travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

My boy is 7 MO - planning to take a long haul >15 hour flight

Anyone have any experience?

1. Would it be stressful for baby and not a good idea?
2. If I am travelling alone, how can I deal with baby when I need to go to the toilet. I plan to travel economy and premium (MAX!) - the toilets are usually so narrow even when it's just me what are ways I can deal with this?
3. If I don't reserve a seat for baby, is it safe for him and do I need to bring a car seat?
4. Any other tips, warnings , things to consider?

Thanks!

PS posting here as I know Australian folks/residents travel a lot! :p

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

Done it with a 6 mo old, again at 15 mo, and again at 24 months. 6 months was definately the best. They sleep a lot.

I found the likes of Singapore and Emirates to be the worst with babies. The staff in these airlines are trained to be robots. Robots don't like babies because stuff happens which is not in the script.

Being a British Expat site for Australia one would assume you are flying between UK and Britain (15 hours?) so fly Qantas or BA where western education help airline staff deal with circumstances which are away from the script.

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

;)

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

1. I think it depends on the baby - feeding or sucking on a dummy will help with ear pressure issues.
2. Use the stewards/esses. I'm sure they won't mind cuddling baby while you attend to your ablutions.
3. At 7 mo, I would imagine he or she is no tyet sitting up for any extended period. If possible, book a cradle (only available at the front I believe) You will find you will have babe either in the cradle or in your arms.
4. Lots of small teething toys, favourite toys etc. And perhaps some soothing tea for you!! If anyone offers assistance, take it!

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

Just convince yourself you are a good parent and all will be fine! Don’t worry about other passengers, they’ll either hate you or have a sympathetic look in their eye.

Book a bassinet for the bub who will probably sleep much of the way anyway. At 7 months they are likely to fit into it which is a bonus. You can also let them sit in it for a bit of play space if they are awake.

Feed on take off and landing (bf is a boon!) and you will have them on your lap then anyway with an extension strap. It pops their ears with pressure changes.

If you need to go to the loo, do so while bub is asleep and either ask a hostie or a motherly neighbour to keep an eye - you can usually get a bit of a jump if there is a queue by saying you’re desperate and bub is asleep. Iirc there is usually a changing table that folds down in the loo over the toilet seat but it’s a while since I did it. Some airlines now won’t allow their staff to hold/touch babies - it’s an oh&s thing but others will so you may or may not be lucky with how the staff will help you.

Take a baby sling and travel as light as you possibly can. I always had baby on the front and backpack on the back with all the gubbins. Take several changes of baby clothes, nappies, wet wipes etc and a complete change for yourself just in case. If the munchkin screams (and it probably won’t if you feed on take off and landing so it’s ears adjust to the pressure) then pop it in the sling and walk the aisles, stand in a vacant spot and walk On the spot until it goes to sleep - you do not want to be carrying in your arms as your arms will drop off. Be prepared to stay awake the whole time yourself. (I walked across Asia with DS2 back in the day as he didn’t believe in jet lag as a tiny baby but karma came back to bite him as he walked across Asia with his daughter as she didn’t much like sleeping during her day either)

Looking back I’ve done the trip with various kids/grandkids solo and as a family at 12 weeks (still freaks me out how I did that solo! And with a toddler along too) 5 months, 6 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, 18 months and I never had a problem.

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

Just please, do not assume that every female passenger is happy to nurse your baby for you at odd intervals.
Over the years I have had several babies thrust at me mid-flight. I got lumbered once so that the mother could have a meal.....I missed mine cos I had a baby on my lap so couldn't actually put a table down of eat anything. Didn't even get an apology from the mother and the crew obligingly said they had no meals left but breakfast was in 8 hours ( and people wonder why I hate flying Emirates)
I'm not baby-trained, I don't know the right way to hold a small baby, I am unfamiliar with how to tell if they need help medically, and I am NOT willing to be a babysitter for an unknown child! The responsibility scares me to death! People just think, oh, a woman, she'll be happy to hold little Damien/Desdemona/Lucifer.....well, sorry, but she won't.

So please....if you fly with infants and need assistance make sure that you leave them with someone who is happy to take care of them!

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

Singapore Airlines have always been great but they do stick to protocol, so when the seatbelt sign lights up you are required to remove your child from the bassinet and hold him/her on your lap.

I'd bet it's a standard thing with all airlines but some might be more lenient if they believe the turbulence is mild.

Then again it's a safety issue so you have to decide whether you prefer an airline that sticks to procedure or one that counts on everything being okay.

I have my reasons too, and luckily they are based on the experience of a ticket booked for my parents, so after that I have steered well clear of them on all travels (though in all fairness I have never found any of their connections useful for me, regardless of their routemap - I simply have zero need and even less willingness for changing planes there).

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

Nope. Its cultural. Can't think outside the box.

Are they still not turning the entertainment system on until cruising or switching it off before decent?

Another Singapore Airlines great mystery.

Re: travelling long haul - ideas / advice please!
 

Uh, actually they can, which is why Singapore Airlines is the best airline in the world, Changi Airport the world's best airport, etc. It's because they CAN and DO think outside the box.

Dunno, I usually fly Scoot. :) Was never bothered about this anyway, especially on 12-hr flights where there's plenty of time after take-off and before landing to watch anything you like.