Flying to New York with a 1 year old

[MrsS1980]

Hi all,

Hoping for advice. My brother is currently living in NYC and we are hoping to fly from Manchester to visit him in July / August. What I would really like advice on is

1. Which airline would you recommend?
2. How do you go about getting a cot bed - is it automatic when you book or do you have to hope when you check in there is one available?
3. Any other advice on flying.

Thanks all!

x

Can't help with 1, but as for:

1. Yes, ask for a cot bed. It's a good place to sleep when he's not on your lap. If you have the extra dosh (which I know most of us don't!) get an extra seat. Otherwise your lap and the cot bed will be fine.

1. If he still drinks bottles, pack his formula plus extra. If you think to pack let's say 10 nappies, make it 15. Pack a change of clothes.

If he has a soother, pack that. And pack a bottle of Calpol or Neurofen and a syringe,. You never know!

I'd also check for Heel's homeopathic Viburcol suppositories. This def chills them out a bit. You can give this often, and it works! Along with Rescue drops.

And LOTS of toys and books.

Hi there,
I took DD to NZ (by myself), so flew when she was 11mo and crawling and then returned when she was 13mo, and walking. After I booked online I rang customer services to reserve a cot bed, which is dependent on how many younger babies you have on the flight. On the way there we used the cot for storing stuff and the occasional nap. I am lucky that she likes to sleep on me so I strapped her seatbelt to mine and reclined the seat. On the way back we had the cot seat but I said no to the cot cause I wanted the space on the floor for her to play in as it was a day flight. I did a lot of walking up and down and got to know the flight attendants quite well! We had lots of snacks and a few new toys, in fact the best thing I had was a bag of pegs which she put in cups and sorted! I also second the dummy and the calpol if needed. The first time I took her home (4 months) I had to give her calpol but not this time, just depends I guess.

Good luck, remember its only 8 hours, and think of all the shopping you get to do!!!

Oh and we also went to NYC last year on Virgin, they were good, and we got the cot seat but I thought their cots were fairly useless on one plane but good on another.

Would recommend BA and ask for the bulk head sets with cot.

I have just done that journey with 10 mth and 4 yr. booked few weeks ahead and reserved seats immediately. Get cot positions and they give you a bulk head seat which has a babysat attached to I'll head. They were soooo helpful. Dd was sick just on way to aircraft and they helped me sort her out. Take plenty of food for children, order child's meal for little one, at back of plane I found an area for baby to crawl for it then they slept.

Good luck, you'll be fine

Breadsticks are a great snack for little fingers. The bulk head seat is good because although we did not have a cot for her, we could put her in the space in front of the seat with a few of her toys. We also make a joke of carrying around new industrial-strength ear plugs and presenting them to the person next to us. Often breaks the ice. Had a very nice man next to us last time who landed up bouncing baby on his knee. He had 7 kids of his own and 2 grandkids.