taobenli

My husband and I live in Korea and our daughter is 4.5 months old. We are going home for the holidays (Vancouver area) this Saturday. While excited about the holidays, we are dreading the trip. We have a baby-on-lap ticket, and have no idea which seats we were assigned (if any, yet) or if we'll get a bassinet. I booked on Orbitz for a non-stop Asiana flight Seoul-Vancouver (and back again 2 weeks later), only to find later that it was a codeshared flight with Air Canada, as Air Canada does not allow Asiana's planes to fly into Canada. I am worried now as Asiana's service is rated much higher than Air Canada's. I tried to call a few weeks back to reserve a bassinet, and they finally answered the phone after a long time on hold and then a long period of ringing. They said they couldn't reserve the bassinet now and we would have to get there early to claim one- we're planning to get there 3 hours early rather than 2. Also, they seemed truly confused about whether we should be calling Asiana or them with seat and other travel questions. But on my online booking it said to contact the operating carrier, so...

My parents are meeting me on the other side with a carseat in their car, so we don't need to bring a carseat. We were planning to bring one on the limousine bus to the airport but carseat laws are not enforced here (Korea) at all and the bus operators seemed to think the carseat wouldn't work on the buses. So we're looking at a 4 hour ride with her in a carrier strapped to us- sounds crazy and would never fly in the US, but like I said, that's how it's done here. We had to take a 2 hour 40 minute bus ride like that recently and she did really well with it, all told. It still makes me nervous and I was still thinking of buying a bus seat and using the carseat, but here is what I'm worried about: Since we only have a lap ticket for her on the plane, what will we do with the carseat? It's one on lend from a friend here, a Kiddy Maxi Pro rear facing infant seat. I'm worried that it will get damaged if it has to be checked, and I would feel terrible to do that to a friend's carseat.

Sorry if my post is kind of incoherent, I'm a nervous wreck. I should just make my decision re: the carseat and get on with packing, but I'm worried. Customer service from Air Canada on the phone doesn't inspire much confidence either. I still have more than 48 hours till my flight- any tips on whether I should call Air Canada (or Asiana??) again, and what I should ask to get peace of mind, if there's any to be had here? Help!

thetraveltot

First of all, I understand your pain. I traveled with my first when he was four months old (to Mexico). I was working full time and would spend the few hours that I should have been sleeping, stressing and scouring the internet for advice (which thankfully I found).
Yes, it is true that you can not hold a basinet. You simply need to get to the airport 3 hours before and make sure that if it turns out there is only one available, you get it. Ironically I live in Vancouver as well. Air Canada international flights are pretty good actually (although probably not as good as Asiana). If the car seat is strictly for the bus ride, I would take a pass. It sounds like it may cause more problems than anything else. I am guessing that a cab/car service is too expensive? I don't suppose you have a friend who could drive you?
Car seats do often get damaged on planes. You could bring it with you to the plane and give it to the gate person. They will tuck it under the plane with the strollers etc. It seems like a lot of hassle however, if you will have one on the other side.
Anyway, what I did want to share with are some tips and suggestions for travel if you feel you need them. After many travels with my two little ones, I complied a list of tips on my website http://pintsizepilot.com.

Good luck !!! P.S. If you need any info on babies in Vancouver I'd be happy to help.
http://pintsizepilot.com

Eclipsepearl

I flew for the first time when mine were each 4 months old by myself. You're lucky that you have your husband with you!

You're smart to not check any car seats as luggage. They really get beat up and often lost in transit, a risk I wouldn't take with a friends' seat.

While having a seat for your baby is the safest option, when you opt to fly with a lap baby, you're betting nothing will happen on your flight. Commercial air travel is very safe so while your baby is not secured, since the chances of anything going wrong are slim, it's a reasonable risk.

Same goes with public transport. Taking a taxi with an unsecured infant is not smart but if it's a large bus, your chances of getting into an accident are also very slim. They usually go slower. The drivers are not immune to accidents but professionals are less likely to do anything risky. If there is an accident, the bigger vehicle usually "wins". Again, it's a risk but not a crazy-scary one.

She's a good age to travel. It'll never be easier. No food, she's probably not crawling and if you breastfeed, keep at it! Don't wean until you're back and if you suppliment, try to get her on all breastmilk-much easier! Experience with both speaking (so I'm not necessarily promoting breastfeeding lol!)

Bassinet policies vary from airline to airline. If you really want it, be prepared to split up if necessary. Having your hubby behind you or across the aisle might be a compromise.

We fly between Europe and California about twice a year. Lots of articles on flying with children on the net but I both fly a lot (alone) with my three kids and worked for two major airlines on mostly international, long haul routes for 13 years. My article is entirely non-commercial (don't make a cent off of it!)

Feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

emma69

With Air Canada you can book a bulkhead seat with bassinet on some routes, never been to Korea so not 100% sure- but it will cost you extra, Toronto-London is $90 each way. But you can only do that if the seat is available (and I am guessing for a long flight people opt to pay for bulkhead). You need to know which aircraft, and which configuration of aircraft to work out where the bassinets are (on my next 2-4-2 config plane there are apparently only 2 seats that are bassinet ones for example)

You may be best calling Air Canada and asking them about booking a preferred seat in a bassinet location.

You could leave it to chance and see of you can get one at T-24 with online check in, or at the airport, but if they sell preferred seats and have the bassinet location that would be the preferable in my mind.

emma69

To add, I looked at a random flight for that route and preferred seats were available for purchase, in rows likely to have bassinets.

Ancien Maestro

Welcome to FT!

While difficult, at 4.5 months old, it will be easier than say a child that is 1, 2 or 3 years old.. If you're breastfeeding, it definitely helps with the longer travel..

TimesTwo

That's a great point Ancien Maestro. It is easier when they're that young than when they become squirmy toddlers!

Ancien Maestro

My one year old, now two years old as of Christmas Eve, is squirmy.. but the saving grace is that he still breast feeds..

So on ascents and descents, to help him pop his ears, on he latches to mommy.

TimesTwo

Our 15 month old twins are really easy going - thankfully - but still, it was easier to fly w/ them when they were 6 or 7 months. I think that's the "golden period" for flying w/ babies.

TimesTwo

And happy birthday to your little one. my birthday is a few days before Christmas and I always got the shaft w/ gifts! Hope your son has better luck!

Ancien Maestro

Happy Birthday to you to!

In terms of gifts.. Our family didn't buy anybody anything this year.. Everyone gets what they need, there is nothing possible that we could add to our stacks and piles of stuff in the house..

a bit of a different perspective..

But we immensely enjoyed the company of our now two year old and six year old.. a very special quiet Christmas this year..