Some traveling Qs...

amother

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 11:43 am

Are blunt kid scissors allowed on planes in carry ons?

How do you put a 1.5 yr old to sleep on the plane (international flight)? She doesn't nurse, but takes a paci. But still, where is there room??

I heard something about ElAl not allowing strollers if you do not have a baby under age 2 to go in it. Is that true? We want to bring our single and double because our children are very young and will definitely get tired from walking in the airport.

Is there any way to get a bulkhead seat if the baby is too big for a bassinet?

Thanks!

amother

Tue, Apr 01 2014, 3:47 pm

I flew last year and was allowed sippy cups and bottles for my baby on a ny-israel route.
I don't think they'll let any scissors, not even blunt ones- no metal.
You should see if you can get a bulkhead still. I think elal gives priority to someone travelling with an under 2 year old kid. But there might not be any available anymore so late in the game.

amother

Tue, Apr 01 2014, 3:51 pm

One more thing about putting to sleep, I used melatonin with drs. Approval. It was a lifesaver. This child cried the full 2.5 hours on a flight to florida, and slept 7-8 hours on the flighhts to israel after melatonin.
If you decide to do this please try it out tonight to see how your child reacts to it, so you don't end up with a bad reaction on the plane.

Mrs Bissli

Tue, Apr 01 2014, 8:33 pm

Blunt scissors--expect it to be confiscated in a carry-on, so put in a suitcase. Don't expect you can reason with TSA inspectors. They're trained to follow manuals rather than common sense.

Sippy cup--should be ok if it's for young children. Ditto for liquid/babyfood etc, though I have heard mixed reports about jam and yogurt. (Again TSA agents thought it was not specific enough to be just toddler food).

Stroller--call El Al and ask. At Ben Gurion, they should bring out buggies at the top of stairs right after the gate, before you go to the main area with passport control etc. Check with the cabin crew.

Bulkhead--you can try but don't count on it. Bulkheads are usually allocated to higher-tier frequent fliers or passengers who pay full fares. They are not allocated to families with young children.

I suggest divide-and-conquer boarding tactics. One parent board ahead with bags to secure overhead compartment (always in shortage for TLV inbound/outbound flights), the other parent stay with children and board later to minimize the time stuck in the aircraft and hopefully to get the energy out of children.

Have a good flight.