @GoldenCagedBird this could explain why all my googling hasn’t been able to find one! I'll look up those extenders.

We do have a bassinet seat booked for the way home - I didn’t realise she would probebly be too big for it. That’s annoying! It’s a night flight both ways so was hoping she would sleep during it without having to be in my arms

Tbh I posted in haste- the weight limit for the sky cot is 11kg but my 9kg baby looked massive in it. Your baby may still be able to travel if they are under the weight limit.

Depends what airline. Singapore airlines is a 14kg limit. They had wider ones and skinny one. My 75th percentile 16 month old slept in it (he asked to) he just curled up. The one next to us was a skinny bassinet and it had a very small 22 month old in it.

They would also need to have their own seat to use a seat extender

Following as I have a 27 hour travel with a 1 year old. My dilemma is:

• to fly business and have 2x seats for me and DH and a baby bassinet OR
• buy 3x economy seats and get an extended do the 1yo

I don't mind the full bed for myself in business, I'm okay not to sleep.

@elodiesmith I’ve booked business class on way out but the airline doesn’t have bassinets so thats why I’ve been looking for a big enough Moses basket type thing in the hopes of putting baby in it to sleep at the bottom of my seat which would be reclined out (?) on the way home we are economy with bassinet. I didn’t think about buying an extra seat for the way home and seat extenders. I didn’t know they were a thing!

Not all airlines let you use seat extenders. Do they like their car seat? You can take certain models of car seats on planes (obviously they would need a seat though!)

We flew with a 7 month old and there was only an inch top and bottom to spare when laid in it

I booked a bassinet once on BA and it was a cardboard box. So that's an idea.

I've flown a lot with my dc, always in economy and I've never had any room on the floor for anything other than my own feet.

@Anotheronetwoone yes of course you can buy 3 seats (2 parents and a little one). Find out if airline accepts extendable kids beds and the little one can sleep on that. Ideally you'll have a full row (3seats) to yourself. That's economy.

Business class always offer bassinets? Weird, What airline said no?

Yeah it’s a new plane @elodiesmith and they’ve stopped putting in bassinets due to something to do with the bulkhead! So that’s why I thought maybe extend my seat right out and pop her in a Moses basket type thing at the bottom. I’ll see if I can change our reservation from x2 adults plus bassinet to x3 seats. Plane is a 3 4 3 so would be our own row then. But will still need to sort something for the way out! Thanks for all the advice.

Good luck and please give us an update were travelling in July and deciding whether to get 1x business + 2x economy or just 3x economy. Or 2x business

The business class flat beds are really skinny at the bottom and only just long enough for an adult, I don’t see how you would get a moses basket in and then you as well. If you’re going BA they have like an oversized baby bouncer thing (looks like the baby bjorn chair) that will comfortably fit a child of up to about 18 months. If they can’t go do bassinets in business on that aircraft then I’d go premium economy and book as bassinet so you can use that. Alternatively go economy, buy a third seat and whilst you’re unlikely to be allowed an extender, you can lift up the armrests up to stretch baby out between you.

The other thing you could do is get one of those backpacks that extend to have a travel cot and lie that down on the floor under your feet if you sit with your feet up.

tbh I would be 100% buying a 3rd seat regardless! It’s a pain having my 1 year old on my lap for a flight to Spain!

We flew to Australia via Singapore with our 1 year old over Christmas, we booked the bassinet but didn't use it at all. It was useless and too small. We just had her on the lap when she slept and the rest of the time sat with her on the floor outside the toilets.

I would however on those long haul flights with a toddler still book the bassinet seat or at least a seat nearby for the sole reason there tends to be other young children (and their parents also crazy/stupid enough to fly 24+ hours with a toddler) around and they can to some extent keep each other entertained.

Seems like it's very airline dependent re bassinet size and usability. My only tip was even if the child doesn't use the bassinet it was incredibly handy to put toys/ food etc in.

I don't know of any airline where they will let your child sit at your feet (on the ground). Assume sharing a business class bed is different. Every time my toddler went down there somewhere appeared to tell us off (Singapore airlines).

Travelled business class BA last September and the space available was restrictive the seat when reclined filled the whole cubicle and there was a tiny little window between mine and DP's seat so pretty useless. I'd go for premium economy / economy with a bassinet if you can get one.

'The business class flat beds are really skinny at the bottom and only just long enough for an adult'

Not true @FlounderingFruitcake - Singapore airlines are very wide and leave no gaps in the front/feet - it's a full bed.
DS slept in the bed (7 months) whilst I scrunched up at the feet area and slept

@Münchner China airlines have great bassinets in business class - looks like a coffin but very comfy like a built in bed. DS slept the whole overnight flight in it.
Also sat there playing, whilst DH and I had our meals.

So it really depends on the airline.

Another airline (I think it was Garuda) didn't allow bassinets over 6 months, even in business DS was 6 months 12 days so that was annoying.

Yes but OP’s going to the US so pretty sure she’s not going with Singapore Airlines, if only that was an option! I assumed it was BA or one of the US carriers that are nowhere near that good.

@FlounderingFruitcake I went to the US (New York and flew back out of LA) and that was Singapore airlines.

Airlines all differ. Some business class seats are slim at the legs, some not. Best to check with airline

I don't know if this still the case but when Dts were small ten years ago and we were flying long haul younger babies got priority for the bassinet seats even if you book first so worth checking with airline