18 month old twins on an 18 hour flight. Tips, please!

[Linguaphile]

In a nutshell, I'm terrified. My parents are in Jakarta, hence the trip. We took them to Bali when they were 12 weeks old, which was surprisingly easy as they slept the whole time, but this will be a different kettle of fish as our 'lap infants' are in fact very mobile, wiggly toddlers.

We booked a night flight in hopes they'll sleep at least on the 1st leg to Dubai.

Any advice on keeping them entertained and quiet?? It's not really allowed to give them Sudafed, right?

Really, really don't want to be those people with the twins.

Book bassinets in advance so you don't have to have a baby on your lap the whole journey, that is the killer. You won't be allowed to sit together but you will already know that from previous flight. Can you afford an extra seat at all or a larger seat eg premium economy so that for the hours that baby is on your lap you have more room? Take your own food and drink for them don't rely on plane food. Will they watch peppa or something on an iPad or too young?

Good luck!

Just thought could you afford a sky nanny?

Sudofed peps you up! Like caffeine!

I think that at 18 months they will be too big for bassinets. Is booking separate seats for them going to add a ridiculous amount to the cost of the trip?

Flights heading to the Far East usually depart early to late evening in any event so it would be a night flight in any case.

At 18 months they will be too big for a bassinet. Which airline are you using?.

I would take along what they like to eat foodwise and enough of it; do not rely on the airline to fully provide. Take also their favourite toy (nothing small and/or which can be too easily dropped) and or comforter.

The airline should be able to place you as a family unit all in the same row particularly if you choose the seats beforehand.

Not in OH's experience. He flies regularly to South Korea, India and China and always has an early start.

He does start his journey in Manchester though and changes planes in Germany or Dubai depending on where he is going.

I have flown long haul many many times with small children (although not twins!), lived in Singapore for 5 years.

My advice is to call the airline and explain, ask for their advice on which seats to take (or use seatguru.com), ask for assistance at check-in, make sure that you have booked kids meals etc. I will say that a long flight with an 18 month old on your lap is an absolute killer. Try sitting that long at home. You will have to eat in relays with your dh (one of you hold 2 while the other eats etc) as you can't pull down a tray table with a child on your lap. Emirates is a good airline though and will be as helpful as possible, do lots of walking up and down the cabin too. You will get there, remember "this too shall pass"

Just be aware that the flight is a walk in the park compared to the jet lag though.

Attila, I haven't come across any airline that will allow 2 babies on laps in the same row for emergency exit protocol reasons, we always had to sit in separate rows when our twins were under two, which airlines let you fly with 2 under twos in same row?

Sorry, haven't been on in a while!

It's a night flight that leaves at 8pm, so that should be good. We're flying Emirates. Last time we flew we were allowed to both be in the same row (front middle) as the seats were four abreast, so no reason to assume it will be different this time. We're calling to book the bassinet seats for the extra room, though I think the babies are too big for the bassinets now. It would add almost £1000 to the cost of our flights to book seats, so not an option. Neither is sky nanny. For the same reason.

Thinking we'll have loaded iPads and lots of toys/snacks, just wondered what other things I might be missing!

We have done a few flights with small twins (although not quite that far when they were that age though). In my experience the airline staff were very helpful and made sure that if there was a spare seat it was next to us to give us a bit of a break. Actually being either side of the aisle might be better - so babies can wander between you a bit?

Other than that, new toys are always a good idea.Good luck!

If you book the bassinets they might move you if there are smaller babies on board who need the bassinets.

I would buy headphones that fit them comfortably so they can watch TV.