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Night flight or day flight with kids?

Night flight or day flight with kids?

Old May 15th 2008, 3:23 pm
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Default Night flight or day flight with kids?

Has anyone flown in the afternoon time with kids, our flight from Heathrow to Singapore takes 13.5 hours and i'm getting worried that a night flight would have been better. Please share your experiences of your own flights with kids. Thanks.
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Old May 15th 2008, 3:36 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

We flew with 3 young children when we came in 2003 on an afternoon flight to Singapore. We've also flown on a daytime flight to Dubai ......both were fine. I believe you need to think more about what YOU would be happy with, after all your the ones they will be on at when they they start to moan !
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Old May 15th 2008, 3:59 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

Originally Posted by bradburns2
Has anyone flown in the afternoon time with kids, our flight from Heathrow to Singapore takes 13.5 hours and i'm getting worried that a night flight would have been better. Please share your experiences of your own flights with kids. Thanks.
Completely agree with santa lol (sorry naughty and nice lists popped into my head then), we have done all night flights so far with 3 children one of whom was a complete nightmare on the way out - sleeping fitfully when everyone was awake and awake and wanting to explore when everone else was asleep.
On the way back we did another nighflight and he was fine then...
When we go to Sydney on the 2nd June we are taking a midday flight out of Heathrow, I think as well planned as you can make the flight around the kids, at the end of the day you're all going to be in a very confined space and with best intentions the kids could just as likely give you hassle on any flight you take, so do the flight that will be easier for you.

I quite like the thought of being in Oz the next day rather than feeling like i'm losing day byt taking a night flight.

Jen
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Old May 15th 2008, 4:55 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

I like the flights that arrive in the early evening. By the time you land, get through customs et al, drive or get taken to the place your staying, it is as good as bedtime!
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Old May 15th 2008, 6:31 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

It's such a long flight anyway, you will be exhausted no matter what time you fly...
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Old May 15th 2008, 6:52 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

I always prefer the night flights with the kids ... they NEVER sleep during a day flight and just cannot sit still for more than about 15 minutes so we spend the flight trying to contain them or walking up and down aisles for hours.

At least on the night flight they are ready for sleep even if they're excited, the cabin goes dark which helps them sleep and even if they only get a few hours they're far more dopey than on a day flight

if I could I'd book a night flight every time.
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Old May 15th 2008, 8:15 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

My preference is always for night flights in both directions. That way you can run them (and yourselves) ragged all day then be knackered enough to sleep in the dark. Then when you arrive in early morning, you just keep on going until as close to bedtime as you can make it then you get back into the swing of the local time. Exhaustion is the key!
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Old May 15th 2008, 8:48 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

But not all kids are the same, ours spent most of the 22 hours screaming from London to Melbourne last month. (night flight)
On the way back although he slept quite well (also night flight), there were half a dozen other kids that didn't, my husband would confirm this as two were rocked jiggled and attemptedly bribed to no avail right behind him .......

For us I after doing 4 night flights we are going to try a midday flight as I think we'll be less tired and perhaps more able to manage a small fretful child better than when we're shattered too after a very long day.

Do what is best for you, day or night flight and do let us know what you decide and how it goes?

Jen
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Old May 16th 2008, 10:55 am
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

Thank you all for your replies, looks like we'll just have to wait and see. Cheers.
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Old May 16th 2008, 1:27 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

Originally Posted by bradburns2
Has anyone flown in the afternoon time with kids, our flight from Heathrow to Singapore takes 13.5 hours and i'm getting worried that a night flight would have been better. Please share your experiences of your own flights with kids. Thanks.
We left LGW for Dubai in the afternoon. Kids were a pain in the arse for that first flight but we did have the energy to settle them more. By the time we got on the second flight at Dubai we all crashed at the same time and it went really quickly. For us it worked well. We still had energy to deal with that first flight. We also arrived in Perth around 5pm. Got to hotel. We didn't put the kids down straight away we got everyone something to eat and the kids enjoyed looking at everything in the hotel room. We crashed out around 10pm. A couple of wakes up nothing too horrible. We did the same flight when we had one child and our only mistake was putting little one down as soon as we hit the hotel trying to get on WA time too quick.

A flight is a flight I am not sure there is a best way.

Don't look at your clock. Take each minute as it comes thats the best advice I can come up with. If I looked at the clock I would be filled with how are we going to do this. Minute by minute. NO COUNT DOWN.
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Old May 16th 2008, 4:27 pm
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Default Re: Night flight or day flight with kids?

Originally Posted by PoppetUK
We left LGW for Dubai in the afternoon. Kids were a pain in the arse for that first flight but we did have the energy to settle them more. By the time we got on the second flight at Dubai we all crashed at the same time and it went really quickly. For us it worked well. We still had energy to deal with that first flight. We also arrived in Perth around 5pm. Got to hotel. We didn't put the kids down straight away we got everyone something to eat and the kids enjoyed looking at everything in the hotel room. We crashed out around 10pm. A couple of wakes up nothing too horrible. We did the same flight when we had one child and our only mistake was putting little one down as soon as we hit the hotel trying to get on WA time too quick.

A flight is a flight I am not sure there is a best way.

Don't look at your clock. Take each minute as it comes thats the best advice I can come up with. If I looked at the clock I would be filled with how are we going to do this. Minute by minute. NO COUNT DOWN.
Ooooh a watched watch ???? never ticks he he he.

my older two were fantastic but then they are nearly 10 and 8 and know better than to play up, we sort of took it turns with little one.
But what made it easier for me (someone who really dislikes flying) was not looking at the clock too much and breaking the initial flight (to Singapore) into when we would be eating, sleeping and the films I could watch between or when I would listen to some music or how long I would walk round with little one or play games with him for. Naturally unless your really unfortunate to have your child scream constantly for about 6-7 hours that second leg of the journey goes much quicker

Good luck
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