Bulkhead and bassinet or not?

[Pumpkinhead]

Hiya, my DH and I will be flying to KL in August with our 2 kids (3 and 1) and we need to make a decision as to where we want to fly on the plane today as the seats are being reserved for us. Having not flown with kids before I'm not sure what is best and was hoping someone might have some experience of this and be able to advise. The choice is between the bulkhead row for me and the toddler with a bassinet for the baby and my husband at the end of the 3 seat row . Or all of us in the row behind and no bassinet. The airline is Malaysian Airlines and the baby will be 14 months by then. What would you do? Thanks!

I would try for the bassinet - we went to japan with similar age children and the extra space, plus the fact they can't keep kicking the seats in front is such a bonus. Also it is so nce for the baby to be able to sleep lying down.

Baby may well be too big for the bassinet comfortably by the time he/she is 14 months old, I would see if you can obtain the measurements for the bassinet. Also the bassinet cannot be used for either take off or landing.

I would try for the bulkhead row rather than the row behind. Alternatively you could try for window/middle/aisle and aisle in middle row seats.

Some more information for you:-

Bassinets may be requested for infants up to 18 months of age, but the recommended age limit for bassinet use on international flights is eight months. The weight limit is 25lbs/11kg. The bassinet size is 28in x 12in/71cm x 31cm and the depth is 10.5in/26cm.

baby may well be too big for bassinet but the extra leg room is worth trying to get and also you can put all sorts of other bits (ie baby toys, nappies etc in the bassinet)
Then you just need to get your DH to sit there with the baby and toddler and you sit behind and watch the movie with a nice glass of wine

Thanks for your replies. The measurements of the bassinet is very useful and from what you've said it's worth getting a bassinet even just for baby stuff. Although I do prefer the idea of sitting on my own with a glass of wine mumoverseas

Is it a daytime or night time flight? If Night I would go for bassinet (tho my DS was too big for his at 1 year). If it is daytime they are hardly in it, tho the legroom is good to have. We spent most of the time walking up and down near the galley/toilets!

Flew to Australia when DS was 13 months and with hindsight would have gone for a seat.

When asleep in bassinet had to take him out whenever we hit turbulence , also on one stretch Singapore - Sydney we had a spare seat next to us which he was far more comfortable - the rest fo the time he was walking up and down the asile .

Bulkhead + bassinet.

Now DD is too big for bassinet we are not planning to fly again until she is 26.

Row of 4 seats to yourselves. You can raise the armrests so the children can lie out which you can't do at the bulkhead as the tables are into the armrests.

Your 14 month old will probably be too big for the bassinet anyway. Mine was at 1 year old and he's just average in size.

You don't actually get more leg room at the bulkhead. You just don't have a seat infront of you.

The row behind would be my choice. The bulkhead has nowhere that you can stow your useful flight things that you will really need for such a long flight. You'll have to get up and reach for your bags in the overhead compartment every time you need a toy or snack or nappy or whatever.

I did the bulkhead and bassinet thing once and vowed never again -- DD1 hated the bassinet and ended up sleeping on my lap anyhow. I realised too late that we would have been much more comfortable if we had been seated in a row where we could have raised the armrests and just spread ourselves out. The row to ourselves was great next time we flew.