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Family Forum / Parenting / Parenting / March 2006Transatlantic flying with toddler and baby
We're thinking of flying from UK to USA (NYC) this year for holidays. Eldest son will be 20 months and youngest daughter will be 9 months. I know they'll travel free[1] if we have them on our laps but we're thinking of extra seat for son and a skycot for daughter. What are the Skycots like? Is it worth paying the extra for the seat for 20 month old? etc. etc. etc.... Any hints & tips from folk that have done similar long-haul (or indeed any short haul) flights would be appreciated. [1] For all airline values of free.  SignatureHooDooWitch > We're thinking of flying from UK to USA (NYC) this year for holidays. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > [1] For all airline values of free. quick reply: - yes, I'd get the extra seat. - I don't think you pay for a sky cot. You request one when you request a bulkhead seat (neither guaranteed) and hope! - skycot is essentially a reinforced carboard box. It sits on a shelf infront of the bulkhead seat and is held with straps. Baby can only really sleep in it at 9 months old. You have to take them out if the seatbelt signs come on. - we used it alot on the night flight home. - avoid boarding first thing as you'll be sitting on the plane a good hour or two before departure. Maybe send one adult on to get all the stuff in order, but keep the children in the departure lounge buring off energy. - if ever there was a time to be anal about packing this is the time to do it. Have spare clothes in one bag, toys, snacks etc in another and your adult stuff in another. - keep your pushchair for as long as you can, preferably up to the departure gate and then double check where it comes out at the other end. Some airlines give it to you when you land, other send it with the luggage on the baggage carossel. - resign yourself to doing lots of pacing of the aisles! - ask them to look after your food until you've fed the children and then have them one adult at a time. - adopt a granny to hold the baby! - keep sippy cups on hand and try and get the children to drink on take off and landing (BF if possible). - check with the airline as to what seat you can get for the 20 month old. You may be able to take your own car seat, or they may have their own. - try not to let the children nap too much before hand if possible. On the other end, you may find that the children don't adjust to the time difference for a few days. It may be hard, but there's not much you can do. That's all I can think of for the moment. I found the "mobile but not bribable" age quite hard, but once they turn 2.5 or 3 travelling with children is great fun. Mary Ann Mary-Ann's advice is all very good, but in all honesty I just don't think I'd consider making such a trip with TWO small children without good reason, so if you were taking them to see family it would be worth it, particularly as you are likely to get help at the other end. Remember there is also jetlag to get over. I can just about imagine doing it for pleasure with one child, but two to me would swing from no longer pleasure, but harder work than just staying at home. Anne > Mary-Ann's advice is all very good, but in all honesty I just don't think > I'd consider making such a trip with TWO small children without good [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Anne A lady I used to know managed the flight from here to Brazil with two very young children. She gave them some homoeopathic gloop to make them drowsy. She said it was a piece of cake ... though she always struck me as the calm, unflappable sort. I think it helps to be of that mind-set to start with. > > Mary-Ann's advice is all very good, but in all honesty I just don't think > > I'd consider making such a trip with TWO small children without good [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > She said it was a piece of cake ... though she always struck me as the calm, > unflappable sort. I think it helps to be of that mind-set to start with. Ah, that's where I'm going wrong! ;-) I'm not comfortable using homeopathic stuff on kids to make them drowsy, though that may simply reflect my ignorance in homeopathy. Mary Ann Mary Ann > Mary-Ann's advice is all very good, but in all honesty I just don't think > I'd consider making such a trip with TWO small children without good reason, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Anne I did the trip with my Mum and an 8 month old, then again on my own with a nearly 3 yo and then again with a 6 yo (the same kid BTW!). The 8 month trip was the hardest by a long chalk. Infact the flight was OK, but he never adjusted to the time difference and despite being with family I was still in my "I can cope with motherhood and don't need any help phase" so didn't admit to my family that I spent the whole 10 days shattered because I was up 1/2 the night. I don't regret doing it, because my family would not have spent time with DS, but it was hard. The good thing is that when you eventually fly on your own long haul it seems like the biggest breeze ever! Mary Ann >> Mary-Ann's advice is all very good, but in all honesty I just don't think >> I'd consider making such a trip with TWO small children without good reason, [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >The good thing is that when you eventually fly on your own long haul it >seems like the biggest breeze ever! Thanks for the responses all. Some great tips Mary Ann, we've considered Jo's suggestion of drugging them and yes Anne - it's to visit family. I don't think we'd attempt it "just for the fun of it". ;) So we'll have family the other end and we *may* be able to get at least one crossing on the same flight as Grandparents - which could help enormously but will probably mean we've got four kids to look after. I think we're erring on the side of three seats between the four of us rather than four. Daughter will be 8 months but she's hovering around the 5th centile so should fit in the skycot - if not, we'll just have to build a nest for her. I've done the trip approaching 30 times myself but it does seem a rather daunting experience with kids. Just a couple of questions though Mary Ann "...(BF if possible)" Breast Feed? and How do you decide which parent gets to board early? ;) SignatureHooDooWitch > I think we're erring on the side of three seats between the four of us > rather than four. Daughter will be 8 months but she's hovering around > the 5th centile so should fit in the skycot - if not, we'll just have > to build a nest for her. If you are travelling outside of peak season, you may find the flight isn't full and you get the use of an extra seat anyway. That is what happened to us when we flew to Australia with our (then) eight-month-old. And she fitted in a skycot, incidentally - she slept in it, although without much room to move around, but also sat in it to play. Amy > Just a couple of questions though Mary Ann > > "...(BF if possible)" Breast Feed? Yep. > and > How do you decide which parent gets to board early? ;) I'd say who ever made the most cups of tea for their spouse over the course of a year gets to board early, pretend it's been really hard work sorting everything out when infact they're sitting there doing Sudoku and having a quick snooze :-) You could always all board together right at the end and see the looks of utter horror on your follow passengers faces when you board with not one, but two young children.....just when they thought they were safe ;-) Seriously, what I've done when travelling with my son was to say to him in a rather loud voice that he musn't kick the seat or play with the tray table (if not in bulkhead) because it really annoys the person infront. This at least shows the people infront that you are aware of them. Mary An > I think we're erring on the side of three seats between the four of us > rather than four. Daughter will be 8 months but she's hovering around > the 5th centile so should fit in the skycot - if not, we'll just have > to build a nest for her. our DS fitted the skycot at nearly 19 months, so I suspect even that largest 8month old would be fine. It is worth trying to schedule your flight so it's not full if possible, I've never actually travelled on a full flight with children, which is particularly important when flying long distance, we flew from Korea to the UK when I was 32 weeks pregnant with an almost 2 year old, it would have been close to impossible without a spare seat. Anne > We're thinking of flying from UK to USA (NYC) this year for holidays. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > -- > HooDooWitch We've taken our son to Florida twice now. Once at aged 1 and once at aged 2. Both times its been better than we thought. However, most importatnly I'd say, pay for the extra seat. We did a trip to Menorca and didnt pay for the extra seat (it was only 2 hours) and that was a nightmare !!!! |
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