flying with a baby

[MTP]

DOM,

A 4 month old will be fine for a flight, our youngest has been 2 months.

As explained already you can't buy the infant ticket until the infant is born. You can, however, put in the request for bulkhead seats for use of a skycot as soon as you have your tickets. Our last two family vacations were with Virgin, and our youngest was two months and then fourteen months old on these trips. On all flights got the bulkhead seats - but that doesn't then mean that it will have the skycot fitting. Each time, where it was appropriate, the cabin crew did a wee re-jig of other bulhead passengers across the row with us so that we could get the skycot fitting.

Would agree with Julie about the size of the skycot, but BA also have a Britax made car seat like thing, which is better for older children.

If I can suggest the best thing is if the baby can breast feed as then you don't have worry about sterilisation or perhaps supply of feed (just make sure mother doesn't get dehydrated!) plus it means that the baby can easily feed during take-off and descent (more tricky as it starts 30 mins from landing).

Best advice is to try to chill, don't try to plan everything and roll with the punches.

[domster]

We are now being told by work might not be able to book our trip then, so might only be able to go over Xmas or even earlier. What is the regulations on this. What is the earliest age that a baby can travel?

[MTP]

BA's site says 48 hours for the baby and mum, unless there was a caesarean, when it is 10 days for mum with clearance from their health services. I would imagine most airlines would be similar, but they should all be able to advise.

[Kat7]

Not that I've got kiddies myself....just friends with young 'uns, but they swear by baby sheepskins for lining car seats, prams etc. Wonder if that would be useful to put in a skycot to make it more comfy & snuggly? (warm in the winter & cool in the summer)

Got to say, we've always flown Virgin (but flying BA this yr cuz have friends who are pilot & 'trolley dolly' for BA, therefore cheaper flights!![msnsmile2]) and the skycots never struck me as overly comfy...the babies tended to spend most of their time on parents lap! But as you say, even a little respite is better than none!

Hey, I even got asked to hold a little 'un for someone....which then puked down me....NICE![msnscared][msneek] Great way to arrive in Orlando!!!

Just go with the flow, as they say!

Kat [easter1]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by domster
We are now being told by work might not be able to book our trip then, so might only be able to go over Xmas or even earlier. What is the regulations on this. What is the earliest age that a baby can travel?
[/quote]

One of mine was a week old[msnwink] When I was flying as crew we often had new born babies on so I wuld say if the BA web site says 48hrs then 2 days old must be correct[msnwink]