I have a long journey planned on my next vacation with my 1.5 year old. A fourteen hour flight followed by layover and then a 6-7 hour. We did not opt for an exclusive seat for him either. Any tips?
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1. most importantly: call the airline and try to get a bassinette, and at least one seat next to it(that’s the crib that attaches to the wall in front of the bulk head seats). the bassinette itself will probably be too small for your child to actually sleep in, but will hold all the extra stuff that comes along with a toddler. moreover, the extra leg room will give your toddler more space to play that is NOT your lap or the aisle…
note: bulk head seats are usually booked first because there’s more leg room there, but parents with infants on-lap (younger than 2 years) have priority to these seats on most airlines. if you can’t book the seat in advance, don’t dispair – you can still get it upon check in: come in early and insist on it!
2. try to keep the child’s routine as close to normal as possible. keep meal times and nap times as close as you can to your “home time”. bring small packs of favorite foods and snacks with you, as plane food is not likely to top your kids list… you can heat up baby food by putting the container in a small cup filled with a half-inch to an inch of boiling water and stirring the contents. “Gerber” containers fit perfectly, or you could use the small, round, 4-oz disposable plastic containers (like “Glad” or such) which also fit in the coffee cups provided on airplanes.
3. of course, if your child has a favorite toy, stuffed animal, blankie etc., have it with you on board.
4. get a bunch of new, real-cheap little toys that you wouldn’t mind losing / throwing away by the end of the trip. introduce a new one every hour or so — it’ll buy you precious time! i’d put under this category also some little arts & crafts items, like stickers and crayons.
5. have at least two full changes of baby clothes and lots of extra diapers with you, as well as a small “baby-bath travel kit”, just in case your layover gets extended, your suitecases go astray, and so on… i’d also take an extra shirt for mom and dad, for any unfortunate accidents.
6. on the plane, don’t be shy – let baby run up and down the isles. fighting it won’t help anyway, and the excersize is good for you both 😉 plus, the more energy they spend, the more likely they are to fall asleep at some point…
7. talk to your pediatritian about baby-safe antihistamines – a small dosage may be all the help baby needs to get drowsy and sleep better when they’re already over-tired, but the strange environment won’t let them fall asleep…
8. take a deep breath, and remind yourself that, as hard as this one day may be, it’s only one day of travel, and it, too, shall pass!
good luck! 🙂
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One thing I can recommend is a portable DVD player with your toddler’s favorite movies and/or TV shows. It will definitely help out. Check with your carrier if they offer an in-flight rental of DVD movies and/or players. I know Alaska offers one for $9/day for their players.
Also, don’t forget to bring a pacifier for them during the takeoffs and landings.
Finally, you can check what each major airliner in their FAQs and Travel section. I included Southwest’s and Alaska’s here:
Southwest: http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/t…
Alaska: http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/help/faqs/…
Source(s):
Personal Experience