Airline recommendations for long haul travel with children

[potoroo]

I'm planning to fly London - Sydney in July/August for my brother's wedding (very exciting), however just this morning have discovered that I am pregnant (even more exciting).
So come July I may have to do longhaul being the size of a small elephant, with DS (will be 27 months) and possibly alone (DH may have to travel separately for work).

I have accepted that it will be 24 hours of hell, but can anyone recommend airlines that could make it less hellish? We flew Qantas/BA with DS last time we did a long haul and they weren't particularly helpful.

How many weeks pg will you be? I think that your first call may be to your GP to check that he will be willing to certify you. Mine wouldn't certify me for any flight over 12 hours.

Congratulations by the way!

Singapore Airlines (fantastic)
Virgin
Emirates

Congratulatios!

Emirates are great

Make sure there is a tv thing on each seat ,keeps kids amused for hrs.

Ooh! Lots of messages!
Only just 4 weeks.

Ladymuck - thanks for the tip. Will talk to GP about it when I am next there - but he is pretty reasonable.
In the meantime, I shall check out the pregnancy rules for Singapore, Emirites & Virgin

I found Emirates completly unsympathetic. Singapore Airlines, however, were diamonds, especially when travelling on my own with a 19 month old dd who went floppy and unresponsive an hour before landing in Singapore during the height of the SARs panic.

A point to remember, if you travel via Singapore, the airport at Singapore has a swimming pool. Pack swimsuits in carry on luggage and make the best of any plane change by exhausting the kids.

We have used Virgin for transatlantic - generally very helpful

I just flew from NZ to the UK on my own with a seven month old. I guess it may depend a lot on which employees are on but Air New Zealand (NZ to US) were great and Virgin (US to UK) were not. Air New Zealand staff rearranged things to give me an empty seat next to me, offered to carry my hand luggage for me, took DD for a bit to give me a break, offered to take her while I went to the toilet, bought me things they thought might be helpful without asking and were generally supportive and encouraging. Virgin did absolutely nothing extra. The only time I did press the call button to ask for something, 10 minutes later they still hadn't responded and I had to ask the person serving the drinks. On the way over (DH was with me so was a lot easier) we overheard the staff talking about the current staff shortage on Virgin and that every flight was flying at least one person down so maybe that's why?

Hope you have a good experience, can't imagine doing the trip while pregnant!

Singapore
Emirates

or top recommendation Malaysian, best for customer service for years and years and great with kids

I flew Emirates to Oz without DH last year and with a 1yo and a 4yo, they were amazing, took us on and off with business class, gave us our own cupboard so I could get easily to things and were very helpful with holding the baby etc.

At Dubai airport you can pay a few quid to have a guy bring a buggy and take you and your hand luggage to the next plane

Singapore are good, but tbh I like Emirates better, have flown four times (five by Easter!) and find the 15hour slog to Singapore too long!

Agree Quantas/BA not child friendly tho

Have only flown to Oz on business class and without dp or dss! Can't imagine what it would be like ... (can imagine actually but don't want to go there)

We take a family holiday in Barbados quite regularly and use Virgin for that - it's about a 9 - 10 hour flight and I can't fault them. They're very child friendly from the point of view of entertainment (although not so sure about really little ones)

What an exciting time for you!

We did Sydney with our three kids recently and Singapore airlines really couldn't be faulted. Ours are older (3, 8 and 13) but there were quite a few little ones on board and the staff were extremely helpful. My top tip is to leave the UK on the 22.15pm flight - my 3 year old slept most of the way to Singapore, then again to Sydney. Congratulations on your pregnancy btw.

Thanks for all the info.
Brother and SIL to be haven't confirmed a wedding date yet (since they've only been engaged for 5 days or so) but already both my parents and DH's parents are besides themselves that we (or more importantly DS) is coming back.
DH has tried to tell them that we might not be able to come (without saying why) but that is being ignored.
MIL already has the spare bed out...

Golly. We always fly to Vancouver with BA because they're great with kids (but not the ground staff!!) Air France crap but doubt you'd be going 3with them anyway.

singapore singapore singapore...... although I have heard very good things about Emirates - they have two stop overs.... dubai and Singapore. Royal Brunei also very good. But I have flown Singapore a few times and can't fault it at all. THe last trip we did was when we emigrated and I was 18 weeks pregnant with an almost 2yo but did have dh. They were still very very helpful.

we did the overnight flights. Left lhr about the time someone else posted and then it was an overnight to Brissy. What you find is a huge jumbo leaving heathrow and then at Singapore you split into your Aus destinations so that makes the stop over variable.

Singapore airport - fabulous.