Silly questions I need answers to regarding air travel.

[Disney*Dreaming]

Hello,
It has been ages since I've flown to the States, at least 12 years.
I know times have changed and yes I have been to the airlines website, but I still need clarification on a few silly points. If you know an answer or two, please jump in! Thank you kindly.

1. Airlines. Do they have free meals anymore? We will be flying on AirTransat, so I would like to know if I should fill my kids up with food before we board.
Also on the topic of food, can I bring snacks on the plane when it is traveling from one country to another or is that a no-no?

2. And lastly from the airlines topic...car booster seats. Can I carry them on and stow them under the seat, so I have them handy on the other end? Or do I need to pack them in my suitcases?

3. Okay, this is the last silly question for now, unless I think of more.
My husbands co-worker told him that a relative of his was turned away at the airport and not allowed to fly to Florida because they did not have their H1N1 shot. Is this true? I've looked on US and Canadian websites and see no mention of this.

Thanks!

 

[vacation_junkie]

Hello,
It has been ages since I've flown to the States, at least 12 years.
I know times have changed and yes I have been to the airlines website, but I still need clarification on a few silly points. If you know an answer or two, please jump in! Thank you kindly.

1. Airlines. Do they have free meals anymore? We will be flying on AirTransat, so I would like to know if I should fill my kids up with food before we board.
Also on the topic of food, can I bring snacks on the plane when it is traveling from one country to another or is that a no-no?

2. And lastly from the airlines topic...car booster seats. Can I carry them on and stow them under the seat, so I have them handy on the other end? Or do I need to pack them in my suitcases?

3. Okay, this is the last silly question for now, unless I think of more.
My husbands co-worker told him that a relative of his was turned away at the airport and not allowed to fly to Florida because they did not have their H1N1 shot. Is this true? I've looked on US and Canadian websites and see no mention of this.

Thanks!

Not true about the H1N1 shots....

Food.....feed the kids first. bring snacks in your carry-on..but no liquids. A bagel sandwich and a tea cost me $13 last week at the airport...so pack food! We always fill our bag with snacks. Depends on how long your flight is most do not provide food anymore. but they will provide a drink

Booster seats will not fit under the seats..they will make you check them..or if your kids are in their own seats you can use them!!

 

[Disney*Dreaming]

Thank you vacation_junkie.
I'll fill everyone's bellies before hand, and load up the bags with snacks then.
I thought the H1N1 bit was unlikely when I heard it, but thought I should ask here just to be sure.

 

[LuvSnowWhite]

Can you bring snack food thru security? Or do you have to buy it after you go thru security? That is totally untrue about the H1N1 shots. You will probably get a snack on the plane but it's a good idea to fill up the kids first. I have never flown Transat.
When I went to WDW from the west coast I think we got lunch on Alaska Airlines. But I wouldn't bank on it.
Not sure about the booster seats, are you renting a car? Don't the car rental companies have them?
Have a great vaca!

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Yes, you would be wise to feed the kids before (stop at Timmy's if you need) ... and yes, keep that coworker away from your husband ....

 

[AddictedtoFL]

Hello,
It has been ages since I've flown to the States, at least 12 years.
I know times have changed and yes I have been to the airlines website, but I still need clarification on a few silly points. If you know an answer or two, please jump in! Thank you kindly.

1. Airlines. Do they have free meals anymore? We will be flying on AirTransat, so I would like to know if I should fill my kids up with food before we board.
Also on the topic of food, can I bring snacks on the plane when it is traveling from one country to another or is that a no-no?

2. And lastly from the airlines topic...car booster seats. Can I carry them on and stow them under the seat, so I have them handy on the other end? Or do I need to pack them in my suitcases?

3. Okay, this is the last silly question for now, unless I think of more.
My husbands co-worker told him that a relative of his was turned away at the airport and not allowed to fly to Florida because they did not have their H1N1 shot. Is this true? I've looked on US and Canadian websites and see no mention of this.

Thanks!

Question #1:
AirTransat is Charter flight, so depend on duration of the flight, they will serve you snack for 2 hours flight and a meal if 4 hours or more flight.
Question #2:
You can bring them with you, or you can chech them, eitherway you should bring a clear plastic bag to put the seat(s) in. all airlines allow you to check them for free.
Question #3:
FALSE!

 

[vacation_junkie]

Can you bring snack food thru security? Or do you have to buy it after you go thru security? That is totally untrue about the H1N1 shots. You will probably get a snack on the plane but it's a good idea to fill up the kids first. I have never flown Transat.
When I went to WDW from the west coast I think we got lunch on Alaska Airlines. But I wouldn't bank on it.
Not sure about the booster seats, are you renting a car? Don't the car rental companies have them?
Have a great vaca!

We always pack a carry on with pringles, granola bars..etc... no drinks through security though! They have never given us a problem about packaged snacks.

 

[ccudmore]

You cannot bring any liquids of any consequence through security. So you can bring in snacks but not drinks. You'll have to buy the drinks on the other side of security.

For the car seats you'll have to check them. Any airline I've dealt with doesn't count car seats towards your bag limit. Just bring them to the checkin counter and they'll have plastic bags that they'll wrap them in for you and tag them. I've always had really friendly help when dealing with car seats.

Also you cannot just bring car seats on and use them on the plane. In order for an airline to accept a seat for use on the plane they need to have a special airline certificate - which very few have.

 

[crashbb]

Since you are flying Air Transat, which is a charter and does not go through US pre-clearance in Canada, you are actually better off in the bringing food onto the plane department. Although you cannot bring liquids through security (as has been stated), you don't have to worry about the rules against bringing fresh fruit/vegetables and meat into the States (as long as you eat the food on the plane).

 

[Ted in Halifax]

FYI
I've flown a airtransit charter (Canjet) out of Halifax that went through pre-clearance. Did so last February ....

 

[irisesareblue]

Since you are flying Air Transat, which is a charter and does not go through US pre-clearance in Canada, you are actually better off in the bringing food onto the plane department. Although you cannot bring liquids through security (as has been stated), you don't have to worry about the rules against bringing fresh fruit/vegetables and meat into the States (as long as you eat the food on the plane).

I think this depends on whether or not the airport you are flying out of has US Border Services pre-clearance for outbound flights to the US. When we flew through Vancouver a US Border Services fellow told us we were "on US soil" once we passed through the gate - funny - I wondered if Stephen Harper knew that???

 

[connorsmom911]

Not true about the H1N1 shots....

Food.....feed the kids first. bring snacks in your carry-on..but no liquids. A bagel sandwich and a tea cost me $13 last week at the airport...so pack food! We always fill our bag with snacks. Depends on how long your flight is most do not provide food anymore. but they will provide a drink

Booster seats will not fit under the seats..they will make you check them..or if your kids are in their own seats you can use them!!

Booster seats can't be used on the planes, even if your kids have their own seats. Only car seats with their own harness system, like infant/toddler car seats can be used, and they have to be secured to the airplane seat using the seatbelt. But checking them is a breeze, just attach some kind of name/address label and most airlines will bag them and check them for free.

You cannot bring any liquids of any consequence through security. So you can bring in snacks but not drinks. You'll have to buy the drinks on the other side of security.

For the car seats you'll have to check them. Any airline I've dealt with doesn't count car seats towards your bag limit. Just bring them to the checkin counter and they'll have plastic bags that they'll wrap them in for you and tag them. I've always had really friendly help when dealing with car seats.

Also you cannot just bring car seats on and use them on the plane. In order for an airline to accept a seat for use on the plane they need to have a special airline certificate - which very few have.

I've flown a number of times with a number of different car seats, and only once have I had a gate attendant question the label on the car seat. Normally yes, they are required to have a TSA sticker on the car seat, but I just explained that we were from Canada so we're not governed by the TSA, but there are the equivalent CDN labels on car seats as long as they haven't been removed.

 

[Sue M]

You can bring food and snacks on plane. But as mentioned no liquid. this includes yogurt! We stop at a Subway along the way and bring sandwiches from there.
Didn't notice where you are from, but for us eating before flights, we find we still need another meal before we land in Florida. By the time you arrive at airport 2 or 3 hrs before flight, and board, it's still at least 9 or 10 hrs before we arrive in Fla. depending on connections from home airport to Fla airport.

 

[Disney*Dreaming]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I've got a clearer picture now of what to expect. I'm flying out of Halifax, so hopefully that means we can pre-clear customs. Reading on the web page for Air Transat they mention about checking car seats with the baggage, but being unfamiliar with all of the lingo I just though they meant car seats, like the ones for infants with the restraint systems, which is why I was initially confused about what to do with booster seats for older kids. I was thinking maybe they could be carry on (but not to use on the plane) But if I can just hand them off with the luggage at no extra cost then that's perfect. As for the H1N1, even I though that one was 'out there' but I though I would check here for the final word on the subject, because Canadian Dis-ers are a wealth of valuable info! Thanks again.

Oops, one more thing....
In regards to snacks. Fast forward to the day we return home. If my kids have all sorts of treats that they bought with snack credits along the way and haven't eaten, should they be packed in their luggage or can they carry them on board for snacking. They can bring things back, right?
I would hate to see their faces if their little Mickey-rice-crispy-head treasures were confiscated.

 

[squirrel]

Mickey Treats and other snacks are fine as long as it's not liquid.

I'd pack an empty water bottle or drink cup with lid. Makes it much easier with children, you won't end up with wet pants.

In 2008, I packed up a chocolate cake my niece was given and I forgot it had a plastic knife in the container. Security never said anything and I only noticed when I unpacked it from the bag with all the other snacks that wouldn't fit into our bags.

 

[Sue M]

We had a nice bag packed with WDW treats for the plane ride home, bars, muffins, those mickey rice krispies, and DD (19) was holding bag and left it on the airport terminal train