Mr Pickle has fallen between two stools and I may have to pinch him

He hasn't literally fallen between two stools, that would be both dangerous and neglectful!

I have been trying to find out about assistance for a lone mother travelling with a child who is two and nine months. Not under two (an infant) and not yet three (a fully fledged child), hence the two stools he has now fallen between.

My first attempt at gaining the information from the airline by email failed as the response sent to me instructed me to talk to the agent who I have booked my tickets through. As this is an Indonesian booking agent through the Daddy's work I didn't hold out much hope of gaining anything that way.

Today I rang the airline to ask if we could have some assistance at the airport.

My first attempt put me into a sprial of automated responses that I was unable to escape from. I had to hang up and start again.

I finally got through to a human who's response to my query was that I would have to ask this question of the ground staff on the day. I asked what kind of assistance this might be and the very unhelpful person on the other end of the line ignored my question and repeated his first answer. Maybe he too was an automated response and was stuck in a loop!

I then asked him to confirm whether we could take the buggy to the gate and he said that we would have to include the buggy weight in the baggage allowance as the child was under two and started to go on about basinettes for under 10 month olds, etc. At this point I wanted to scream so I thanked him and hung up as this confirmed that he was an automoton and I would gain no further knowledge.

Having considered my options, I am going to wing it and bring the buggy anyway. We have never had to weigh the buggy before.

I would put money on Mr Pickle sleeping at Abu Dhabi airport and I cannot imagine being able to keep him awake at Jakarta for four hours and lugging him plus baggage through the airport. He needs to be on wheels, like the cases.

At check in I may have to pinch him to make him cry, that will put the staff off taking him out of the buggy to weigh it! It might just work.