Travel with Children - Advice for flying with 6 mo infant on Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand 747-400 -- LAX to AKL
I am travelling alone with my 6mo. He is a calm baby, not a screamer or anything, but is huge for his age and has almost outgrown the infant carseat and won't sleep in it or stay in it for long.

So instead of taking the carseat on board, I have booked a J class seat (Air NZ business premier lie-flat seat, bassinet-adjacent). I think it will be easier to entertain him, breastfeed him, hold him etc. in this seat.

My understanding is that they ask you to hold baby during takeoff and landing and turbulence, but otherwise he'll be secured in the bassinet when sleeping. On the website they mention a special infant seat belt they use for lap babies on Air NZ. Can I breastfeed while he is wearing it?

However, I am second guessing my decision and thinking about getting two seats in premium economy instead and taking the infant car seat (or possibly the larger convertible seat) on board. I know it would be safer in turbulence or halted takeoff etc., but he might not spend much time in the car seat because if he fusses I will have to hold him or breastfeed him for the sake of other passengers.

What would you do? Lie-flat seat + bassinet for mom and baby, or two seats and car seat in premium economy? If the latter, would you take the smaller lighter car seat or get the bigger one? Will Air NZ take a convertible seat, e.g. Britax Marathon or Maxi Cosi Priori?

Sorry this is so long.

Thanks!

Hi

We have flown Air NZ a few times with our 2 youngsters in J and Y. The crew are so good with children and probably the best we have encountered - nothing was too much trouble. You are the best to decide which seating option is right for you. There is obviously alot of info about pro's/cons of car seats vs lap infants and bassinets and I think it can only be your decision as to what will work best for you and your child.

You are correct with the take off/landing/turbulence on your lap then the bassinet can be used at other times. They are not really 'secured' in it as such so a mobile child especially if awake in a bassinet needs very careful attention.

You can easily bf with the lap belt on- an extra pillow or 2 makes it a little more comfortable and easier!!

The Air New Zealand website has info about the car seat dimensions which may help see if your current seat fits or an alternative one would be needed.

Enjoy your trip.

Can your baby sit up and support his head for long periods?

The first option of one seat with adjacent bassinet sounds best option. That way, when he is not sleeping you can have him with you to support his head. He's not going to thank you for putting him in a car seat for such a long time!!

On take off and descent to landing, breastfeed him as it will help with pressure in his ears.

Is your son too 'long' for an infant carrier ie his head is above the cushioning of the infant carrier when he is placed in it? Time to ditch the infant carrier then and use the next stage car seat.

Enjoy your trip.

Can your baby sit up and support his head for long periods?

The first option of one seat with adjacent bassinet sounds best option. That way, when he is not sleeping you can have him with you to support his head. He's not going to thank you for putting him in a car seat for such a long time!!

On take off and descent to landing, breastfeed him as it will help with pressure in his ears.

Is your son too 'long' for an infant carrier ie is the crown of his head above the cushioning of the infant carrier when he is placed in it? Time to ditch the infant carrier then and use the next stage car seat.

Enjoy your trip.

I've done both options and each has its own pros and cons. However, I have never flown over the south pacific with ktaka jr. Of all the flights I have taken from JFK-SYD (similar routing), every single one hit heavy pockets of turbulence.

I once flew SQ on a redeye (JFK-FRA) with a bassinet. Each time the seatbelt sign came on, he had to come out. By the 3rd time, I kept him in the infant carrier the rest of the way.

Hard to say at this point - it is indeed a long trip for a 6 month old. What do you do with your child in the car? Have you moved up to a backward facing seat yet or still using the infant carrier? I might opt for the bulkhead in Y and request the bassinet and also get an extra seat. Chances are NZ will block out the 3rd seat for you to give you as many options as you need. If you go with this option, be sure to get your child accustomed to the new seat before the flight.

Thank you. I am worried about the turbulence. I just ordered the convertible carseat and I am thinking I will move from business premier to premium economy with the carseat and the bassinet. The 747 config has two seats on each side instead of three.

I'm a former Flight Attendant and while I've flown Air New Zealand, I haven't since I had children.

Just to clear up some misunderstandings;
1. If you use a car seat, you are NOT obligated to keep your child in it the whole time. In fact, my children hated their car seats so I kept them safe for take-off and landing but they spent most of the flight in my arms or walking the aisles. My kids would have screamed if I had tried to confine them! Sometimes they were unhappy on take-off and landing but hey, their safety was more important and most people are awake during those times anyway (which is shorter than most car rides). It's not like screaming in the middle of the movie, while everyone's asleep...

2. It's a common myth that children are supposed to suck on take-off and landing. It's actually just the start of descent (landing is too late) according to the AAP (and my experience). If they have any ear problems (which can be avoided by visiting the doctor and making sure there's no infection before leaving), they'll cry, which really clears the ears!

But don't worry. Nine years of twice yearly transatlantics with three children, I've never had any problems and mine stayed safely strapped in for take-off and landing.

3. Sounds like it's time for a convertable car seat but please, keep it facing backwards for as long as possible, especially in the car. First time parents often turn their children forward facing too early but any parent may not know that it's five times safer to face the other way. Find out not only if Air New Zealand allows this on the aircraft (as well as if your seat will be allowed on board).

4. While bassinets are convenient if your child does not have a seat, they are not as safe and many 6 month olds will already be too big. It depends on the airline. Also, they can have different rules. One girlfriend told me her baby could not be awake in the bassinet (not convenient!) and of course, the rule about removing them in turbulence.

As a mom who flies alone with her children, I can tell you it's not helpful to not be able to leave the baby in the bassinet asleep. Okay, he's not sleeping on you but you can't leave them unattended in the bassinet for safety reasons. No problem if you have the luxury of having the other parent but that was never my case! In the car seat, you can. I'd slip my car-seat hating children into the car seat (obviously unaware) and I could run to the restroom, or grab a drink. I never left him/them for long, and I always told someone nearby or a F/A where I was but at least I could leave my seat.

In the endless car seat debate is the question of, do you need your seat at your destination? If you take it, the best bet is to have it on board with you. No risk of it being broken or lost in transit. It's grim to arrive at your destination without your bags but then to have your baby unrestrained leaving the airport is downright dangerous. The car seat keeps your child safe in the plane but your chances of a car accident after you land are much greater. Never check a car seat in as luggage and gate-check it if you can't use it on board.

Good luck!
http://flyingwithchildren1.blogspot.com (non commercial flying tips)

One thing to note about NZ is (unlike some other airlines) they do not require you to remove an infant from a bassinet during turbulence. This is a big bonus in terms of parent comfort because turbulence (by the law of sod) will occur as you are both fast asleep.

The NZ bassinet has much more secure fastenings than I've seen elsewhere - I believe it would take a significant amount of force for the child to escape during turbulence (at which time you would have quite possibly let go if you were holding them).

(This is from 2 years ago, so may have changed)

We have flown Air NZ a few times with our 2 youngsters in J and Y. The crew are so good with children and probably the best we have encountered - nothing was too much trouble. We have not flown Air New Zealand yet so I can't compare but based upon our experiences the Asia-based airlines (i.e. Cathay Pacific, Asiana, etc.) treat children and their parents like royallty.

We tried to schedule our flights around our son's nap times and bedtime IF it was possible.

Young children doesn't handle the 'heat' as well as older children and adults; therefore, it is important to not to overdress your child. We were on a Lufthansa flight from LAX to FRA and we were flying First Class which is the second level on the 747. My wife put on a thick long-sleeve shirt, long pants on our son who was 14-MO at the time. We boarded 45 minutes before take off, the AC wasn't running and hot air raises. He started to fuss and etc. over the heat...we changed him into an onesies and he was immediately fine.