basinette seats on flights?

[A very big pig]

Ok, so can someone please decipher 'airline language' for me?

After you've booked and paid for your ticket, and they tell you that they have 'put in a request' for a bassinette seat, does that mean that all the bassinettes are full and you are on a waiting list?  What happens then? Do I have to keep calling them every few days to see if one has become available?

Can you get a bassinette confirmed BEFORE you  pay for a ticket?  I dont know about you, but there is no way I want to do a 20 hour flight without a basinette for my baby.

[baby tootototo]

I just kept ringing and asking and confirming.  I dont think there are any absolute guantees - as there are only a certain number of bassinattes and 20 babies might show up for the one flight.  Just keep ringing until they re-assure you.  Turn up early to the airport or do a early check-in if it is singapore airlines.  Worse case - if you get on the plane and someone without baby is in the bassinet row, ask them to move.
I know it can be a stress, but you will get one.

[Just did it]

We just flew from Brisbane to London via Sing on SQ and I would not do it again with a bassinet as it was too small for my son who was 10 mths old.
We were also told that the bassinet was not guaranteed and when I questioned them they said that the request had been put in but preference was given to the smallest babies on the flight. Having said that, when I went to check in online they didn't even have my husband sitting next to me and there were people with no babies sitting in the bassinet seats which we then (after much to-ing and fro-ing) asked them to move which they did.

Get to the airport early and try to checkin online so you can see where you are sitting. Each plane has 6 bassinets available, 4 at the front and 2 further down the plane in the middle seats.

If I was to do this flight again I would buy a seat and take a car seat to put bub into that although depending on how old your bub is they might sleep ok in the bassinet. THey do make you take bub out of the bassinet if there is turbulence which is very annoying if you have just got them to sleep and their definition of turbulence ends up being hardly anything. You don't have to take them out of the carseat if there is turbulence.

Apparently BA's bassinets sit on a fold down "arm" that you can also attach a car seat to (so you don't have to buy a seat) which I would be looking into next time.

Hope this helps - let me know if you have any qu's.

[99]

putting in a request simply means you will probably get one but they will not guarentee this - they are allocated on the day of the flight as you check in not prior.  agree, get to the airport early and I've usually found that they generally give them to the youngest babies.

[globetrotter]

Given that the bassinette fits onto the bulkhead, there can be only a limited number, and, really, it's fair that they go to the youngest babies. Other than that, it probably goes on a first come first served basis. (so get there early, and keep your fingers crossed - or make alternative provisions beforehand)
As for fit, it depends on your child. My petit son could still fit in the SIA bassinette past his first birthday. In fact, I think we even got one when he was 18 months.

[Caligirl]

Hi there:

"Just did it" hits the nail of the head -- the bassinet can be great, but only if there is "no turbulence." I spent an entire flight transfering my daughter to/from the bassinet (very low bar for what constitutes turbulence, and for safety reasons, you must remove your bub & hold him/her on your lap...UNLESS you have a car seat to secure the baby).

If you can afford to do so, I would recommend buying a seat for your baby & bringing along a car seat. Another idea is to continue to call the airline to gauge how many infants are expected to be on board (not sure the airline can reveal that info, but it's worth a try). If you can't get some reasonable degree of assurance that you will have a bassinet, then I would go ahead & buy a seat.

Good luck & safe travels.

[loosersic]

we just did Hong Kong with our 12month old. and Cathay. They only let the baby in the bassinette as long as the seatbelt sign is off. This is a pain as as soon as the baby went to sleep the sign went on and I had to move her. Also, the bassinette was only just big enough for her. Qantas have straaps for protection of the baby in the bassinette - I never had to remove her last time.

[Air France]

Just flew Singapore - Paris return and Air France let you keep your baby in the bassinet even if there is turbulance.  On the flight home is was quite rough, and the baby could stay in no worries - with the zipper thing done up - he slept the whole way - must have been all of that rocking.

[Caligirl]

Interesting to hear about the different airlines' approach to turbulence & bassinets.

For the record, both Singapore Air and Emirates require that you take the baby out of the bassinet during "turbulence."

Good luck with your trip!

[Juliamck]

We have just flown London Singapore with SQ.  When we booked the fligths we chose to go with SQ because they guarenteed a bassinnette in both directions, whereas BA/Qantas would only request one.  We managed to squeeze an average sized 17 month old into it! Although it was only just!!!!! She was OK as long as she bent her knees! But better than sleeping on your lap..