16 hour flight-bring car seat?

[BeaMae]

Hello,

I am making my first trip to HK with my 2 year old and cannot decide whether to bring her car seat (i am traveling alone). I think we will be in coach, and coming from the States (16 hour flight). It seems like it would be easier for her to sleep, and safer, but a lot for me to deal with. And we do not need a car seat in HK. Any past experiences you can share? And any other travel tips would be great too. Thanks so much.

 

[carang]

personally, i'd say leave it at home. i've done one flight to canada with a 5 week old and a 2 year old. no car seats. it was just fine. i DID take my 2 year old's pillow and little blanket.

i've also done a flight to australia with a 3 year old and a1.5 year old. no car seats. again, i took their pillows and blankets and they were fine.

i'm going back to canada again next month. no car seats.

if you are going by yourself, keep in mind all that you have to carry onto the flight: YOUR bag, diapers, snacks, toys, child... you only have so many hands and it will be virtually impossible to carry a car seat as well.

 

[aussiegal]

I agree with Carang, leave it behind. If the flight is not full they will leave a seat or two empty next to you anyway as they don't like to put other passengers next to young children in case they cry too much. If this happens she'll be much more comfortable lying down on two seats to sleep and it will just be easy for you both to manoeuvre around on the plane.

Having to carry a car seat by myself and a 2 year old along with all the things she will need would be enough to scare me and frankly I'm not sure it's even possible as often you will get no help from staff. I have done loads of long haul trips with one or two little ones and believe me the first thing you learn is to bring the lightest stuff you can!

The best advice I can give for a 16 hour flight is to simply accept before you get on the plane that the next 16 hours could well be hell. If you have low expectations you'll be esctatic with any other outcome :haha: Oh, and rest up before the trip. You'll need the energy.

 

[babymommy2]

I haven't brought the carseats ever. I know it is safer, but being realistic it is difficult. I think our car seats are too wide to fit in any case. Once getting to hong kong, we have little room to store 2 large car seats and wouldn't use them there anyways. I just pray there is no problem on the plane because I know they will slip right through the adult seatbelt and hit the ceiling if the plane drops.

It would be nice if the plane is not full for them to leave you an extra seat, but it doesn't always happen. On the last flight I took, after several hours I wandering to the back and there were so many empty seats! There were places with one person stretched out over 4 seats sleeping while all the families with small children were at the front section and no extra seats anywhere! I couldn't believe it! It seems like all the flights I've taken since having children we have been given rows near the front of economy.

 

[southside852]

gosh definitely leave it at home - for that long flight in economy it will just be pain as the seats are already so tight. it's the last think you want to deal with it. just pull up the seat rest bar so your child can lie across on you.

 

[carang]

you need to make SURE you are not given the seats at the front row (where you would put a bassinet if you had a baby). the last time i went, they had automatically put us there with our booking. i VERY quickly made sure that we were NOT there. those armrests do NOT move! i wanted to be able to lift it up so the kids could lie down!

 

[BeaMae]

Thanks for all the input. My girl is a very very active sleeper, so I am not sure she will stay on my lap. I would just have to hope she doesn't roll off. But it sounds like the car seat will be too much. Good advice about the front row. I was thinking it would be good because of the extra leg room. But if the arm rests don't go up, that is a problem.

Would anyone recommend business class? I don't think my kid would do well on Cathay Pacific (the pods are too tall and she can't see me), but perhaps on another airline where the seats are side by side. Any thoughts?

 

[aussiegal]

I actually don't like to travel business class with children. I feel bad enough if my kids cry etc in economy without having to worry about all those business people looking at me like i should be locked up for disturbing them! That's just me however, others may disagree.

If you go economy when you check in just tell them you would prefer to go where there are less people, possibly some empty seats around you rather than at the front. These days flights are rarely ever full so you shouldn't have any problems. I would easily trade the extra leg room you get from the bassinet seats for extra seats for my kids to lie down on.

 

[sleicester]

I've done it both ways ie with a car seat and without and I'd recommend leaving the car seat behind. The hassle of carrying the car seat through the airport and security, as well as lugging the diaper bag, and then trying to go to the airport bathroom was a nightmare. I was surprised that my son actually stayed in his seat most times as he is very active but a I brought some things to make that happen. A DVD player, lots of toys and took a flight that departed from the States at night so he slept soon after take off. Good luck.