The only real downside to our trip was the continuing and ongoing story of what to do when flying with a baby.
They don't make you buy a seat for him, and even if they did they wouldn't provide a safe way of restraining him in his own seat.
Now, apparently, the FAA no longer advises a lap belt attachment for the baby, they recommend "you hold on tight". Does that sound right to you??? In a form of transport where they are so anal about safety for all the adult passengers they are happy for you to just hang on to your baby.
And I guess that wouldn't be too bad if they were consistent, I actually have a harness that I can use and think is way safer than a lap belt extension but I didn't bother to take it as on flights to the UK they made me take it off during turbulence, even though he was asleep, and put their stupid lap belt extension on.
I asked around for other mummies' experiences and found out that they've all had the same problem, different airlines, routes and staff, insist on different safety precautions on board - some insist on the lap belt extension, some on using a carrier, some on nothing, some on taking your sleeping baby out of the carrier and putting them in a belt extension, some forbid carriers, some won't let you use your own harness.
Even car seats aren't the answer as some airlines make you prove they are FAA approved, some will allow you on with any car seat and some no longer allow car seats with the new seating they are installing and will provide baby seats.. but, I hear, only on some routes.
I guess after this what I've realised is that they just don't know what is safest, they haven't done the testing and they have no idea. Which is fine(ish) but if this is the case I really wish they'd stop insisting on their airline's arbitrary standard - let him wear the harness I have researched and chosen for him, or let me put him in the carrier if I want to, hey, let me hang on to him if that's my decision just stop telling me what to do (and waking him up!)
I told you it was a rant.
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