Long hault flight with 14 month old or not??

[skandi1]

Help! DH and I cannot agree on holiday destinations for this year. We're planning to go in autumn when DD will be 14 - 15 months old.

DH wants to go to Egypt (Red Sea) but I'm a little reluctant due to potential for tummy bugs (even in 5 star hotels - seen on Tripadvisor) and recent oil spill covering most of Hurghada and spreading.

DH's only reason for going there is flight is only 5 hours. We've not been to Egypt before so its all a bit of an unknown and a risk as we don't know what it will be like.

I am keen on Maldives or Mauritius - particularly Maldives. They're both places we've been many times before so we know what to expect and know several hotels in both which would be great and are suitable for children with kids pool/club/toys etc.

DH's reasoning for not waiting to go is that Maldives is a 10 hour flight and Mauritius is 12 hours.

I know both flights are long but we'd be flying business whichever of the 3 destinations we'd visit and I'm the one who'll deal with DD in any event.

I want to canvass MNer opinions on this. Am I indeed unreasonable to want to take a 10 hour flight with a 14 month old or have others done this and its been just fine??

Please let me know your experiences with regard to air travel.

do you know if the airline charge for them? Sorry for all the questions.

No charge with Virgin, but you have to have bought a seat for the child, which we've always done once they are big enough to move around!

He is 2.5 so we had no choice but to pay for air ticket this year unfortunately!

I would probably go premium economy rather than business. Flew to Jamaica with a 2 YO and a 9mo and it was great to have that little bit of extra leg room/dedicated check in etc without the stress of trying to keep them quiet etc in business.
Mauritius would be good because no real time difference which should help with the jet lag a bit.
Don't worry about the flight- with 2 parents and 1 child it will be a doddle!

ps- we didn't book a car seat for the 9mo on the flight but he was too big for the Virgin bassinette. On the way back they happened to have a spare seat and one of their car seat type things but it was totally rubbish and really upright so he was really uncomfortable.

I think I would do a long haul with a little baby or an older toddler, but maybe not with a 14mo.

We drove to Italy (12+ hrs driving plus ferry) with a 15mo and a nearly 4yo this year. The nearly 4yo was fine (lots of story CDs, Car DVD player etc etc). The 15mo was NOT fine. DS has just started walking and has just started getting VERY cross about being strapped in. He would have been fine a few months ago, but is very restless and eager for freedom/independance at the mo, and still not at the age when he can be shoved in front of the tv easily entertained!

It wasn't too bad for us as we were able to stop whenever we wanted, but I wouldn't have fancied being stuck on a plane for 12hrs. However I guess it depends on the child.

To be honest we went to Florida when our son was 10 months old, we flew club, he was perfectly behaved, but he was on the move and didn't want to sit still! Plus he/she has to sit on your lap or occupy your seat -- when we returned from that holiday we vowed not to travel until he was at least two and could have his own seat!

I would personally stick to a max flying time of 5 hours - for your own sanity! )

I used to be cabin crew and I've done a few long flights with my ds (now 2) and they've been fine (some more fine than others). Other people have pretty much said the same but:
-don't take very much hand luggage
-take drinks and snacks and plenty of nappies

AAlso, I always work out the length of the flight and go to the supermarket and stock up on a bagful of pocket money toys (I usually work on one for every 30 mins of the flight). The last time we flew, my ds ate a wax crayon, covered himself with biscuits, played with the seatback tv, watched the trucks, ate the meal then slept for five hours until we came in to land. I meanwhile, played with the mini playdoh, had a gin and tonic and watched films....

Good luck!

Really interesting thread. We have had the same debate about taking DD on a long haul flight and have decided against it. She will be 20 months. We did a 12 hour flight last year when she was less mobile, and earlier on this year did a 3 hour flight. It was a bit stressful (even though we were flying business) so we have decided to stick with short haul for the next couple of years. OP, you're braver than me!

It's not a great age to fly, really. They're on the move and do not want to sit still, oh no.

One thing I found... the airlines try to make it easier on parents by letting them in the plane first. Forget it. Get on as they are calling out your name at the gate. The worst time of all on the flight is when the toddlers have to be strapped in, but the damn plane is going nowhere as it's still taking passengers onboard.

Give her a window seat if she likes watching other planes. It can be a welcome distraction. The window seat provides a buffer (you) between DD and the rest of the plane.

Maldives outbound is a night-flight, she'll sleep all the way. Return is another story and will be a mare. Bring loads of DD's favourite things for the flight and throw all rules about sweets/treats out the window. Anything to keep her happy.

Those business class seats are like a bedroom for someone that small. She can set up all sorts of nonsense in her seat, hopefully.

I'd still rather Indian Ocean than Egypt, ffs. Without a doubt. I hope it goes well!

"Maldives outbound is a night-flight, she'll sleep all the way". - don't count on it!

I just don't get the problem with travelling with toddlers.

Yes the flight can be a pain (if you have a child who doesn't like to sit still or is prone to tantrums etc), but it's just 10/12 hours of your life.

DH and I have travelled loads with our three (around 35 long haul flights with 2 or more children). They can actually be lovely experiences - kids are a great icebreaker and a brilliant way to meet people.

We've had some great flights, we have had some terrible ones. Flying is just not something that influences my holiday choices.

Extra info - BA have two choices for the under 2s - a bassinet (which DS was too big for at 10mo) and a recliner seat which also goes on the bassinet table. The recliner seat is much better.

When I have flown with DS aged over 2, I haven't used a car-seat type thing on a plane - but I found DS would go to sleep lying flat on his seat with either his head or his feet in my lap. Also, I asked for the orange child belt while we were in flight - they will allow you to have that for during the flight, just not for take off and landing (He has to be strapped into his own seat). But that meant he had a bit more flexibility while sleeping and I didn't have to wake him every time the seatbelt sign came on.

As an aside - we last came back on the A380 - and the seatbelts were crap! No restrainer on the adjustment bar at all - so you could tighten it but it would loosen again really easily! Stupid.

We have done this load, when we lived in Guatemala, and came back to the UK once a year.

I always found it hard and thought: "I would never do this for fun."

We flew Business a few times, and that is a lot better BUT all the other peopel there are on business trips, and really need to work-sleep and will not take kindly to a bawling toddler.

just try it.

We flew to Oz last Christmas with 18mo son, Malaysian airlines economy. I had heard the worst horror stories about flying with toddlers and was dreading the whole experience.

We went well prepared. Booked cot in advance. Took new books, new toys + lots of favorite healthy snacks. DS had a great time. He was too big for the cot, but was able to sleep in it with his legs (resting on pillows) hanging out for a few hours on each stretch. Otherwise entertained by the meals, watching the other passengers, pushing the buttons on the entertainment system, (but had no interest in actually watching tv), ... and we had to think up endless little games. We were more exhausted than usual by the time we arrived, but DS was fine. (And we could hand him over to a well rested, over enthusiastic Grandma upon arrival.) Return flight was equally pleasant.

DS was amused longest by a series of boxes which I'd put inside each other (like those Russian dolls), e.g. eye cream box, skin cream box, perfume box,chocolate box, ziplock bag, ... took him ages to get through them all. And I could just throw the whole lot away when we arrived.

Getting lots of tips fr this thread, great amusement ideas too. Did 11 hours to Asia a while back with 10 month old, was fairly ok. On the way I bfed and he slept almost all the way and on the way back he slept 4 hours and played etc rest of the time. Unfortunately I got a bug on way back and was quite sick, came off worst! We had bulkhead seats but no bassinet as he's heavy for his age and I suspected he would end up on my lap anyway. Did feel a bit exposed bfing in the bulk head seats, but great to have space. Even got an extra seat one way as plane not full. It was a work related trip, I wouldn't choose long haul for hols, but definitely possible. Have done lots of short haul flights with no probs either. Haven't had to deal with dramatic delays yet though.

If flying into heathrow it seems advisable to take a sling for non walkers; they don't seem to often hand back buggies at the gate, and several got lost altogether last time we were there.

As others have said, about 12 - 21 months is just about the hardest time to fly with a child.

Before that age, they don't (always) want to wriggle around so much, sleep a bit more and can be distracted/ entertained that little more easily. After that age, they've got longer attention spans, can play for longer with magazines, watch DVDs etc and are a bit more content to sit still.

At that age range though, they absolutely want to be on the move all the time and get pretty darn frustrated being cooped up so you end up walking around an awful lot with them (which they, and you, and the other pasengers get bored of really quite quickly).

I think shorter haul flights (maybe up to about 3 hours) are fine but that age does have a finite time before they 'pop'!

Just come back from a holiday to Cyprus with 4.5 and 20 month old and was ready to 'pop' myself by the final couple of hours of the 5.5 hour flight...!

We flew to India with a 22mth old (economy) and it was fine. Not the best journey of my life but he did fall asleep eventually and it was totally worth it. I think, within reason, you shouldn't let the fact that you have a child restrict you too much.

Those little snack cups with flexible rubber lids (does anyone know what I mean?!) are great for long journeys. Fill with raisins or breakfast cereal or whatever.

Also, if he DOES fall asleep on your lap, put the child seatbelt on him as soon as possible - on the way back I didn't and the bloody seatbelt sign pinged on after he'd been asleep about 30 mins - just at the time he was most likely to wake up - and of course, me rummaging around with seatbelts did wake him up and then he couldn't go back to sleep. Whereas, on the way, I had belted him up almost as soon as he was asleep, and he slept for 4 or 5 hrs - which I was amazed by as he hadn't slept anywhere other than cot or pushchair since about 6 wks old.

i came back last week from Vietnam and there was a couple on the plane beside me who had adopted a 10 month old Vietnamese boy and were bringing him home The flight was 1 1/2 hours hanoi - bagkok. One hour in bangkok and then 12 hours bangkok to paris. I think they were helped by the fact it was a night flight. After we left bangkok they changed him and put him in the wee cot and he slept until about two hours before arrival at paris and he played for a while. Slight issue with ear popping but he was excellent.

I wouldn't go to the Maldives or Mauritius with kids. I think you should save that for just you and DP, its very "couplely" place to go. I would recommend dubai. although you will melt if you go july/august. it seems to be a very kid friendly place.

Oh my goodness! I would dread flying business with a child of that age . You'd have to be very thick skinned, I'm sure all the other people who have forked out a small fortune would not be happy at a small child acting up (let's face it, they will at least at some point).

For what it's worth, I recently took 14month old twins to Sri Lanka which is 11-12hours. Going over wasn't great, but is overnight which made it a better as they did sleep for some it. Coming back was utterly awful...spent most of the time walking round the plane, they slept very little.

What is your child like? Can they sit still for ages?

always fly business, usually long haul, since kids were 4months old. i second Dubai or Oman idea, though Mauritius St Geran hotel was v kids friendly, more so than Maldives imo.

Took DD to Thailand (economy class) when she was 9 months old and very actively crawling and cruising everywhere! Baulkhead cots only take a weight of about 16lbs I think so no good for your 14 month old. My DD did very little sleeping - other than lying across me - but we found the cot extremely useful for putting all her toys, bottles etc in.

Went to a little undeveloped island staying in a very small resort. Had to get an internal flight Thailand and then a one hour boat ride. All sounds hell-ish but was well worth it. You just have to be prepared to keep entertaining your child. No problem at all once in the resort - the Thai people adore babies and couldn't do enough for us - including the staff entertaining our DD for us while we ate breakfast every morning.

Agree with above - go for a night flight.

We fly business all the time with kids. I can afford the ticket and the airline will sell it too me. If you object to the way a business operates i.e. the airline selling business/first class tickets for children then take it p with the airline or get a private jet.

I have only had one foreign holiday (a city break with my DH) since my eldest was born and she is now 9. I have a 7 yr old and a 3 yr old and personally I don't like having bored/fractious kids inflicted on me in the confined space of a plane and as for baby sick/other by-products well you can't escape the smell!!!!

Parents fall into 3 groups those that spend the journey trying to maintain the peace or telling the poor kids off constantly which is stressful for all, those that try to ignore their kids behaviour as far as possible and let them do what they want and those that bribe kids with endless sweets, magazines, DS games etc.

I must sound like a miserable old bag, but honestly I am not.

I just don't think long haul travel involving sitting still in a confined space on a plane after a car journey and a few hours hanging round an airport is fair on young kids. It's not as if you can pull off at a service station or park and let everyone out to stretch their legs or get some fresh air.

I know that my kids squabble on a shortish car journey so I would not inflict them on other people on a long haul flight unless absolutely necessary. We will probably take our first family holiday abroad in france or spain which is only a short flight and extend our horizons after we see how they and we cope.

go to the cape verde islands?