Kudos to Qantas for Child-Friendly Skies!

I have heard Qantas is child-friendly but didn't really know what that meant until I did a 12.5 hour long-haul from Singapore to Frankfurt with Karam, alone. Despite having traveled with him so much, this would have been our longest schlep, and I was nervous, especially because I didn't have a bassinet seat (he wouldn't fit in one anyway - Qantas bassinets only go up to 11kgs). I called Qantas two weeks before flying. The representative was understanding and sympathetic and unlike the moron at Air China who suggested that I just buy another seat (sure, what's another $1200?!), actually tried hard to see what she could do for me that wouldn't entail my pulling out my credit card again. We both agreed that the best solution was to try to find me an empty adjacent seat, and she did all her capacity to put me in a part of the aircraft that would make that likely. Naturally, she couldn't guarantee it, but at least her effort gave me the confidence that this was an airline that cared about making their passengers comfortable. My experience at the airport was the same - very matter-of-fact about finding me an empty seat, which in fact, they did.

On the flight, I was pleasantly surprised by the care and attention accorded me by the all-male staff (a plus not only because a couple of them were not half bad to look at, but also because it shows how well-recruited and trained the Qantas crew is). I was escorted to my seat and given directions to the closest changing table and bathroom. Before take-off, an attendant asked me what time Karam would like his meal, and that I should give him 20 minutes notice so that it would be freshly warmed up (it was late already, so I told him he would probably skip dinner but would definitely be up for breakfast). When I asked for milk, Karam's bottle was rinsed and topped up when he awoke. The infant meal was chicken porridge and fruit which was delicious enough for even me to enjoy. They checked on us often, and generally made me feel like they understood my pain. The entertainment system was new and easy to use. Finally, every one of them was genuinely cheerful and pleasant with Karam - a huge deal when you have had airlines crews who act like they would rather have skunks than children on their flights.

My only complaint was that as I was transferring in Frankfurt to Madrid, they were not able to give me my stroller in transit, it had to be checked through. This, I understand however, is an airport thing, not an airline thing.

All in all, many pluses to Qantas for their care of this mom aboard and I would certainly recommend making an extra effort to fly with them if you have kids.

Other posts in the Airlines and Flying series:

For First-Timers: Overcoming Your Worst Fears of Flying with Your Kids

For Travelers in America: Preparing and Protecting Your Children from New TSA Security and Pat-Down Procedures

Flight Safety Tips from a Professional!

Airlines and Flying: Traveling Domestically? Carry Age Proof (for the baby)

10 Insider Tips for Travel with a Baby

10 Tips to Surviving a Long Flight with Your Infant - Alone!

Six Reasons NEVER to Fly Air China (even without a child)

Packing for China: My All-Inclusive List

Air China: Most Baby-UNfriendly airline!

A note on airplane bassinets (and other notes)

Six Reasons NEVER to Fly Air China (even without a child)

1) Booking is a nightmare: As I mentioned in a previous post, I was unable to purchase a ticket for Karam at www.airchina.com as he was under 2, but when I called the airline office, they gave me different information on how to add him on, one representative actually telling me that I had to call a travel agent to do it. Plus, wait times for the Sydney office on the phone were 20 minutes on average.

2) There was absolutely no consideration for the fact that I was traveling with a child and that their bassinets were practically useless (See this post on bassinets). I received no help at the booking office and was left at the mercy of the lady at the check-in counter. As my husband has status with Star Alliance, they finally agreed to give us a set of four seats and block off the ones in the middle. I was not so lucky on the way back - the moron at the check-in counter put Karam and I in a seat of three with someone on the end seat, even though there were many adults on sets of four seats with two seats between them on the flight. Plus, it was right at the end of the cabin, which means I was one of the last to come out (more on that here).

3) The English levels of the staff, ground and in-flight, are very low, making anything but your basic needs very hard to meet. Here in Sydney, the outsource their check-in and boarding to Qantas staff, who has zero incentive to help out AC passengers. Even at the business class desk, we had a lady who was barely polite, who kept passing the buck to "Air China", which is where we thought we were checking in!

4) Our flight to Shanghai was disastrous: we couldn't land in Shanghai because of bad weather and were re-routed to Hang Zhou which is about forty-five minutes away. They held us on the ground for FOUR hours, while Air China decided what to do with us. Finally, after passengers started making a noise, they decided to let us off at Hang Zhou and arrange a bus to Shanghai, a two-hour ride. It was one thirty am by the time we got into the bus and at four am, it let us off in a deserted spot in the city center with not a car in sight. Resourceful passengers started calling cabs, friends and families, and we had to rely on a Mandarin-speaking fellow passenger to help us out. Could happen to any airline, you say? Qantas landed on schedule the prior evening, just as we were meant to do. We were supposed to be in the hotel by 9 pm - we made it by 5 am the next morning, thanks to Air China's bureaucracy and inefficiency.

5) Given how air travel has evolved today, even in economy, Air China aircrafts are lame. The entertainment system is seriously obsolete, the seats are uncomfortable and even first class looks shabby.

6) They don't have milk on board!! I understand that Asians as a race are largely lactose intolerant  but how can you not have milk on a 10 hour international flight?!! This did it for me, I will admit!

Overall, a horrible experience. Avoid like the plague.


Other posts in the Airlines and Flying series:

For First-Timers: Overcoming Your Worst Fears of Flying with Your Kids


For Travelers in America: Preparing and Protecting Your Children from New TSA Security and Pat-Down Procedures

Flight Safety Tips from a Professional!

Airlines and Flying: Traveling Domestically? Carry Age Proof (for the baby)

10 Insider Tips for Travel with a Baby

10 Tips to Surviving a Long Flight with your Infant - Alone!

Kudos to Qantas for Child-Friendly Skies!

Packing for China: My All-Inclusive List

Air China: Most Baby-UNfriendly airline!

A note on airplane bassinets (and other notes)

Other posts in the Shanghai series:

China - General Travel Tips

Shanghai, China: Best Baby Shopping

Shanghai, China: For the Art-Loving Parent

Packing for China: My All-Inclusive List

We are on a day flight (11 hours) from Sydney to Shanghai and I have learned the hard way that Karam's toys, though bulky and heavy,  hardly keep him entertained on planes. So I re-organize and re-prioritize, the whole time reminding myself that the more I take from here, the less I can shop and bring back here.

Therefore, my all-inclusive packing list for five nights for baby Karam at 17 months contains the following items:

(please note that this list is very comprehensive because I have never been to Shanghai with a baby and don't know what's available there. It would probably be a lot shorter if I were headed to other places).

1. Clothes: Since it's going to be warm and rainy (joy!), I focus on the cottons, but remain ever-prepared for a change, as Mother Nature can be a bit naughty when you are traveling with a baby.
1. Six short-sleeved t-shirts
2. Two pairs of pants
3. Four pairs of shorts
4. Two sleeveless vests
5. Two full-sleeved bodysuits
6. One button-down shirt in case we get invited to something special ;)
7. One long-sleeved jersey to throw over in case it gets cool or windy
8. One raincoat
9. One hat
10. Six nightsuits
11. Four pairs of socks
12. Two pairs of shoes - keds and crocs
2. Two blankets - one for the pram/flight and one for the cot, in case I don't like what the hotel offers
3. Medicines
1. Panadol for all-purpose pains, fevers
2. Colic relief for stomach discomfort
3. Nasal spray for congestion
4. Baby Karvol for nasal congestion
5. Otrivin Junior for leaky nose
6. Baby Orajel for teething issues
7. Neosporin antiseptic cream for small cuts/bruises
8. A few bandages
9. One syringe (3-5mls)
4.  Toiletries
1. Body wash - I use the Gaia Starter Kit because it has everything I need in convenient 50ml bottles. When you are done, you can use re-fill the bottles with whatever you use at home. J&J Top-to-Toe is always a safe bet if you forget yours and need to buy locally
2. Shampoo (see above)
3. Body Lotion(see above)
4. Diaper Rash cream
5. Baby wipes - Pack of 20 in hand pack, pack of 20 in suitcase with an extra pack of 20 thrown into your own bag for messy moments
6. Toothbrush
7. Toothpaste
8. Hairbrush
9. Nappies - If I don't know what I am going to get at my destination, I calculate 6/day and take about 8-10 extra in my handbag. We prefer Huggies but Pampers that seem to be available in more countries do ok as well.
10. Scent-free diaper disposal bags
5. Portability
1. Pram - Always best if you buy a cheap pram for travel. Our Quinny has traveled the world with us and is much worse off for it. We have had to send it for repair everytime we came back from a trip. Even though it's at the airline's expense usually, it's still a pain to process. We now remove all detachable/breakable parts like the sunshield and handle bar to reduce the likelihood of damage. 
2. Baby carrier - I use the Ergo Baby Carrier which has lumbar support making it more suitable for older babies
3. Harness  - Just started using this and I know he looks like a puppy but it's invaluable when you have a little walker with a mind of his/her own
6. Eating
1. Food jars - For 5 days, 5 nights, I pack 18 jars (3 meals a day plus some extras). I count the flights because you just never know. I have requested the CHILDREN'S meal as the infant meal is only formula powder (right, try offering them that now!). I bought the Only Organic jars for ages 1-5 - Vegetable lasagne, chicken bolognaise, pot pie with beef, plus Fruit Muesli and Mango-Banana bliss for breakfast. I usually back the jars in groups of 3 (brekkie, lunch, dinner) in bubble paper so that I can open up one packet at a time and not clutter up the hotel room.I hope to be able to get him breakfast, rice and vegetables at least in Shanghai but not risking it and stressing myself out.
2. Milk - Karam drinks 150 ml of full-cream milk 4 times a day. Again,  not something I will leave to the airline. So I will pack enough milk for the first day, that's 450 ml as he will have his first lot in the morning before we leave for the airport.
3. Snacks - Packet of Arrowroot biscuits as an eternal back-up. Will try to do fruit there for everyday snack.
4. One packet disposable bibs, two plastic bibs (I love these)
5. One water bottle, one milk bottle, one extra
6. One plastic bowl with snap-shut cover
7.  Spoon
8. Sponge and a bit of dishwashing soap since I am in a hotel, since room service can't seem to process requests for a bit of soap or to wash one of my own bowls
9. My ever-popular portable cooler or all-day gallivanting - I have the medium size and it can easily accommodate a box of food, a bottle and some fruit.
10. My Totseat (I never leave home without it!!)
7. Toys
1. Books: Karam loves his books but I find that they add a bit to the weight, so I carry bath books, which are lighter and much tougher to destroy

That's what's in for now - when he was younger, I used to carry towels and napkins but now I use the ones from the hotel - much easier!

That's it ! Here we go..

Other posts in the Airlines and Flying series:

For First-Timers: Overcoming Your Worst Fears of Flying with Your Kids

For Travelers in America: Preparing and Protecting Your Children from New TSA Security and Pat-Down Procedures

Flight Safety Tips from a Professional!

Airlines and Flying: Traveling Domestically? Carry Age Proof (for the baby)

10 Insider Tips for Travel with a Baby

10 Tips to Surviving a Long Flight with Your Infant - Alone!

Kudos to Qantas for Child-Friendly Skies!

Six Reasons NEVER to Fly Air China (even without a child)

 Air China: Most Baby-UNfriendly airline!

A note on airplane bassinets (and other notes)

Air China: Most Baby-UNfriendly airline!

I am in the process of booking my tickets to Shanghai, and it is a complete nightmare!

Firstly, the Air China website does not let you add an infant to your ticket upon purchase. You are instructed to call the Air China office, but when I did, after a 20 minute wait, I was told that there is an additional $150 fee to add infants on through the airline and I should do it through a travel agent??!? WTF? That sounded like rubbish so I called again (and waited another 20 minutes) and was told that it was $100.
Secondly, they only allow babies upto 6 months of age to use the bassinets. Are you serious? So, I asked, "You expect me to spend an 11 hour flight with my 17-month old baby sharing my economy seat", and he said, "Yes, or you can buy him another seat". Nice - at this point, I am considering a refund. Will keep you posted.

Other posts in the Airlines and Flying series:

For First-Timers: Overcoming Your Worst Fears of Flying with Your Kids


For Travelers in America: Preparing and Protecting Your Children from New TSA Security and Pat-Down Procedures

Flight Safety Tips from a Professional!

Airlines and Flying: Traveling Domestically? Carry Age Proof (for the baby)

10 Insider Tips for Travel with a Baby

Kudos to Qantas for Child-Friendly Skies!

10 Tips to Surviving a Long Flight with Your Infant - Alone!

Six Reasons NEVER to Fly Air China (even without a child)


Packing for China: My All-Inclusive List


A note on airplane bassinets (and other notes)