We made it! We’re on the plane!
(I´m typing on my iPhone to upload later)
First flight, a dash 8 from Canberra to Sydney. Eliane was asleep, nursing before we started taxiing to the run way. Yay!
This is the first time the big kids have been on a plane, in their memory. They have both been very excited about it. I was a little concerned that Mikaela might be scared, especially with the bumpy start we always have getting out of Canberra. But no, she giggled a bit nervously, but was okay and interested in the view, and in going through the clouds.
It’s a small plane, two seats on either side. Since we have a seat booked for Elli (she can’t use it, as we can’t use the car seat on this plane, but it’s part of our round the world ticket), we’ve got the four seats on either side of the aisle, plus one behind. So the kids are sitting together, with Mikaela in the window and Chris across the aisle (no-one next to him), and I’m behind them with Elli on my lap (and no-one next to me).
The kids are enjoying being together though it might be easier if Chris were next to Mikaela.
Unfortunately they didn’t let us put the CARES harness on for Mikaela, and we didn’t get on early enough to feel we had time to argue, but I am convinced we should be allowed to use it (according to the Qantas website it is pre-approved for use, unlike car seats, which need to be approved a day or two before flying). I can´t see any reason being on a Dash 8 would matter for it, we had it on the seat fine before the flight attendant told us to take it off. I suspect it will be less likely to be a problem on the international flights, but I wish we´d printed out that page from the Qantas website. (Updated to add – there were no problems on the international Qantas or British Airways flights – other airlines still to come).
(Edited later to add – we did not have another flight where the CARES harness was questioned, including on the Dash 8 flight back from Sydney to Canberra)
