iainandsam

Hi am after some advice and reassurance! Am wanting to fly back to the UK for a trip in Sept some time and am travelling on my own with 3 1/2 & 5 1/2 year olds. Am quite a nevous flyer anyway and am worried about going with them on my own. Any advice, tips, airlines advice most appreciated, thanks Sam

xzibit

Qantas have never had a fatal accident apparently!! So maybe go with them.

Dream_Catcher

I'd rather fly with someone who'd had a crash recently - what are the odds of it happening twice to the same airline?!

emma75

I too am a very very nervous flyer and have two kids almost 5 and 8. We have been back and forth to Oz since my eldest was 8 months. Personally i think Singapore Airlines are the best. Very child friendly and also very helpful when i get on the plane in tears ( Yes i cry everytime!) and always reassure me. We are flying over in August and will defo book them again.
I have flown BA/QANTAS but wouldnt ever again, just my own experience with them, thought they were rubbish.

Emma.

Pollyana

Personally I go Qantas every time, but the airline but often recommended for flying with kids is Singapore. My family came over with them, 3 kids who had never flown before, and they said they were great, meals were good, patient crew etc.

pproehann

Quantas I've never used but Emirates and Singapore were fine and people have been getting cheap prices on Brunei they sometimes come in $2,000 less than the others but are alcohol free.

datamile

I would make sure you book online with an airline that lets you pre-book seats and meals etc - I travelled back last year with my 2 and booked seats which made sure we were always together - it sounds obvious but one flight was a 2 4 2 seat configuration and they originally tried to put 2 together and the third across the aisle (which is always slightly off-set). I chose Singapore as they are great with kids but my mum just flew with Royal Brunai and said they were good (have to change planes twice though so not so good with young kids).

RachH

I would give Singapore airlines my vote too - just returned from a trip to england with my 3 1/2 year old and thought they were brilliant. Only thing i wouldn't choose next time would be a bulkhead seat. Had lots of legroom (not really needed though) but the armrests wouldn't move so my little boy found it hard to lie down and sleep.

When we originally flew over here to live, my sister wrapped lots of little inexpensive presents up for my son ... really great to be able to pull out a little 'surprise' for him every few hours to keep him occupied.

LittleKittyCat

We have flown with small children with both Qantas and Singapore, and found them to be equally fine. Qantas was the first airline we flew with to Syd and back, and then with Singapore when we flew one way. They served our meals separately so that I could feed the girls, then eat once they had finished. The girls weren't over-keen on the food, but I suspect that that was because they weren't used to flying. It was no bother really, because the staff kept offering to make them toast or sandwiches or whatever, to keep them fed. Both lots of cabin crew helped us get our things off the plane and walk down to the arrivals bit, and then because there was a huge queue at the passport bit (we had been the last off the plane) they took us through the bit where they go and helped us through to collect our suitcases. The Qantas staff carried our bags so that we could carry the children (they were very, very tired), and the Singapore staff went and fetched our pushchair and a trolley so that we could put them in that.

We didn't need to make the arrangement when we flew with Qantas, but with Singapore, they allowed us to have eight pieces of hand luggage, plus the pushchair, plus two travel cots all with no extra charge which was great, because we only had normal luggage allowance being on a 457. I think the baggage allowance on Qantas is 23kg, but only 20kg on Singapore though.

elice_in_oz

I would say at that age, the kids should be easy enough to entertain. Make sure you pack lots of their favourite snacks, a portable DVD player and DVDs, books and a few games and toys they like. Just drill into them that they are not to wander off on their own in the airport and that they have to keep you in sight at all times. And then, make sure they look forward to the trip as a fun thing to do. Easier said than done I know, but you trying to show them you are confident and comfortable will go a long way towards making the flight easier for all.

Singapore and Emirates are both good, but last time I stopped in Dubai airport, it was chaotic. Singapore airport is a lot cleaner, quieter and easier to handle than Dubai in my opinion. Singapore airlines ground staff will assist you during the stopover if needed. Just call them ahead of flying and ask them about it. Then double check at check-in that the assistance service has been booked and confirmed.

iainandsam

Thanks for all your useful advise everyone, much appreciated. I flew Singapore over here and they were great, although have looked at prices and Malaysian comes out about $1000 cheaper. Has anyone flown with them? What is the airport like at KL? Thanks again

Sparky Making

We have flown with Singapore Airlines twice and found them fantastic. We returned from Brisbane on Monday and my 11 year old son had a really high temperature the whole of the flight which just wouldn't come down. Such a nightmare but the crew were so good and constantly checking on him.

paulaff

I would recommend Singapore Airlines every time with children. We have done the UK-Aus with a 15 month old and Aus-UK-Aus with a almost 5 year old and both times Singapore were fantastic.

quoll

Another happy Qantas flyer with kids. Trick is to travel very light (you wont want to be wrangling "stuff" and kids at the same time) and stay calm IMHO.
Having done the trip too many times to count on my own over the years we used to have a rule that if one went to sleep we all went to sleep - that started when I first went with the youngest at 12 weeks and the other at 3.5.

Now they are both grown up chaps and the youngest has his own daughter and I flew back to UK with them last year - no worries at all, the DGD at 18 months was easily entertained and slept like a baby (LOL). She delighted in having her very own backpack which had a few "important" but tiny people in it along with an erasable doodler which kept her pleasantly occupied. At 3 and 5 they shouldnt be a problem at all with all the in seat entertainment etc.

Your main duty will be to see that neither of them persistently kicks the seat in front of them because that could result in a very grumpy neighbour!

K14

We've used Qantas and Singapore. Singapore were fantastic. Really good with the kids. One of our girls gets really badly sick on planes - Singapore were great - gave me lots of bags and a big bag to store all the used ones in. Came over to offer sweets to her and ask if they could do anything to help. Just made the whole experience much nicer (as much as it can be with 20hours of sick bags!).

Everytime I've flown with Qantas it's felt like I'm inconveniencing the staff by actually being on the plane. Not particularly kid or adult friendly.

Flight tips - we take
a big notebook for them each so they can draw but also to play games with. Card games (Happy Families).
Nintendos (sometimes buy one new game especially for the flight)
Ipods or MP3 players with stories on.
Couple of new books each.
Magazine (usually they choose it at the airport).
Favourite cuddly.
All in their own backpacks or their own mini trolley cases. We sometimes make handpuppets out of the sick bags (before they're used!).
Maybe book a night flight so they sleep for most of it (or the longer section)

They'll probably watch telly alot anyway

Good luck hope it goes well