First time flight

[Peridaniella]

Hello ladies, I'm having a bit of a freak out.. I'm due to go on holiday in May, by that time my son will be 9 months old. At nearly 7 months old now he's quite moany, won't sleep in arms, gets bored easily & is going off of milk but won't have juice.. I'm going from Bristol to Turkey which is a 4 hour flight so not too bad BUT I have no idea how to keep him entertained for that long, it's not so much going that bothers me because that's at like 4 in the afternoon but coming back we won't be home till around 2am so everyone on the plane is gonna be super tired & I know I shouldn't worry what others think but I'm so nervous that my son is just gonna cry the whole way home & people are going to get ratty at me. I've watched YouTube videos of people travelling & what they took along with them but their babies have been angels & I kinda know in my heart that mine won't be lol. So I'm looking for any advice on entertainment for around that age or tips to get him to be able to sleep on someone cause there's no way he will go that long without wanting a nap. TIA x

If he won't sleep on someone then i would request a bassinet in advance on the plane, which i would then put him in and try to settle him.

Good toys to take:
A set of nesting eggs or stacking cups- can be used for playing hide and seek with snacks (like raisins and Cheerios)!
Finger Puppets
ELC star links
Fisher Price snap lock caterpillar
John Lewis discovery cube
Sticklebricks
Edushape curiosity cube
Vtech on the move activity bar (without batteries, so it doesn't disturb fellow travellers)
We found a really good Lamaze toy with a suction pad that we could stick on the tray table. We also took a mirror that we could fasten to the back of the seat in front which DS loved!

Take a hat to pull over LO's eyes and ears to help with sleep and to keep head warm if the air con is too strong.
Put hand luggage in a back pack so you have your hands free.
I've used this baby sleep balm and it works a treat www.babipur.co.uk/lgr-organic-baby-sleep-balm.html There are loads of other baby sleep balms on the market that are a bit cheaper. I think Boots sells some.
If you're taking a dummy, bring a dummy clip to attach it to LO so it doesn't fall on the floor.
Make sure you have at least one change of clothes for him on the flight and bring a spare top for yourself. Just in case! Layer him up so you can keep him comfy through the flight.
Aim to choose an aisle seat near the front of the plane or if the aircraft has a bulkhead seat (usually long haul) try and book one if possible. This will allow you to have plenty of space and will give you the mobility to get up and walk around if you need to, plus you can board and leave the plane much easier.
Some parents do prefer to sit near the bathrooms at the back, but noise levels can be higher towards the rear of the plane, this might be useful depending on how your baby responds to noise, take this into consideration.
Good luck x