The summer holidays for many is just around the corner whether you're staying at home or jumping on the next flight out and heading to Glasgow Airport.
And whilst the thought of a holiday away from the busy streets of Glasgow sounds relaxing, when you are travelling with kids it can make it a tad stressful.
So if you're boarding a plane within the next few months, it's always handy to know the rules when you're flying with your wee ones.
READ MORE: TUI, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 items banned from hand luggage
Here's rules for some of the most popular airlines and what you should know before booking a flight - and jumping on a plane.
Ryanair
You can carry two items of baby equipment free of charge per child (one pushchair + car seat, booster seat or travel cot) which can be tagged for travel at a Bag Drop Desk. This closes 40 minutes before the scheduled flight departure time.
Other items of baby equipment in addition to the two free items can be checked-in upon payment of an Infant/Child Equipment fee (maximum weight 20 kgs).
If you've purchased a separate seat for your baby, they are entitled to carry onboard one small cabin bag which must fit under the seat in front of you (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) and have the option to purchase a checked bag.
There is no cabin baggage allowance for infants sitting on an adult’s lap or infants aged eight days to 23 months who are seated in an extra comfort seat. However a baby bag up to 5kg (dimensions: 45x35x20cms) can be carried by the accompanying adult in addition to their own cabin bag.
Buggy/Pushchair
According to the airline: "Children's pushchairs can be used up to the aircraft steps and after landing the pushchair will be available at the aircraft steps (provided local conditions permit this). Please remember to ensure that your pushchair is tagged at the baggage drop desk or at the boarding gate."
Car seat
"You can bring a car seat onboard for use by an infant or child as long as it is approved for aircraft use and has a 5 point harness. If you are using a car seat for an infant under 2 you will need to purchase a separate seat for them."
The airlines also warns: "Infants (aged 8 days to 23 months inclusive) travelling with us must be accompanied by an adult aged 16 or over (one infant per adult). Infants aged 7 days and under cannot be accepted for travel on Ryanair flights.
"If an infant reaches the age of 2 years prior to their return journey, they must pay the applicable adult fare, taxes, fees and charges for that flight, please contact our call centre to book."
You can find out more by visiting the Ryanair website - including seating restrictions.
TUI
When flying with TUI, you can take a pushchair or buggy through security right up until you get on the plane where it will then be places into the luggage hold. Pushchairs are carried for free in addition to your luggage allowance.
An infant must be more than 14 days old to travel on an aircraft, for health and safety reasons however.
You are allowed to carry liquid baby foods or baby milk that's either pre-packaged or made up at home. You can also carry foods for special dietary requirements as long as it's essential for the flight or holiday.
Solid baby food can be carried in your hand or hold luggage with passengers being warned that they will need to give any food or baby milk to staff when you go through airport security, as it'll be screened separately.
For powder formula, there are no restrictions and you can carry your baby milk powder to be mixed up during your holiday as part of your luggage allowance. This may also be tested at airport security.
TUI warn: "According to policy for all UK-registered aircraft, infants under six months of age must sit on an adult’s lap and be secured with an infant lap-strap for the duration of the flight - this will be provided on the aircraft. Children aged between six months and two years must sit on an adult’s lap, unless a seat is purchased. In this case, a car seat may be used if necessary. Please note we have a one-infant-per-lap policy."
You can find out more by visiting the TUI website.
easyJet
If you’re travelling with children under five years of age, the airline will board you early. You will also be able to carry two additional items for your child in the hold for free.
For every infant or child you can bring up to two of the following items free of charge to go into the hold, in addition to your cabin bag allowance:
- Travel cot
- Pushchair
- Double pushchair
- Buggy
- Car seat
- Collapsible or non-collapsible pram
- Booster seat
- Baby back carrier
The airline says that they "support breastfeeding mothers and you can feed your baby on board at any time."
The airline classes children as between two to 15 years old whilst infants are anywhere between 14 days to two years old and they can only fly with an adult. An adult is classed as anyone over the age of 16 say easyJet. Babies under two weeks old cannot fly with the airline.
They warn: "If your child is older than two years or turns two while you are travelling, you will have to book a separate seat for them."
If you need to feed your children, you are able to bring baby food, baby milk and sterilised water in your cabin bag.
This includes:
- Soya milk for babies
- Sterilised water (which must be in a baby bottle)
- Formula
- Breast milk or cow milk (specifically for babies) and baby food in containers of 100ml or less. They then must be placed inside a clear re-sealable plastic bag no bigger than 20 x 20cm.
The 100ml liquid limit doesn’t apply to baby food, milk or sterlised water, provided that the total amount is no more than one litre. You may be asked to taste it for security reasons.
You can find out more by visiting the easyJet website.
Jet2
Jet2.com state that that they allow passengers aged 14 or over to travel alone. Any passenger under this age can only travel if accompanied by a passenger aged 16 years or over who will take full responsibility for them.
Some countries impose special conditions for minors who are travelling either alone, or without their legal parent/guardian. You can find out more about the requirements for EU member countries - simply select the relevant country from the dropdown menu. You must make sure you show the correct travel documents.
If you are travelling to Portugal, young people under the age of 18 are required to have a letter of authorisation with them when leaving or entering, including Madeira, without their parent or legal guardian. This letter must be signed by the parent or legal guardian and, in some circumstances, may need to be legally certified.
You can download our form here, then simply follow the steps to complete it. You’ll be asked to show your completed form at the airport. For more information, please visit the Portuguese government website.
When it comes to what you can take on board with you, the airline states that if you’re travelling with an infant or child, a collapsible pushchair and/or a car seat and/or a travel cot can be carried in the hold free of charge, as long as the total weight of these items doesn’t exceed 10kg.
Anything exceeding this will be charged in line with their excess baggage policy, subject to space and availability.
Travel Cots
You’ll need to check any travel cots into the plane’s hold at the Jet2.com check-in desk.
Pushchairs
You can take a pushchair to the plane, where it will have to be collapsed and loaded into the hold by our team. You can pick it up again on the baggage reclaim carousel at your destination.
Car Seats
You can check in car seats up to 10kg into the hold for free. If you check in a car seat over 10kg, you’ll be charged our standard excess baggage rate of £12. Alternatively, if your car seat is for a travelling infant aged between 0 and two years old and is suitable for use onboard our planes, it can be taken onboard. If you’d like to use your own infant car seat, you must pay for a separate seat onboard the plane, which will be charged at the appropriate fare.
Before paying for a seat onboard, please see the checklist below to make sure your infant car seat meets all the required criteria. For safety reasons, it must:
- Be for an infant aged between 0 and two years old
- Be European standard. This is normally marked with the reference ECE R 44-03 (the numbers 03 can be replaced with a later version 04/05 etc)
- Be able to be secured using only a lap strap. The lap strap must only be used to secure the car seat to the plane seat and mustn’t be installed over the infant
- Have its manufacturer’s instructions available, that state the car seat is suitable for air travel and can be secured using only a lap strap - please check these before travelling and have them on hand so cabin crew can check them if necessary
- Be no wider than 42cm. Please note, our plane seats are 43cm deep, 44cm wide and 70.5cm high
- Be fitted with a single release-type harness that can’t be easily released by the infant - the harness should at least secure the infant’s lap, chest and shoulders
- Be placed in a window seat wherever possible
- Be the only car seat on the row segment onboard
- Be forward or rear facing
They warn: "If you want to use your own infant car seat, you must buy a seat on the plane, which will be charged at the appropriate fare. Due to the variety of infant car seats available, we can’t guarantee in advance that any particular seat is suitable for use onboard. In the interests of safety, Jet2.com reserves the right to refuse permission for the use of certain types of car seats on the plane or during take-off and landing. In these circumstances, the infant must be carried on the adult’s lap."
You can find out more by visiting the Jet2 website.
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