Flying to USA with kids and baby - best airline?

[PrettyCandles]

Planning to fly to Washington this summer, me, dh, 7y, 5y, 20m dcs. Any tips on which airline to choose? It seems to be between BA and Virgin at the moment. Virgin have seatback videos, but no seat for the baby, whereas BA have no seatback videos but provide a seat fro the baby (if we get bulkhead seats). Any opinions on which is more critical for an 8h flight? Any suggestions on other airlines to consider?

And nearer the time I'll no doubt be asking how to keep my little hordes occupied for 8h!

Virgin - I hear good things about them all the time and we're booked to go to Florida with them in May.

Even without a seat for ds2?

Virgin provided a seat for my 23 month old, in fact they refuse to let you take your own. The seat wasn't great (ie didn't recline) though. I'd check your facts - call them up. I spent a good half an hour on the phone to someone really helpful when i arranged my tickets. Seat was not a problem.

Hi - Not flown to the US with either of them but have flown twice to the US with our dc.

First time we went we flew BMI to Dallas via Chicago, cant remember how long the flight was to chicago but videos and games in seatback were almost the highlight of the holiday for dcs, ds was 5 and dd 4 then,

Last year we flew to NY first, ds was 7 and dd 5 - flew continental, both dc very put out by fact there was only videos and no games as they spent ages before hand discussing previous flight. But they still enjoyed it, I would say go virgin, its a long flight, and being able to choose what to watch with your own controls is all part of the holiday for the dc. If your older ones are entertained by that it might make it easier to look after your baby. Enjoy!

t&g, did you book a seat for the LO? The Virgin website says that you can get a free bassinet for under 12m, but to get a toddler seat you have to book a child-rate ticket for an 'actual' seat, IYSWIM.

If BA are going to provide a baby seat I'd go with that.

Having done this route I would use BA rather than Virgin (as some of those aircrew don't always come across as being very professional and or infact caring; they can be very good or really poor to their pax). Also it may be cheaper to fly with BA than Virgin (or vice versa) - check both websites carefully before you book. Virgin's economy seats in particular are nasty. Very hard seats, poor seat pitch and narrow to boot.

Would in any event choose one of these British based carriers over any American based one.

BA do have seatback tvs in their seats (except in the bulkhead). Bulkhead seats as well can be cramped.

If the child is under 2 at the time of travel they will be expected to sit on your lap for the duration unless you pay full child price for a seat.

A portable DVD player for the children is useful - airline entertainment for children generally speaking is pretty much limiting.

Take your own foodstuffs along for the children to eat on the flight and do not rely on the airline fully to provide.

I did pay for a seat for the LO. Whilst she sat on my lap a lot, it did mean that she got space to stretch out and lie down to sleep, plus I couldn't possibly have imagined doing it with her on my lap full time.

I've flown to the states and Australia with Virgin. I think they are great.

We recently flew to Chicago with 5yr and 22mth and can say BA were great. Staff were fantastic at keeping calm whilst parents were loosing marbles.

If you can book a night flight I wold strongly recommend - the kids both slept, I didn't as I constantly worried they would wake up and wander off.

Although the bulk head seats didn't have seat back tvs they did still have individual screens that flipped out from under the arm rests on adjustable stands. They also have a kids channel so older kids have something to watch and you don't need to worry about suitability.

Only problem was on way out 22mth didn't get a meal and on the way back she decided (for the first time ever) that she wouldn't eat pasta, so take plenty of snacks. We also packed small bags that the kids weren't allowed to look in before the flight - cards, travel games, crayons etc - so they had new things to keep them occupied for ten minutes.

We flew to DC last year with Virgin and they were great. They had a new entertainment system which kept DS (4) happy as he likes his films and DD was kept occupied with on-demand In The Night Garden, although as she was on my knee and using my system, I just about lost the will to live.

The year before we went to New York and flew back from DC with BA and again they were fine. To be honest I'd fly with either airline again.

We recently got back from Calgary with BA so a much longer flight (though DD now has her own seat), and I couldn't fault them at all.

I fly about 2x a year with ds to Washington DC and would only chose Virgin. BA has let us down every single time we have used them.

I find that Virgin are efficient, staff are great and helpful and they go out of their way to make sure ds is happy and comfortable. The only problems I have ever had is with other passengers being thoughtless and judgemental because you have a child with you - but then, I was sometimes one of them before I had ds, so what goes around....