dcpdxtrans

Most people do not realize that all of UA's mainline birds, except the 757, have baby changing tables. My family has known that for years, and we have avoided the 757 like the plague (when traveling as a fam).

This year, we have a 5.25 hour flight on a 757. It was either NS on a 757 or add another 3 hours with a new infant. We decided to bite the bullet and keep traveling time low.

Perhaps in a dream of desperation, I contacted customer care. My email was forwarded to operations. They declared that I was wrong--that in fact all of UA's 757s have baby changing tables. They couldn't be further from the truth. In all of my experience (since having kids), every UA 757 I have flown has never had a changing table.

I have individually taken 2 flights this year on a 757 (F, in a transcon, & Y, in a 80 min flight). The FAs in both the respective cabins had no idea that the birds they were in did not have changing tables--I checked! One suggested writing UA, which I did, and it obviously did not work.

I (and the Mrs.) do not want to have change the baby on the seat. I think it's disgusting too and share the views that many non-parents (and parents alike) have. Ditto for tray table. However, unless one were to ignore the safety aspect, it is impossible to change a baby in a lav without a table. SO, I am looking for suggestions:

1) I've thought about making something out of wood or cardboard (I could just see TSA's looks now). Without knowing dimensions, this appears to be a futility. Is it possible?

2) Knowing that the many if not most of the 757s will be retired in the next few years, UA is certainly not going to pay the few bucks to put tables in there and my first letter drew not just a blank but a flat out misrepresentation.

Anything else?

PS I guess we really are flying the friendly skies (unless one is an infant on a 757...)

Baze

How about getting some ¼" thick plywood. Cut a rectangle 24"x12". cut it in half so have two 12"x12" squares. Put a hinge to connect the 2 squares together. This will make it fold into a 12"x12"x1/2" easily stored item. Sand it real smooth. Paint it with waterproof easily cleanable paint. Put it in your diaper bag. Go to the lav, if no changing table put paper on top of the toilet seat, open your portable table. Change your baby, clean the table, fold it up and put back in diaper bag. Yes, it will be a little low but is much better than changing on the toilet seat or the seat in the passenger area. If TSA asks, you just tell them what it is is. And as it is in a diaper bag is easily believed that that is what it is.

Edit to add, should probably round all the corners off too when you sand it.

EWR764

Believe it or not, adding a changing table to the lavs requires a certification process which UA must have decided was not cost-effective given the impending disposition of the bulk of the sUA 757-222 fleet. That said, all sCO 757s are fitted with changing tables, so I suppose that is the point of confusion with the agent you spoke with.

It is a valid concern for parents and a conundrum I am fortunate to be able to avoid. Unfortunately, I do not have any suggestions for you other than to attempt to use the toilet seat in the lav (with appropriate cover/pad). In the alternative, you could perhaps fashion some sort of board to rest on your lap and sit on the toilet itself to change the child.

I agree that changing the diaper in the cabin is to be avoided at all costs for reasons of sanitation and courtesy.

dcpdxtrans

Other than time, this is a good idea. I would assume 1/8" would work as well.

Baze

⅛" probably but might be a little too flexible.

dcpdxtrans

In theory, this sounds like it would work. It does not. If you have ever tried to put a baby on the seat (even with a pad or cover) it does not work. Baby is never secure and easily will fall off.

familyflier

It's been 8 years but we often used the exit door floor in front of the rear galley. It was the only safe and discreet option available to us.

mpmsfca

Did the same. So close to being done with diapers I can almost feel the joy!

PVDProf

+1. Bring a large changing pad.

Even though diapers have been replaced with automatic flush toilet/bathrooms with blower hand drier refusal (and the concomitant squirming, oh the squirming!), life is better without diapers.

dcpdxtrans

I think that is the answer: bring something to put onto the floor of the airplane by the exit door and then put the usual pad on top. One way I just thought of is to use the blue disposable diapers (like the ones they use in the hospital--not really a diaper, per se) or a greener way is to use a towel and label one side up so that the same side is always touching the dirty floor.

Thanks to all for your responses.

Baze

But some babies, especially males, tend to "leak" as soon as the diaper comes off looking like the Bellagio fountains. Think I would rather that were in the lavatory instead at the exit door.

dcpdxtrans

Fortunately, we are now dealing with a pair of x chromosomes.

btw, if what EWR says is true, that all sCO 757s have tables, is there a way to learn ahead of time whether our plane will be one of these birds?

Baze

If it is a 757-300 it is sCO. You should be able to see that as the plane type when you look at the seat map. If it is a 757-200 I believe if it has the 2 lone seats as row 7 it is sUA. For PS flights I don't know how to tell the difference between sCO and sUA.

mherdeg

Sure —
(1) Any 757-300 is a sCO aircraft.
(2) Any 757-200 with flight numbers 1-199 or 1000+ is a sCO aircraft.
(3) Any 757-200 with flight numbers 200-999 is a sUA aircraft.

Clear as mud .

I'm a bit surprised that the reconfigured sUA p.s. 757s don't have changing tables?.

dcpdxtrans

Unfortunately, we are not on a p.s. route. Since I have the flight number memorized since I fly that route so much, all that I needed to do was check the version: 757-200. Oh well, stuck with a UA bird without a table.