The Travelin’ Two-Year-Old

I received a lovely email recently from Judy, who will be flying with a toddler soon to Florida. And it worked out that she’ll be flying solo with her toddler daughter, and their travel day will include a fairly long layover:

My daughter and I will be traveling to Fort Myers via a 4+ hour layover in Chicago this February (my husband is following two days later and flying home a different route). My daughter and I are on comp tickets that we won at my husband’s Christmas party last year and it was too expensive for him to get the same flight (especially with seat sales available!). I’m a tad worried about flying with an opinionated two-year-old & how do I keep her entertained for eleven or so hours?

Well, Judy, flying with a toddler is work. This will be a very long and tiring day for the both of you, and you have a number of things working against you, but also a lot in your favour!

She’s two. Which means she gets her own seat and also her own luggage allowance. But because she’s two, ultimately you will be the one shouldering the luggage when she’s tired of “helping”.

If you haven’t got one already, invest in a cute toddler-sized wheeled luggage bag (I love the new ones from Skip Hop). Make sure it has a shoulder strap so that you can manage it easily when she no longer wishes to pull it. You can get her excited about the trip by allowing her to pack a lot for herself – Bub loved packing his woobie and a few toys, and I did a final once over to ensure there was nothing to trigger alarm bells and include a few extras. Make sure there’s a variety of activities – coloring books and crayons, a travel etch-a-sketch (more popular than you might think). If you have a tablet, bring it. This stays in your bag, of course, but if you have a number of low-tech toys mixed in with some new apps, movies, and/or shows, cycling between them will help pass the time. During your four-hour layover, never underestimate the power of a movator. When we had a five-hour delay at Orlando airport, the many movators saved us. Seriously.

She’s two. Which means she’s probably eating and having snacks at fairly regular times. But because she’s two, she probably gets super cranky when she’s hungry. Arm yourself with snacks. Obviously the healthier and lower-in-sugar the better, but don’t be afraid of packing a few reward/bribe foods. You can re-enter the race for Mother Of The Year when you get back

She’s two. Which means she is probably still napping. But because she’s two, she probably often resists her nap, resulting in a grumpy afternoon for the both of you! In a perfect world she’ll nap at some point during your journey. Make it easy for her to do so by making sure you have everything she would usually have with her for a nap (blankie, binky, etc.) and my friend Lianne from Sprout Right recommends oatmeal to help toddlers sleep on planes.

To make life easier for yourself, make sure you can manage your carry-ons yourself – either with her in the stroller or not (you’re bringing a stroller, right?!) When I flew solo with my five-year-old and 20-month-old, I had my system figured out with shoulder bags, car seat strapped to rolling suitcase, booster seat and diaper bag in stroller basket, and Bub strapped into the stroller even if he was not entirely thrilled about it! Make sure you have at least one new outfit for each of you, and wear comfortable clothes that you know will stay that way throughout the day. On my solo journey with both kids I wore a pair of new jeans that felt great and fit like a glove. Except after a few hours of wearing them they stretched out so they were continually falling down. Since I had my hands full, I had trouble yanking them up. A lot of people saw my bum that morning…

My motto with almost everything parent is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. You might be surprised at well things go! Aside from a barf-o-rama episode on the plane, our day went fairly smoothly and we all gained new confidence and respect for one another since it was just us with no Dada to swoop in and save the day. Due to the aforementioned barf-o-rama, our first stop at Disney’s Polynesian Resort was the laundromat instead of Magic Kingdom, but by the time we got the castle we all smelled a bit better.

Have a fabulous vacation with your family, I know you and your daughter will rock your flights!

The post Q&A – Flying With A Toddler Solo And Surviving A Long Layover appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

I Got This…

Flying with toddlers – the very thought of it is probably the single biggest stress that families cope with when they’re considering a family vacation. And as even the most-traveled families will tell you, once a kid hits two, all bets are off. Although for us *three was the new two* in a lot of cases, I’m actually quite proud to say that we have not once been kicked off a flight, that in spite of a mid-flight barf-o-rama and the odd airplane toilet drama, we’ve made it through our years of flying with toddlers relatively unscathed. I say relatively, since on our last flight when Bub was just-turned-three (so technically a preschooler, not matter how much that hurts to say!) he threw a full-on, screaming red-faced tantrum. Dun dun dun.

Flying With Toddlers or Preschoolers…

I am pleased to say that we flew a fair amount with both our daughter and Bub during this age range, and for us (aforementioned whopper tantrum aside) it has been pretty painless. Now my kids have flown a lot, and that means they know what kind of behavior is expected on an airplane, and they know they’re on their way somewhere fun so they can manage to sit for a few hours. They also know they will be plied with treats and technology not usually forked over with such abandon. Needless to say, my kids actually like flying.

But my nephews didn’t go on their first trip until they were four and two. And the eldest was actually quite scared and the two-year-old was very two. That was a tough flight.

Biggest concerns:

Toddlers are busy. Bub was and is busy. He doesn’t sit still. He doesn’t like hearing no for an answer.  And though he’d flown well for all of our trips, I am not smug enough to think his unpredictability would not bite me in the behind. I didn’t want to be a Negative Nellie so I hoped for the best, and prepared for the worst – my typical parenting mantra, actually.

The reality:

So. The tantrum. THE tantrum. After an amazing week driving across Alberta and then attending a family wedding, Bub was tired – we all were. And as we boarded our 7am flight from Edmonton to Toronto, we took advantage of Air Canada’s family pre-board and headed on back to get settled. On the way out, Bub had the window seat, so the flight home meant it was his sister’s turn. But he wasn’t having it, nosiree! This was a screaming-hitting-kicking-knock the coffee out of my hand-frothing at the mouth-trying to pull my hair- kinda tantrum. And I was paralyzed. The flight attendant’s clipped and perfunctory, “Can I do anything?” didn’t help. In between trying to restrain him in his seat belt while avoiding getting knocked out by baby Balboa, I turned on the seat-back entertainment (thank you, Air Canada!!) And it was truly like a switch had been flipped – he immediately calmed down, put on his headphones, and watched The Wiggles. And thanks to the pre-board, none of our now boarding fellow passengers was the wiser, except maybe the other families on board who were thanking their lucky stars it wasn’t them! Bub slept for most of the flight. It was glorious.

I know *the tantrum* happened not really because he wanted the window seat, but because he was exhausted and the seat was the last straw.  Whether your toddler or preschooler has their own frequent flier account, or it’s their first flight, you have to approach flying in almost the same way you do with a younger baby. Follow the five Ts. Have an arsenal of snacks and treats and don’t be afraid to use them. Make sure they have something to eat or drink during take off and landing, and try to book flights for “sleepy” times. If you’re considering trying to dose your child with Benadryl or Gravol to make them drowsy, please consider some other options, or at least test it to know they won’t get hyper instead – it happens!  Embrace technology, but save it for last. Once the tech is out it’s hard to top.

He Was Born A Travelin’ Man…

Extra consideration:

If they’re inexperienced fliers, they will likely be very excited. But they might also be scared. Toddlers and preschoolers at this age understand enough to know that flying in a plane is not a natural state of affairs, and it might freak them out. And if they’re too excited, you run the risk of them being too excited – and impossible to reason with or sit still which will make an unpleasant first flight for both of you. Some advocate letting them run around at the gate to let them blow off steam before boarding. We have seven stitches in a (then) preschooler’s eyelid that tells us that’s not the right choice for our kids. Plus they’re tough to wind down. Keeping calm with stories and eye spy and watching the hustle and bustle on the jetway works better for our family.

You may consider buying some children’s books about flying – there are a couple of great ones out there and they offer the added bonus of also showing your child how they are expected to behave while en route. With both kids we did a lot of “Well, mommy and daddy and everyone else is wearing their seat belt, so you have to as well.” And also, “Please sit down and be quiet or you’re going to be in big trouble with the lady over there.” (Sorry, Flight Attendants – I know I am not the only parent who feels the pang of knowing my kids listen better to other people than they do to me. I take advantage of that at your expense )

And if you’re potty training? Trips to the bathroom take up a nice amount of time, and allow you to get up and stretch your legs. Make sure you have a change of clothes (or two) in case of accidents, and if you’re not that far into it – don’t be a martyr. Being in a pull-up for a travel day will help save your sanity, and won’t cause any appreciable regression towards your hard-fought toilet teachings. It WILL happen. Just try not to stress over any setbacks.

Toddlers and Preschoolers of this age are actually a lot of fun to travel with. They look ever-so cute pulling their own little carry-ons. And you know this kid now – inside and out. Make sure your bag is packed with enough to keep them fed, busy, and engaged, and you might actually enjoy your flights. Promise!

The post Flying With Baby… Travel Tips For Flying With Toddlers and Preschoolers appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Now KLM is deserving of their crown…

Have Baby Will Travel has been online for over five years, and while we’ve helped thousands of parents and family members with tips about flying with a baby, it’s always been via navigating existing policies regarding kids on planes. As much as I would love it if airlines would consult with traveling parents on what would actually make their lives easier, it never occurred to me that they would actually listen.

Then, last summer, Laurel booked a seat for her (then) 1-year-old son, H., on a KLM AMS-YYZ return flight. On the leg home, she was asked by the flight attendants to remove his car seat, since it interfered with the recline of the seat in front. After an exchange with KLM’s president that Laurel deemed unsatisfactory, she wrote to me, and I wrote a post detailing her ordeal, and wondered why KLM seemed to value a passenger’s comfort more than an infant’s safety. Ultimately Laurel was refunded the amount of baby H’s one-way airfare, which she felt was fair.

Then, in July, a Have Baby Will Travel Facebook friend pointed out that KLM’s  car seat policy had changed and directed me to a link on their website. The policy used to read online as:

If a seat has been reserved for your child, you may bring your own car/child seat aboard on the condition that it fits between the armrests of the aircraft seat (42 cm/16.5 inches). Only child seats that display no defects and that carry a visible seal of approval awarded by the European Union or an official government agency may be taken aboard.

Then it was changed to (emphasis mine):

If a seat has been reserved for your child, we recommend that you bring your own car/child seat (child restraint device) aboard on the condition that it fits between the armrests of the aircraft seat (42 cm/16.5 inches). Only forward facing child seats that display no defects and that carry a visible seal of approval awarded by the European Union or an official government agency may be taken aboard.

I wrote about KLM’s change to their car seat policy, and took that change to mean they were trying to avoid another incident such as Laurel’s – and I like to toot my own horn in thinking I had something to do with that. One problem, though, such a forward facing child seat simply does not exist for infants under a certain age and weight. And it’s not recommended to put a rear-facing car seat in a forward facing position – regardless if it’s on an aircraft.

Then something happened that surprised me. KLM responded via Twitter, and said that they would comply with car seat recommendations, and would change their policy accordingly.

KLM’s Response via Twitter…

Now all of this happened happened back in July. And there were times I thought that maybe KLM was just giving lip service to get me off their back. But yesterday I checked the website, and here is what it now says as KLM’s Car Seat Policy:

Car/child seats
If you have reserved a seat for your child, we recommend that you bring your own car/child seat (child restraint device) on board.

• The car/child seat must be able to fit between the armrests of the aircraft seat (42 cm/16.5 inches).
• Your child and the child seat need to be secured according to the seat manufacturer’s instructions.
• A child seats may show no defects and must carry a visible seal of approval for use on board an aircraft by the European Union or an official government agency.
• The use of a car/child seat must be reserved in advance. Please contact KLM Telephone Reservations or your local KLM ticket office.

Now, the fact that the use of a car seat has to be reserved may make work for the KLM staff, but what it does do is ensures the car seat can be used, and properly, and that the seat in front of the car seat will likely have the recline restricted, so not to book someone paying a premium end up there.

Seriously, in my opinion, WIN/WIN.

@hvbabywilltrvl At least, for now, you have an update on this. Thank you for helping us to improve our services

— Royal Dutch Airlines (@KLM) July 10, 2012

Rarely am I surprised. This surprised me. I’m also really proud that I, and my little website, had a hand in getting a major airline take a look at, and then revise their airline policies. I’ve never flown KLM, but now I wouldn’t hesitate to give them a try.

This was one small step for KLM, but one giant leap for traveling parents everywhere!

The post KLM Airlines Changes Its Car Seat Policy. Again. This Time For The Better… appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Really and truly the friendly skies!

Luckily for my friend Amanda, she had a MUCH better flying experience on British Airways then she did on a recent flight to Mexico, where her infant son almost lost his finger. I have VERY fond memories of flying BA pre-kids, and I’m delighted to see how family-friendly they appear to be. The travel with infant section of their website is extensive, and they even appear to offer a discounted fare for children! Crazy! I’m so happy that Amanda shared her story of flying British Airways with a baby, as we can all use some good flying-with-kids stories these days!

Travelling British Airways from Toronto to Heathrow, with a 5-year-old and a 23-month-old…

Armed with a bag full of snacks and toys, both mum and dad were more than a little stressed about a cross-Atlantic overnight flight. But we needn’t have been, flying with British Airways. From online check-in to picking up our pram and baggage, it really was a good experience. Sure we had a couple of meltdowns and sure we had to do a couple of walks around the plane, but this trip has made me less afraid of future travelling.

Pre-booking and online check-in…

British airways allows parents travelling with an infant to prebook seats, this ensured we were seated together and could pre-book the bulkhead with cot.
Online infant passport info cannot be completed until 24 hours before the flight, but online check-in 24 hours before was simple.

Baggage…

Paying Children are allowed the same Baggage allowance as adults, but single cases must not exceed 51lbs. We thought that we could get away with 2 suitcases slightly heavier and had to redistribute the weight. Infants are allowed a foldable pram and nappy bag.

Infant seat in the bulkhead of a British Airways 777

Cot and seats…

Now the cot. A simple tray folds down in front of the bulkhead seats and you have the choice of a bassinet or a seat for an infant. This is great when the little ones falls asleep, freeing up mum and dad to have dinner.  The bulk head seats also had a space for the kids to play.

Playing on board in the bulkhead area of a British Airways 777

Entertainment…

2 channels of kids movies and TV kept my 5-year-old entertained. Both kids also received a Paddington Bear backpack with activity kit.

Food…

Children’s meal. I have a picky eater, so the kids meal was perfect. Three sandwich selections, chicken nuggets , vegetables, rice, fruit, cheese, bread, yogurt, Ribena and a bag of Cadbury’s Buttons. There was so much food left over, my infant enjoyed some too! I was seriously impressed with the attention given to kids meals

Attendants…

The flight attendants were helpful and friendly, especially setting up the infant area. Not one complaint!

I’d fly British Airways again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the airline.

Isn’t it nice to hear of a good experience of flying with young children! And no need to hand out candies to your fellow passengers. Save that room in your carry-on for stuff for yourselves and your kids.

The post Flying British Airways With A Baby appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Adorable “wee” Jake on his vacation in Mexico…

The issue of armrests on a plane is sometimes a contentious one… Who gets dibs? Fortunately that’s usually not an issue when flying with an infant since in a perfect world the person beside you is either someone you’re related to or at least someone you know. But it appears as though the armrest is a serious airplane safety issue that could cause serious injury, instead of just being a source of potential conflict.

Back in February, my friend Amanda was flying to Mexico for a family vacation with her husband and their two beautiful boys – five-year-old Cam and (then) 16-month-old Jake. “Wee” Jake (he’s really not so wee!) had fallen asleep across Amanda’s lap, and in her email to me she also sent what she wrote to the airline:

I wanted to bring your attention, to a potentially serious situation. During the flight as my son was sleeping, his hand slid between my side and the arm rest. The armrest was up and unknown to me, the metal hinges were exposed. When the armrest was placed down, it trapped my sons finger guillotine style, which resulted in a deep cut. Had the arm been thumped down heavier, I’m almost sure the finger could have come off. We notified the attendants who offered band-aids, but really had no further interest in the situation.

The airline was Sunwing, and their lackadaisical response is kind of a bummer, especially since we have had such wonderful experiences with them on our flights to Cayo Santa Maria and Trinidad, Cuba. Not all flight crews are created equal, and sadly, not all customer service reps are either. Sunwing‘s Terri Hamilton responded to Amanda’s query, and I was cc’d on the correspondence (emphasis mine):

Please note that during Flight Attendant training, we advise our trainees that they should allow passengers to fasten their own seatbelt, open their own window shade, put their own armrest down, etc. Additionally, we always encourage infants to be secured, whether the seat belt sign is on or off during flight. Lying across the parent’s lap, although we are sure is more comfortable for the parent, is not the most secure for the infant (in the event of unexpected turbulence,) which unfortunately can happen. Little tiny fingers can easily fit into less visible areas on the aircraft that an adult may not even think twice about, which is why it is the recommended best practice if the infant remains in the seated, “burping” position or in an approved Child Restraint Device (i.e. car seat) during the flight.

Personally, I think Terri’s (and Sunwing’s) response is lame. You can read it in its entirety here. In Amanda’s reply to Terri she pointed out that you’re not going to hold an infant in the burping position for the duration of a flight – ANY length of flight. And I tried to clarify to Terri that, while it would have been nice if the flight attendants had shown some concern for an injured baby in their cabin, the real issue here is that the armrest is a potential safety hazard. Friends found a link to a similar incident on a Quantas 380. (I think it’s worthwhile to note that Sunwing did not respond to Amanda’s reply).

Embraer Armrest Hinge

Amanda first told me about this in March. The reason it’s taken so long for me to write about it is that Amanda and I have been doing a bit of “research” (ie intentionally pinching fingers in armrest hinges) on the myriad of flights we’ve taken over the past few months.

I flew Embraer aircrafts to Florida and back twice, and their armrest hinges were pretty flat with a weird rope thing. It looks kind of nasty with the screw stuck out like that, but I shut my finger in it a couple of times to test. If thumped down hard it certainly pinched, but don’t think it would sever.

A321 Armrest Up

On our most recent trip to Alberta and back, we flew Airbus aircrafts – a 321 and a 319. Both of them had metal armrest hinges that definitely pinched and hurt when I stuck my finger in and shut it, and maybe could have caused more damage if my finger was the size of an infant’s. When I first saw this I was certain that it was an Airbus issue, since the other case linked to above occurred on a 380 – another Airbus aircraft.

A Closer Look At The A321 Armrest Hinge

But I just had a look at Sunwing’s website, and their fleet is made up entirely of Boeings (eight 737-800 planes) – and I haven’t flown on a Boeing in a while.

Armrest Hinge on British Airways

Amanda recently flew to the UK via British Airways on a Boeing aircraft (see her review of British Airways coming up!) and took a picture of their hinges (and a fabulous manicure!) and noted that they also had “hinge” armrests, “although the ‘hinge’ part had less metal parts exposed  making it less guillotine like than Sunwing. We noticed that one of the armrests in front of the infant cot on the flight from London to Toronto (767 plane), wasn’t moveable at all (gave me a little relief!)”

Flybe Covered Armrest Hinge

While in the UK, Amanda and her family also flew a regional airline, Flybe, which has an Embraer fleet. Although her hinges were much nicer than mine!

I was so happy to see that although the Flybe planes had moveable armrests, the metal hinge parts had been covered by a plastic cover. How cool is that? Less chance little tiny infant fingers would be mauled by metal.

This incident has revealed that there is a definite safety issue here, and Amanda’s intent – both by coming to me and trying to correspond with Sunwing – is to prevent this from happening to another infant. Already we can determine that it’s happened to two babies, and that’s two too many in my books.

I queried both Airbus and Boeing to see if there’s something, anything, that can be done to protect little fingers, and I never heard back from either manufacturer. A quick search revealed at least 15 manufacturer of aircraft seats, but I have no way of knowing who made what seats for which aircraft. But now that we know this hazard exists, let’s take extra caution with the aircraft armrests when we’re flying with our children!

The post Beware The Aircraft Armrests When Flying With An Infant appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Bub in his Oobr

We always travel with car seats. Always.  And for our road trip across Alberta, I was pretty happy to road test the Clek Oobr booster seat, as Bub had just outgrown his trusty Scenera.

So I felt pretty good about our trip and the Oobr was great to travel with in spite of its size and weight, so then I wrote about it and the nice folks at Clek posted my review on their Facebook page.

And then I learned that I was doing it wrong. Quite wrong.

Although Bub was at the required weight for the Oobr, new regulations just passed meant, at three, he was too young to be in that seat – he needed to be four. So I wiped the egg off my face, and stopped to pick up Bub a new seat on the way home – an Evenflo Chase that reminded me of our Scenera in profile and weight.

BUT…

I also learned that when flying with car seats that a checked seat is considered a crashed seat. That makes sense, I guess,  considering the rough treatment our bags get. Have you ever seen this video?

So this means you shouldn’t check your car seat as luggage. According to to a document prepared by the CPSTs and CRSTs in the Car Seats For The Littles Facebook Page:

If you must check a carseat, put it in its original packaging with padding in the box. Or maybe another box with padding. And then gate check it (it’s far more convenient to use the seat on board than to drag a big box to the gate). All too often I see parents check their carseats at the ticket counter, wrapped in nothing but a plastic bag to keep the cover clean. The cover being clean at the other end is the least of the concerns. The worst thing that can happen is that a carseat arrives at the other end with damage that cannot be seen. The only way to find out that there’s damage is during or after a crash when the seat has failed.

I don’t think I know anyone who still has their car seat box. Or who is willing to drag a giant box through the airport in addition to their children, stroller, carry-on bags, etc.

Bub, Almost 11 Weeks…

So if you’ve purchased your baby or toddler a seat or they are over two, a lightweight seat like the Scenera or our new Chase can be bungee corded to one of your wheely carry-on bags and they are not too bulky or heavy to manoeuvre. Belt-positioning booster seats may not be used on planes, but if you don’t want to gate check they easily fit in the overhead bins of most aircraft.

Most CPSTs and CRSTs do not condone lap babies AT ALL. So they won’t give you any advice on gate checking car seats since they believe there is no reason to. However, both my children frequently flew as lap infants when there was no spare seat on the plane. The reason the FAA won’t ban lap infants is because they fear the cost will inspire many families to drive to their destinations instead, which in spite of a properly installed car seat, is statistically less safe.

However, i’m now sufficiently paranoid enough to recommend these Gate Check Bags for gate checking when flying with car seats. They are sturdier than just the covers you can get, so will offer the seat some protection. Plus they either are on wheels or with backpack straps, to help ease your load as a traveling pack mule.

I’m not going to sugar coat it and say it’s super easy to install a car seat on a plane. It’s not. And probably the easiest, peasiest option is to rent a car seat at your destination from one of those places that will meet you with it at the airport. Or else plan exclusively to take public transit (babies and toddlers LOVE that!). But then you should still make sure your baby is safe on a plane.

One option is the CARES Harness - the only FAA-approved flight harness for infants weighing 22-44 pounds in their own seat on a plane. It weighs a pound at most, and easily fits in your purse or carry-on. Stick around, because we’ll be giving one away soon!

If you make a purchase after clicking a link, Have Baby Will Travel may receive a small commission.

The post Flying With Car Seats and Booster Seats appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Babysat by in-flight entertainment, not strangers…

When flying with little kids, from time to time there are instances where it’s difficult to get seats together. If the ticket or gate agents can’t help, you’re often left to the kindness of strangers to switch seats with you. In most cases, that’s not an issue – if it’s not a full flight most people would happily switch to allow a parent to sit with their young child (if not out of a sense of goodwill than certainly because they’d rather not babysit someone else’s toddler). However, now that most airlines are charging a premium for “preferred economy” seats (usually a small additional fee for a window or aisle seat), a fellow passenger may not be willing to switch if they’ve paid extra for their seat.

I’ve often wondered how airlines can get away with it. Especially considering that, across the board, airlines will not allow children under the age of five to fly as unaccompanied minors – which is what I think a child should be considered if they are not under the immediate and direct supervision of their parent or guardian while on the flight. Over on the Huffington Post I wrote about this back in May, and mostly all the airlines responded by saying that, there is a certain amount of complimentary seat selection, (except for Spirit, of course, who flat out said that if families want to guarantee they are seated together, they must pay extra), and I summed up that with everything regarding travel with kids, preparation is key. And now that includes booking flights well in advance if you want to avoid extra fees. Which is sometimes doable, but mostly it’s just another inconvenience lumped on family travelers along with baggage fees and doing away with family pre-boarding.

At the time, Senator Charles Schumer requested Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issue a rule that would prevent airlines charging parents more to sit with their children. He is also asked Airlines for America, an industry trade group, to try to persuade carriers to voluntarily waive fees for families flying with young children. Senator Schumer was successful in his bid to get five major airlines to promise they would not start charging for overhead carry-on luggage after Spirit introduced their fee.

Well, now family travelers have another advocate in Washington. Congressman Jerrold Nadler has introduced legislation to help keep families seated together on commercial flights.  The Families Flying Together Act of 2012 would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to direct each carrier to “establish a policy to ensure, to the extent practicable, that a family that purchases tickets for a flight with that air carrier is seated together during that flight; and (2) make the policy…available to the public on an appropriate Internet Web site of the air carrier.”  The legislation would help to ensure that children are not separated from their families and seated alone on flights.

Congressman Nadler explained:

Air travel is complicated and expensive enough for families without adding new stresses. Families should not be stuck paying hidden fees, or buying ‘premium’ seats, simply because they wish to be seated together on crowded flights.  It is positively absurd to expect a two or three-year-old to sit unattended, next to strangers, on an airplane.  It is up to air carriers to make their seating policies clear and easily accessible to the public.

To voice your support for Congressman Nadler’s initiative, urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor the Families Flying Together Act of 2012. On Twitter, follow the hashtag, #FFTA

The post Introducing the Families Flying Together Act of 2012 – #FFTA appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Baby On Board?

Last summer I wrote about Laurel, and her experience on KLM when traveling with her 1-year-old son, H. Although she had purchased a seat for him, she was asked to remove him from his FAA-approved car seat as it interfered with the recline of the seat in front. European regulations are more flexible than Canadian and US rules, who deem that infants under 24 mos in their own seat MUST be in a car seat. From EASA’s website:

…passengers wishing to use their car seat as a child restraint device (CRD) on board an aircraft should contact the airline or travel agency through which the ticket has been booked, in order to obtain information on which CRDs are acceptable and also to ensure that the car seat can be installed properly on the seat of the particular aircraft with which they will fly.

Ultimately KLM apologized to Laurel and supplied a voucher in the amount of  H’s one-way airfare, which she thought was fair.

And now it seems KLM has revised their infant policy…

Baby H is going to be a big brother (yay!) so back in January Laurel was inquiring about the use of the CARES Harness (which she also had issues with – another story!) and KLM representative Bjorn-Hugo Haugen responded:

From: KLM Web Response <KLM.Web-response@KLM.NL>
Date: January 30, 2012 9:44:42 AM GMT+01:00
To: <Laurelxxx@xxx.com>
Subject:Re: Special services  (KMM22090967I15977L0KM)

Dear Mrs Xxxx,

We thank you for your e-mail.

If a seat has been reserved for your child, you may bring your own car/child seat aboard on the condition that it fits between the armrests of the aircraft seat (42 cm/16.5 inches). Only child seats that display no defects and that carry a visible seal of approval awarded by the European Union or an official government agency may be taken aboard.

Officially approved brands:
UN Standard ECE R44-03 and 44-04
US FMVSS no. 213
Canadian CMVSS 213/123.1
German T�V/958-01/2001
Types marked approved by Transport Canada
Types marked approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Types marked approved by Joint Civil Aviation Authority (JAA)

For more information, please contact the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Reservations Office at telephone number 0871 231 0000 or visit our website at http://www.klm.com

Kind regards,
Bjorn-Hugo Haugen
Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines

Have Baby Will Travel Reader Peter got in touch via my Facebook Page to let me know the policy had changed. Now on KLM’s website it reads: (emphasis mine)

If a seat has been reserved for your child, we recommend that you bring your own car/child seat (child restraint device) aboard on the condition that it fits between the armrests of the aircraft seat (42 cm/16.5 inches). Only forward facing child seats that display no defects and that carry a visible seal of approval awarded by the European Union or an official government agency may be taken aboard.

So it would appear as though KLM is trying to avoid any situations like Laurel’s from happening again, which is fair. The problem is that no such car seat is available or appropriate for young babies – or at least those under 20lbs.

Laurel had a conversation with KLM via their Facebook page, and it appears they still don’t fully understand the issue. And the EASA’s stance is still fairly flexible:

…passengers wishing to use their car seat as a child restraint device (CRD) on board an aircraft should contact the airline or travel agency through which the ticket has been booked, in order to obtain information on which CRDs are acceptable and also to ensure that the car seat can be installed properly on the seat of the particular aircraft with which they will fly.

But they do recognize here that kids need to be buckled up in their own seat:

Children under two years are too small to sit alone in a standard airline passenger seat. They must be secured by an approved “child restraint device” on EU airlines.

To compare, I had a look at Lufthansa’s and Air France’s infant policies, and nowhere did the distinction of “forward facing” appear. Lufthansa did say that “Other passengers must not be inconvenienced by the use of the CRS and it must not block the aisle in case of a possible emergency evacuation.” But Air France actually says, you must “make sure to install the seat on board as indicated by the manufacturer’s instructions (front or back facing the seatback)”.

So the problem is, if you are traveling with an infant 20lbs or less, and you choose to purchase a seat for them, there is really no appropriate car seat to use on KLM. The infant carrier car seats are rear facing only, and the convertible seats that will accommodate smaller infants must be rear facing at that stage for the appropriate recline.

Laurel contacted Maxi Cosi, The Netherland’s most popular car seat manufacturer, and their response to her was:

We are complete (sic) suprised that KLM has changed the infant policy, requiring child seats on board the aircraft to be “forward facing”.

We as manufacturer of carseats produce only rearward facing car seats for newborn.

So it would appear as though there is no option to fly KLM with a small infant, unless you choose to fly with them as a lap infant and try to get a bassinet – although if you’re traveling with twins you’re effectively SOL. It’s enough to wish KLM would just stand up and say no, you can’t fly with an infant in their own seat, like Alitalia:

An infant who has not reached his or her 2nd birthday may not occupy a seat and must be accompanied by either a parent, or an adult over 18 (the parent can be under 18, as long as he or she has legal responsibility for the child). It must be pointed out in any case on the accompanying adult’s reservation.

Crazy right? Although at least there’s no room for misunderstanding there!

The post KLM Airlines Changes Their Infant Policy appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Toddler On A Plane. Scarier Than Snakes?

I hesitate to call babies in this age category toddlers, though technically if they *toddle* I guess they’re toddlers. I still call Bub a baby even though he just turned three and is precariously close to being deemed a preschooler. But I digress… Even if you have a well-traveled infant, all bets are off once they enter the world of young toddlerhood. Bub was the kind of easy, dreamy infant that if he wasn’t mine I would not have believed it. However, on his first birthday, he laid down and threw a fit over something minuscule and I was left wondering what happened to my angel baby? He’s still here, but as things change for your little one with toddlerhood, you need to change your expectations, as well as come up with new tricks for managing sticky situations. Flying with a toddler is no exception. And young, pre-verbal toddlers can definitely give you a run for your money.

Flying With A Young Toddler…

Due to school and work commitments, we really did not fly with Bub too much during this age – Jamaica when he was 16mos., a trip to Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba, and a biggie to Walt Disney World. With our daughter, we also had two trips at this age – Florida, and Jibacoa, Cuba - since I was still working full-time at that point and vacation time is pretty scarce. We did not have any major (or minor, for that matter) incidents, though I sure fretted before each and every flight.

Biggest concerns:
Bub was and is busy. He can’t sit still for more than ten minutes. He was slow to talk, and if he got frustrated, he’d sometimes yell, hit, or bite. These were tough stages and phases to get through, and even though his sister flew like a champ at this age, I was nervous before flying with him. In spite of all my in-flight experience and travel preparation, I was pretty terrified we’d be the recipient of massive stink eye (truthfully I don’t care about this, but I tend to mouth off and might get myself in trouble) or worse – be one of those news stories and get kicked off the plane.

The reality:
Bub was busy – but as a young toddler, he flew well. As with his earlier travels as a young infant and an older baby, we did not have relaxing stress-free flights. But he did sleep for some of them, and though we tired of multiple rounds of peek-a-boo, Bub did not, so we kept going. Plus? Snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. For our first flight when my daughter was a toddler, I discovered the power of potato chips and have not looked back. Snacks that are fun and/or cute have excellent staying power, but I always try to do salty instead of sweet (plus salt = more drinking which is good for clearing ears) and save lollipops or gummies for landing so the sugar is not burnt off mid-flight. Juice is allowed as a treat, but watered down – again to try to cut down the sugar load. We did travel with a portable dvd player, but really the iPad has been the biggest game-changer for us. Bub has a few favourite apps and shows, and will happily sit and play or watch wearing his super-cute toddler headphones. I have actually watched chunks of movie while flying now, so I fully embrace technology.

Almost Ready To Be Helpful. Almost.

Extra consideration:
You know your toddler. And you know best how to manage their moods, and what kinds of things can set them off. Hunger and tiredness are obvious ones, and on travel days are both difficult to avoid. Being prepared with lots of snacks, and their comfort items at the ready can help. If you’re planning on ditching the pacifier or bottle soon, maybe do so after your trip. Although I’ve heard logic that things are thrown off so it’s an easy way to let those items disappear, for my own sake I’ve never tried. Just knowing I had a “dodie” or “bubba” at the ready but me at ease whenever it seemed a toddler meltdown was imminent.

And the usual flying with baby advice holds here with toddlers – try to keep them eating, drinking, or sucking during takeoff and landing, whether that’s by finger foods, nursing, a bottle, or a pacifier – and don’t be afraid to administer a bit of acetaminophen if you think their ears are in pain. Both my kids flew at nap times but did not sleep during their nap times. Usually they dropped off right before landing (a joy to wake up, let me tell you!) although our flight to Jamaica was a dream – with Bub passing out about an hour after taking off and then playing and reading for the hour or so remainder once he woke up. It was enough to make me smug to think it would happen again for our flight home. Imagine my surprise when he drained his bubba, did NOT fall asleep as planned, WestJet does not serve milk on board (I was tempted to clean them out of the little milks used for coffee) so he and I had a little WWF match in our seat for about 90min as he writhed and squirmed until (blessedly) the in-flight TVs finally restarted and distracted him enough to fall asleep. On our flight to Walt Disney World, I was solo with him on my lap and again he dozed for most of it until he unleashed the contents of his stomach (including a full bubba of milk – blech!) all over us, which then prompted his sister to do the same. It took a while to clean us all up, we didn’t smell pretty, but we made it to Disney and our first stop was The Polynesian’s laundromat!

We all survived. We did not get kicked off planes. And people were actually friendly and nice to us. The horror stories and their accompanying comments on the Internet do not reflect most people’s realities. At all.

I feared this stage of flying with baby the most. Truthfully as people, toddlers are generally easier to manage, but it’s their unpredictability that drives fear into parents before they pre-board (or choose not to pre-board). As with before every flight as a parent, you just have to be prepared.

The post Flying With Baby… Travel Tips For Flying With A Toddler 12-24mos. appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

One Stink Eye-Free Flight Of Many…

With yet another story in the news about a toddler getting kicked off a plane and the subsequent horrendous comments that follow, I’ve decided to counter that with some nice stories about flying with baby for a change. I hate the thought of all that negativity discouraging new parents from traveling with their babies and toddlers! I’ve called upon my friends in the family travel community to share their tales, but I get to go first!

Last year, on our big trip to Disney, I flew down solo with both kids. It was a full flight, and we had the middle seat and the window. Bub was on my lap. It started as a productive burp. And as I began the process of tidying us up, the floodgates opened, and the contents of the bottle that helped him doze off was now in my lap.  Then, my daughter began to heave, and up came all the juice and treats that go along with travel days. The kind woman in the aisle seat (thankfully spared of any splatter) calmly put away her e-reader and offered tissues and sympathetic smiles. I was still cleaning up as everyone deplaned, and we were given words of encouragement from our passing fellow passengers.

Nancy of Family On Bikes:
“I’ve had lots of people offer to carry my carryon on/off planes, people have offered to hold my babies, and fight attendants have been (for the most part) very accomodating. I can’t think of ONE experience that really stands out, but flying for us was generally a pleasant experience – except for the fact that I hate being on planes.”

Keryn from Walking On Travels:
“I was on a flight from San Fran to Hong Kong with my then 20 month old. It was a last minute trip so I was stuck in the window seat with him on my lap instead of the aisle seat that I really needed. I pretty much begged the guy on the aisle to trade with me. He very nicely declined (he was a very tall guy) but assured me he wouldn’t mind getting up multiple times. He had 2 kids too. Meanwhile the woman in the middle seat and I got chatting. She scooped out the other seats and told me once they closed the doors she was going to hop into one of the other middle seats that was open so that I could have a seat for my son and we could spread out a little. I am still blessed with this woman’s kindness. She sat in the seat in front of us and I was able to share my Junior Mints with her as a thank you. Our 15 hour flight was SO much better and everyone was happier overall. They guy on the end was good as his word. Didn’t bat an eye when I had to wake him up so Dek and I could take a walk, change diapers and he even hung out with him at one point so I could run to the restroom. Two angels in the sky that made what could have been a very stressful trip so much better.”

Claudia from Travelling Mom:
“Flying alone to visit grandparents with 2 yr old in seat, and 4 month old on my lap. Dilemma when the meal arrives. I cut up 2 year old’s food but can’t really eat myself with baby on lap, though I have a tray. An angel in the seat in front of me had finished her meal and offered to hold baby while I ate, quickly and with gratitude. It was lovely, and one day I hope to pay it forward.”

Nicole from Arrows Sent Forth:
“Didn’t happen to me, but across the aisle from us last weekend was a woman flying with a 9 month old alone. The woman sitting next to her put her book down within the first 10 minutes of the flight and proceeded to entertain, comfort and hold the baby for the remainder of the flight. The woman’s husband then carried all of the mom’s bags for her until they got to baggage claim and she met up with her family. I stopped them and told them that if I ever fly alone, I sure hope the airline gods bless me with people so kind.”

Sharlene from Trekaroo:
“I flew to CO with the two kids about a month ago and couldn’t get three seats together (which wasn’t so nice) so my daughter had to sit in a middle seat across the aisle and the lady next to her looked after her the whole flight. Made sure her seat belt was fastened,helped her open crayons, put her tray down for her drink, etc.”

Amy from Livin’ On The Road:
“Last year, we had to walk to this tiny little country school in the middle of nowhere in the Aussie desert where we were staying for three months.
I was carrying the baby, and it was drizzling with rain. Out there, when it rains, the soil turns to sticky, goey, oeey red slushy mud. You sink knee deep with every step, and with every step you grow another half inch. By the time we got the kilometer to the school, we were all muddy, sticky, wet and not so happy.
Another mother actually apologized to me for not thinking of us and coming to pick up the kids, and brought them all home again that afternoon. A total stranger actually picked up the baby and I on the way home and offered a lift back to the RV. 
I couldn’t believe the kindness of other people, and I’m sure those two ladies don’t even remember it. For me it stands out as a day when I was really struggling emotionally, and two people I barely knew offered assistance. It really made my day.”

Jennifer of Two Kids And A Map:
“I was on a red eye by myself with my son when he was 15mo. He had a night terror as soon as he fell asleep. I spent the entire flight from LAX to ATL switching from the bathroom to the kitchen galley while he screamed and I wasn’t able to wake him up. The flight attendants were wonderful and once he finally woke up they held him so I could use the restroom and eat something. Several passengers complimented me on not losing it (which of course, I was doing secretly!) as we got off the plane at 2am. Even 7 years later, when I think about that horrible, awful flight I am so thankful for the people on that flight.”

Jody from Family Rambling:
“Brenna’s first flight, at 1 year old, was to Ireland. Our flight out of DSM was delayed and the entire plane couldn’t have been nicer. The flight attendant took Brenna on a “walk about” through the plane where she got to charm everyone. When she finally did have to be strapped in for take off her fussiness was met with offers of snacks and treats from eats around us. I really credit the flight attendant for her help.”

Jen from The Vacation Gals:
“My younger daughter was a preemie, and had some associated health problems including gastrointestinal issues (her original pediatrician had her down as a “barfy kid”). We still flew several times a year, though. Once when I was doing the standard Walk Up and Down the Airplane Aisle with Screaming Vomity Baby, the two flight attendants in our coach section came back from the front of the plane — business or first — with two clean onesies and a pair of those pants you put over diapers. A family up in the fancy section heard my baby and felt bad, and DONATED the Onesies. I was so grateful I cried. SOmething about that random act turned around the body language and opinions of the other passengers who saw it, and they were much more sympathetic and nice the rest of the flight.”

Marina of Travel Experta:
“I was traveling with my then 2 year old. He was always a great traveler. I was sitting next to a girl, who was not happy about us there.
However, the steward was the total d-head to me. He wouldn’t let us walk around, throwing snide remarks left and right. He was obviously a kid hater – although he told me he has kids and loves them – BS.
But the nice part, the girl who at first thought my son was going to be a pain, became my big time advocate and was sooo furious with the steward she stood up for me and then went to complain about his behavior, this made me feel so good!!!”

Colleen of Travel Mamas:
“One time when I was flying alone with an 18-month-old, a pilot (who was riding as a passenger) helped me buckle in my toddler seat (after I was struggling and struggling and almost crying because the flight attendants kept announcing everyone had to sit down…meaning me). Then he waited until everyone deplaned so he could help me take the car seat out and carry it off the plane for me.
I’ve also had many, many sweet female flight attendants come by to help soothe crying babies or entertain my toddlers.”

The post People Are Nice When You Fly With A Baby. Seriously. appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.