Formula feeds and airplanes

[Koan]

When I traveled with my baby, I had no problem taking water past security. They told me at the check in counter that if you had a baby they made allowances about that.

Same. I have always taken a sippy of water and a spare bottle of boiled water with me and never had a single issue. In the last 2 mnths we've taken about 10 flights and nobody has asked us about it.

When putting the bag through the scanner we just took DS's sippy of water out of the bag so it was in plain view and the security staff could see what the fluid was.

 

[happyvalleygirl]

Thanks everyone. Just noticed that Bumps to babes sells cartons of ready made Aptamil! I'll be taking those instead. :flower:

 

[karmah1]

I don`t mean to hijack your thread with my possibly idiotic comments, but being new to the formula thing, can`t you just use bottled spring water? That`s what we do. We drink distilled water for ourselves and I buy spring water for the baby. Am I poisoning him? :0

Shenzhennifer

I used to use that Wildalp Baby Water, I bought it from ThreeSixty Supermarket, but even the midwife at Annerly told me to boil it. I also have one of those Brita Water Filter containers that you keep in the fridge so I just boil that water on the stove in a pot for about 5 min. I was told that boiling in a jug is not long enough and jugs can be "dirty". There are some bottled waters you can use occasionly I think one is Volvic. Apparently mineral water has too many salts in them.

I've sent you a PM just in case you missed this message.

 

[rani]

Karmah, are you sure 5 mins is enough? Remember watching Survivor (tv show) and they were told to boil water for 10 mins.

 

[KKKK]

Just a warning - HK have always been good at allowing baby food and fluids through but i recently flew and had ella's kitchen baby food sachets and aptimil pre made cartons taken off me - they said I could take the milk but only if i opened them and drank from them - therefore making them pointless!!!

My friend on the same flight was allowed to take her same ellas kitchen food sachets so I think it depends whi you have (although we went through security together!!) I think because of the milk cartons they searched my bag and not hers.

Anyway this is just a warning as I know in the past they have allowed me to take both through - luckily that time we where only flying short haul and my baby is older so we could give him bottled cold water no problem instaed - I don't know what I would have done if I'd been flying long haul when he was small !!

K

 

[karmah1]

Karmah, are you sure 5 mins is enough? Remember watching Survivor (tv show) and they were told to boil water for 10 mins.

Oh I had read that 5 min was enough according to a couple of baby books...

 

[Shenzhennifer]

I`ve also always read that 5 min is the normal time for sterilizing water or equipment. In fact, I`m wary to boil it much longer as the water would condense and become slightly more concentrated. I learned this from drinking overboiled water - yuck!

 

[chrissy2]

Hi I just came back from Beijing only a 3 hr flight...anyways I had my water pre done at home and I put them in the baby bottles (i made up 6) ......they let me in Hong Kong and Beijing through security like this it was no problem, I just told them before the scan that I had baby bottles with steralized water and my formula can in my bag! When I got on plane I had a platic cup and asked the girl to bring me hot water and I warmed the formula up that way, I just put the bottle inside the cup with the hot water.

 

[hiannaya]

I also had issue regarding this matter when i traveled from Hk. I did two long hour flights with my daughter, to LA when she was 4 month and to Sydney when she was 6 month. The security check spot after immigration is very easy to pass if you explain to them what that water is for, but if you travel to USA or Australia, there's another security check in front of gate and they usually don't allow you to bring any kind of liquid. Airport staffs and security staffs in HK airport seems like they don't have very clear guideline because they let me pass the second security spot without any problem once and then made me pour out the water another time. Actually I'm very upset with this. An airport staff explained to me that this is US and Australian goverment's requirement not Hong Kong's. But when I checked with the airport security staff in the states and Australian goverment's official website, they have no problem with moms bringing steralized water to feed their babies.
No airline can make boiled water on board, they just serve 'hot water' from the tap and if you travel cathay pacific in economy class, good luck for us. They even don't serve mineral water to economy class passengers. It's 'tap water'!

I was upset when I checked HK airport website and found the quote that they allow passenger to bring baby food but not water because it can be provided on board. They serve special meals to people who have restriction on their food because of religion or health condition. Then aren't they supposed to provide some pre-boiled water to the passengers with baby if they request?

 

[Shenzhennifer]

They even don't serve mineral water to economy class passengers. It's 'tap water'!

QUOTE]

Wow, bad experience, sorry.
I flew Air Canada and I was given big bottles of water to keep at my side. They had loads and loads of them in back. Remind me not to fly Cathay anytime soon.