PWMTrav

I apologize if this has been answered, I searched and didn't find it.

I have an (award) seat for my infant daughter and we are flying in business, BOS-CDG. She is 20 months at this point and would probably be more comfortable without a car seat, especially when it comes to sleeping. The way I read the Air France policy is that I'm permitted to bring a car seat for a seated infant, but it doesn't sound like I must do so. Does that sound correct? Will she be able to sit in her own seat using the regular seatbelt?

Realistically, she'll spend plenty of time sitting with me or my wife, but for eating and sleeping I think she'd do better without a car seat.

Also, would AF let me bring the car seat and a stroller as carry-ons? I know they take some strollers in the cabin, but if I bring a car seat do I have to install it or can it go in the overhead? I'm likely to just check it if she is allowed to sit in the seat without it, but thought I'd ask.

Thanks!

orbitmic

Sorry if I am not seeing something obvious in your post but have you actually booked a separate seet for your daughter? If you just got her an infant ticket, she would not get a seat (she would be expected to stay with you and you could get a bassinet for her if she is not too big/heavy for the bassinet). If you want a seat for her, you need to book it specifically and if I understand (but others can confirm), it would then need to be paid at the adult award rate.

PWMTrav

Yup, she has a seat of her own, confirmed. Middle section row 3 bulkhead, the one time a section of 3 in J is nice to have!

Zembla

And your spouse is in the 3d seat? Brilliant! Add to that the fact that AF crew are lovely with children. :-)
No need to bring a car seat IMHO.

PWMTrav

Thanks! We're going to check the car seat, then. We need it for the ride down to Boston, and then from FLR to the apartment. But not having to lug that thing through BOS and CDG (4 hr layover!) will be huge. It's Me-Daughter-Wife in the middle bulkhead section. The J cabin is almost full, but we won't be disrupting F right in front of us because right now it's scheduled to go out empty. If only AF would offer up a moderately priced upgrade... but I'm on an award ticket.

As an aside, does anyone know if Italian cabbies are generally cool with you installing your own car seat? I know it's legal to just have your kid on your lap there in a taxi, but I'm not going to do that.

PWMTrav

I just wanted to follow up -

We flew AF 333/338 out and back in the past couple of weeks. Great flights, probably my top. AF in general was a wonderful airline for children, and the ground staff at BOS and CDG as well could not have been better. The folks in the air were so good that I'm going to comparatively dislike US domestic F service for a long time.

We checked the car seat, but on the way out the flight crew decided my daughter should be belted to one of us for takeoff, landing and turbulence. The crew on the way back was OK with her in the seat at all times, but we ended up using the belt anyway. Other than that, my daughter did a lot of sleeping.

They did not cater a child's meal on the way out, so we shared ours. As others have said, catering BOS-CDG isn't as nice as the way back, but it was still fine. On the return, they had a 3 course child's meal ready to go. They served her first, which was really nice. The food itself wasn't bad either, not anything I would describe as bland, at least in the context of what kids usually get. My daughter is already an adventurous eater so it worked out well - she had hers and some of ours.

I will add, there is no gate check pickup unless you board the flight from the tarmac. So we didn't have the stroller on the initial CDG layover, but on the way back we did because the FLR-CDG leg was on an RJ-85.

AF will definitely be my choice for the next family TATL.

Goldorak

We're glad you had a nice experience and especially with an infant . AF is one of the most child-friendly airline IMO.

orbitmic

+1

Zembla

Thanks for your follow up. Glad it turned out such a nice trip!

LAX/HKG

Hi PWMTrav,

It's nice to hear you had a great experience with AF. I will be flying with a 22 month old and a 6.5 y/r old in a week.

Just wondering if AF has any special kits/toys for children on the flight. We flew J in LH last year and my son got a special bag with toys and a sticker book!

PWMTrav

Depending on where you're leaving from, yes, they will! Our BOS-CDG segment did not, but that's also the one with the shortened meal service, so I'm thinking they simply don't stock the plane for the overnight. They also didn't have our requested kids meal on that flight. That's a pretty short flight in the grand scheme of TATL routes, though, so if you're leaving from the west coast I'd expect they would have something on the outbound.

The return, CDG-BOS, had a full kids meal - a pasta dish that I personally didn't find half bad - plus a kids "amenity kit" with stickers, a cardboard plane that you assemble, etc.

I personally find AF to be the most kid-friendly airline, at least that I've flown. Don't be shocked if they hold up the boarding line and insist that you come to the front.

freretuc

Hi,
I've done several long haul flights on AF with infant & child.

What I can tell regarding meals:
it' not possible to book a regular or child meal for an infant (below 24 months): the system do not allow it.
The baby meal is the same for all cabins (Y, W or J - do not know for P): jar baby food (one salted, one sweet) for know brand (a lot of HIP organic ones).
If, like me, your baby do not eat this kind of food anymore, that could be the case at 22 months, then you can always kindly ask the FAs if they have too much main course or dessert. They usually say yes.

For child, you can book child meal. IMHO, the J one is better than the Y one because there are less junk food: in Y, very often you have kitkat or similar bars whereas in J you will have fruits or tarts for example.
Note that KLM in J give the same meal for child and adult.

AF has some kind of bag full of things for children: playing cards, colouring leaflet & colour pencils... In July, there was a magnet, a cardboard KLM plane and stickers inside the one we had.
There are no consistency to have it: sometimes you will have it before the menu, sometimes you have to ask for it. I even have received it on the child meal tray once.

My last SIN-CDG with kids was one of the best flight ever because of AF FAs and CCP (with me and the kids). You should have a nice experience.

PWMTrav

I was able to book a child meal for an infant - but she was a seated infant. If it's a lap infant, I'm not sure, but I'm willing to bet that if you call they'll cater it.