Flying with Infants

MummyOf1_2

Hi all, me and OH are going on holiday and taking our son who will be 18months at the time. I was wondering if you have any tips you would like to share as i am getting worried that it will be a nightmare, flight is 4 1/2 hours not long but seems very,very long with a wee one.

How do i manage to keep him on my lap for that length of time? how will i eat when meals are out? is there much room to change in toilets etc...

Tips and comments please

Much appreciated cheers :j

MummyOf1_2

What if he won't settle? There is nothing more than having a whinning baby on a plane and everyone else thinks "oh my god will that kid not just shut up!" also if he has a dirty bum it will just circulate round the plane, oh the embarassment.

tcclalel

Well....lot's of biscuits!!
We always take food with us, we only tried once to have a meal, but too much of a pain, even though the flight attendants did keep it warm until OH had finished.
There is not enough room on your own, let alone with a baby.
We buy our kids a few new toys for the journey, found the £1 for 2 plastic phones from ToysRUs were a great buy, and ended up buying them again for our youngest.
There should be a pull out changing table in the toilets, but if not a dirty nappy it would be quicker and easier to do on you lap, depending on who you are sitting next to! Only tiny babies would fit on the table.
We did end up once changing our son at the front of the plane on the floor as there was more room and as near to the toilet we could get.

So basically, food and more food, which hopefully sends them into a 2 hour doze!!
Good luck

tcclalel

Had plenty of dirty bums on planes!! And whinning kids, people are used to it!!
You soon get over the embarrasment.
The first (and only) time I took my son on my own, he leaked before we got on the plane, so the spare clothes used up, he then proceeded to leak all over me before the plane took off!
I had clothes hanging on the chairs to get some things dry, after that I can cope with anything, but did want a large vodka on landing!

Shaun_d123

Definetly recommend the new toy idea. Our 9 month old loved her new mobile phone.

Also we found that to avoid minimum discomfort and wriggling on take off dont strap your child in until the last minute.

We strapped ours in as soon as we got on the plane last time only to be delayed on the runway

lily_the_pink

From my numerous baby/toddler flight experiences:

Take lots of distractions that you keep hidden away and get out at appropriate moment. INcluding food but try to limit sugar as it will make him hyper. (not good on planes). Have something in case of emergency bad behaviour that could be classed as an outright bribe (eg favourite soft toy that you threaten to pull legs off unless child shuts up - alas at 18 months this tactic will probably not work - but a new toy might).

Dont board first even if called first. Delay boarding until the very last minute. You really should minimise the amount of time your child is cooped up and on your knee. Some people advocate waiting until your name is called - but I would certainly not queue up while everyone else is queuing to board. If there are 2 adults travelling one could get on earlier with hand baggage etc to make sure you get a bulk head locker close to your seats (vital so as to get to clean clothes, nappies, distractions, out right bribes). Dont leave it so long that you miss your flight or the flight is delayed (as will annoy the aforementioned anti-family going on holiday brigade). Also, getting the child to move around means you tire them out - ie they might fall asleep (:j ).

Have one bag that has all the bits and pieces in for the journey - at least one change of clothes, plentiful supply of nappies (I always took enough last about 1.5 days just in case), juice (if allowed under current restrictions), milk, snacks, toys, books, emergency bribe etc. Try not to take really noisy electronic toys as will annoy you as well as the anti-family travelling brigade (and everyone else).

Try not to sit too near the back (air quality theory and you get served first usually).

Try and get an extra seat for him if possible (the cabin crew or check in crew will usually do this anyway if there is a spare seat). I never asked but got one around 50% of time travelling with an under 2 year old (ie when there were spare seats). Dont expect to get one or demand one!

When there is no trolley service, take advantage and walk up and down aisles. 4.5 hours is a long time for a kid to be cooped up.


Make sure you have something for him to drink when you land (to stop ears popping). My son has always been ok and loves take offs and landings but I usually hear a wailing start from somewhere on the plane. He is too young for sweets (IMHO) but one of those upside down cups with milk or water should do the trick.




Try not to let him pull wigs off the couple in front. Or throw food at them etc etc. One of my childs favourite irritating things is pulling the tray up and down, and the window blind up and down. DO NOT LET THEM DO IT. It just fuels the anger of those that think people with children should not travel ever. (and the anger in this case is justified).

Dont drink. It makes the childs behaviour even more annoying and harder to deal with. Dont let your OH drink either. It will just be really annoying when he or she falls asleep and snores.

If child is awake, take it in turns to eat - it is challenging though because the trays are a faff even without taking into account a wriggling child. If everyone else has to put up with the awful food, why should parents of young children get out of eating it? The cabin crew will hopefully understand and let you have one meal first and the other one later.


Changing nappies in the toilets is not actually that bad - I had to change my nearly 3 year old (who had had a major accident - hence the need for at least 2 changes of clothes). I had also had a glass of wine. It was actually quite easy, a lot less than I had thought. I used to change my ds nappy immediately (ie 5 minutes) before boarding. There are usually loos near the boarding gates.

I havent ever had problems flying with our son - and no problems with grumpy passengers either. Its only a means to an end (the holiday) so even if it all does get a bit nightmarish it will make a good family anecdote in a few months time. He will probably settle and fall asleep at some point as they still (usually )have naps at that age, and be a complete angel the rest of the time.


Have a good holiday.

foolishme

hi
i took my 18 mth old on 10 hr long haul,i expected and planned for the worst 10hrs of my life and was pleasantly surprised.
i did notice she was really thirsty but air stewards were more than happy to efill her beaker with cordial.also she could not sleep!!!!
and dnt worry. i doubt yoll be the only one. we formed a nice little parent club by about 2 hrs!!!!

MummyOf1_2

Thanks very much, i will take jot down a few pointers. I've tried the theory of sitting them on your lap at home then that tells you how good they'll be on plane, doesn't help when balamory is on and other distractions you have in a living room lol

Hopefully we'll be fine, everybody experiences things differentyl as well i think, and no 2 kids r the same, i will just have to pack a bag full of toys and food!!!

Thats just for me to survive...

Thanks for the tips though :money:

davidlizard

In addition to the above:

If he uses a dummy or other comfort aid, strap it to something. Ours flung her dummy just as we moved onto the runway for takeoff, and started screaming, and did not stop until we got to a few thousand feet and the cabin crew retrieved it. If its tied to something, its retreivable.

Try and arrange sleep/feed patterns so he'll hopefully sleep some of the way (easier said than done).

Meals: The cabin crew are usually most helpful and sympathetic - they will usually hold a meal back so you can eat in turns. What we usually do is I scoff mine whilst my wife holds her, then I hold her whilst the wife eats. If you have paid for three, then demand three meals !! He will probably be fascinated by the little cartons etc that come with the meal.

Find out what happens about the pushchair. Do not give it up when you check the bags in, but try and hang on to it to the gate. Depending on the airline and aircraft and space, some will take the buggy on board so it is available when you land. Otherwise, it will go in the hold and you get it at baggage reclaim (keep an eye out there as it may appear in the oversized baggage rather than on the carousel with everyone elses cases).

I am the worlds worst nappy changer, and I can manage easily in the aircraft toilets. Note that not all toilets have the drop down table.

Also, re new toys a top idea. Also improvise - half a dozen empty minature bottles donated by a gaggle of elderly Greek ladies kept ours amused the entire way back from Athens !

Have fun !!

i_love_it

right, depends where you are going, if somewhere like canary islands or minorca, there will be lots of infants on board (infants are classed as under 2yrs, no paid seat)

this is a double whammy, if lots of infants you wont feel so alien, but you wont get any special treatment from check in agents or cabin crew. But, if only 1 or 2 on board, they will assist as best they can.

You can ask, politely, at check in, if the flight is expected full? if not, they will try to allowcate an empty seat to use inflight, your babby must sit on your lap during take off and landing and turbulence in flight, but can occupy the empty seat in flight. (they would leave an empty seat right next to you for this)

The flight may be booked full, but there may be no shows, it happens often. so, once seated, before take off, and not on boarding, as the first crew member you see is occupied checking boading cards, there are more crew available in your seat area, ask a crew member if a re seat is possible, it may be. to give you extra room. ie an empty seat.

crew can heat baby foods and milk, but they just place in hot water, so a suitable container should be presented to them.

Milk is not available to give babies, airlines carry it, but its not properly chilled and health and safety prevents giving it.

if you have ordered meals, there won't be one for babby, only paid seats get a meal, so be sure to provide your own.

If a spare seat has not been available, crew will serve meals separately to enable you to switch laps for babby. But you will ask for this as they come round with meals.

there is enough room, just, in the loo to change nappy, some arre fitted with a purpose changing shelf, but not all, but dont be put off if nearest loo doesnt have one, just pulling the loo seat down gives a good base for changing. come equiped with nappies, but in event of lengthy delay ask for one, some airline carry.... one size fits all.

Please forgive my stress on being polite, as i'm sure you are, but with good reason i say this, every traveller thinks they are the most important, and of course to some extent they are, but crew face demands over and over and can't accomodate all...politeness wins everytime

lmeehan67

can i just add - LOLLIPOPS - for take off and landing. You know that earpopping thing is bad enough for you but think about your babys little ears ! I know lollies are sticky and messy at 18 months and they always hold the wrong end but you'll have your baby wipes nearby anyway. I have 4 kids and have travelled with them all as babies - once when 3 of them were under 5 - and can HONESTLY say ive never had a bad time. The worst bit is probably take off and landing when they have to have those safety belts on- once thats over with its fine.