CFT Featured Article / August 2006
Airline Baby Seating

Your holiday is all planned. Reservations have been made and flights are booked. Below, we've compiled some information about things you should know about traveling by plane with your baby.

Airtours
www.airtours.co.uk
Baby bassinets are available at time of booking. Infant seat belts (clipped onto the adult seat belt) are available for older babies sitting on their parents' lap. Children's meals are available on request. Pre-boarding for families with young children must be requested at the gate before departure and is not guaranteed.

American Airlines
www.aa.com
Baby bassinets are available on request. Children's meals have been discontinued so bring food for your toddler. Baby food from Gerber is supplied for children aged two and younger. Infant seat belts are not available. Pre-boarding for families with young children is a priority.

Air Canada
www.aircanada.ca
An infant, under 2 years and for whom a seat is purchased, must be properly secured in a child restraint device. A child, over 2 years but weighing under 40pounds, can be secured in a child restraint device. In both cases, the device must fit between the armrests of an aircraft seat and is manufactured on/after January 1, 1981.
Infant/child weighing less than 20 pounds must be secured in a rear facing infant restraint device. Infant/child weighing 20 pounds or more, up to a maximum of 40 pounds, must be secured in a forward facing restraint device.
Alternatively, an infant under two can sit on the lap of the parents or bassinets are available in ordered in advance and can only be used by infants up to 25 llbs. Infant and child meals must be ordered 18 hours in advance and goody bags are given on board.

British Airways
www.britishairways.com
A baby bassinet is supplied for infants up to 25 pounds and/or a Britax seat (similar to a car seat) for toddlers up to the age of three. Children's meals are available on request. Formula and breast milk can be stored and heated in the kitchen galley. Infant lap seat belts are also available on request. Families are given priority when boarding. For older babies and children, a choice of Hamleys toys is on offer.

Britannia Airways
www.britanniaairways.com
Sky cots for infants are available on request. Children's meals available, but must be ordered at time of booking. Advance boarding for families with young children.

Continental Airlines
www.flycontinental.com
Baby bassinets are available for children under 22 pounds. Over that weight, parents must either buy a seat or have them sit on their laps. Baby meals from Gerber are on offer, and include jarred food, cereals, juices and fruit. Parents with infants are given priority for bulkhead seats.

Easyjet
www.easyjet.co.uk
Baby bassinets are not available. Car seats and baby buggies must be placed in the hold. Under twos fly free, but after that babies and toddlers are charged the full adult fare.

Emirates Airline
www.emirates.com
Bassinets on board all the aircraft. The dimensions of the bassinet in inches are, length 29.52, width 13.3, depth 6.5. The length and width can be reduced by 1.5 inches. There is a weight limit of 11kgs and the bassinet is for infants up to two years old only.
Any purpose built infant car seat can be carried in board and secured to a passenger seat throughout the flight. The infant must be held during take off and landing, and may only occupy the car seat during the normal cruise stage of the flight. This is applicable to infants between 6 and 36 months. 

Gulf Air
www.gulfairco.com
Bassinets are available for infants aged up to 12 months not occupying a seat. These are subject to availability and are fitted against a bulkhead by a Flight Attendant after take-off. Available on request, these should be booked when you make your ticket reservation - also ensure you check-in early for your flight. 
Changing facilities are fitted in all aircraft toilets with limited stocks of baby items available on request such as diapers, creams, powders, etc. Diapers are available in three sizes for various age groups but stocks are limited. It is therefore recommended that passengers carry their own stock, in case of shortage. Gulf Air also offer a Sky Nanny service. The nanny will assist from the departure gate and during the flight helping to entertain your child and organizing their meal service.
Priority family boarding is given.

KLM Airlines
www.klm.com
Bassinets are available on request. Bulkhead seats are allocated specifically to parents with young babies. Infant meals supplied by Heinz and include jarred food. Nipples, bottle and baby spoons also supplied.
Toddlers get their own special meals and on each long-haul flight an emergency pack of nappies and baby wipes is available. Changing facilities are available on board all long-haul flights. .

Monarch Airlines
www.monarch-airlines.com
Sky cots are available up to age six months on request. Older babies must then sit in parent's lap. Baby food from Heinz is offered. No pre-boarding allowed. Infants under two fly free, after that you pay a child's fare - roughly 10 per cent of an adult fare.

Quantas Airlines
www.quantas.com.au
The airline supplies a goodie pack for infants containing a book, a finger puppet, but more importantly, nappies, baby wipes and a baby changing mat. Baby bassinettes are available on booking for babies under 25 pounds. Over that weight, parents can bring along a car seat.

Ryanair
www.ryanair.com
Baby bassinettes are not available. Car seats and baby buggies must be placed in the hold. Under twos fly free, but after that babies and toddlers are charged the full adult fare.

Singapore Airlines
www.singaporeair.com
Baby bassinets are available on request for under twos, or bring a car seat for older babies and toddlers. Bulkhead seats are given to parents with young children. Baby meals supplied by Heinz are on offer and toddlers get their own meal with chicken nuggets and fries. Changing facilities are at the rear of the plane. Older kids receive their own goody bag of games and colouring books.
Gameboys are installed on all fronts and seatback TV videos feature children's programmes and cartoons.

SN Brussels Airlines
www.brusselsairlines.com

Baby bassinets are only available between the Brussels and Africa route in economy and business class and on certain flights within Europe in business class only. The baskets are equipped with linen, pillow and a blanket. The bassinets are for babies of up to 8 months, with a maxium weight of 10kg. The dimensions of the bassinet are 70cm long and 30cm wide. These should be booked when making a reservation. Passengers below 2 years are classified as toddlers and from 2-12 years as children.

United Airlines
www.unitedairlines.co.uk
Baby bassinets are available for babies under six months. After that baby must travel in parent's lap or purchase a seat for a child fare. Child fares differ depending on where you are traveling, but in general expect to pay between 10 to 60 per cent of an adult fare. Car seats are accepted only if you purchase a seat for your child. According to its website, staff will warm a bottle only if they have the time. Nappies are available on long-haul flights but don't count on a plentiful supply, so remember to bring your own.

Virgin Atlantic Airlines
www.virgin-atlantic.com
Baby bassinets are available on request for children under 12 months of age. After that a child must either sit with a parent or in their own seat. An emergency supply of nappies, formula, milk, bottles and baby food is available on request. Children's meals can be supplied on request, as can a goody bag with games and puzzles for older children and the in-flight entertainment features kids and cartoon channels.


We hope the above is useful and remember all the websites contain extra information also which you may want to access before flying. When researching this, the issue of pushchairs/prams/strollers came up too. Which airlines let you take them onto the aircraft and/or into the hold (cargo area)? Well, generally you can take your pushchair up to the door of the aircraft but then you have to fold it for taking down to the aircraft's hold. However, if you do have the most basic of pushchairs ie. the fold up 'umbrella' style, the crew may agree to take it on board and store it there for you. However, if your puschair has been taken to the hold, you must advise the crew to leave instructions that you wish to claim it again at the aircraft's door ie. when you get off. If you fail to mention this, the next time you see it, may be on the baggage carousel.. This is particularly important when you are taking more than one flight and you will require the puschair in transit otherwise you will be left holding the baby - literally! However, Emirates have just introduced a fantastic service at Dubai International Airport whereby pushchairs will be available at all the gates for complimentary use in the airport. Hopefully other airports/airlines will follow suit soon.

With regards to car seats, these can only be taken on board if you have paid for a seat and they must comply with the airline's regulations.

Finally, both car seats and travel cots can be checked-in with your suitcases and the airline should not count these as part of your luggage allowance.