BA - First ever flight with a baby?

Hi
What are your experiences flying long haul to US with BA and do you have any word of advice?

We are planning a trip with our baby daughter who’ll be 6 months at the time and that would be our first flight ever. We have 0 experience what is it to fly with an infant. So any help is greatly appreciated.

I read the online information they’ve on the website and I’m not entirely clear if you can bring your own carrycot if you’re flying with an infant. I understand that they offer you some on first come first serve basis which isn’t great because if that doesn’t work for whatever reason we will have to hold our baby in our laps for 8 hours?!? Is there a way of “booking” it? Are the BA carrycots special in any way (i.e. do they secure them somehow)?

The next dilemma/alternative is if we should spend the extra money to buy our daughter a seat but then I’m not 100% sure if they’ll allow us to use our car seat. It says on the website that they don’t allow 2 piece car seats (i.e. one with a base). So I’m wondering if I can check in the base and somehow secure the car seat. Anyone had similar issues?

Cheers

Don’t buy a seat at this age.  You can call and reserve the bulkhead and have the option of a bassinet or what looks like a bouncy seat that attaches to the wall (they’ll change it for you throughout the flight).   So baby has their own seat!

This will be by far and away the easiest flight you’ll make.  The awkward phase is between “crawling and before they’ll watch tv”.   Don’t panic.

And never fear the flight, just the jet lag.   

Don’t buy a seat at this age.  You can call and reserve the bulkhead and have the option of a bassinet or what looks like a bouncy seat that attaches to the wall (they’ll change it for you throughout the flight).   So baby has their own seat!

This will be by far and away the easiest flight you’ll make.  The awkward phase is between “crawling and before they’ll watch tv”.   Don’t panic.

And never fear the flight, just the jet lag.   

Haha yea. I’ve heard it’s downhill from there on out. So do you bring a bassinet or they provide that?

They provide it and it only clips in to the bulkhead - so you NEED a bulkhead seat. It’s specially designed. You couldn’t just ‘bring your own’ and clip it to the bulkhead.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haha yea. I’ve heard it’s downhill from there on out. So do you bring a bassinet or they provide that?

No, they provide it all.  Easy peasy.

I’ll find some photos.

https://www.flyingwithababy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ba-cot.jpg

https://www.flyingwithababy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ba-bassinet.jpg

Thanks @KFdancer and @physicskate. Never really paid much attention how any of this worked. So the pictures helped a lot!

The best news is that you get to board first!  And everyone will give you PLENTY of room.   I've found that you also have to accept that your kid WILL cry and it will seem like the biggest disaster in the world and feel like all the people around will be justified in hating you.  Well, that's life and also that's the reason the airlines give out headphones and provide music and TV!  Babies cry and there's nothing you can do.   As long as you are attempting to calm the baby, the problem is with the other people around and they'll just have to fix it for themselves.  They can ask to be moved or use headphones, or just deal with it like everyone deals with stuff they don't like. 

Yup, babies cry.  99% of people will have sympathy and know there is nothing you can do (unless you are sipping wine and ignoring your kid  ). And be prepared for EVERYONE to tell you about their baby, niece/nephew, grandkids, etc.  It’s actually quite nice. And EVERYONE will say “oh you’re brave”. Which, I would also say if I was on your flight!   

You’ll be so glad you did it though and I bet you have help on the other side. Pass baby off when you land and have a big margarita! 

We travelled at the horrible age of 12 months. Don't expect to get the bulkhead, though. It wasn't available for our flight out. So she had to sit on our laps. However, she was fine. When you fly out it's day time and she just pulled herself up the seat and people watched the entire time. An absolute dream.

Coming home, the check-in staff got us the bulkhead and moved people around so we had 4 seats for 2.5 of us which was great. The entire flight she cried/screamed. We tried the cot. Nope. On the floor. Nope. the whole two seats between the two of us. Nope. Travelling at night they must be used to their little routines and comfort. We felt horrible. A screaming baby on a red eye. There was this member of Virgin Atlantic cabin crew that i wish I got her name but she basically held her and walked her around the plane for about half the flight (pre-covid). She was amazing.