flying with two babies questions

I know some of y'all have done this!

(1) Who lets you fly alone with two babies (one on lap + one in own seat)?
(2) Is the baby in their own seat regular price or is there a child discount?

Thanks!

 

I can only answer #2 and we did not get a discount but you should call the airline and ask because you never know!

 

I flew back from Chicago to Anchorage, AK in July. My husband came back about 6 days earlier on his own to go back to work. Anyway, I bought a ticket (full price) for my son and planned on holding my dd in my lap. My mom went through security with me (just had to show her driver's license) and that was a Godsend!

Once I got through security, my mom happened to meet the supervising flight attendant for my flight who decided to make sure I got a 3rd seat and was able to bring both car seats on the flight. During take off I planned on feeding them their bottles, but we were delayed for about an hour/hour and a half. They were so fussy, so I just fed them the bottles and during take off they actually konked out. I was completely preparing for a HORRIBLE flight, but things worked out so much better than I thought they were going to! Good luck and I hope the same happens for you!

 

QUOTE(Fireweed in AK @ Aug 29 2008, 01:55 AM) [snapback]952907[/snapback]
I flew back from Chicago to Anchorage, AK in July. My husband came back about 6 days earlier on his own to go back to work. Anyway, I bought a ticket (full price) for my son and planned on holding my dd in my lap. My mom went through security with me (just had to show her driver's license) and that was a Godsend!

Once I got through security, my mom happened to meet the supervising flight attendant for my flight who decided to make sure I got a 3rd seat and was able to bring both car seats on the flight. During take off I planned on feeding them their bottles, but we were delayed for about an hour/hour and a half. They were so fussy, so I just fed them the bottles and during take off they actually konked out. I was completely preparing for a HORRIBLE flight, but things worked out so much better than I thought they were going to! Good luck and I hope the same happens for you!


Hello! Can you tell me what airline you used and how old your twins were at the time? My girls are 8 months old. I am in VA and am dying to go see my parents in Seattle. It is a 5 hour flight. My husband can't go due to work. Am I crazy for thinking of tackling it alone?

 

I fly alone with mine all the time. We are past the lap stage, but you have to pay full-price for that extra seat! The biggest problem I can see with your plan is that they have to seat you on the correct SIDE of the airplane that has the EXTRA OXYGEN MASK. I think they have 4 on one side. (Fuzzy memory, sorry) Just make sure you are seated on the correct side.

Chances are you'll find people helpful and friendly. Pack a killer smile and tons of patience!! YOU CAN DO IT!

 

I'm about to do part of a trip by myself with my two. I'm stuck in Morocco waiting for my girls' visas to come through and DH had to report in to his next duty station so he left with DS over a week ago. I called Delta and they said that I could fly with two infants (they each have their own seats b/c the Army is paying for it). I have a friend who is flying with me from Morocco to Paris and then Paris to Atlanta. Then I'll do the 1.5 hour flight from Atlanta to home by myself. If I didn't have two portacribs and load of luggage (since I'm moving) I'd try it by myself but I need the extra set of hands to push the cart of luggage while I push the stroller.

Rachel

 

QUOTE(RachelAKAariel53098 @ Aug 29 2008, 12:49 PM) [snapback]953438[/snapback]
I'm about to do part of a trip by myself with my two. I'm stuck in Morocco waiting for my girls' visas to come through and DH had to report in to his next duty station so he left with DS over a week ago. I called Delta and they said that I could fly with two infants (they each have their own seats b/c the Army is paying for it). I have a friend who is flying with me from Morocco to Paris and then Paris to Atlanta. Then I'll do the 1.5 hour flight from Atlanta to home by myself. If I didn't have two portacribs and load of luggage (since I'm moving) I'd try it by myself but I need the extra set of hands to push the cart of luggage while I push the stroller.

Rachel


I've been reading your blog, and I'm so glad that some things are starting to come through for you. :hug:

 

QUOTE(Mom2OandP @ Aug 29 2008, 06:22 AM) [snapback]953192[/snapback]
Hello! Can you tell me what airline you used and how old your twins were at the time? My girls are 8 months old. I am in VA and am dying to go see my parents in Seattle. It is a 5 hour flight. My husband can't go due to work. Am I crazy for thinking of tackling it alone?


Well, we flew Alaska Airlines. I know they are all over the country, but I don't know if they fly from VA. They are in Seattle however. I just don't know if you would have a layover, which I swear I would NOT do. It was awesome getting them on the plane, but if I would have had to switch planes or cart all that crap from one plane to the next, I swear I would have cried. BTW, they were 4 and a half months old. Good luck!

 

QUOTE(joannabug @ Aug 28 2008, 10:03 PM) [snapback]952682[/snapback]
I know some of y'all have done this!

(1) Who lets you fly alone with two babies (one on lap + one in own seat)?
(2) Is the baby in their own seat regular price or is there a child discount?

Thanks!


I think you are going to have to make some phone calls to airlines for both questions. I know that Northwest gives a discount for seats for children under 2. GL!!!!!

 

When you make your calls definitely be very clear that you are only carrying one lap child. Some cs agents don't listen and will just automatically tell you no. If you get a no, call back because you might hear differently from someone else.

Personally, I never had any trouble flying alone with my babies. I bought a seat for each of them. On Southwest, I did have to pay the same internet fare as I paid for myself and then on America West they were given a 1/2 priced children's fare. I never asked if it was okay to take my babies because, why wouldn't it be?

 

I flew long-haul flights by myself with my twins at 3 months, 5 months, and just now at 18 months.
I always bought them seats. Any chance I got, I had someone - a friend, relative or babysitter, get a gate-pass to get me through security. As PP said, all they need is to show their ID card when you check in. (They did NOT allow this in Europe, by the way, only in US.)
At 3 and 5 months it was really easy to do it by myself, at 12 and 18 months it was a nightmare. I say go NOW while they are still little and sleeping a lot. When you book your ticket call TWICE to make sure that your plan (one in seat, one on lap) is ok. The only airline I had trouble with was Hawaiian airlines - one agent told me it was fine to have 2 babies with me traveling alone as the only adult, but when I called to book our seats (online fares were cheaper, so the first guy told me to book my flights, then call back and arrange seating), they told me their airline only allows one infant PER ROW.

I had no problems with Continental, Delta, American, United, Southwest and Lufthansa, except stupid little glitches along the way. Lufthansa, for example, insisted on board that I could not have them in their car seats for take-off, turbulence and landing. I told them that this was ridiculous and every other airline allows it as long as the seats are FAA approved for planes because this is much safer than holding a lap baby. They finally checked the handbook and found out that I was right.
(I took the twins from Hawaii to Germany and back this summer. Don't ever try this by yourself!!!!)
Avoid American Airlines if you can because of their stupid luggage charges, and their rude flight attendants.
I have stories you wouldn't believe.
I really liked Delta and Southwest.

Most passengers will think you are amazingly brave for flying alone with twins. I had lots of supportive moms and grandmas and grandpas on my flights in my experience, and just a very few annoyed people. My attitude was - thank you to those of you who are helpful and understanding, and too bad for you people who have a problem with it. You should have paid business class if you didn't want to sit around children. When you book economy class or a budget airline, you roll the dice. We are a military family and I often have to travel alone because I have no choice. I also met lots of people who were twins themselves or had twins and were very supportive (and thought I was crazy for traveling alone with them).

It pays to call the airline, then call again to confirm. You don't want to be hashing this out at the gate or on the plane.
Good luck to you, at this age I thought it was very manageable to fly with twins.
Another piece of advice: see if you can get them to take turns sleeping - that way you only have to deal with one at a time.
It just happened by accident on the early flights (I got lucky) and I got my 18-month olds to take turns napping on flights too.

 

QUOTE(Fireweed in AK @ Aug 29 2008, 01:55 AM) [snapback]952907[/snapback]
I flew back from Chicago to Anchorage, AK in July. My husband came back about 6 days earlier on his own to go back to work. Anyway, I bought a ticket (full price) for my son and planned on holding my dd in my lap. My mom went through security with me (just had to show her driver's license) and that was a Godsend!

Once I got through security, my mom happened to meet the supervising flight attendant for my flight who decided to make sure I got a 3rd seat and was able to bring both car seats on the flight. During take off I planned on feeding them their bottles, but we were delayed for about an hour/hour and a half. They were so fussy, so I just fed them the bottles and during take off they actually konked out. I was completely preparing for a HORRIBLE flight, but things worked out so much better than I thought they were going to! Good luck and I hope the same happens for you!



Wait a minute.... I just got through reading your post about being worried about the bedtime stuff by yourself. HELLO! You flew with two babies? That totally trumps bedtime!

 

QUOTE(RachelAKAariel53098 @ Aug 29 2008, 12:49 PM) [snapback]953438[/snapback]
I'm about to do part of a trip by myself with my two. I'm stuck in Morocco waiting for my girls' visas to come through and DH had to report in to his next duty station so he left with DS over a week ago. I called Delta and they said that I could fly with two infants (they each have their own seats b/c the Army is paying for it). I have a friend who is flying with me from Morocco to Paris and then Paris to Atlanta. Then I'll do the 1.5 hour flight from Atlanta to home by myself. If I didn't have two portacribs and load of luggage (since I'm moving) I'd try it by myself but I need the extra set of hands to push the cart of luggage while I push the stroller.

Rachel



Wow! Best of luck to you...

 

QUOTE(jcs @ Aug 31 2008, 01:22 AM) [snapback]955626[/snapback]
I flew long-haul flights by myself with my twins at 3 months, 5 months, and just now at 18 months.
I always bought them seats. Any chance I got, I had someone - a friend, relative or babysitter, get a gate-pass to get me through security. As PP said, all they need is to show their ID card when you check in. (They did NOT allow this in Europe, by the way, only in US.)
At 3 and 5 months it was really easy to do it by myself, at 12 and 18 months it was a nightmare. I say go NOW while they are still little and sleeping a lot. When you book your ticket call TWICE to make sure that your plan (one in seat, one on lap) is ok. The only airline I had trouble with was Hawaiian airlines - one agent told me it was fine to have 2 babies with me traveling alone as the only adult, but when I called to book our seats (online fares were cheaper, so the first guy told me to book my flights, then call back and arrange seating), they told me their airline only allows one infant PER ROW.

I had no problems with Continental, Delta, American, United, Southwest and Lufthansa, except stupid little glitches along the way. Lufthansa, for example, insisted on board that I could not have them in their car seats for take-off, turbulence and landing. I told them that this was ridiculous and every other airline allows it as long as the seats are FAA approved for planes because this is much safer than holding a lap baby. They finally checked the handbook and found out that I was right.
(I took the twins from Hawaii to Germany and back this summer. Don't ever try this by yourself!!!!)
Avoid American Airlines if you can because of their stupid luggage charges, and their rude flight attendants.
I have stories you wouldn't believe.
I really liked Delta and Southwest.

Most passengers will think you are amazingly brave for flying alone with twins. I had lots of supportive moms and grandmas and grandpas on my flights in my experience, and just a very few annoyed people. My attitude was - thank you to those of you who are helpful and understanding, and too bad for you people who have a problem with it. You should have paid business class if you didn't want to sit around children. When you book economy class or a budget airline, you roll the dice. We are a military family and I often have to travel alone because I have no choice. I also met lots of people who were twins themselves or had twins and were very supportive (and thought I was crazy for traveling alone with them).

It pays to call the airline, then call again to confirm. You don't want to be hashing this out at the gate or on the plane.
Good luck to you, at this age I thought it was very manageable to fly with twins.
Another piece of advice: see if you can get them to take turns sleeping - that way you only have to deal with one at a time.
It just happened by accident on the early flights (I got lucky) and I got my 18-month olds to take turns napping on flights too.


Wow!

 

Thanks for the advice, all!

My dad has a business trip to where I want to go to visit an old roommate, so I decided to hitch a ride with him, giving him one lap baby and me taking a lap baby. They love their grandpa, so I'm hoping it will work out well.

Now what to bring...