When did you brave a longer flight?

[ml01omm]

I am dreaming of holidays to get through January.

We have booked Menorca for this summer when DS will be just have turned 2. Last summer we went to Mallorca, so we know he can cope with a 2 hr flight.

But... I am dreaming of some winter sun, would love to go to the carribean or somewhere far flung and hot.

What age were your DC before you felt comfortable going Long-haul or mid-haul again? As at the moment, even 4 hours to the canaries or greece feels like it would be too long for DS to manage.

Dd1 was 1mo when we went to Sydney. Dd2 was 3mo when we moved to Perth, Western Australia.
Make sure the flights are night flights on the way home.

DS 4 months to WA in Oz. Then emigrated there when he was 7 months old.

Ds who is 5 has only ever done 4/4.5 hour flights. Cyprus, turkey and Tenerife twice, absolutely fine every time, first was at 18 months.

DS was a year when we did South Africa. However I still class that as baby. He was about 7 when we did it again and that was on purpose.
I did Europe until he was out of the toddler stage.

6 months - go on, go!

I took two under 2 to NZ and back on my own. Not something I'd repeat in a hurry .
But with two adults and one DC you'll be absolutely fine for some winter sun.

At 4 months a 4 hour flight and a flight to Thailand at 18 months.
I agree with a pp that a night time flight works well.It's dark and your child will have it's own seat to lie on.

I did a 10 hour flight with DS when he was just under 2, it was perfectly fine. Fast forward a few years later and I did the same flight with DS at 6 and DD just under 2 and it was hell on earth, I'm happy to skip out on flights for a while

My niece was 18 months when she flew to the Dominican Republic for our wedding. Along with her sister who was 3 yrs. they were good as good and managed no bothers. The 18 month old didn't have a seat. If it was mine I would have bought her a seat but her parents decided not to.

Moved to Cyprus when youngest was 2.5yo. That was her first flight. It was fine.

Sometimes these things seem scarier than they actually are as we overanalyse them beforehand.

My youngest was about to turn 5 and we did 11.5 hours. Worked out absolutely fine.

We flew to Mexico with Ds1 just before his 2nd birthday and it wasn’t great. He threw one of his Thomas trains over head about 3 rows away, it was mortifying.

Think we had a night flight on the way back which was marginally better.

It depends on the DC OP. Some little DC are great and sit nicely throughout a flight, but many toddlers struggle to sit still for long periods of time, so long haul flights are frustrating for them and exhausting for their parents. Our older DC we had to fly long haul with (living overseas), which was a PITA, our younger one we waited until he was 4 to do it and that was much better.

Went to Mauritius (night flight) with 18mo DD. It wasn’t the most fun flight ever - lots of work trying to keep her either asleep or entertained so she didn’t disturb others - but not the nightmare I’d feared.

Daytime flights became easy once they got old enough to be engrossed by Cbeebies. Age 2.5-3 I’d say. Possibly earlier. We took DCs age 3.5 and 1.5 to Greece, it was fine.

I still haven’t braved going west (caribbean or US) as my DC are early risers and I can’t face them being up in the small hours due to jetlag.

Thank you for all the responses. Given me lots to think about. Its good to hear night flights are okay, my worry was him not sleeping and keeping the plane awake.

He loves In the Night Garden - so we can buy ourselves an hour with that I think.

What was certainly tricky when we flew last year was due to Covid no one was allowed out of their seat, so newly walking DS wasn't able to "stretch his legs" for 5 mins ( we were sat on the last row). That said, we had a stag do on board and he was a perfect angel compared to them! ( As several travellers told me as we got off).

Dont forget your toddler headphones if watching tablets. Or you will become hated!

12 months to Sydney and it was absolutely fine.

I’d happily fly mid-long haul with my 4 year old. My 20month old, who does not sit and watch any programs I’m dreading the flight to Spain! Definitely depends on the child and how long they can stay sat still.

My DD was easy on long flights from about 15 months. She once watched Paw Patrol for 4 straight hours on a transatlantic flight when she was 20 months. Headphones are an absolute must obviously. It’s very personality dependent though, her younger brother is 1 and we’re yet to do any long flights with him but I already sense that he might be a bit trickier!

We did 10 hours plus from small babies onwards.

I'll admit I was a bit worried about my 2nd when he was first crawling, but he was absolutely fine. I always packed my carry one with new books and toys, and hoped they were sufficiently tired that they'd sleep for a chunk of it.

Night flights were always very easy.

I did absolutely loads of European flights until my youngest started school and then started long haul.

Not so much an age as when they’ll watch films and sit quietly for that length of time.

For mine it was when they were aged 6ish that it became okay. I took them before that age as babies and toddlers (due to close family living abroad). It was awful with toddlers. I wouldn’t do it just for a holiday.

I took DS to Jamaica when he was around 19months he was hideous on the flight going I struggled to settle him for hours. On the way back from Jamaica it was a much smoother he napped and we have been travelling all over since.

I did Dominican Republic 9hours ish when he was 4 years old.

My view is that it becomes easier when they like screens. DC1 was a fidgeter and has rarely managed to watch a film. We flew to the US when she was 9 and she coped but, when we mention long haul holidays, she objects. DC2 takes any opportunity he can to watch TV, play on a tablet, play on his Switch so would happily deliver something to Oz and jump on the return flight and probably would have done that from a very young age.

DC was 2 months when I first took him on a 12hours flight on my own. I have flown loads with 2 DCs.

Night flights are easier as it tends to be quieter and darker.

At 2, we brought a couple of new books and toys to keep them entertained.

We also walked a lot to explore the plane.

I breastfed on takeoff and landing. When older I encouraged drinking from sippy cups.

I also brought tablets loaded with Cocomelon, Baby Shark etc.

And snacks!!!

It really was not that bad!