Families with children
Before the flight
Reservation of services
Special services for children, such as a children's meal available in Business Class or a baby basket on scheduled intercontinental flights, should be requested when making flight reservations. Children's meals can be ordered on scheduled international flights for children over two years of age. Only a few baby baskets are available; therefore it is recommended that they be reserved when making flight reservations through a travel agent or Finnair Customer Care Center. On scheduled flights, the first reservation is confirmed and any remaining baby baskets will be distributed to passengers upon request.
On Leisure flights, passengers must book first-row seats, via the Leisure Flights Internet pages, in order to be able to use a baby basket on the Boeing 757 aircraft. Inflight personnel will provide a baby basket for use in the first row upon request.
 |
Families with children are requested to go to the departure gate in good time, so that they can be among the first passengers boarding the plane. |
Children's baggage
A child occupying a reserved seat has the same baggage allowance as an adult on the same flight. In the case of a child under two years of age, his/her restraint device will be considered carry-on baggage. If a child under two years of age does not have a reserved seat, he/she is allowed 10 kg or 22 lbs. of baggage to be carried in the hold of the aircraft and a folding children's pushchair. In this case, the infant seat will be counted in the carry-on baggage allowance of the accompanying adult passenger.
Children's pushchairs
Children's pushchairs are generally carried in the hold of the aircraft, along with other checked baggage. Some airports will allow the light, small-wheeled, folding umbrella type pushchairs to be taken to the departure gate, if necessary. At the departure gate, they must be handed over to ground personnel to be carried, preferably, in the hold of the aircraft. It is important to arrive at the departure gate in good time, so that the umbrella pushchair may be loaded into the hold on time. An umbrella pushchair is not automatically accepted for carriage in the cabin, as storage space is limited, especially when the flight is fully booked. At Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, pushchairs provided by Finavia may be borrowed to push children all the way to the departure gate.
Car seats and infant seats
Finnair accepts an age-appropriate child restraint device (an infant seat or a car seat) on all of its scheduled flights for children under two years of age, provided that a seat has been reserved for the child on the flight. If there are vacant seats on a scheduled flight, an infant seat may be accepted on board, even if a seat has not been reserved in advance for the child.
Confirmation must always be obtained from Finnair before bringing an infant seat or a car seat on board. The instructions for use must be taken along, so that the approval labelling can be checked. Finnair does not, however, guarantee the placement of an infant seat or a car seat in the seat reserved. If the safety seat does not fit into the seat or it cannot be safely secured, it will be placed in the overhead locker or the hold of the aircraft.
An infant seat is equipped with a 3 or 5-point harness and will be fastened to the aircraft seat facing backward. Child car seats must be equipped with a 5-point harness and they are always fastened to the aircraft seat facing forward.
The infant seat or the car seat must have one of the following approvals:
 |
The child restraint device has been approved for use in aircraft by a JAA authority, the Federal Aviation Administration or Transport Canada (on the basis of a national technical standard), and marked accordingly. |
 |
The child restraint device is approved for use in motor vehicles according to the UN standard ECE R 44, -03 or later series amendments. |
 |
The child restraint device is approved for use in motor vehicles and aircraft according to the Canadian CMVSS 213/213.1-standard. |
 |
The child restraint device is approved for use in motor vehicles and aircraft according to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard US FMVSS Nr. 213, and was manufactured according to the standard after 25 February, 1985. US-approved child restraint devices manufactured after this date must bear the following labels in red lettering: 1) “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards” and 2) “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft”. |
 |
The child restraint device is approved for use in aircraft according to the German “Qualification procedure for child restraint systems for use in aircraft” (TÜV Doc.: TÜV/958-01/2001). |
The instructions for the use of most infant seats and car seats sold in Finland contain the following approval: "Approved according to the ECE R 44.03 -standard".
During the flight
Children on board
During take-off and landing and in the case of any irregularity, a child under two years of age shall sit on the lap of an adult, fastened with a separate safety belt, or in a child-restraint device fastened to the aircraft seat. For a child over two years of age a seat must be reserved, where he/she sits with a regular safety belt fastened during take-off and landing and in case of any irregularity.
During the flight, the cabin crew attends to families with children and their needs, enquiring, for example, about a suitable time for the serving of meals. A babycare table suitable for changing diapers is located in at least one of the lavatories in each type of aircraft.
Baby basket
The baby basket is fastened to the wall of the aircraft or placed on the floor in the legroom during the flight. The child can sleep and lie down in the basket during the flight with the cover zipped up. During take-off, landing and turbulence, the infant sits on the lap of an adult with a separate safety belt fastened. The adult is allowed to have only one infant sitting on his/her lap. The maximum inner length of the baby basket is 70 cm and the infant using the basket may not weigh more than 11 kg or 24 lbs.
Children's meals
Children's meals can be ordered in Business Class on scheduled international flights. Children under two years of age are not served a meal on board. There are a few jars of baby food in reserve on all intercontinental scheduled flights.
Children's entertainment
Passengers under 18 years of age have their own Finnair Junior Plus Club, which children can join on Finnair's scheduled flights. Membership forms can be obtained from the cabin crew. In addition, children are given their own activity packs during the flight. During longer flights, children's music is played and animated films are shown in aircraft equipped with video and audio devices.
After the flight
An effort is made to return to customers any umbrella pushchairs handed over at the departure gate, upon exiting the aircraft at the destination airport. At certain international airports, the umbrella pushchairs must be obtained from the conveyor belt in accordance with airport security regulations.
Further information on pregnancy, health-related matters, fear of flying, jet lag and vaccinations etc., is available on our Medical pages.
Check-in
A special service desk is available at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport for passengers needing assistance and who are checking in in the check-in area 201–232. Check-in desk number 216 is marked with the text Special Passengers and corresponding symbols.
Keywords
- Families with children
- Children
- Special services for children
- Baby basket
- Children's pushchairs
- Car seats and infant seats
