Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

to not book a seat for my 1 year + 50 weeks year old DS?

74 replies

onemoremummy · 07/04/2016 13:52

We are desperate to go on holiday but money is tight. We found an amazing deal for an amazing hotel, to travel 2 weeks before DS turns 2. This means he can travel for free and stay at the hotel for free.

The catch is - he is huge! 95% centile for height and 99% centile for weight. He's also very active and is pretty much a toddler with everything that comes with it.

The flight is 3 hours long. What do we do? Go on the amazing holiday or find somewhere a bit cheaper so we can afford to book him his own seat?

OP posts:

Chasingsquirrels · 07/04/2016 14:21

We took ds1 at much the same age, and size, to the Algarve so a similar flight length?
It's a bit of a pain, but not for very long, and a lot less painful than paying for the flight (but then I never pay to book seats together, do carry on luggage etc).
Have lots to occupy, share him about and hope for an empty seat next to you

Marmite75 · 07/04/2016 14:22

We flew with our now 14yr old when she was 1year and 50 weeks. It was fine on way out as empty flight but dear god, on the way home I wanted to throw myself out of the Plane. No spare seats and she screamed, and screamed to the point of vomit. And the poor person who tutted loudly got a mouthful from me. I can still here my self saying 'if you think you can do a better job than one of her parents, then go ahead try'

Divathecat · 07/04/2016 14:25

Legally if aged under 2 they need to be sat on your knee for take off and landing.

I travelled with DD just before her 2nd Birthday and it was fine, took it turns.

KP86 · 07/04/2016 14:26

If you can afford the seat, book it. But I saw that it's more than £500 which is crazy!

If you and DH are slim, you can raise the arm rest and have him sit between you. When I travelled solo with DS(19m) the lady next to me very generously suggested this and it worked perfectly.

EarSlaps · 07/04/2016 14:27

We went to Malta when ds1 was one and 49 weeks . We didn't book him a seat and all was fine. Luckily for us the plane wasn't full so they gave us a row of three. We had to have him on our laps for take off and landing; other than that he walked up and down a bit then sat on my lap anyway doing sticker books. He was small for his age but very wriggly and with a very bony bum!

Marquand · 07/04/2016 14:29

You'll just have to suffer with him on your lap!

Divathecat · 07/04/2016 14:30

Is it the Holiday Village in Kos? I have heard great things about it and saw it was on offer.

BennyTheBall · 07/04/2016 14:30

We have done flights to Miami and back with a massive not quite 2 year old on our laps.

It was fine - but he was a very placcid child.

zad716 · 07/04/2016 14:32

If you are paying to choose your own seats you could try to book seats where an empty neighbouring seat is likely to be one of the last to be taken (back of the plane/odd seat on its own/etc). Assuming the flight is not full he may well get his own seat anyway.

PinkParsnips · 07/04/2016 14:32

I've just done a 9 hour flight with my DD who was same age as your DS. She had her own seat but had to be on my knee at points and I think between two of us I could have handled 3 hours on my knee at a push with snacks / ipad!

If you are able to book exit row seats I'd really recommend it (not sure if you can with a lap child) as my mum and dad had that row and it was a godsend for DD to be able to stand in the space in front and play with her toys.

BarbarianMum · 07/04/2016 14:42

You can't book emergency exit row seats with a child on your lap. Sorry.

Original poster

onemoremummy · 07/04/2016 14:44

I have just booked the holiday :)

It's to Sani Beach in Halkidiki, which has been really well recommended by a friend (and by everyone on TripAdvisor!)

It's an amazing deal with Thomson, about £1600 for the three of us including flights and full board!

(I probably shouldn't tell you all about it though, to make sure I get an empty flight and 1 year 50 week old DS can have his own seat :))

OP posts:

twentiethcenturybitch · 07/04/2016 14:49

Just saw you mentioned standing to let him have your seat so I've changed my opinion! We were recently on a flight where whole families had chosen not to pay to sit together (yes ryanair!) and instead decided to spend most of the flight standing in the aisles. They were in the way so much that the crew eventually had to put on the seatbelt sign permanently (despite zero turbulence) meaning we couldn't take kids to the loo.

Unless you are going to be on a big plane with several aisles then standing for any length of time is massively selfish to crew and other passengers. If that's your plan, book a seat for your child.

DixieNormas · 07/04/2016 15:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BarbarianMum · 07/04/2016 15:47

That's impressive Dixie After taking ds1 on a 2 hour flight at the same age dh and I vowed we wouldn't attempt long distance flights til we had no children under 5. It was hell.

popmimiboo · 07/04/2016 15:51

We managed an 8 hour flight with big, boisterous 18 month old DS. He wouldn't have sat still anyway and had to be on my knee for take off and landing.
Go for it -you might be frazzled on arrival but can spend a fortnight chilling on the beach to recover

KP86 · 07/04/2016 15:55

Barbarian, I've taken my DS on 3 X 24hr flights alone, at 16, 18 and 19 months. He was mostly ok, actually. It wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be, but I'm certainly not in a rush to repeat the experience.

I did say afterwards that I would never, ever complain about flying long haul again if I got to travel without a kid. So easy in comparison.

minipie · 07/04/2016 15:58

Ach you will be fine. We did a 12 hour flight with 18 month old DD on our my lap. It was hard work but not terrible. She wasn't as big as your DS but on the other hand she was younger and not yet that keen on TV, it would actually have been easier at nearly 2 because she'd have watched the iPad more.

My tip - take a pillow with you - either a normal pillow or a V shaped BF pillow if you have one, it makes it so much comfier to have them on your lap if you can cushion any bony parts. Takes up a lot of your handluggage but SO worth it!

minipie · 07/04/2016 15:59

Oh and Sani Beach looks gorgeous

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 07/04/2016 15:59

^^ chilling on the beach? With a 2 year old?? Ha, ha, ha

BarbarianMum · 07/04/2016 15:59

Dsil used to regularly fly 11 hours to California with dnephew at the same age KP - she only once had a bad flight with him. But ds1 - oh my God, it was like he'd been put on speed. Totally hyperactive and very vocal about any restraint for the whole flight them fell asleep on landing. Both ways. And he was my easy child!

Blu · 07/04/2016 16:18

For that length of flight you will be fine, with 2 of you to share the load. By the time you have walked about a bit (though they like to fill the aisle for hours with trolleys, selling stuff) , watched a film, had a few snacks you will be fine. Put the seat arm between your seats up and squash him between you so he isn't actually on your lap.

JeanAndTonic · 07/04/2016 16:18

If he's under 2 OP and can fly for free then I would put up with it personally, especially if you won't be able to go if you have to pay for him (have just noticed that you've booked it anyway . I regularly fly with my children on my own on an 8 hour flight (although they're older now) but the first solo flight I did with the 4 of them (again 8 hours), my youngest was on my knee and it was fine. Not brilliant or comfortable but fine.

Now, I know why you did the 1 + 50 thing but I couldn't resist posting this photo ...

to not book a seat for my 1 year + 50 weeks year old DS?

KP86 · 07/04/2016 16:22

We had one 7hr leg where he was running up and down the aisles constantly, straight through business and first class but other than that he was bearable. I only cried once and as much as it wasn't on purpose (promise!) it did resolve an issue in my favour.

My personal view of flying with small children is do whatever it takes to get through. People can judge and think horrible things about you but at the end of the day it is a form of public transport and you are likely to never see them again so who cares. It does make you more empathetic to other parents with small children.

totalrecall1 · 07/04/2016 16:24

We did this. It was horrendous. One of my other DC's ended up in the footwell to stop the tantrums from younger DC about not having a seat. Never again

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread