dotty

Budget saving tip if you cant stand the 24 hour torture test. For a couple just pay for 3 seats not two. You end up guaranteed with a whole row of 3 to yourselves, no stranger next to you and that bit of extra room is just enough to allow sleep. Hell of a lot cheaper than going business. We are doing this next month. Oz mates doing it too so we have two rows of three between 4 people.

For kids dont even attempt a 24 hour trip with a kid on your lap, that is mental and physical torture for all concerned. Buy a seat.
Ignore the board young kids first call, get on last, do you really need an extra 45 minutes in a tin can when they could be getting exhausted running round the airport.

RichS

dotty - every time I say that , and every time the wife says that as soon as we're called we should get on.
no no no - get on last.

One thing that bothers me is the fact that our kids are bothering others. It becomes worse and worse. I'm trying my best to control the little darlings but they just insist its playtime, and I become ever more concious of the other passengers who would dearly like to watch a movie/go to sleep/throttle my kids.

But what can you do.

bondipom

As another passenger with no kids I have rarely felt like throttling the little buggers. The only times they annoy is when they scream and shake your chair. For a lot of passengers kids provide a welcome distraction to the tedium.

It cannot be easy and most people recognise that. It is a shame airports don't provide areas for them to run around enough to tire them out.

MrsDagboy

Agreed .... get on last. The time running around in the airport tiring them out is a blessing, if not least to the poor people that have to sit behind/beside/in front of you LOL. Another thing is to always get there as early as you can for check in & request a bulkhead seat ..... alot more room for the kids, mine sat on the floor in front of me & played with cars etc before starting the terrorising.

Also agree with a seat for the kids - although if they are over 2 you have to pay for a seat anyway.

Rich, you cant really do much about it - most people understand.

TrickyTree

Personally I hate the flight from the UK to Oz.
Take off is marginally better than landing but both freak me out a little.

21 hours feel like 21 days.
Probably because i'm 6 foot 2 and never have enough room.

Only ever stopped over in Singapore but that was OK, because we have only ever used Singapore Airlines.
I always try to have the meat dish and on Singapore they tend to be pretty good.

And what always makes the trip back with me - a bottle of Bundy rum for the girlfriend.

TT

spuds

Enjoy it? Well no, that is definitely too strong a word!

Last time we flew with Garuda - v cheap and nowhere near as bad a s everyone says! Service was great, food and drink on tap (felt like every 5 mins!) and they have the most legroom of all the airlines - a few inches makes all the difference !

We stopped in Bangkok first for about an hr which was a welcome break and lovely chance to stretch your legs. Then Bali airport for 6 hrs which was torturous. Whiled away a good 10 mins of it buying super cheap CD's/DVD's then forced to sit on horried plastic chairs for 5 hrs and 50 mins! Not nice experience and completely knackered at this point. Was relief to get back on plane.

I am not sure how we managed it (alcoholic help methinks!) but hubby and I managed to sleep almost all the way. BEST TIP - do not get on plane without one of those blow-up pillow things they are a godsend. No seat back entertainment so stuck minidisc on, cwched up with pillow and blanket, draped legs over husband and woke up in Oz! Was great, were both fresh as daisies - no one in Oz could believe we'd flown all the way that morning!

We are about to attempt it again on the 18th:scared: but with Sing Air this time. Less leg room but much better entertainment so hopefully can while away a few hours. Also stoping in Sing for few days which will hopefully cure jetlag - am v excited as never been there - any tips? We are staying on Sentosa island.

I feel so sorry for people travelling with children especially if they are obviously unhappy about it - poor things. It is annoying when they are booting the crap out of yur seat from behind but I generally thank my lucky stars it'snot me having to entertain them and stick in my ear plugs! To all you parents, I wouldn't worry about it. Most adults think it's hard going so I'm sure they sympathise. Not looking forward to when we have to do it!

suffolkdiva

Emma, can't believe you had agood flight with Garuda. Both times we have flown with them, we had a terrible time! Worried me somewhat when we were stuck for 10hrs at Bali airport ( yes I remember the plastic seats well! ) with a guy sitting on the wing, bashing it with a hammer and the tannoy announcing that the plane had technical problems!!

Best long haul flight was with Cathey Pacific from Hong Kong. I'd caught Salmonella out there, and was feeling pretty grim, but they looked after me well and I had 4 seats to myself!

Flying this time with kids. They are used to going to America, but we have decided to fly overnight to Singapore and stay a few days before flying on to Aus. Having read the brochure, they're really keen and I think will cope with it better than me

hevs

I used to love flying, my Dad was a BA pilot, so we used to get cheapies all over the world. Now i've had my kids though i hate it, its the mortality thing, and it really panics me now.
I'm dreading the flight as my son has mild add and dyspraxia (which means hes very very clumsy!) I dread the tuts and sighs of the other passengers, when he trips into there laps for the 100th time ! I have got a tranquiliser, but not sure of the dose for a 6 year old

lynnj

Now i know this is tempting fate but i've never had much bother travelling with the kids, firstly if they are going to bug anyone its going to be their dad as he will be working untill the day before we fly and having dad about will still be a novelty.

Hopefully it will be like our last trip to perth where they played video games all the way from heathrow to kl fell asleep as we taxied in and boy did they take some waking, 2 hours in kl airport where they could watch the shuttle train things and then fell asleep before we took off from kl and didnt wake up untill we were on the ground in perth (that was all of us not just the boys). So we have booked the same flight times again, morning flight from heathrow arrive perth mid afternoon with enough energy to last untill about 8pm, 1 good nights sleep and no jet lag.

My advise on travelling with kids, dont tire them out too much, they will be excited to get on the plane and dont realise how boring it is, so if they are over tired you have problems, if you have a small child in its own seat take your car seat so it can be comfy and sleep more easily, dont feed them sweets.

My advise on travelling without kids, always smile at kids and parents it helps take the stress out of their journey.

Lynn

tennisoz

Good thread. Have done UK to Oz return about a dozen times and prior to moving to Scotland (where my wife comes from) we did Oz to UK return 3 or 4 times. We've also done it on a cruise ship but that's another story.

I personally enjoy the experience - no preference for take off or landing. I don't drink so I can't understand why people want to get 'blootered'. I drink lots of water, wear my support stockings, request 2 aisle seats and walk around a lot. No one on here seems to be aware of the dangers of DVT but if you do the above, don't drink, don't sit or lie in the same position for a long time you reduce chances of getting same. End of sermon on that one!

As far as airlines go Emirates has been by far the best, followed by Lauda (wonderful food, I think it is Austrian Airlines now, Nikki got taken over), Cathay Pacific, Singapore and BA then Qantas. Preference for the fish, like the ice creams you now get on most airlines and I haven't been on a flight for a long time that hasn't had the screen in the back of the seat in front. Seat pitch and cabin air quality are very important to me - Emirates best on both fronts out of the above but the likes of Thai and Air NZ have better seat pitch in economy I believe.

We once got upgraded from economy to business when flying Cathay Pacific - only on the sector from Manchester to Hong Kong. Wonderful experience but when I looked up the price difference on that sector alone it was over £500 each - not worth it.

I wish I could afford to pay for a 3rd seat for the two of us but can't! However, each time we have flown Emirates, most sectors have not been completely full and we have managed to get an extra seat each for free. This August we had 4 seats each from Melbourne to Dubai which was great.

I have only stopped over once so can definitely say that Singapore is the best! No, we did enjoy it but don't choose the Golden Landmark Hotel as we did - that's another story.

Singapore and Dubai airports are both brilliant. Duty Free at Dubai is cheaper than anywhere on the items I have purchased. Favourite duty free - I got lots of sets of tennis strings there for less than a 1/4 of the UK price! I also got some cheap fags and Drambuie for a relie.

Yes, there is a medical explanation to do with time differences about the jetlag and why it seems to be worse in one direction compared to the other. Jetlag in Oz this time was much less due to the one day stopover in Singapore was our experience.

TennisOz

bondipom

The take off and landing thing is OK but after that it is boring and uncomfortable. The inane entertainment entertains when drunk. I have seen the worst films in the world on flights like pauly the f****in parrot and even worse Titanic (JAL sense of humor). To make these films watchable you have to be pissed.

Then there are economy seats. I am sure they are designed to one awake. To get round this and challenge the system I drink as much as I can get from the trolley + what I can get from the galley(they are nicer when you get up rather than buzzing them). Drinking water is important if you do not want rhino gob although that is the case when sober.

Pollyana

Bondipom - thanks for the tip about Hong Kong, I may well give that a try. Will print your answer and take it with me!!


When I flew Lauda/Austrian they also had the exterior cameras fitted - brilliant to watch, especially on landing!

bondipom

Not a prob. Victoria peak is the biggest tourist attraction in HK. When I say end of the line there are only 2 stops on the line. What I found incedible was we were on the train within 15 minutes of getting off the plane (no exaggeration on the efficiency) without going up or down any steps or escalators.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinat...g_kong/get.htm

Pollyana

Bondipom - I guess you just go through customs into the country, without having to pick up the luggage and stuff? better go and see if I need a visa!

Badge

Polly - SNAP!! Like Polly - aisle. You can do what you like. Don't mind being awoken by someone else.

Beef.

Fav entertainment - chatting to the stewardesses. Last time a girl was sick in my seat so I got to sit with them in the galley. Aussie Stewardesses particularly friendly.

The Quiz is good on Emirates -you can compete with other passengers.

Never get jet-lag - even to Australia - I just feel tired for the first dau - cos of the 24hr flight not the timezones....

you take off pm, sleep laze around for the flight - arrive in the morning, so it feels you've had a evening/night out and a long sleep.. can't understand this business of it taking week(s) to adjust.

I prefer landing to taking off. The pilot wants to do a good job as much as you want him to. The only thing that you have in your favour is that you start with plenty of height - taking off you don't.

badge