Pushchair / buggy

[PAUL GIZZI]

Hi all of in May and will have to buy a new buggy / push chair as mine is to big to lug around, could anyone recommend a good one.

on i seperate note i have booked a normal seat for my daughter 15 month old she will be, should i have booked a skycot instead??

cheers

[Paula D-S]

Hi Paul,

If you're staying in a villa check with the owner about prams and pushchairs, we supply a good pushchair. The umbrella type pushchairs available cheaply at Walmart are not comfortable for a 15 month old to spend the day in, if you really wanted to buy one before you go then I'd recommend a Graco cheap and cheerful, you can pick one in Argos for less than £80 or if you waited till you go to Florida you can get them in Walmart for less than $90.

Have you booked a seat for your daughter on the plane? I did this when my youngest was 16 months old and we were able to take her car seat on board which was much more comfortable for her plus we didn't have to hire a seat in Orlando. I think skycots are meant for younger babies, I may be wrong though!!

[steph_goodrum]

we flew home this week with Virgin and there was a bit of a kerfuffle before take off as someone had booked a skycot for their 11 month old and the babies legs were hanging out of the end so it was no use to them. I know Virgin also advertise a child seat which may be another option as it sounds like you have booked her own seat. If youu are able to take her own car seat on board it is the easiest option but they have to be an approved type, then you can use it whilst on holiday as well and know it is safe and comfortable for your daughter.

Like many we supply a stroller which is suitable from birth rather than umbrella type so would also recommend youu check with wherever you are staying to see if one is provided.

[normajohnp]

Paul, as others have already said most villas will have a buggy for your use. The way I am reading your question it seem`s you want one to take with you from the UK end rather than your "big" one. I have a big three wheeler one which was too heavy to cart around so bought the Mama and Papas Pulse buggy. It is lightweight and easy to put up/down and the seat goes right back and there is an ajustable footrest so the little one can have a good comfortable sleep not hunched up like some you see.

I did also buy a Maclaren Volo buggy while I was out there in Target for $99.00. dollars. What made me get it was the fact that the complete seat is really easy to remove from the buggy and wash ( I put it in a pillow case and pop it in the washing machine )and it dries very quick, you don`t have to worry about any spills or accidents in the buggy as you just take the cover off and pop it in the wash if need be. For me the Maclaren Volo is the best as a holiday buggy as it is a real lightweight but is a good strong well made buggy.

[christhear]

You may find you need a pushchair at the airport, some of the idstances to the gates are long walks - this is Heathrow and Gatwick, not sure where you a re travelling from. It can also be a long trek at Orlando. If yo take your pushchair you can keep it until the boarding gate and then get it back with the luggage.

[PAUL GIZZI]

Hi thanks for all the replies
Want to take the pram to the airport as i dont what to carry her around for hours and yes booked a proper seat for my 15 month old, the pram i have at the moment is a quinny buzz which is no good to fold up,and after a half decent one, as to the car seat on board seems a good as i will be taking mine anyway, but how do i know it its approved for airline use i take i look at the Maclaren Volo and the mamas and papas.
so the maclaren was better??

Paul

[steph_goodrum]

This is some of the info I found
What does approved car seat mean?

Always check with your airline, but generally this means that it is a purpose built car seat, in good condition, with no damage and has a single front release type standard five-point harness. You will secure the car seat to the aircraft seat using the lap belt and you MUST take the operating instructions with you on board.

*

Check the width of your car seat, while airline seats vary in width, a car seat no wider than 16" should fit in most economy class seats. Even if the armrests are moved out of the way, a car seat wider than 16" is unlikely to fit properly into the frame of the aircraft seat.
*

Check with the airline to determine their busiest days and times. by avoiding these times, you are more likely to be on a flight with an empty seat next to you. In many cases, airlines will allow you to seat your child under two years of age in your car seat in the empty airplane seat without having to pay the airline fare for the child. Be sure to ask your airline its policy regarding an empty seat.
*

If you purchase a ticket for your child, reserve adjoining seats. A car seat must be placed in a window seat so it will not block the escape path in an emergency. A car seat may not be placed in an exit row.
*
Most of the approved seats that meet the FAA guidelines will have some sort of sticker on certifying its compliance. but it would be a good idea to check with your airline. If worst comes to worst just take a black or clear sack incase oyu have to check it in.

[normajohnp]

The Maclaren Volo is great as you can take the whole seat off and wash it ( to me VERY important, I hate to see grubby buggy`s )plus it is very lightweight. It is a great buggy for traveling. I know there are cheaper one`s to buy but to me it is worth paying the extra to get a decent one as at the end of the day the little one could be in it for some time and if they are not comfortable and happy nobody is!!!

We used the Britax Eclipse car seat when he was small and it fitted no problems. This seat is approved by airlines. Just a word of warning we have the Britax Evolva 123 now, although he is 5 years old he is very small for his age so we still have to use a 5 point harness carseat. I rang Britax themselves in October as I wanted to buy a travel cover for it and they told me that this Britax model is not approved by airlines.

[PAUL GIZZI]

Hi

i have 2 seats 1 isofix maxi cosi which will be too big so i have a small seat for my van which is non isofix a britax freeway so where do i find out if its compatable?

Paul

[steph_goodrum]

Paul
Just Googled it and it looks like your Britax should be ok

http://www.whatshebuys.com/for-child-britax.html

It says that all Britax car seats meet or exceed airline regulation approval. If you check on the labelling for the seat (you sometimes need to look underneath the cover) then there may be a label that says FAA approved, which if you have any questions at the airport you can then show them.

[normajohnp]

This is from the Britax UK site the above link is for an American site and the rules regarding carseats are different.

1. WHICH CAR SEAT CAN I USE ON AN AIRCRAFT ?

The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) accept child seats that are approved to the European Standard ECE R44 and can be fitted with a lap belt only.
The following models from our range meet this criteria:
Britax Freeway (Fisher Price forward facing seat)
Britax Eclipse (including Si & Ultra models)
Britax Renaissance (including Si models)
However, as the ultimate responsibility for use is with the airline in question we recommend that you check with them to make sure that the child seat in question will fit dimensionally on their aircraft seat and gain agreement to use it before you intend to travel.

Please be aware that FAA (USA) airlines may have different regulations.


2. I HAVE SEEN A CHILD SEAT ON THE BRITAX WEBSITE IN THE USA, WHY CAN`T I BUY THIS MODEL IN EUROPE ?

The legal requirements of the USA, Australian and European Standards are incompatible so it is not legal for you to use a European approved child seat in the USA/Canada, Australia, or vice versa.

I have posted the telephone number for Britax here in the UK 01264 386034 for anyone who would like to give there customer service a ring if they are not sure about the seat they have.

PLEASE don`t forget when asking about your car seat to let them know you are flying then driving in America not Europe.

[lynsey]

hiya,

jsut regarding the buggy - we have taken our daughter to florida twice now - once 4 months old & 1 year. we had a mclaren techno as it lies flat for evenings. its umbrella fold but still a bit bulky, so we are planning on buying a petit star zia - recently made i think. its similar to a quinny zapp but it reclines for sleeping on an evening. it also folds up much smaller than an umbrella fold so easier for transporting.

hope this helps.

lynsey

[PAUL GIZZI]

Looks like you cant take you babies car seat onboard anymore, have a look at this

Thank you for your email.

For health and safety reasons we will not allow passengers to use their own car or child seats onboard our aircraft. Passengers requiring the use of a child seat onboard may utilise Virgin Atlantic's own Infant Care Chair (ICC).

Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to carry an ICC designed to meet with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) specifications. The ICC can be used throughout the flight including during take off, landing and when the 'fasten seat belt' sign is switched on. The CAA has authorised the use of our ICC for children aged 6 months to 3 years. Passengers who require use of an ICC will need to have purchased a seat for the child at the applicable child fare.

Passengers may check into the hold their own child seats in addition to their free baggage allowance at no extra cost provided they are suitably packed.

To book an ICC, please speak with our Contact Centre:

[Paula D-S]

I'm a fan of The Apprentice and loved the pushchair featured on the programme a few weeks ago. It is called the Take Off Pushchair and is around £100.00.
The apprentices didn't make it look easy to use at first but after a bit of practise it looks really simple.

[SDJ]

Paul, what did you end up doing regarding the buggy and seat?

Sandra

[PAUL GIZZI]

Hi the seat onboard had a sort of car seat insert and was great( see photo) as to the buggy bought one here that reclined so she could sleep in it and just gave it in at the gate.

[gpullan]

Hi,

We are going to Florida in Feb, lots of kids and 2 of them under 2 years old (1yr old and a 3 month old baby).

Are the airlines (Virgin) ok with taking a double buggy right to the gate and then leaving it there?? We did this last year but only had the 1 buggy which folded up small, not like the new mams and papas double we're taking?!

[normajohnp]

When we flew out in August this year there were two familys with the new double M&P buggy and they took them to the plane door just like normal. No problems that I could see as we were behind them all the way.