Travelling with 2.5yo - A332 J

[sudoer]

Did you use the CARES harness during the flight at all?

No, we've never ended up using it in J. It has been useful in Y though.

 

[pangwen]

Just came back from our flight. The bad news - the QF attendants on my plane said they did not have the seatbelt attachment that @blackcat20 referenced, and didn't know that such a thing existed (to their credit, they did ask others in the crew). The good news, Little Pangwen managed to put on his seatbelt and was tall enough that the sash was not too uncomfortable. The child meal was also well received.

Overall, it went very well for LP's first flight!

 

[sudoer]

This thread is referenced in a recent AFF article which I feel has not fairly represented the situation with CARES harnesses, so I wanted to clear a few things up.

The CARES harness can still be used in Economy. It can also still be used "usually" in Premium Economy.

It can't be used in J or F on widebodies (unsure about narrowbody J). I asked Qantas for confirmation on CARES usage in premium cabins in the past few weeks and received this:

 

[ChrisMars]

This thread is referenced in a recent AFF article which I feel has not fairly represented the situation with CARES harnesses, so I wanted to clear a few things up.

The CARES harness can still be used in Economy. It can also still be used "usually" in Premium Economy.

It can't be used in J or F on widebodies (unsure about narrowbody J). I asked Qantas for confirmation on CARES usage in premium cabins in the past few weeks and received this:

View attachment 529181

Wait, you send an email to Qantas and you get an answer? Feels good to be P1. As WP it feels like Qantas doesn't cares. Anyway good to know.

 

[sudoer]

Wait, you send an email to Qantas and you get an answer? Feels good to be P1. As WP it feels like Qantas doesn't cares. Anyway good to know.

If it's any consolation, it took a week to get a response - after we had departed....

 

[Quickstatus]

I asked Qantas for confirmation on CARES usage in premium cabins in the past few weeks and received this:

Can you please post the webpage the "child restraint" hyperlink points to thanks

 

[sudoer]

Can you please post the webpage the "child restraint" hyperlink points to thanks

https://www.qantas.com/en-au/travel-information/flying-infants-children/restraints#child-restraint-system

 

[ChrisMars]

Anyone tried an inflatable cube?

https://www.qantas.com/en-au/travel-information/flying-infants-children/#devices

Sounds like a great idea.

 

[Curated Stays]

I have personally used the CARES system on the A332, which actually raised quite a few eyebrows from the crew as they had never seen the system before.

We always traveled with it for about a year but almost never used (maybe 5-6 flights out of 30 during that year period) it besides that flight and we (shockingly) were never questioned about having our kid with the normal seatbelt. I do remember discussing this with a colleague who has 4 kids and I was told she never used anything besides the normal seatbelt and was never asked to, specifically contradicting most airlines published policies on this.

I don't remember where I read it at the moment, but the manufacturer had information about which airplane seats where not compatible and QF A380 were not on that list (SQ A380 were for sure, I don't remember about the other seats from SQ)

 

[sudoer]

I have personally used the CARES system on the A332, which actually raised quite a few eyebrows from the crew as they had never seen the system before.

In which cabin?

 

[Quickstatus]

Anyone tried an inflatable cube?

I think they mean this:

Plane Pal
Plane Pal - an Australian company by an Australian Mum

 

[elanshin]

Anyone tried an inflatable cube?

https://www.qantas.com/en-au/travel-information/flying-infants-children/#devices

Sounds like a great idea.

Wow they reverse coursed on this - I remember they had it banned previously.

 

[Curated Stays]

In which cabin?

J

 

[sudoer]

J

Interesting, how recently?

 

[Curated Stays]

Interesting, how recently?

July 2025.

I'm not sure I ever used it again on a long-haul after that, certainly not when we travelled on the A380 in J and the kid was 2y8m

 

[milehighclub]

Just been looking at what is says about CARES and J. It would appear that if it can go around the seat it could be used and the books say that if it is in use, don't use the sash belt.

As for kids on laps - they can sit on a lap until their third birthday.