Infants on Aer Lingus

Hello Lady!

Hi folks

I was going to post this in travel, but thought I might get more responses here. Mods please move if you see fit.

We will be visiting my sister who lives abroad in May, travelling with Aer Lingus. It will be our first time travelling with the twins.

I know I can add them on as infants and have them sit on our laps for €20 each way.

But we need to bring car seats because we will need them for the transfer to my sister's. We were going to buy a couple of second hand ones on adverts and leave them there.

What's the story with bringing them? We could
a) bring our city select, which is a three part buggy and use the car seats with it. But I am worried about it getting damaged and also don't know the policy with bringing 3 parts (know you can bring 2 but whataabout 3?)

b) bring a couple of cheap strollers and cheap car seats. Anyone know what the cost is like to put the two car seats in the hold?

If the cost was a good bit, I am wondering if it might be better/easier to bring the cheap strollers and to pay extra and have the twins in their car seats on board. It would give us a rest from having them on our laps the whole way (4 hour flight).. But I don't think we can because they will only be 5 months. Is there any flexibility with the airline on this?

I will ring AL tomorrow but thought some of you might know from past experience.

Also any tips, advice, suggestions you might have about travelling with young children would be most welcome (particularly tips on travelling with two the same/close in age)

Thanks

cram1971

We travelled to the states with our son when he was 6 months and 1. We brought a maxi cosi and quinny zapp with the maxi cosi adapter with us. Our plan was to leave the car seat and quinny zapp frame at the gate and he would sit on our lap but an all occasions they gave us an extra seat and we brought the car seat on board which he slept in which was fantastic.

Have to say hats off to the Airlingus cabin crew they were always fantastic with kids.

My sister is also just back from the states and also flew AL with her 4 month old and she phoned ahead to ensure she got a bassinet as her little girl is in a hip brace and the airline were very helpful.

dublinlady

We do a fair bit of flying and I have 15 months between my 2 girls. Have found ringing a cheap double stroller much better than travel system as I'm too afraid it'll break. We bring cheap double stroller and rent the car seats for car rental company there. As far as I know tho if you have a pram pack Nd check the travel system in you can bring as many parts as you like so long as they in a pram pack and checked thru as baby equipment - we even fill our stokke pram pack with nappies if there is space!
Now we don't bother with that tho and you can bring up to 2 pieces to the door I think - we just bring the double stroller and if it breaks it breaks - hasn't done yet after 8-9 trips! We keep the kids on our knees - our flights normally just to uk so shorter but did 3 longer ones and found it hard to entertain our first st 11 months... Just plan sleeps all around it etc - and prepare to sit still!! Snacks help, and when they older magazines and sticker books. And the iPad has been invaluable!
If younger then try time happy change just before flight and bottle at take off and landing! And naps in the middle!
Hope that helps!

Hello Lady!

Thanks for the replies. I think our main problem is going to be entertainment. At 5months it will be hard unless we can get them to sleep. Bu the moment they are a bit colicky and they really know how to scream. By then they will be teething. God forbid they are still colicky as well! I dread to think. And what about possible ear discomfort?? Especially when teething? :eek:

So given their age, snacks and games to distract won't work. If they are in a bassinet or better yet the car seat one will definitely sleep for a while. Not sure about the other one. They like the car so I am just hoping that the vibration works on them on the plane too - again I think the car seat will help with that if we can get onboard with them at a reasonable cost. But I don't actually think they allow children under 6 months to travel in the car seats.

Unfortunately we need to bring our own car seats as we aren't hiring a car. My sister doesn't drive, but has arranged for a friend to make their car available to us. They will collect us from the airport, so we need car seats for that journey. My sister has looked into buying them for us over there, but brand new is too much expense, and second hand they are either still quite expensive, don't have European safety standards or are in crap condition.

I too am nervous about bringing the travel system, hence the plan to use strollers. But obviously these don't form part of a travel system, so either we check them into the hold or if we can, bring the babies onboard in them.

I would really prefer to bring them in the car seats - it would give us a break from having them on our lap and I think they would sleep a while in them, and then a while in our arms, so the change of getting out of the car seat would help to get them sleeping for as long as possible.

cram1971

Do you give them soothers? They are great for kids on flights, we put a small amount of dentinox on them just as we take off and really helps with ear problems.

ceadaoin.

I wouldn't bother lugging the car seats as well as strollers through the airport. Yes it would be easier to have them in the car seats on the plane but, for me, the inconvenience of carrying them to the gate as well as strollers and whatever carry on you might have outweighs the benefits. 4 hours isn't that long to hold them on your lap

Can you carry them in a sling rather than use strollers? That way you can leave them in that on the plane also so at least your arms will be free if they are sleeping.

LegacyUser

WE have booked with Al for june 2014, we also want to bring our own car seat as we have found in the past that the car seats yuou hire are not really up to standard, can be old and sometimes a bit shabby.

We contacted AL and it is €20 each way to book the car seat onto the hold

Hope this helps

ceadaoin.

shoesalot wrote: »

WE have booked with Al for june 2014, we also want to bring our own car seat as we have found in the past that the car seats yuou hire are not really up to standard, can be old and sometimes a bit shabby.

We contacted AL and it is €20 each way to book the car seat onto the hold

Hope this helps

We travelled with aer lingus and then virgin to the US in October. Our car seat was checked free of charge as we were travelling with an infant.

OP, I just looked at the Aer lingus website and it seems that infants under 6 months have to sit on your lap and aren't allowed in their own seat, even if you bring a car seat for them.

http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/travellingwithchildren/

Hello Lady!

shoesalot wrote: »

WE have booked with Al for june 2014, we also want to bring our own car seat as we have found in the past that the car seats yuou hire are not really up to standard, can be old and sometimes a bit shabby.

We contacted AL and it is €20 each way to book the car seat onto the hold

Hope this helps

Yeah that's what I was thinking too - you can't always trust the hired seats. And as we arrive at 11pm if the seats aren't up to standard we will be very stuck.

€20 is doable. We won't be bringing them back anyway (there are some on adverts for less than €20).

CaedaoIn it could be that you weren't charged if the whole journey was on the one booking?

I'll give AL a call tomorrow anyway to confirm.

Such a pain that under 6 months can't have a seat, which I thought was the case. Will ask what the story is with getting a bassinet off them though.