Tips to get 3 year old to sleep at bulkhead on long haul?

[Fran92]

any tips to get a 3 year old to sleep at the bulkhead with using an inflatable pod / stool as emirates do not allow them? We’ve been allocated bulkhead as travelling with an under 2 too (23 months)

You can’t let them sleep in the floor, they will ask you to move them

i just let Ds lay across me and dh. Ie he goes in middle seat and puts his head on my lap and feet on dh lap. Take a small toddler size pillow from home

Can you move seats and not sit in the bulkheads? Your 23 month old won’t fit in a bassinet so it’s pointless and everyone would be more comfortable if you could put the arm rests up. We did a night flight when ours were those ages, not really by design we got cancelled, rebooked and downgraded, but got a row of 3, adults on the outside with a kids head on each lap and their feet met on the middle seat. Not the most comfortable I’ve ever been but the kids slept solidly and we managed to dose. Bulkheads would have been awful.

When does the 23 month old turn 2?

Thanks, I’m now thinking that about the bassinet though on the lower centiles though wpuld be handy to have one to stick them in! @MooseBeTimeForSnow will be actually 22 months not 23, fly back around 5 weeks before 2.

I’ve actually seen an inflatable nest / pillow type thing that sits in the seat so 3.5 might be able to fall asleep like that

@Caspianberg not thinking of the floor, just concerned with the fixed arm rests so will rethink the bulkhead. Ideal for day time but maybe not night.

Emirates bassinet is 74cm long with a weight limit of 11kg. They stipulate that you cannot use it if they can’t fit safely, for example they have to bend their legs.
(Link for reference https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/help/faq-topics/special-assistance-and-requests/)
So I’m guessing the 22/23MO is considerably taller than that even if she’s petite, since that’s about average for a 12MO girl… so decent chance probably that you’ll be refused the bassinet anyway and then you’ll be really kicking yourself for going for narrower seats with none moveable armrests.

I'd move the seats tbh. You may get away with the muslin trick (google it) to create a footrest with the tray. Technically they probably won't allow it. But with a blanket over them and them at a window seat they won't see.

Shocked at emirates not allowing anything at all. Even BA have recently approved planepal and they used to be really strict on any kind of footrest. Thanks for the heads up though as means i'll avoid them for any overnight flight.

I wasn't able to have mine in the bassinet on emirates at 9 months old and he was 9th centile. They are super strict and also you have to hold them during take off and landing and any turbulence. I'd honestly switch. If you can I would leave a single seat free, best case scenario no one books it and you get a spare seat for the <2yo. If the plane is full you just offer to move over and let them sit at the edge.

Muslin trick is genius!!

Also, on the subject of BA- they have a toddler seat option as well as the standard bassinet that genuinely does fit an almost 2YO. It looks like a big version of the baby bjorn bouncer. So whilst I know BA falls short in other areas compared to Emirates, I actually think they’re loads better for comfort if you’re flying economy with toddlers overnight due to accepting the planepal and having a bassinet option for 1YOs. Obviously too late for you now OP but for anyone else with kids similar ages, definitely worth considering BA!