Experiences of travel on VS with an infant

Morning all. We are flying with VS to DXB at the back end of the year, this time with our darling 9 month old....

I have read the pages of the VS website - my question is can anyone help with their experiences of a couple of matters.

Firstly, the VH website says that no car seats will be provided or bookable on any transfer in DXB - so we will have to take ours. How does this work with VS? Check in at the desk, did you use a protective bag etc? (we will be travelling UC so cannot take it with us onboard due to the airbags).

Secondly, how do bassinets in UC work? I think the flight is currently showing as a 787. Is it easier to have an infant on-lap all the way or is it worth booking a bassinet etc?

Many thanks in advance!

I've travelled to MCO plenty of time with free range kids starting from 10 weeks old.

The car seat, we take ours because we're hiring a car at the other end. Not sure what to do about DXB as I guess you'll be using taxis. Always better to take your own in my opinion even if it's a pain in the @$$. For our pram we've got a Kiddiecraft bag but the car seat was wrapped in bubble wrap (by us) then they provided a polythene bag at check-in before sending to oversize.

There's maximum dimensions for basinet users but (and this isn't a personal comment) 9 months is probably too big for it as they tend to be too heavy and active/mobile. I think the infant will be on your lap.

If you want to read more, here's some trip reports I've done, might answer some more of your questions.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=274070
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=274079
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=282185
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=282217

Thank you Fuzzy14! That is really helpful. I guess I am just worried re the car seat in-transit being bashed about. But much safer in DXB taxis I guess - I will just have to learn how to attach it with the seatbelt - we have one of those Maxi-Cosi base things.

I was thinking a bassinet would be pretty pointless at 9 months - though she is on the 2nd percentile so is very small (at the moment ).

I will read your TRs with interest!

Can't wait to take her away, I've seen many a family on trips I have been on and all of the kids (from very small babies to toddlers) have been angels, so I am hoping we continue that trend )!!

I've travelled to MCO plenty of time with free range kids starting from 10 weeks old.

The car seat, we take ours because we're hiring a car at the other end. Not sure what to do about DXB as I guess you'll be using taxis. Always better to take your own in my opinion even if it's a pain in the @$$. For our pram we've got a Kiddiecraft bag but the car seat was wrapped in bubble wrap (by us) then they provided a polythene bag at check-in before sending to oversize.

There's maximum dimensions for basinet users but (and this isn't a personal comment) 9 months is probably too big for it as they tend to be too heavy and active/mobile. I think the infant will be on your lap.

If you want to read more, here's some trip reports I've done, might answer some more of your questions.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=274070
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=274079
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=282185
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=282217

I remember 21 years ago when my daughter at 7 months-ish in a bassinet, projectile vomitted whilst sitting up. Her sick went straight between the gap between mine and my wife's seat and landed on a couple of people in the row behind. We were obviously very apologetic, but one of them said "why can't your child have used a sick bag". We didn't know she'd be sick after eating the choc-ice is what we thought,but obviously didn't say

She did have previous though, as she has been sick over me only a couple of hours into a 9 hour flight before. I didn't have a change of clothes but the lady sat next to me was very kind and sprayed me with her perfume every few hours. I remember queuing for the car at Orlando and there was a very large gap between me and everyone else in the dollar rental queue.

So the moto of my experience is always take a change of clothes and never feed a small child who suffers from travel sickness a choc-ice. And if you're sat in the row behind my family, you're sat in the splash zone

(gross stuff)

And now we know why you picked that username