Overnight or daytime flights best for 2 year old & 11 month old? Should we buy a seat for the baby too?

[MumOnAlma]

We are thinking of travelling to Dubai for hols. DD will be 2yrs 5 months and DS just coming up for 11 months. The flight is 6-7 hours and we will be flying economy.

The flights outbound go either daytime or overnight. Coming back they are either daytime or night time (but not departing til 1 or 2am). Would we better to do daytime or night time flights either/both ways? I'm not sure what could potentially be worse - trying to keep the kids entertained that long in a confined space during the day, or risking them not sleeping at night and disturbing the fellow passengers?

Should we buy an extra/4th seat for DS? Sounds silly as he can't really sit in it alone but then again a 6 hour flight holding baby could be a bit much...what would you do? Would you buy it to give US extra room or would you actually use it for DD, or even DS to use (esp. if flying night time - so the toddler atleast can lay out fully)?

I don't know whether DS will be too heavy/old/long for a bassinet/sky cot. What are BA's infant seats like? - do they recline and can they strap onto the bulkhead too? I have heard that things like this can't be reserved in advance so if we don't get one and we don't have the extra seat are we going to have a nightmare? - or if you have the 4th seat are they less likely to allocate you one as a result? Will they let one child sleep on the floor if we have a row to ourselves?

Anyone got experience of this?

Advice needed please..!!!

I Would go overnight or late in day as more chance will sleep part or all way .

They won't let dc sleep on floor and you are right that no guarantee on bulkhead seats (I think they have special chairs like a bouncer once dd are too big for bassinet ). Dont know if fourth seat makes a difference but given most seats are in rows of 3 you are going to have to split seating some way.

Can ds not sleep across you and dh. That's what we did with dd so saved extra seat.

I agree with Gigondas. I used to fly to and from Dubai regularly with DD. I always went at night so she would sleep.
I am not keen on BA, I much prefer Emirates.

We're going to Dubai in 4 weeks time with an 8 year old and a 23 month old. We've paid more to fly overnight and have had to forgo getting a direct flight in order to go at a time when hopefully the 23 month old will sleep ( and the 8 year old TBH). in a bid to save money we have not bought a seat fo the 23 month old and we'll just suck it up with 7 hours on our knee or hopefully the flight will have a spare seat going. Good luck. We love Dubai and can't way for our holidays!

Most flights to Dubai ( I live there but fly back to England 3 - 4 times a year) have stricken looking parents jiggling fractious children and walking up and Down the aisles..day and night.

I fly emirates which has a 3 then 4 then 3 configuration but you can pre book seats.

I personally do day flights as I cannot sleep on planes ( and my children are older and plug themselves into the entertainment system like compliant zombies with just the occasional request for a forbidden coke)

the only night flight I did was horrendous ... Screaming baby for pretty much the whole 6 and a half hours ( mother tried everything.. Father gave up and hit the freebie wine)

if you think your children will sleep on a night flight it's fine but if it's u likely you'll be doubly knackered.

I would do day flights otherwise you may arrive mega early in Dubai and a have a long day with two very tired youngsters.

Day flights. The pressure to get them to sleep on a flight would be too much for me!