Long haul flight with 1yr old

[ladybug92]

I am travelling soon on a long haul flight (14hr then 8hrs) with DH and my 1yr old. Getting a little nervous about the journey, it's very close...

Can you please give me all your tips for travel with little ones on such a long flight? My daughter is on solids and formula, almost walking and mostly sleeps through the night. How do I keep her entertained? Our flights depart in evening but there will be some 'daytime' hours for her for sure.

We are traveling with emirates, window and centre seat and bassinet available.

TIA for your advice!!

Emirates are great with little ones 🙂

We flew long haul regularly with our children as babies/toddlers, and there was always a bit of a melt down but it was generally fine.

Take a couple of changes of clothes, and a spare top for you too.

Emirates do infant meals, but it was (a couple of years ago) a jar of baby food so my then 1 year old wasn't impressed. So, consider taking snacks! Most prepackaged stuff of fine through security - crackers, yoghurt pouches, raisins, cheese sticks etc. If you ask nicely, the crew usually have extra adult meals, bread rolls etc.

Books, a couple of little toys etc kill a bit of time. Inflight magazines, paper cups, sick bags also provide amusement.

We found that on the evening flight, ours melted down at the gate or at take off, then fell asleep and slept well. The crew don't get the bassinet out until you're in the air and the safety videos etc are all done. And depending on the route/crew, they can be a bit funny about the bassinet. On one flight they checked to see if my youngest could fit in (literally stretching her legs out and deciding she was too long) and wouldn't let her use it. Next leg of the trip wasn't an issue.

Assume you're flying through Dubai, and if so, they have loads of strollers as you get off the flight.

So, it's a bit tedious but fine. Families seem to get lumped together, and there's a bit of solidarity there.

Not done quite as long haul as that, but I’ve flown us to uk several times with my DS who is now 2.5. We did it at 14 months so a similar age.

If small enough, a baby carrier is really helpful or an umbrella stroller. It’s a long way to carry them.

Lots of snacks. Assume they can’t (or won’t!) eat any of the plane food and just stuff them with snacks. Things that take ages to eat too.

Extra bottles. Whatever bottles they normally have, take more. The plane seemed to make my kids have so much more milk. Plus you are potentially skipping meals etc so a bottle is an easy way to replace that for them. Same with nappies and spare outfits. Take loads.

Wear them out as much as possible before you get on the plane. Lots of exploring the airport lounge. On the plane my DS liked some (new!) books with flaps to open, little toys, a few things I got from a craft shop such as a load of Pom poms that he could move from one container to another, same with poking pipe cleaners in the hole in the container. Also kids videos on my phone, pictures (mostly of him) on my phone and pressing the buttons on the tv thing on the plane. Get new toys but nothing you wouldn’t be devastated to lose under the plane seat.

Hopefully they sleep because it is exhausting!

YY to lots of bottles. Don't give the baby the water from the plane - apparently it's not safe for babies. Take the ready made formula if you can.

On a similar note, take loads of food. I took a big can of creamed rice, for example - it helped fill DS up and he slept well afterwards. I also always take chocolate - he never gets chocolate usually but needs must and several tantrums have been averted thanks to the emergency milky bar.

I also agree with taking an extra top for you. At Xmas DS threw up all over me before we boarded our flight. I had to wear DH's hoodie with nothing underneath! It just added to the general hideousness of the situation.

Emirates are pretty good and the buggies in Dubai are a lifesaver. They're lying around all over the place so easy to find!

Take a boppy pillow if you can. DS always ends up lying on me in what must be very uncomfortable positions, squished up against the arm rests - I'm taking a pillow next time. A couple seated next to us on our last flight had a sort of blackout tent cover thing for the bassinet which seemed to work brilliantly.