Car Seat on a Plane?

K..... Giiirrrlll.. :-) Get ready for an exhausting trip. My husband is an Aussie so we have to make that trek at least once a year. We just got back from Australia on September 2nd and let me tell you it was not fun on that plane. We have a 2 year old son and a 1 year old son. We requested the 4 seats in the middle for our fight so our two boys could lay down to sleep. My husband and I each had an end seat & the boys laid head to foot in the middle. It was not easy as when one stirred the other would get a foot in the head or just stir as well.
Because your 3 month old is still small you should request to sit at the front of the row with the baby so you can utilize the wall baby cots. We sat in that section when our now 2 year old was just 5 months. We always fly on the 11:20 p.m. Brisbane or Sydney departure flight out of Los Angeles so he pretty much slept most of the trip since it was late at night for him already. If the flight is fairly empty I would speak to the flight hostess right away to see if they can move you or your husband and your 3 year old to a side section of 3 seats to yourself. I would highly recommend that so she can spread out to sleep. It really isnt that bad to seperate and my husband and I wished we would have for our flight as it would have been better on the kids and us.
Also, your American rear facing infant seat is most likely not allowed in Australia to be used as a car seat. Their safety standards are above and beyond US safety standards and the capsule seats we use do not have the extra straps that the Australian govt requires. We used ours anyways but keep that in mind in case you get pulled over.
Other than that I would suggest a little Benadryl for the 3 year old if it has the sleepy effect on her. Oh.. and did you request a kids meal? You can do that up to 24 hours before the plane departs. I dont suggest the toddler meal as we requested that for our 2 year old and it consisted mainly of jarred baby foods.. which he hasnt eaten since he was one.
Anyhow, good luck and have fun!
Kind regards,
M.
P.S. Even if you paid for a seperate seat you still have to get authorization from qantas to use a car sat.. I believe it is 24 hours before flight is scheduled to depart. This from the qantas site:
"Child Restraint Device
The safest way for an infant to travel on an aircraft is in a Child Restraint Device (car seat). Carriage of a lap held infant is allowed however research has demonstrated it does not provide the protection of a child seat.

To purchase a seat for your infant and obtain pre-approval for the use of a child seat contact your local Qantas Office (pre-approval must be obtained a minimum of 24 hours prior to departure).
Note: Approval cannot be obtained on departure at the airport."
here is the link http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/beforeYouTravel/spec...

Hi K., I am also an Australian Mum living in AZ....We flew with my 1 yr old daughter last year but we did not take a car seat. Did you know that they have bassinets on the plane? My daughter was 1 yr old when we flew and was fine in it. She slept very well. Good Luck!!!

Hi K.,
I've been taking my daughter (now 13 years) to Germany almost every year since she was 6 months old. When we flew overseas the airline had a bassinet that attached to the wall of the plane in front of your seat. This was really nice so she could play & sleep in it. I never took a car seat. When the plane was taking off or landing I would hold my daugter on my lap. One piece of advise, make sure your child has a bottle in his/her mouth during take off & landing. This prevents pressure in their ears and they won't cry. It can be very painful for them. My teenager and I always make sure we chew gum during take off & landing, for the same reason. Hope this helps a little. Take care.

Hi K.. Did you buy a seperate seat for your baby? If so, then the airline cannot really say what you can and cannot put there. You should just book your four seats. You can use them for whatever you like. Sometimes when traveling with my daughter, I feel like the airline employess are less helpful than the other passengers! I wish you the best of luck dealing with them! Have a safe and fun trip :)

Kristy
Yes when my oldest was 5 months we took a plane ride. We used her infant seat in the seat next to us it takes up the same amount of room forward or backward facing. And we all got to sit in the same row. Anways there was no problem with the seats in front of us reclining back and everything went smoothly. And it was nice having her in her own seat for so many reasons. Good luck with the airline they can be very difficult sometimes.
A.
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