Halp!
I need your help, innernets. I am going to Austin, TX next week to visit my SIL. She is in need of support, yo. The kind that is found in adorable babies of awesomeness. I haven't flown with a baybee in more than a fucking decade so I am a little lost. I did not buy a seat for Egg so he is on my lap, and Chicken is staying home with TB. I am leaving Tuesday morning and returning Saturday afternoon. I tried to make my flights short, have a decent but not too long layover in Denver, etc. I've done this before with Chicken as a baby across the states (VA to CA) a zillion times, but I'm rusty.
I am flying United Airlines and according to their website it will cost me $15 for the first piece of checked baggage and $25 for the second if I prepay online. The third piece of checked luggage is $125, same with the fourth, and the fifth is $200. Holy fucking shit. REALLY? How does a parent with a child travel to a place that does not already have things like a stroller, car seat, a place to sleep that has bars for fuck's sake? Egg is too big to put in a dresser drawer at this point. I figure that I will need one big assed suitcase for clothes and such, plus checking the car seat. Two items. That leaves me without a stroller or a place for Egg to sleep other than in my arms. I have a co-sleeper that converts to a play pen that can be easily checked, but then I have to forgo A) a car seat or B) clothes and diapers.
Any suggestions? I really like wearing clothes but if I have to fly nekkid I will.
ETA: Husband of Awesome (AKA TB) found this: "When traveling with a child, either on a paid ticket or on your lap, checking car seats and strollers will continue to be free." on the United website for me.Between that and all your VERY HELPFUL OMGILOVEYOUALL comments I think I can relax a tiny bit. Just enough to freak out about baby + plane = wild card of possible doom but likely just plain fine and I need to just shutthefuckup already.
I am flying United Airlines and according to their website it will cost me $15 for the first piece of checked baggage and $25 for the second if I prepay online. The third piece of checked luggage is $125, same with the fourth, and the fifth is $200. Holy fucking shit. REALLY? How does a parent with a child travel to a place that does not already have things like a stroller, car seat, a place to sleep that has bars for fuck's sake? Egg is too big to put in a dresser drawer at this point. I figure that I will need one big assed suitcase for clothes and such, plus checking the car seat. Two items. That leaves me without a stroller or a place for Egg to sleep other than in my arms. I have a co-sleeper that converts to a play pen that can be easily checked, but then I have to forgo A) a car seat or B) clothes and diapers.
Any suggestions? I really like wearing clothes but if I have to fly nekkid I will.
ETA: Husband of Awesome (AKA TB) found this: "When traveling with a child, either on a paid ticket or on your lap, checking car seats and strollers will continue to be free." on the United website for me.Between that and all your VERY HELPFUL OMGILOVEYOUALL comments I think I can relax a tiny bit. Just enough to freak out about baby + plane = wild card of possible doom but likely just plain fine and I need to just shutthefuckup already.
Labels: Egg, Flying High, Mah Peeps, My Pussy Hurts, WTF
posted by Sam at
11:27 PM
14 Comments:
I am commenting on mah blackberry from the comfort of mah own bed, so this might not be a thorough answer.
Carseats don't usually count for checked baggage, so they check it without the fee. I don't know if strollers are the same, but if not they will gate check that for you if you need it. Again, no fee. You can carry on one small suitcase that fits overhead and one personal item. I used to put the baby in my sling/Snuggly/backpack, carry a diaper bag as my personal item packed full with diapers, and pull a carryon suitcase with clothes.
If Egg still receives sustenance from your boobies, then make sure you BF when you are taking off and landing to help with ear pressure. If not, offer the bottle or pacifier.
Be careful through security if you are carrying formula and/or a brick of wipes. They always search my shit when I carry either of those.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Drop me email if you think of anything else!
Definitely call to see what United's policy is, but we've flown several times with the babes and the airlines haven't counted strollers or car seats as checked luggage. That's been true when we've checked them at the gate and when we've checked them at the counter. One flight we checked two car seats, one stroller, one play pen and two suitcases, and it all counted as only three checked bags.
(If you want to be sneaky, use one of those those zip up car seat bags when you check it and you can stuff all sorts of crap inside with the seat.)
Gate check your car seat. If you can afford it, this product http://www.amazon.com/GoGo-Babyz-Travelmate-Booster-Seats/dp/B002H8I3UC totally rocks and makes taking the car seat thru the airport super easy. I've found the Travelmate on craigslist for as low as $20. Totally worth the money. Or, there's also a product that attaches the carseat to your rolling luggage: http://www.amazon.com/TOTEaTOT-Travel-accessory-for-children/dp/B000H7VMO4/ref=pd_sbs_a_2 (Carrying your kid, luggage, carseats, etc is heavy and generally entails more hands than you have.)
So, 1 small piece of rolling luggage for yourself, baby is either riding in the carseat to be gatechecked, or you carry in a sling, one diaper bag with enough diapers and baby change of clothing for one day. Check one suitcase with your and babies clothes (you might even get away with not doing a carry-on piece). Buy diapers and a small umbrella stroller (usually $20 at BabiesRUs/drugstores) when you get there. Voila.
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,1051,00.html
and
http://faq.ua2go.com/al/12/1/article.aspx?aid=4419&bt=4
:)
<- Husband of Awesome
Not a clue but good luck. I hope it goes well.
I just flew back east with my little Hippycup. We checked one bag and carried on the rest. You are allowed two carryons - your suitcase and a personal item. Your diaper bag can be considered your personal item. We gate-checked the stroller and the car seat (no charge for that!) To make things faster, check-in with the agent at the gate beforehand to get your gate-check tags. If you smile real pretty they might even gate-check your suitcase for free since you'll be handling cute baby all by yourself. I have a portable bassinet that folds up small if you like and I have the in-flight baby seatbelt. I also have loads of carryon size but holds amazing amounts of shit suitcases. Let me know if you need any of the above! Happy traveling!
We've definitely found car seats count as luggage if checked from the counter (and get charged appropriately), but maybe some people fly on nicer airlines! I've started flying as much as possible on Southwest because they still check bags for free.
Gate-checking the stroller is always free. You just get a special tag from the gate agent before boarding starts.
For some of our trips we've rented car seats from a baby supplies rental service (they usually have things like pack & plays, high chairs, etc.) or from a rental car company (with mixed results - the car seats are usually the cheapest available & sometimes there's a fee). We found that renting 2 seats (toddler & preschooler) was cheaper than paying the airline fees (remember, the airline will charge you each way). Good luck!
On a separate note, I am very under-enthused that you waited until I moved away from the Austin area to go visit it.
I am calling you mean names in my head.
I haven't flown with a baby since 1999 so I am very little help, but when I DID fly in 1999 with a baby, I gate-checked the car seat and the stroller (as opposed to checking them at the baggage counter) and there was no fee for either one. The airline TOLD me to gate-check them, because if there HAD been a spare seat on the airplane for my lap-sitting baby (there was not), he would have needed his car seat to sit in it; the stroller was considered necessary to get him to the gate. Both were considered in the same category as, say, a wheelchair or crutches.
Oh also. At some point, it would be cheaper to buy new stuff THERE, and then donate it to a charity when you leave.
i'm just seeing this but didn't want you to think i wasn't freaking out with you.
but ditto what everyone else said. =)
I cannot believe you will be in Texas but not in Dallas. Hope you figure out the travel thing :)
I brought new fiddle-with toys and some [organic, dye-free, tree-hugger] lollipops (my kid was a little older than Egg.)
She was a NIGHTMARE kid in general but on the plane? She did great. On the way there, she looked around, played and nursed. On the way back, she nursed and fell asleep on the boob.
The noise on the plane was like her white noise maker at home, I think.
Good luck!
xo
So I'm lazy and am reading this late (ie Tuesday when you're leaving) but had I been more on top of things I could have been super helpful. My cousin owns a business here for that exact reason and could have hooked me up with a place in Austin for you. Being that I live in a high traffic vacation area, she rents out strollers, cribs, blankets, clothes, carseats, ANYTHING for the behbeh who is travelling. That way you don't have to lug it around! My bad. I hope all goes well.
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