Shish kebab

Hi to all you parents out there I am looking for advice on traveling with my Toddler on a long flight. She will be just under 2 yrs when I go. Please tell me your experiences good, bad ugly. I am sure there are a lot of funny moments so do include them to make us smile a little or a lot.

I am planning to travel home with my toddler on my own in a couple of months back home for a visit as my husband can't get time off and I am looking for any advise from anyone that has traveled with toddlers on international flights. I am leaving from LA and the total flight is about 15 hrs with a change in Newark after 5-6 hrs on the first half. I have traveled a lot over the years normally on my own so I have a lot of experience and flew to CA with my dd when she was 7 weeks old. That was a breeze but I know it is a little bit harder with a Toddler as you have to keep them occupied and hope they don't want to run rampant around the plane.

So should I buy her a seat? has anyone traveled with them on there lap?What should I take to keep her entertained and all the do's and don’ts really?

Bob

Flights normally have computer games for them along witht he movies....as for seats, depends on the airline, but chances are they would need a seat, but might get a reduced rate if there under a certain age, can't remember exactly what it was, but someone mentioned it in one of these threads, probably cindyabs..

clydegirl

[QUOTE=Shish kebab]Hi to all you parents out there I am looking for advice on traveling with my Toddler on a long flight. She will be just under 2 yrs when I go. Please tell me your experiences good, bad ugly. I am sure there are a lot of funny moments so do include them to make us smile a little or a lot.

I am planning to travel home with my toddler on my own in a couple of months back home for a visit as my husband can't get time off and I am looking for any advise from anyone that has traveled with toddlers on international flights. I am leaving from LA and the total flight is about 15 hrs with a change in Newark after 5-6 hrs on the first half. I have traveled a lot over the years normally on my own so I have a lot of experience and flew to CA with my dd when she was 7 weeks old. That was a breeze but I know it is a little bit harder with a Toddler as you have to keep them occupied and hope they don't want to run rampant around the plane.
You need to get a seat for her. Are you flying with continental out of Newark.Chances are it's a night flight and she may sleep once she gets settled down.They do have the mini tv's in the backs of the seats now and their is a children's channel.Her favourite blankie (if she has one ),snacks and drinks.It is a lot easier on you if she has her own seat. Happy flying and don't worry about the other passengers .

Shish kebab

This may be a silly question but how will she hear the TV or do you think the picture will be just fine as I know I would never get a set of headphones on her. I have a fussy one. I had a bulkhead seat with the extra leg room coming over should I try to get one of them if I am getting her own seat and take her car seat with me or is any seat ok. Yes I will be going continental all the way.

woodsey

My son has always been fantastic on long haul flights, we have flown direct to London and also changed in Chicago. He is now 28 months old so last time he had to have his own seat but I would strongly recommend you get one anyway although it depends on heavy she is! Take plenty of snacks including sweets to bribe her with and at the end of the day, if she badly behaved and annoys other passengers, then its their problem not yours! Make sure you request a kids meal (if food is provided) before you go as they will keep her entertained, they usually have crayons etc in with them.The first time we took him we packed loads of books, toys etc but to be perfectly honest we didn't need them so take the bare minimum, especially as you are travelling alone, although take couple of changes of outfits, for you as well if possible, I ended up with apple juice all over my knee 20 minutes into an 11 hour flight. Ask for a seat near the front of the plane so you can get off quicker and make sure you have plenty of time before your connecting flight so you can go to the loo to change nappies etc.. changing a toddlers nappy in those tiny toilets on planes is no fun..Good luck

Bob

Booster seats are good....as for sound on the movies, depends on the plane, but usually they have large foamed headsets...

Englishmum

Here are some useful tips for flying with young children here:

http://www.flyingwithkids.com/travel_tips.htm

I know plenty of expat mums who've given their kids Phenergan (similar to Benadryl) on long-haul flights to make them sleepy.....however, in some children it actually has the opposite effect so be warned!

Other things to bear in mind: Continental flights to the UK only usually have the seat-back TV's on flights to Gatwick....those to Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester (and Belfast from May) almost always do not....there is no competition on these routes and they operate the 757-200 planes which are really supposed to be intended for domestic flights....just read the comments here about the transatlantic flights here from 24 Jan - 7th Feb. I've flown to BHX (B'ham) with Continental and it was so cramped - I now fly into Heathrow instead with BA or Virgin!

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/contl.htm

Most parents with young children (especially babies) like to ask for the 'bulkhead' seats...you get a little more legroom but it's really for attaching bassinets to the wall but I guess your little one is too big for those now!

Definitely take on board a supply of food and plenty of nappies and babywipes...I volunteer at Newark airport and last week a couple had arrived on SAS from Sweden....but their suitcases didn't. They had a 9 month old with them and all of his baby food and nappies were in the (missing) suitcase!

TheWilliamsons

Both my kids have been flying since they were 3 months old, the problem for us was we were Airline staff and if your kids make noise they can hold you off the flight so we had to try and keep them quiet in the hope that we could get sets. So they were trained at an early age wait till we got the seats then they could scream their heads of LOL, but even now they are so used to flying they dont bat an eye lid. Thank god for Game Boy and in flight movies they are both 7 and 9 now and love it. I took them last year for a week at Butlins and when we got there they looked at me with total discust that they were not going on a plane to Florida and to remind them not all kids get to fly to Florida 3-4 times a year.

clydegirl

I have flown a few times with continental to glasgow out of newark.They have the tv's in the seatbacks.It might be enough for her just to be able to watch the pictures.I was there last month and they have the cartoons on one of the channels.They don't let people with small children sit where the emergency exits are.Yeah be careful with the benadryl it can make some kids hyper.You may be surprised she may sleep the whole way over ,it's coming back that is longer.That tail wind gets you there quick.We arrived an hour early last month when i went over.Watch her ears taking off and landing ,make sure you have a drink for her and you.Have a great time .

Shish kebab

Thanks everyone for all your advice it has been so helpful. Thanks for the links Englishmum I had a read at them they are great with good information. I am quite lucky my wee one is a bit shy most of the time and may be too scared to move here is hoping.

Perfumdiva1

Be very careful of Benadryl, I had one child who slept like a rock and the other behaved liked be had been launched into space, all on the same flight, I might add

Once tried, never again

The best thing I have ever bought for my boys was a bag of elastic bands, and they had to make a HUGE ball out of the bands, unfortunately your baby may be too small for that

Try a visit to a shop, cant remeber then name off hand, but was the equivalent of ELC in the UK, they had a huge selection of things for flying with young kids (well worth the money)

Airline food, is in general crap, so bring loads of goodies for her/him to eat

Any maybe a Zanax for Mum (LOL)

Good luck and thanks be to God, I have passed that phase

PD
x

Bob

A shot of whisky will sort 'em out

Shish kebab

Sounds like you had your hands full after using the benadryl. I have heard a few stories like that so I think I will try to avoid the benadryl. I know not to take any really sweat snakes as sugar can also make kids hipper. I will have a look for that store you are talking about I think I know the one you mean.
Thanks again.

Shish kebab

You just reminded of when my granddad use to give my sister shots of whisky and beer behind my mums back and she was about the same age as my girl. My mum used to always say how quiet she was and then he was caught on camera. I think I will have the shots of whisky.