Cathay Pacific - Bulk seat or Bassinet seat

[Bess]

Totally agree Obiwan & Buckeroo with people being inconsiderate, hubby in fact did tell people to go around!
Another thing with the bulkhead seats is that the arm rests on the airbus 330/340 (seating config 2-4-2) on the outer seats of the middle 4 seats are fixed. It is only the 1in middle that you can lift up due to the trays being stored in the seat. I find this harder to have a bub / toddler sleeping on my lap as you can't spread out that little bit more if you have been allocated 2 seats etc.

 

[southside852]

i think it depends on how your baby sleeps. we;ve been on both in cathay and if i were to do it again, i would take the regular seats - non bulkhead. our son hated the bassinet - he hated being confined and he was also a tummy sleeper very early on. almost i would have preferred a drop down table in front of me, moveable armrests and the tv. our son always preferrered sleeping on us in his carrier right up to 12 months.

also, like the above people mentioned, we hated the light from the bathroom constantly shining down right on our son.

 

[starbucks2]

Depends on the baby, I agree. Ours slept really well in the bassinet but when I travelled with him by myself (he was 6 months), we bought him a seat and both sat on the side (in a 2 config.) which was more private for feeding and sleeping. He slept across the seat.

If you do go for the bassinet then take a dark blanket or something to cover the bassinet to block out some of the light when they turn on the lights without warning.

I also tell people off if they try and cross in front of me on the bulkhead - VERY irritating and inconsiderate!

SB2

 

[Eve12]

Thanks for all your insight....I guess I have to call Cathay Pacific and find out where the bulk seats are..with your GREAT suggestions...I have to check out the "lights from the bathroom" seats...

THANKS for all your replies!!!!

 

[bumbeeno]

Great thread! I have been thinking about this lately. We will fly with our baby for the first time at Chinese New Year and he will be 7 months old by then. It's a short haul Cathay flight of approx 4 hours. Would it be worth asking for the centre bulkhead seats with the bassinet option (tho he may be too long for it by then as he is already 65cm now) or would it be a better idea to ask for the side bulkhead seats where there is at least some privacy? I don't foresee him sleeping much as he only is ever able to sleep in his cot or in a carrier. By then he mightn't even want to sleep at all, it's too exciting!!!

Any other tips on travelling with an infant for the first time would be immensely appreciated!

 

[Obiwan]

Depending on the air-craft, the 777 we flew on did not have the side bassinet option (only centre row). My girl, who was 3-month old then, fit the bassinet just right, but I suspect she won't be able to fit in a couple of months. That was her first flight, very uneventful, she didn't cry at all

 

[Obiwan]

Oh and no problem with carrying water etc with me.

 

[Eve12]

Hi Obiwan,

I assume you mean water for baby formula was a non-issue.
I called CP and the bulkhead is not the bassinet seat. The bassinet seat is the middle row seats and the bulkhead seats is to the side(that's what booked for us). my bugs hates sleeping in strange places, so im thinking the bassinet seat might not be the best and the bulkhead with "more leg room" might be the best call. Bubs can sleep on me in the carrier and I can at least stretch out my legs(yaeah)...

 

[Obiwan]

Hi Piper! Bulkhead seats typically refer to the first row seats with leg room, be it the side or the middle rows. So the middle row seats are bulkhead seats as well with lots of legroom. Some aircraft (like the Boeing 777) doesn't have bassinet for bulkhead seats on the side, just for the middle row. We are flying to Vancouver for Xmas so I've opted for the bassinet seats in the middle row. If the baby doesn't like the bassinet, we can hold her, but at least we will have the option to put her in the bassinet for the long-haul flight. We tried that last week on a 4-hour flight and she slept well in the bassinet. To give you an gauge of the legroom, my husband is 6 feet tall, he could stretch out his legs fully, have a few bags on the floor in front of him, and still have room for people to walk along the aisle (which is a nuisance).

Yup, water for baby formula was a non-issue. In fact, we were never stopped for questioning.

 

[newbiekt]

Our baby is quite tall and was already too big for the bassinet by four and a half months so you may not need to be near the shelf. The other issue is that every time they turn on the seatbelt sign you have to take the baby out of the bassinet so in the end I found it easier to just have him sleep in my arms. Not so sure how it will work next week now he's seven months and nearly 10kg!