The boyfriend was expecting the the doctor to give him the third degree (or at least sound disapproving), but she happily wrote the prescription and said to make sure we relaxed and had a few drinks on the flight! And she also said not to worry about what other people think. Both tips very good advice, I think. The other good tip was to have a test run on the Phenergen before we go. Apparently it can hype kids up, rather than sedate them. So I guess we'll be testing it out one day this week. I feel bad, but really think it may be necessary at some stage of the flight.
I've been busy writing 'things to take' lists. All the bags and contents need to be carefully considered, as there are strict weight limits for the baby's carry-on luggage, and rules for taking baby food etc. into the UK.
We are flying Emirates, but most airlines have similar pricing and policies on children.
Air tickets for children under two years old are generally 10% of the full fare, and you don’t get charged taxes. So Lewis' ticket cost $170. Bargain!
When booking a ticket for yourself and your baby, it’s best to make your reservation via phone so that you can ensure the bassinet is requested for each of your flight legs. It’s important to understand that the bassinet request does not guarantee you get one. An Emirates reservations officer explained to me: “There are only about 6 bassinets on each flight, so if there are more babies than bassinets, you might get bumped for a younger child”. To ensure you get your requested seats, make sure you check in as soon as it opens, 24 hours before the flight departs. This can usually be done online, but again, if you want to ensure you still have the bassinet seats, you might want to check in via phone.
Most airlines give a 10kg check-in allowance for children, plus up to 5 kg of carry on luggage plus a pram. (QANTAS apparently doesn’t provide a specific kg allowance, but allows food and nappies.) I checked with the UK customs site and have found out that we are only allowed to take 2kg of baby food (unopened packages) and formula into the country - and it needs to be as part of your hand luggage! Which is going to make things tricky, as a can of formula is 900grams and I have stocked up on jars/pouches of baby food, which weigh more than 1200 grams! So I guess I'll have to cull my stash, and go straight to the supermarket when we arrive. Annoying!
Next post I'll detail the intricacies of packing with a baby... it's going to be a bit like a military operation!
