How do I fly with an 8 week old?

[posterelle]

Will prob. need to fly in mid-May, & I have no idea how this works -- do I buy a separate seat for him, or keep him on my lap?

Also, I have a travel system -- car seat that snaps into stroller frame (Kolcraft Universal) -- that I'll need on the other end. How in the world do you fly w/that? Do you check parts of it? All of it? Do I need special bags to pack them in?

this all seems very daunting right now . . .

[teddy]

Be safe and purchase the seat for your baby. Then you can use the car seat in the plane seat during the flight. You can use the universal car seat carrier right up until you board the plane, then gate check it. You'll get it back as soon as you get off the plane. So it's like you never miss it! You don't need a special bag. Good luck.

[chrissyhowie]

It's easy to gate check your infant seat and carrier. You just wheel it up to the gate and they tag it before you board the plane. It will be waiting for you on the walkway when you get off at your destination. Very convenient! We have the Kolcraft Universal Carrier too. We didn't use any special bags or anything, but they often have a big plastic bag you can put it in if you ask for it.

We flew with DD when she was 5 weeks old. We did not buy an extra seat. I was planning just to hold her for the flight duration, but since it wasn't full, they let us carry on her infant seat and put it into the empty one in our row. You are not required to buy a separate seat for your child until I think they are two years old. I ended up holding DD for much of the flight anyway even with the empty seat.

Feeding your child during take off and landing also helps. Don't worry -- it's not as daunting as it seems! Have a great trip!

HTH.

[mcmorfit]

Chrissy,

If the flight was full and you were not able to carry the infant seat, could you have checked it like the Kolcraft?

Thanks

[chrissyhowie]

Yep. Our flight home was a completely full plane. We gate checked both. You just leave them both on the deck right before you board the plane. You have to take the infant seat off the Universal Carrier so make sure you have name tags on both pieces.

When the babies are this young, this is actually the easiest time to travel. They are light and compact (and relatively immobile!).

When my sister travels with her 15 month old, it is WAY more complicated! All of a sudden they are bringing bags of books, DVDs, toys, snacks in addition to the big car seat, stroller, etc. to the gate with them. Just think about all that we have to look forward to ;)!

[mamaharsh]

I recommend always getting the extra seat and whenever you can, have the child in the seat for takeoff and landing. It's the safest place for them. Even though I BF my son, I always used a bottle with water for takeoff and landing. If you use a pacifier, you can get them to suck that as well.

Gate check the universal and take the infant seat on with you. Even if you end up holding the baby for most of the flight, it is really nice to have the extra space.

Good luck. As someone else mentioned, traveling when they are immobile is MUCH easier.

Sara, mama to Nathaniel 10/01

[newbelly2002]

Actually, some airlines require you to hold the baby in your lap (regardless of whether or not you have a car seat) during take off and landing. We ran into that recently with British Air. They have a "lap belt extension" that you wrap around the baby's waist and into your seat belt.

And yes, travel with a young one is MUCH easier. We moved here to Europe when DS was 6 weeks old. That trip was relatively easy. Our last trip to the States (DS was 7 mths and had just started crawling) was much more challenging. DS wanted no part of a 10 hour stretch of immobility.

Pack lots and lots of water; the plane only offers those dinky little cups which do little for a BF mom.

Paula, Mama to Dante 8/1/02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33a3c3de467

[dogmom]

I just flew with my 3 month old. I decided to get him his own seat for safety issues, but I'm glad I did for convenience also. DH was not coming so it was just me and baby. I would have been more stressed than I already was if I had to hold him in my lap wedged into one of those coach class seats for 4 hours. Besides, I wouldn't be able to go to the bathroom if I didn't have his infant car seat to leave him in! It also gave me the extra room I needed to BF, he's on the tall side, he would have kicked the people on other side of me. I pulled the canopy up on his car seat and draped a blanket over it to keep it dark. He slept for 2/3 of the flight. It also gave me a spot to change him in. I recommend a seat in the back where the engine noise is louder. The constant hum of the engines probably helped him sleep so long. His seat was 1/2 the price of mine, definately worth the money.

Jeanne
Mom to Harvey
1/16/03

[jfolker]

Just a quick warning about half price seats for infants. We assumed that all major airlines did it (since American does), but learned the hard way that Delta doesn't. So, it's probably a good idea to call the airline first. Also, infant fares aren't available on the internet for American, you have to call.

[heidi_timms]

If you can't afford to pay for the extra ticket for the baby, my sister always books flight that aren't full and never has a problem spreading out/using an extra seat for her carseat.

[posterelle]

wow -- thank you everyone! I feel much less daunted now :)