Flying longhaul to NZ with 8 week old twins - *advice needed*

[mummykiwi]

Hi there, I am looking for advice from those with experience travelling longhaul with a tiny baby (or especially tiny twins, as in my case)

I am interested to hear about people's experience/recommendations on airline service AND what equipment to/not to take for a smooth airport and longhaul experience.

Any advice welcomed!

Worse still is the possibility that I may have to travel alone. The girls are currently 6 weeks corrected.

Thanks!

Hmmm not done it myself but I would say it'll never be as easy again!!! Meaning the older they get the harder it'll be. Is that a bit of a help?

Make sure airline are well aware and ask for their support if poss.

I would say get them into dummys. Will help soothe them and quieten them.

Other than that maybe some valium for you so if they do cry you just won't care??!!

Have a great trip.

Best to check but not sure that the airline will let you travel alone

I would be surprised if the airline allow you to travel alone. My cousin used to fly to and from New York with her twins and used to have to get to the airport very early and find a helpful fellow passenger who would carry on one of the babies for her and help her out. It was a long time ago - can't imagine that strategy would work these days! Are you planning to have two seats?

Oh hoooooow interesting, well I never knew that.

www.twinsclub.co.uk/docs/travel/travel_flyingwithtwins

yes check if the airline will let you

my only other advice is fly Singapore Airlines. teh only way to go to NZ with children

Mummykiwi

Another tip for you:-

do not fly via Los Angeles, go east instead.

I did this with 8 month old twins, and 3 times since. You may find you are unable to fly alone with them. Air NZ website says if travelling alone with 2 infants one needs to be in their own seat in an approved car seat. On the plus side travelling with 2 babies is infinitely easier than travelling with 2 toddlers! Do not under any circumstances fly via LA, friends recently have had truly hideous experiences, including being kept in LA and missing their transit connection. Air NZ fly via hong kong now but I haven't flown that route, although pre kids always found them fab. Singapore air very good with wee ones and Singapore airport great for stopovers, lots of seats, indoor gardens, rooftop pool at one terminal and hotel rooms within the terminal that can be hired in 4 hr blocks. The cabin crew were great with our kids. Emirates ok but Dubai stopover grim, no play area and so busy it was hard to find seats. Before we chose our airline I spoke to airlines direct, not via travel agents and asked loads of questions. I'm pretty sure you could book special assistance if travelling alone. But really, don't go alone if you can possibly avoid it. Straightthrough always better than stopover in my experience, take lots of nappies, changes of clothes and at least 1 change for you.I breastfed so no idea about nos of bottles. We bought cheap umbrella fold buggies for the airports and took them right to the plane, have nearly always got them back on landing but been caught out once. It will be hard you'll get very little sleep, but the trips home for us have always been well worth it. If you can afford it something like premium economy would be good I think. Bit of an essay there but hope it helps.

No advice but bumping to say good luck!!

Hi there. Not my experience but my sister who is married to a forces guy and she has traipsed her entire family and belongings across the world (New Mexico to Japan to Virginia to Germany etc) and two of these moves were with tiny babes. She says sling them if you can (one front, one on back when hanging around at the airport - just as easy as a pram (if not easier she says as then you just carry your bag). Take very very essential handbaggage only. Bf them on take off and landing if you can as the sucking reduces the pressure in their ears when they pop. The airlines should be providing you with special harness/seatbelt so you need to tell them that's your intention so they fit it so bf is possible. And lastly she says, if it looks like it's going to be a nightmare, ask for other passengers help too - get to know them a bit, then you won't be sitting there feeling crappy wondering what everyone else is thinking (not that my sis has EVER worried what anyone else thinks!) Good luck! (sorry - assumed you are bf - the same would apply to bottles for take off and landing)

I would say choose your airline carefully and under no circumstances fly with BA. They turn being unhelpful into an art form unless you're in business class. Singapore Airlines are fab. My kids are older but I've done Aus/UK a couple of times with them in the past 18 months and the staff are lovely and helpful with small children.

thanks. Singapore airlines keep coming up as great and BA as poop. I spoke to sing air and got some advice from them on travelling with twins. all goodstuff

cheers x

I flew Singapore Airlines with my twins when they were 10 months. I would ring the airline and get special assistance. Even though DH was with me, we got ushered straight to the front of queues, could take buggy right up to the point of getting on plane and got helped with taking bags etc on.

Is there anyone who can fly with you? I'm just wondering how on earth you will eat/go to the loo/drink fluids etc? I guess the babes are likely to sleep a fair bit so you should be able to get a kindly passenger to help you take a break.

Tell the cabin crew you'll tell them when you can eat - there's no point them bringing your food whilst one of the babes is screaming.

The staff were very helpful when we flew but they all very much had their own duties that they had to get on with. So I'm not sure they could provide you with the help you need for such a long flight.

Good luck! You should definitely get the bulkhead seats which have space for two bassinets to clip on the wall. The airline should hopefully move the people in between you otherwise you'll be reaching across people to get one baby!

They moved the people in between us when we flew. They were actually very pleasant and said it was fine until we said it would be hugely helpful to us if they could complain. One got upgraded to first class and one was a knackered student who kindly went and sat in the middle of a row of six and slept the whole way!