Airline Travel With an Infant

[MrsK]

What was the carry on situation like? I presume you had the diaper bag and the carseat bag. Were they okay with 2 carry ons?

[SuzySunshine]

I'm still amazed at how different airlines are. Did you use the car seat on the plane or in the terminal why didn't you check it with your luggage? They're not supposed to be able to charge you for a checked car seat.

[peggyfromwastate]

We just flew with AirTran and they said they will charge you for checking the car seat at the ticketing, but if you lug it thru the airport they won't charge you to gate check. Stupid people. I so hate flying now.

And the TSA routine over the formula. My word. Where is the precedent for a mother bringing some type of liquid explosive on a plane with her baby??? Common Sense people.

Rant over.

[Thirteen]

This information is very helpful, and I've enjoyed reading through it. I motion to make this a sticky, if there isn't one yet.

[SuzySunshine]

We just flew with AirTran and they said they will charge you for checking the car seat at the ticketing, but if you lug it thru the airport they won't charge you to gate check. Stupid people. I so hate flying now.

And the TSA routine over the formula. My word. Where is the precedent for a mother bringing some type of liquid explosive on a plane with her baby??? Common Sense people.

Rant over.

That stinks about AirTran, I've flown Amerian and Continental with the car seat and neither one of them charge to check it - I'm not lugging two car seats through the airport when I travel with the kids at the end of the month. Ugg!

And the TSA routine over the formula. My word. Where is the precedent for a mother bringing some type of liquid explosive on a plane with her baby??? Common Sense people.

Rant over.

As though the people who blow up planes have any scruples? There are women suicide bombers, it's just the next step. I've got no problem with such things being checked, but they should be checked consistently in a specific manner so that parents know what to expect and how to present their stuff.

[moonlight]

Interesting about the infant ticket thing, I've never had to have one - must be a US Airways thing.

Glad it went well!

With all our moving and travel over the past few years DH and I have a system down. One of my travel jobs is to hold all our tickets and make sure they don't get lost while we travel. It wasn't a big deal to get the infant ticket, but it was an extra set of tickets I had to keep track of while traveling. It's also a cute thing I can put in her baby book... the tickets have her name on it and say "infant ticket"... it was kinda cute.

[moonlight]

What was the carry on situation like? I presume you had the diaper bag and the carseat bag. Were they okay with 2 carry ons?

The airline didn't count the car seat bag or the stroller as a carry on item. DH and I traveled together and we only carried on the diaper bag and a small suitcase. We checked a suitcase at the ticket counter. We gate checked the car seat bag (that also had the base in it) and the stroller. We weren't charged to gate check car seat bag or stroller... but they insisted we go to the gate counter before boarding to get those items properly tagged.

Remember back-in-the-day when you checked a suit case they would put a paper tag on it with a elastic band? Then there was a perforated tab that you would tear off and keep while you were traveling. Once you retrieved your suit case from the baggage clam area you would show an airline person your paper tab, and they would verify the same number on the tab corresponded with the tag on the suit case. Hope that makes sense... Anyways, that's exactly how US Airways handled the gate check car seat bag and stroller. Also, we had to get new gate check tags at for each leg of our trip. We had a stop over at Charlotte and had to get new gate tags there. Apparently those special gate check tags are kept behind the desk under lock and key.

[alison]

I know this might be a little off-topic, but my mil made it onto the plane with matches AND a sparkler (for dh's birthday) IN HER PURSE!

[moonlight]

I know this might be a little off-topic, but my mil made it onto the plane with matches AND a sparkler (for dh's birthday) IN HER PURSE!

please tell me you are kidding....... !!!!!!!

and why the heck did she NEED to bring those items on a plane??

[alison]

Nope, not kidding.

[Michele]

Bump

[houseelf]

I have known several surgeons who claimed that they have made it through with scalpels.

[Thirteen]

Reviving this thread:
We fly out Sunday.
Should we take the pack n play? Right now, he sleeps in his moses basket at home, but I'm not sure what to do at the hotel. It's only one night, but still...
We're going to gate check the infant seat and the snap n go.

[scrub-jay]

We took the pack and play, but it is a hassle. I wish we'd had our Peapod baby tent back then!