airlines

A few weeks ago I took my 15 month old daughter to Spain. We flew British Air from the US to London then from London to Malaga, Spain. British Air was a pain to deal with in terms of reservations and service. They also charge you $20 to talk to an agent because they want you to use their online service, but their online service does not work for all needs. That said once we arrived at the airport, British Air was great. They let families with children pre-board. They had a bassinet that was more like a carseat so I could secure my daughter. The carseat/bassinett fits children up to two years old, most airline basinetts only fit young children. The staff on BA was very friendly and helpful.

When we arrived in London we had a five hour lay over. We got off the plane and the Heathrow staff were also very nice. When I went through security the staff saw that I had a baby and they let me go through a short line. When I transfered from Terminal 4 for intercontinental flights to terminal one various people pointed me to elevators and helped me find my way. In terminal one there is a play area for children. The play area is a little grungy but it is somewhat contained so you can keep track of wondering children. There was a fish tank, snack bar, and baby changing restroom very close to the play area. Throughout Heathrow there were bathrooms with baby changing/nursing rooms. These were great we could roll our stroller into the restroom, change diapers, wash hands, etc. and not have to deal with the chaos of a regular airport restroom. They also had chairs and some private rooms for mothers who are nursing.

Overall I think Heathrow is a very nice airport if you have to spend some time with a child.