Travel alone with 2 dc ti NYC. Tips needed

[isitreallythattime]

I am planning to fly to NYC with my 2 dc 4 and 11 months to stay with family

Can you all give me some suggestions around how to make this easier survivable.

Is virgin or ba best for getting baby cot 10kg is weight
What times should I fly, worried about they don't sleep, and jet lag
What food t take
What do you do with milk
How to get through customs when baby child and pram to be folded
How to deal with jet lag when there
Am I mad to consider this?

Any other suggestions gratefully received.
X

I have travelled alone with my 2 at various ages including similar to this. First question is - are they generally good travellers?

Right in order - airport. Take someone with you and go through security as late as you think you can. Take sling for baby for when pushchair has to be folded - it might have to go through security machine but at all other times you can wear it.

Milk and food for plane - anything has to be opened and tasted before getting on plane so take milk in bottles which you can taste or powder and get bottled water once through security. Anything uneaten has to be left on the plane and not taken into US!

Flight - 4 year old will be fine - 3 words - seat back TV! Also feed into submission. Baby - depends on their temperament. Cots are assigned on an age order so if there is another, younger babay on the plane they will get it. I'm afraid at 11months you are unlikely to get one. Ask instead for a row of seats near the back and you are more likely to get next to a spare seat and can spread over.

Immigration - I've always found them ok about trying to hurry children through but you seldom get the pushchair back until luggage so this is where a sling can be invaluable.

HTH

I can help a bit but its all dooable....

I like BA or Virgin but others might have preferences as well. I have never used a baby cot as mine was too big.
I would try to fly overnight so they will sleep as it will make it easier just a bit or a mare when you arrive and the 4yr old will still be tired.
The 4 yr old will have food. You can get pouches that are under 100g or phone ahead to boots and pre order so you can collect airside. Bring your own snacks
If you have fresh milk then they will ask you to taste it or ready made forumla in bottles again you will be asked to taste it. Normally they will heat the bottles up for you but with H&S these days its best to check with the airline after you book.
If you fly from Gatwick and I believe they are at LHR as well then go through the family security area, it is designed for families, nobody rushes you and people are helpful. I would suggest a sling or front pack like a baby bjorn for the security then when you are boarding and you have 1 hand on the 4 yr old 1 hand for baording passes and passports etc. I would suggest handluggage that is a backpack on wheels as you can either hook it over the buggy and pull or put it on your back. Also a trolley on wheels for the 4 yr old to pull not a trunky I find them more hassle than worth when you don't have free hands.
jet lag some cope easier than others just try to get them on the new routine as soon as possible.
for the 4yr old Ipad loads of films / cartoons incase the IFE is not working properly.
AM sure others will come up with suggestions....

Hey, I'll be travelling in the next few months, with my two aged 2 and a half, and 10mo from Oz to the Uk BA have a seat type cot for their flights rather than a cot, so it's up to you how you want your lo to sleep.
Definately pack snacks, and toys away, and the seat back tv will be your best friend
I'd personally opt for a night flight, so your lo will be asleep, and you'll arrive there morning for you, but very early morning middle of the night for you.
I took milk through, no problem, and no one even asked me to taste it. Perhaps they were having a good day lol. You can reserve milk in Boots for the flight, and nappies/wipes. You can phone an order in 24hrs b4.
The buggy is a difficult one. Some airports bring them to you at the gate, but think in the US they will be on the coveyer belt, or oversized luggage area. You could perhaps get one of those backpack child carriers. I've seen ppl take them onto the flight with a child riding happily on the back. It's got a steel frame iygwim.
Hth x

Would just like to say. I have never travelled alone with my two, but the amount of help I got off my dh, I might as well have.
And Good Luck!

I doubt very much that your 11 month old will fit into the cot; these are usually more suitable for newborns and or very young babies.

Would use a British based carrier rather than an American based airline.

BAs terminal 5 at Heathrow have family security lines; these are very useful indeed to use. The majority of their flights to the US use Heathrow T5 as their departure airport. If you are using T5 allow plenty of time to get to the plane's departure gate as this would involve using a transit train and the walk from that point to the gate can be very long particularly to small children.

Most flights to that part of the US leave in the early afternoon and arrive into the New York metropolitan area in the early evening. As you are "gaining" time travelling to the US jetlag as such is not so much an issue. Its returning to the UK that the jetlag can strike, most flights returning to the UK depart around 8pm or so arriving into the UK around 7am the next morning.

(If you are travelling without your husband or partner, ensure you have a notarised letter and also signed by your DH/DP giving you permission to take your children on holiday overseas without him in attendance).

Would take foodstuffs for both children to eat; do not rely on the airline to fully provide re childrens meals.

A change of clothing for both children (and you) is also a good idea to have in case of accidents or drinks spillage.

IN your hand luggage divide the contents into separate coloured plastic bags - orange ( sainsburys) for food, white , clothes, nappies, blue toys etc , so when you need to rummage quick for something you know exactly in which bag to go to...

Thank you soooo much for these points, sounds like there are some great points to think of.

Will deffo per order milk and take carrier.

V excited!! X

The trick with Terminal 5 is to use the lifts ;)

OOoo, just though of another point too. Try flying to Newark instead of JFK. The queues for JFK immigration is a nightmare, and the city is the same distance form Newark to JFK And a quieter airport.

Would agree with flying into Newark rather than JFK if at all possible.

Re the lifts a T5 certainly use them but you still need to board the transit train afterwards to get to either B or C gates.