We flew with 3-4 different airlines over the past few months and it seems like everyone had different protocols for what to do with "the infant." Luckily we had a spare seat on almost all our flights so she could sit in her car seat, which I brought just for that occasion. One flight attendant wanted me to hold her in my lap for take off and landing rather than have her buckled in her car seat. One attendant wanted her buckled and secure for landing. One made sure to tell me that she needs to be in my lap facing me and up close to my chest for take off. One time she was in the Ergo strapped to me (and probably asleep) up against my chest and the attendant wanted me to take her out and hold her loosely on my lap. One time she was in the Ergo and the attendant said I must have flown a lot because she was in the perfect position for take off. What gives?! Oh, and one time we were told we needed to have her forward facing in her car seat because it was interfering with the seat in front of it even though it couldn't be bucked into the seat that way. Seriously? So it's safe to not buckle her seat in just so the person in front can recline all the way?
I was pretty mad about some of these 'suggestions' and put my foot down on occasion, but I didn't want to disobey a flight attendants' orders.
So who knows what the real safest thing to do with a baby is? Anyone? In my mind everything in the plane has to be stowed and buckled in for take off and landing, so why not the baby? Even when there is turbulence, they want you to have your seatbelt on, but the baby on your lap can be out and about. I have never been in a plane that crashed and so maybe it doesn't matter in that event, but then why have us buckle up at all? Is it just to keep us in our seats?
Why was there such disparity between airlines and even flight attendants, do they know anything?
Anyway, for those of you flying with infants, good luck. I am sure mothers have a lot more common sense than most of those flight attendants.
P.S. If it doesn't say "infant in arms" on your ticket just turn back now. You won't make it far... or you will make it pretty far just to be stopped half way through security and sent back, shoes off and all.
2 comments:
Well my dad says (in case you don't remember he's been working for United for 25 years) that a baby is more likely to be crushed if they are strapped in (sounds weird to me, but whatever) but otherwise really you're just supposed to have a firm grip on your baby, and there isn't actually any protocol on how the grip is supposed to be (like which way they face) so you shouldn't feel bad if you argue with the flight attendant. (I'm visiting them as I read this so I just thought I'd ask him. =))
First of all Eliza is so cute in the next post. She's all Hyatt. That's funny how many differing opinions you got from airline attendants. I laughed at the one who told you to hold her loosely on your lap instead of in the pouch thing. I flew a ton with Lex and was always told to hold her firmly on my lap. I never took the carseat on because they said if it's in the seat she needs to be strapped down and I knew she'd hate that. I was consistently told that. It's really weird so many people told you so many different things. But at least she can fly for free. I have to start paying for Lex and it's putting a big damper in my "travel-bug" desires.
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