plusbellelavie
07-01-2009, 06:55 AM
Okay a few weeks okay I posted about trying to bring a Graco Safeseat on Air France flight since they had told me I would have to gate check it! I did tons of research and decided I was going to do it but be prepare with all the material I could and see what happens. I printed out the FAA information and I contacted Air France and Delta and told them I would be bringing the carseat since I purchased a seat for my 6 month old at the full child fare, I also brought the carseat manuel! Since I knew the flight was runned by AF I printed out information in French saying if a carseat is uniform then I could bring it. (In France a baby can be FF at 10 mths old and many parents that I know actually do it much earlier some as soon as the baby outgrow the infant carrier...no joke...it might not be legal but they do it but still 10 mths is early in my mind but it is a different culture!) We arrived at the airport early, I checked myself and the 3 kids in and made it clear that I would bringing the carseat no problem. Went thru security no problem. Gate checked the Maclaren Traveller Stroller assured by AF crew that it will be other side.
Get us all on the plane with no help from anyone or word one about the carseat until I install it and the flight attendant who has been standing about 2 seats away says he can't be in that position and said he has to be FF. I expalin it is only a rear facing seat. I explain I purchased him a seat and he is sitting where he needs to be. She tells me that the passenger in front can't recline his seat I said correct but the baby is safe. She then tells me I have to inform the passenger thta he can't recline the seat and that if he has a problem with it the 4 of us have to move or I have to gate check the carseat. I said no it is your job to tell him not mine. She then tells me I should like all the other parents have requested a bassient for my son...I said first he is too big at 6 months old for it both weight and height wise, secondly it is in my opinion unsafe since he is not attach, and thirdly I am traveling alone with three kids and I need them secured. She made some asine comment (in French) about Americans and safety which I chose to ignore. Fortunately the man in front I had no problem about not recling his seat and yes I had to tell him because she was stubbornly refusing to do so.
The problem came midflight when my son vomited all over me and I ask my oldest to go and let the flight attendants know. He comes back with 8 cocktail napkins and tells me that all they gave him! I proceed to clean up the baby as best as I can with wipes etc and he throws up again...a flight attendant finally shows up and ask what the problem is...I say the baby is sick and all they gave us is cocktail napkins and my son says well it is him who gave it! I said it is ridiculous and he says "buff" and WALKS a way. No help. I continue to clean up everything when a second flight attendants comes up and ask what the problem is as if she is blind to the mess. I say I need some help since the baby was sick...she can't touch the baby she says which I say is fine but could I get some napkins or something to clean him up? She says she will see! In the end ladies I had to clean up the baby, myself, the seat...provide my own garbage bags for the everyhing...that right they didn't even provide a garbage bag! The second flight attendant did come back with a small wet wash cloth after everything was said and done and acted as she was doing me a favor!
Afterwards no one from the flight crew came and ask if the baby was okay or if there was anything they could do. They ignored us completely. As did everyone else around us mind you...nobody asked if they could help in anyway...I am very lucky my oldest has a brain and was willing to do all he could for the baby.
Earlier in the flight the baby that was a lap baby and in a bassinet in front of us got an infant package...toys etc, the parents got lots of attention from the crew, Mine nothing. My daughter was so disappointed not to be able to open the thing for him and play with him and even asked why the other baby was about the same age as her brother got something and not Hudson I said I didn't know and that maybe it would come with his meal like hers usually did. So being curious at some point in the flight I ask the parents with which airline they purchased the seats with...AF they said. We purchased ours through Delta/expedia so....
Okay so the rest of the very long flight continues without problem except that when meal service is provided there is no infant menu for the baby even though we confirmed it the day beforehand...it was a big deal because the baby is BF with occasional formula and only started solids a week ago. I brought along everything I need but the point is before he even got sick they hadn't brought him the meal we requested for him.
Last bitch...we get to SFO...demark once again with no help...no stroller ask the man for it and he says it in baggage claim. I said I check it in at the gate so that I could have it at the otherside. He says I will have it on the otherside but at baggage claim. I tell him there is a reason parents gate check a stroller at one gate they need at the other to transport the child around the airport. He said well not with AF! I say it is ridiculous and he and his 3 friends laugh at me...I am now in the USA and have men laughing at me because I request my stroller!! I ask if one of them can help me with the baby, bags, etc at least up the ramp they tell me it isn't their job!! Somehow I manage...to lug my 26.5 lb baby in his HEAVY carseat carrier and bag through inspecition. My two oldest were HUGE help and did everything they could but after a long trip they were tired too. And NO other passenger asked if they could help in anyway either.
I get to baggage claim and go make a complaint to AF about the flight where I meet a kind lady who informs me that my complaint since I live in France has to be made in France and since I purchased my tickets with Delta I have to deal with them! Ahhh great...
I have already sent two complaints by email to AF and to Delta and hope to hear shortly their response....but want to forwarn anyone traveling Internationally on AF or Delta not to expect to have your gate check stroller at the other gate and even if you don't bring the carseat be ready with your own food, garbage bags, clean up stuff if the baby is sick because you may get a terrible crew like we did (there were other people who had problems on the flight and were not being help so it wasn't just me:D!)
BTW the baby was a 100% more comfortable in the carseat then he would have been in my lap but I recommend only dressing them in a body because he got a bit hot in it otherwise...I think the reason he got sick was because it wa hot on the plane and then in the seat it was sticky...I kept fanning him with a paper since the air vents didn't work.But I have to say that he is pretty sick and tired of his carseat and today when I put him in it to go for a walk he resisted so I didn't force it I figured I will do it tomorrow when he is better adjsuted to all the changes!
Anyway thanks for listening to my misery...it helps to vent... :tongue5:
Get us all on the plane with no help from anyone or word one about the carseat until I install it and the flight attendant who has been standing about 2 seats away says he can't be in that position and said he has to be FF. I expalin it is only a rear facing seat. I explain I purchased him a seat and he is sitting where he needs to be. She tells me that the passenger in front can't recline his seat I said correct but the baby is safe. She then tells me I have to inform the passenger thta he can't recline the seat and that if he has a problem with it the 4 of us have to move or I have to gate check the carseat. I said no it is your job to tell him not mine. She then tells me I should like all the other parents have requested a bassient for my son...I said first he is too big at 6 months old for it both weight and height wise, secondly it is in my opinion unsafe since he is not attach, and thirdly I am traveling alone with three kids and I need them secured. She made some asine comment (in French) about Americans and safety which I chose to ignore. Fortunately the man in front I had no problem about not recling his seat and yes I had to tell him because she was stubbornly refusing to do so.
The problem came midflight when my son vomited all over me and I ask my oldest to go and let the flight attendants know. He comes back with 8 cocktail napkins and tells me that all they gave him! I proceed to clean up the baby as best as I can with wipes etc and he throws up again...a flight attendant finally shows up and ask what the problem is...I say the baby is sick and all they gave us is cocktail napkins and my son says well it is him who gave it! I said it is ridiculous and he says "buff" and WALKS a way. No help. I continue to clean up everything when a second flight attendants comes up and ask what the problem is as if she is blind to the mess. I say I need some help since the baby was sick...she can't touch the baby she says which I say is fine but could I get some napkins or something to clean him up? She says she will see! In the end ladies I had to clean up the baby, myself, the seat...provide my own garbage bags for the everyhing...that right they didn't even provide a garbage bag! The second flight attendant did come back with a small wet wash cloth after everything was said and done and acted as she was doing me a favor!
Afterwards no one from the flight crew came and ask if the baby was okay or if there was anything they could do. They ignored us completely. As did everyone else around us mind you...nobody asked if they could help in anyway...I am very lucky my oldest has a brain and was willing to do all he could for the baby.
Earlier in the flight the baby that was a lap baby and in a bassinet in front of us got an infant package...toys etc, the parents got lots of attention from the crew, Mine nothing. My daughter was so disappointed not to be able to open the thing for him and play with him and even asked why the other baby was about the same age as her brother got something and not Hudson I said I didn't know and that maybe it would come with his meal like hers usually did. So being curious at some point in the flight I ask the parents with which airline they purchased the seats with...AF they said. We purchased ours through Delta/expedia so....
Okay so the rest of the very long flight continues without problem except that when meal service is provided there is no infant menu for the baby even though we confirmed it the day beforehand...it was a big deal because the baby is BF with occasional formula and only started solids a week ago. I brought along everything I need but the point is before he even got sick they hadn't brought him the meal we requested for him.
Last bitch...we get to SFO...demark once again with no help...no stroller ask the man for it and he says it in baggage claim. I said I check it in at the gate so that I could have it at the otherside. He says I will have it on the otherside but at baggage claim. I tell him there is a reason parents gate check a stroller at one gate they need at the other to transport the child around the airport. He said well not with AF! I say it is ridiculous and he and his 3 friends laugh at me...I am now in the USA and have men laughing at me because I request my stroller!! I ask if one of them can help me with the baby, bags, etc at least up the ramp they tell me it isn't their job!! Somehow I manage...to lug my 26.5 lb baby in his HEAVY carseat carrier and bag through inspecition. My two oldest were HUGE help and did everything they could but after a long trip they were tired too. And NO other passenger asked if they could help in anyway either.
I get to baggage claim and go make a complaint to AF about the flight where I meet a kind lady who informs me that my complaint since I live in France has to be made in France and since I purchased my tickets with Delta I have to deal with them! Ahhh great...
I have already sent two complaints by email to AF and to Delta and hope to hear shortly their response....but want to forwarn anyone traveling Internationally on AF or Delta not to expect to have your gate check stroller at the other gate and even if you don't bring the carseat be ready with your own food, garbage bags, clean up stuff if the baby is sick because you may get a terrible crew like we did (there were other people who had problems on the flight and were not being help so it wasn't just me:D!)
BTW the baby was a 100% more comfortable in the carseat then he would have been in my lap but I recommend only dressing them in a body because he got a bit hot in it otherwise...I think the reason he got sick was because it wa hot on the plane and then in the seat it was sticky...I kept fanning him with a paper since the air vents didn't work.But I have to say that he is pretty sick and tired of his carseat and today when I put him in it to go for a walk he resisted so I didn't force it I figured I will do it tomorrow when he is better adjsuted to all the changes!
Anyway thanks for listening to my misery...it helps to vent... :tongue5: