Long Hall Flight With Toddler....

[mizzi39]

Hello, I am taking my wife and our son to the States in April or early May for a 3 week vacation to visit family and friends. I know that most airlines have a policy that if the child is under the age of 2 he/she is still considered an infant. By the time we travel he will be 20 months. We plan to purchase him a seat anyway since it is such a grueling flight, but i was hoping toget an airline that offers a bassinet, or child seat that attaches to the bulk head?

Anyone out there have experience with long haul flights + toddler? All relevant advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Mizzi

[MikeyIdea]

I think most airlines have the possibility to attach something to the bulk head, can't remember which ones but I have seen it on several different airlines. I think the key is to book early, there aren't that many bulk heads in a plane

My daughter was 3 years, not 20 months old so not quite the same. Still think that the same rules apply, a bored child is a difficult child (and if 20 months old - possibly a loud child - never mind and don't worry about it, just do your best and that will be enough). When the child is not tired and in a good mood, take her on walks back the plane etc, let her walk around a bit, show her the toilet and let her press the buttons. I mean walk herself, carrying her around is not the same, she needs to move her legs, that should take away a bit of the boredom. Activate her when she is open for it. Worked fine with my daughter - 3 years old...

Good luck

[samran]

Every two hours of the trip, give your child a new small toy to play with. Helps keep them pacified!

[PattayaParent]

No need to buy an extra seat for the child unless you plan to take your own car seat to strap it into, the airline will automatically assign you a bulkhead and a bassinet for the flight when you make the booking.

[mizzi39]

No need to buy an extra seat for the child unless you plan to take your own car seat to strap it into, the airline will automatically assign you a bulkhead and a bassinet for the flight when you make the booking.

Thanks for the info. Do you know if one airline is better than the next or do they all provide this service?

[PattayaParent]

^every one I've been on has done it automatically.

Emirates, KLM, Etihad, Thai.

Maybe give your chosen one a call before booking.

Never seen any infants on Air Asia flights?

[Boo]

it has to be requested afaik. when you book the tickets be sure to request the bassinet otherwise you might find yourself on a long flight with a 20month old on your lap the whole way. When we flew with my son at 10 months we got the bassinet but use it to store nappies, bottles etc & my son slept on the floor on a few folded blankets. There is more legroom on bulkheads & he slept really well, we even put a blanket over the bassinet creating a tent so that it was nice & dark for him.

[mizzi39]

it has to be requested afaik. when you book the tickets be sure to request the bassinet otherwise you might find yourself on a long flight with a 20month old on your lap the whole way. When we flew with my son at 10 months we got the bassinet but use it to store nappies, bottles etc & my son slept on the floor on a few folded blankets. There is more legroom on bulkheads & he slept really well, we even put a blanket over the bassinet creating a tent so that it was nice & dark for him.

Thanks, I will be sure to inquire with the airline at time of booking. The bassinet for storage sounds like a good idea. My fear was him on our laps for a 24 hour flight. Would not be comfortable for mom, dad, or the little one.

[bkkmei]

hi

if you plan for your son to be in a bassinet, you should check the age / height / weight restrictions for each airline as they do vary. For example, Singapore Air is pretty generous, but others not so and at 20 months, your son could be edging towards the limit.

sure, it's a great idea to just use the bassinet to chuck nappies and stuff in. If the airline will let your son sleep on the floor, that's fab as well. But the one we went on (Austrian) wouldn't due to safety concerns, so our son was on our laps unsuccessfully trying to sleep over the bulkhead armrests (which don't lift up) in a chock-a-block flight.

If you're very lucky though, the flight won't be full and the ground crew may give you a spare seat for your son anyway. Cross fingers.

[stranger-in-paradise]

Agree with the earlier comment - do your best. And try not to get upset yourself. That has a habit of travlling into the child too.

One piece of advice, if I may. When the plane comes in to land, we all get the feeling of blocked ears. Just caused by the cabin pressure going up again. Adults can handle it by swallowing (or yawning) but kids just feel the pain when their ears hurt too much. And then the yelling starts! So give them something to drink during the last 20 minutes of the flight. Assuming that you have survived that far.

[Mossfinn]

it has to be requested afaik.

UK to Thailand, I agree, although you may get lucky, best to request beforehand.

When the plane comes in to land, we all get the feeling of blocked ears. So give them something to drink during the last 20 minutes of the flight.

Good advice, something we do, as well as on take off

[Boo]

I have deleted one trollish post. This isn't a discussion on the cons of flying with children, it has been covered elsewhere & has nothing to do with the op's question.

[torrenova]

I flew with mine at 22 months and bought her a seat. Technically I could have put her on my lap but being realistic, that would never have worked. Try to schedule the flight at night so the baby will want to sleep, even though it will be excited. I found it easier than expected. I didn't use a car seat, just cushions and the normal belt. She is not the smallest toddler anyway.

[steelepulse]

Another good tip is to see if the plane is not completely full. If it isn't book yourself and the wife with one space in between in the middle seat. I've done this multiple times on multiple airlines and if for some reason the plane is completely full, simply change seats with the unlucky person sitting between you, or even better look around the plane and find this person a better seat. If you're going to book a seat, then this strategy is out the window.

Make sure you book with an airline that has a child discount when buying a seat. Most do, but some cheaper ones might not.

Edited December 17, 2009 by steelepulse

[moe666]

My grand daughter is a experienced traveler at 3 years of age. Last year on a trip to the Philippines, even though she could have flown for free,the travel agent messed up a reserved her a a seat after the trip my son and his wife were very happy the baby had her own seat even if it cost the same as theirs.