I plan to post this sevral forums. I also will be adding photos later (inc a photo of me with both cats and the baby at the airport before checking in). I just thought this might help other people who are flying this holiday season.
I moved from NY to TX recently. I stayed with my inlaws in Ohio while my husband got everything ready. I then flew down with my 9 month old and two cats. I flew on tue Nov 14th. First flight left at 2:45, second left at 6:35.
Pre-Flight
Before the trip I bought some slippers so they would be comfortable and easy to get on/off (and have no metal). They were the house shoe kind with the soft rubberish bottom. I have two cats, but you can only take one with you in the cabin. So I had to have one soft carrier (for the cabin cat) and one hard carrier (for the checked cat). I went to the vet 4 days before the flight and got the cats rabies shots and the health certificate as well as a climitazation cert for the checked cat. I also got a harness for the cabin cat and made sure that both cats had on thier rabies tags and ids just in case.
I decided on a MT with buckle bottom straps and regular tied top straps for the baby. I wore comfortable pants with lots of pockets and a light weight but longsleave wrap style maternity shirt. Since we were going from cold Ohio to warm texas I put the baby in a onsie top, longies, and some homemade 'babylegs' with feet (made from tights) and a fleece jacket. We also used disposible diapers for the trip so I wouldnt have the smelly ones in my bag
To limit bulk (ha!) I only took one bag-my diaper bag which is backpack style. I packed it with toys, formula (I am low supply due to bfar), a sippy for the formula (no bottles), and an extra change of clothes for me and the baby. I also brought the babys birth certificate.
Check in and security
we got to the airport a little more then two hours early. It wasnt very busy (probably since it was a tuesday) and we were the only ones in the 'real' line (not the e-ticket line). It took quite a while to get my cat checked in. But they put all kinds of things on his carrier so identify him as a living creature and who he belonged to etc. I had to sign a thing for him. Then we took him to some kinda security station where we had to take him out of his carrier (I had not expected this, but my mil helped pull him out) and the security person checked out the inside of the carrier and under my cats belly. then he went back in and they took him away.
Then the cabin cat, baby, and I all went to the security gate for us. There was a person sitting at a table before the main area that asked us if we had any liquids, 'no', "any baby formula?" "yes, but its powdered" "not liquid?" "no" "go on". At the main security point (the one with the x-ray and metal detector) they asked me to take off my shoes, empty my pockets and "the baby can stay in the carrier but the cat needs to come out". So I pulled my other cat out and walked through the detector with her and the baby (still in my MT) while they scanned my diaper bag, cat bag, shoes, and pocket contents. Then it took a minute for me to get everything back together, but they were nice about it.
waiting to board and bathrooms
since we had gotten there so early but hadnt had any problems we had some time to wait before the flight. I found my gate and asked a few questions about how long until boarding (an hour), and what about my cat (they will tell me when he gets on), oh, and there was no one else sitting in my row
. My baby doesnt like to be in the carrier much if I am sitting (especilly since she can crawl) so I had to keepe walking around.
I had to go to the bathroom and I figured she might need a diaper so we found a family bathroom. It was nice and big and had a private entrance directly to the hallway (no stalls), if my neices ever come visit me I will tell them to use those bathrooms if they have to go. Later at our lay over in Atlanta they were doing construction on the nearest mens bathroom so the guys were useing the family bathroom. So I had to take my baby, cat, and bag all into the regular womens restroom. Someone told me that a stall was free and I tried to go in, but I coudlnt even fit through the door :LOL. So I waited for a handicaped stall (traveling with a baby
and a cat must indicate some kind of metal imparement right?). It wasnt nearly as nice as useing the family room.
After that adventure we walked around some more and my baby got fussy, I lowered the MT to let her eat as we walked around near our gate. She fell asleep and I watched out the window as our cat boarded. Then we got called to go on (slowly since I didnt want to wake her).
taxi, takeoff, and landing (or breastfeeding and carriers)
the first flight was about an hour and a half. we boarded and sat down in the middle seat (since the row was empty). the FA was nice and helped me with the cat, putting her under the seat near the window. With the baby asleep I got to just sit and look around. A FA came and told me that my checked cat was onboard. Unfortuatly my baby woke up before takeoff. I tried to keep her calm by nursing her. The flight attendent came over and told me that I needed to take the baby out of the carrier for take off. I said 'why?" (not to make a scene, but just to make her think and so I could have a reason). She said "if something happens she could get crushed" :confused I said "couldnt she get just as crushed in my arms? if not more so?" the FA just asked if it was faa approved blah blah and that it had to not be attached to me. So I undid the top straps (but left them crossed behind my back) and showed her. That was good enough and she left. I retied my top straps. The whole time my baby had been eating and being a wrap style shirt I had just pulled it to the side so I had a lot of 'top' showing. The FA didnt seem to care/notice. My baby kept nurseing most of the flight, on and off. making it difficult to be discreet, but she was calm and collected and didnt even seem to notice the pressure changes. She also played a lot with a nursing necklace I dont wear much so it was new-to-her. She also loved playing with the bag of peanuts. The toys I brought her were boreing I guess. Landing went without a problem and I waited until everyone else got off so we wouldnt slow anyone down.
Layover
When we got off the plane I waited and watched my checked cat unboard as well. My next gate was right across so we didnt have to worry about that. I called my husband real quick to tell him that we were on time and everything. Then we went off in search of a snack (since peanuts are for playing with, not for eating apparently). After I ate I went to our gate and decided that 5 hours is enough time to tie up a 9 month old so I let her down to play a bit. She had fun and another mom with 2 kids and one more on the way was there. Her kids (3 and 5 I think) liked playing with my baby (and they thought the cat was cool too). The layover was about 2 hours, which is a good time if you have a cat and a baby.
2nd flight (the long flight)
the second part of our trip was to be a little over 3 hours. When we got on one of the passengers made a comment about my cat, I said something back about her name or soemthing, and the passenger said "great, I am allergic to cats". I just commented that we were sitting in a diffrent row.
It was getting late and I hoped the baby would sleep. She did fall asleep during taxi :shocked: and slept for maybe an hour (I didnt have a watch and my cell phone was off). The FA never told me that my cat was there, but she also never told me to undo my MT. I asked about my cat when they came around with drinks and she checked on it and told me that there was a black cat on board. I said yes, thats him.
This trip was more of a problem because after the baby woke up she didnt understand why she still had to be in the carrier. I tried to get her to play with the toys, nurse, look out the window, anything to keep her happy. I wanted to sleep. She did find beating me with sunchips really fun though.
I ended up taking her out of the carrier for a while so she could sit in a diffrent way at least (must be kinda uncomfortable not to be able to move much for that long). I figured she also might be hungrey (even with nursing because of my low supply) so I asked the FA for a bottle of water which she assured me was room temp but felt a bit cold. This did seem to help a bit even if it was messy (sooo much messier/more problematic then breastfeeding). Before we landed I put her back in the mt the best I could without standing up. When we landed I stood and retied it before geting the cat and unboarding.
After
My husband found me easily and took the cabin cat. Then we went to bagage claim to find the checked cat. I asked at the Delta help counter about my cat. She told me he would be on the belt with the rest of the bags :roll. my husband said yeah right so we stood by the door and waited. It took what seemed like forever but they finally brought him out (through the door not the belt).
all in all in was a good trip. no problems with breastfeeding or with the carrier. nothing getting lost or cats escapeing or anything. The baby was a bit fussy, but when you put a 9 month old (who LOVES to crawl and get into things) into a confined space for 10 hours what do you expect?
Mama to Trin 
& Jinx 
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