Originally Posted by
Eclipsepearl
You were lucky that you were able to stow the stroller on board. I avoided flying AF, even though I'm in France, because I couldn't imagine negotiating connecting in CDG without a stroller. I'm flying them on the 20th this month but my youngest is 8.
We only got the stroller on board on the flight from the US to CDG, but not on the return. Since we were direct SFO-CDG, the gate agent let us bring it down the jetway and ask the cabin crew. They still checked it through to our final destination at the gate, just in case the cabin crew couldn't take it (then we would just leave it on the jet bridge). Since we were in J, they had no problem taking it and it easily fit in one of the closets. On our connecting flight, we had to check it since the smaller plane to BCN couldn't accomodate the stroller on board. It had already been tagged through to BCN before we got on the plane in SFO, so no need to get a new tag.
On the return flight, since our first flight was BCN-CDG, they made us check it through to SFO so we did not have the stroller on the return. But we had a quick 1.5 hour layover so it was not an issue.
Originally Posted by
Eclipsepearl
I was also wondering about how it is accepting car seats on board but since he was a lap baby, that doesn't apply either.
We didn't even ask, since I checked EF the day before each flight and saw the business cabin was completely full. Their J seats have odd seatbelts with wide fabric at the base of them. Not sure if this would interfere with trying to hook up the car seat. You can see it in the pictures with the seats where the seatbelt is around the pillow. At the base, the seatbelt gets much wider.
Originally Posted by
Eclipsepearl
I flew with a lap baby (because AF couldn't guarantee that I could use a car seat on board and I was unable to book a U.S. company). She was only 5 months old and fit the bassinet just fine. Most airlines' bassinets only go to 6 months so you were lucky you could fit a one year old in it. He looked a little squished but at least you could use it.
I knew it would be a tight fit for him, as he was probably1-2 pounds over the weight limit and 1-2 inches longer than what they say the limit is. I think their limit is something like 9 kg.
Originally Posted by
Eclipsepearl
Another reason for avoiding AF was the double seat belts they made me use for take-off, turbulence and landing.
That was a little annoying, but I thought it was just a European thing and not just AF. If it's just AF, then yes I agree. It really wasn't THAT bad for takeoff and landing, but our son definitely started to fuss and make some noise when we locked him down on the lap. But we just had a bottle ready and a few snacks and that kept him occupied.
The really annoying part of that, though, was during the flight if the seat belt sign came on for turbulence. If the baby is sleeping on your lap, chest, etc then they will want him buckled into the seat belt with you. Could be very bad if your baby just fell asleep and now you have to try to get a belt around them without waking. We would just preemptively strap him in if he was falling asleep on me or my wife.
Originally Posted by
Eclipsepearl
Were you served any baby food? Did he get a meal?
We were offered some food for the baby, but we brought our own. The cabin crew asked multiple times if we needed anything for him, but we didn't need it. I don't know, though, if they actually had appropriate baby food for an infant. I think all they have is 'kids meal' type of stuff.