Travelling with infant/toddler (18 months old)

tymatk on 11/02/2014 - 09:44

Hi all

We're looking to go on a holiday to US with our 16 months old daughter in June which is by then, she should be around 20 months old.

Being just under 2 years old, she's eligible for a a discount ticket of only 20% (with all Airlines or at least major ones) of full cost but she will have to sit on our lap.
I also believe that she's old enough to not qualify for a baby bassinet.

So, we need to ask for advises from the Ozbargain crews who has travel with their child before to share some experiences of how you're able to get your child to travel in comfort, yet without a proper seat?

Bare in mind that i'd sleep on the floor if i have to as long as my daughter can sleep/rest/play comfortably in my own seat but i'm sure there are ways of getting around with the airline to scores some usable spaces.

I used to worked, travel around US a bit when i was single, have fly with many different Airlines (Jal, Quantas, United, China Air …. ) but that was a long time ago and by myself, sleeping on the floor of the terminal waiting to be board was fun, ticket was expensive but you used to be able to carry up to two luggage of around 30kg each and customer service was Standard back then :).
Not sure what the deal is these days as i would love to be able to carry lots of stuff, mainly for my daughter ….!

Also where possible, we will be hiring a car to drive around, where we will base our self in LA. If i am able to bring our own baby seat (i'm anal about my child safety), would Airlines consider it as a part of our luggage?

A lot more questions to be ask but you get the idea….

Thanks

Travel

Comments

  • ESEMCE on 11/02/2014 - 10:19
    +1

    Pretty crappy that you only get a 20% discount to not get a seat!
    I haven't travelled with a toddler, but have with a baby.

    I'd be trying to fly through the day rather than trying to get her to sleep on an overnight. That way you're less likely to upset people who are trying to sleep on the flight and she can get over the excitement/fright of being in a tiny tin can with hundreds of strangers and take some naps later in the flight.
    Jetlag is going to be a killer for the first couple of days too I imagine.

    Definitely too big for a bassinet unless she's exceptionally petite, and even if she is tiny, it's not recommended as she could climb out!
    But you could perhaps negotiate to get a seat near an exit row (you wont get one actually in an exit row) so she has some (supervised) play area on the floor.
    Pack plenty of toys, and snacks for her and be prepared to not get much sleep yourself/selves.

    You should be able to check your baby seat without any problems. Make sure you wrap it to prevent the straps from snagging on something.

  • tymatk on 11/02/2014 - 11:42

    Thank you for the recommendation …

    I believe when you check in with a toddler/infant, Airlines normally give you the first row seat (bulkhead?) as there is much more space there. Exit row are normally for single people?

    • ESEMCE on 11/02/2014 - 11:59
      +1

      Correct, but there's not that much extra space in the bulkhead seats, maybe another 30-45cm.

      Compared to the exit row which has 1.5m or so of space (at least on the Emirates 767-300's that we flew)
      And 747's (does anyone still fly them?) used to have a few square metres of space around their exit doors.

      I was thinking you could stand in the exit area (when seatbelt sign is off) while your kid plays on the floor.

  • NancyCat on 11/02/2014 - 12:36
    +1

    Go to the airport and check in early, if your flight is not full and the check-in staff is nice, she/he would arrange an empty seat between the two adults…and hopefully no one would take that middle seat. Worked well a few times for us, and if someone did take that middle seat, just swap seat with that person later.
    Bring plenty of NEW toys, NEW colouring books, NEW crayons, snacks and bring them out one at a time. iPad! Download plenty of kids apps, ebooks…
    Daytime flights didn't work for us, kids were driving us crazy the whole flight. Change to overnight flights, kids were tired, a little easier to tame, they just watch the movie and doze off. If we were lucky, we could get a few hours. (BTW, overnight flights are more expensive than daytime flights)
    We had our toddler sleeping on the floor, under our legs a few times (when the seatbelt sign was off). But got told off by some flight attendants, due to 'Safety reasons', we had to wake up our daughter and put her on our lap. Most of the time, flight attendants just turned a blind eye.

    All depends on you, your child, and the airline…GOOD LUCK!

    • tymatk on 11/02/2014 - 14:10
      +1

      Thank you

      Yes we already have 3 seasons of Peppa Pig and will probably load other shows on her Ipad as well.

      • ESEMCE on 11/02/2014 - 14:41

        Search for iview downloaders to pull down stuff from ABC iView

      • NancyCat on 11/02/2014 - 19:02

        Ahhh…good ol' Peppa Pig. Well, I hope your daughter has some headphones. Peppa Pig on loop will drive everyone bonkers!

  • John on 11/02/2014 - 14:00
    +1

    I've travelled a few times with our now 1 year old. When he was only 3 months, travelling was actually real easy.. as long as you have milk and ready to put him to sleep, you can go travelling pretty easily.

    But when he turned 11 months, it was a lot more difficult as he wants to play most of the time. He wants to stand up, roll around, look everywhere… and it makes things a lot more complicated. And when we were in the destination, he gets sleepy real quick at night so we couldn't really enjoy dinner as he is getting real cranky by 7pm.

    US is an very long haul flight, I imagine your child will not really like being in one place for such a long duration of time.. especially if she's walking and everything. Plus the time difference will also affect her when she's over in the US.

    My suggestion is to try travelling short distance first. See how your daughter cope with it. Every child is different.. but the things I mentioned above seems common for most kids..

    If she's ok, and you do want to travel.. probably few suggestion:
    - travelling during the day seems better for us.. as during night, my boy got woken up on checkin, during flight and landing.. which makes us worry he gets tired as he didnt get good sleep
    - Bring plenty of distraction as NancyCat mentions.. various snacks, toys, books, activities..
    - Try segmenting your flight if possible, to cut down travel time and possibly adjust the body clock slowly
    - Definitely pay for good airline… it will be WORTH the money! Singapore Airlines are really good with how they handle parents with toddler
    - ask for bassinet seat (even if you dont need it), because your kid cant kick any seat in front
    - ask to empty spare seats in your row

    all the best!

    • tymatk on 11/02/2014 - 14:12

      Thank you

      And yes, my daughter is at the age where she's ready to discover the world. Doesn't want to sit in her pram anymore when we go shopping, just want to walk on her own pace (turle), wave, smile, interact with everyone that is around her, this could spell trouble as most travelers just want to rest on the plane.

      If we take Jal or China Air, we will stop by at either Osaka or Taipei for a few hours. Is a few hours good or just stay for a few days?

      • ESEMCE on 11/02/2014 - 14:44

        Stay a few days for Body Clocks to reset themselves.
        Then maybe another hop to Hawaii??
        Going to get expensive this way though!

      • John on 11/02/2014 - 18:48

        Cant help much.. I'm guessing a day or two as few hours will instead make you more tired from all the checkin/checkout.

        I've never travelled that far with my toddler. And honestly after our pretty tiring holiday last month, we decided to postpone our US and Europe holiday until he is 4-5 years old. At least then he can enjoy the holiday too..

        For the meantime we're aiming somewhere around this side of the globe..

  • altomic on 11/02/2014 - 18:48
    +1

    Phenergan milkshakes.

    • NancyCat on 11/02/2014 - 19:08

      Phenergan didn't work with my daughter, in fact it make it worse. My daughter was 'a little high'.. as if she was on 'something'… in the zone…weird…

  • Hoju on 12/02/2014 - 08:21
    +1

    They won't let you lie on the floor, it's against some kind of safety regulation.

    United is awful, they sell the bulkhead seats at a premium, and do not reserve them for parents with babies. Qantas however does as does jetstar (in our experience within the last few years).

    Our son was above the 11kg limit for the bassinet but we put him in anyway. His head and feet touched both ends but we all got some sleep and it was fine. No questions were asked. I believe he wasn't quite 20 months old but he was a big boy.

    Car seats are free check in on any airline I've ever seen Even the most budget domestic carriers. As are prams.

    Honestly it's not that bad. Our kids are very energetic but I've flown from the UK with a 1 and 3 year old on my own and it's been fine. We did a road trip in the US with our 10 month old and it was being stuck in the car that bothered her more.

    Enjoy the trip!

    • tymatk on 12/02/2014 - 13:30

      Wow, sounds very encouraging.

      Thanks

  • backpaqer on 12/02/2014 - 11:20
    +1

    We did Malaysia and Japan with a 23 month-old…we could have gone for the 10% airfare without the seat but also importantly NO LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE. So we stumped up the 75% child airfare which got her her own seat and luggage allowance. She was so small at the time she slept on the seat and it looked like me in a kingsize bed! Of course the pram and various baby bags etc are not counted towards the luggage allowance…but Malaysia (and the US) has some awesome shopping to be had and we loaded about 100kg of luggage at no charge on our return flight…each passenger got 24kg checkin + the freebie stuff (pram) + all the carry-on allowances x 3. It was a bit of a juggle but we had travel bassinet, pram, camera gear, a lot of computer gear (full tower desktop from Imbi Plaza - the home of computer bargains in KL)…not one eyelid was batted.

    I'm 6'2" and I need all the space I can get…I'd hate to lose what limited space I already have to have a toddler on my lap (I'm sure my wife wouldn't wear it either…she was staring down the barrel of needing a hip operation at the time anyway).

    • tymatk on 12/02/2014 - 13:32

      (75% ticket to get a full seat)

      That is what we have been seriously considering and leaning toward.

      Thank you

  • MaxTravels on 12/02/2014 - 11:45
    +1

    Just a comment on entertainment. We did asia when my daughter was 3 and she is not a patient child. I did loads of research and ended up packing dozens of little "presents". Each one was wrapped up and contained things like a new pack of pencils, a small pack of stickers, a couple of dozen paper clips, and even masking tape (which did raise an eyebrow at the Australian departure security gate but no where else). Each was selected to allow my creative one to make something or play a new game, but also be of no value so they could be disposed of without any worries. The paper clips filled in time making necklaces and bracelets for everyone, and masking table can be sculpted into all sorts of shapes.

    Your little one might be too young, but I found that the idea of these presents gave me a rabbit to pull out of the hat whenever I needed a new distraction. I took enough for the entire trip so we could use them at meal times etc.

    • tymatk on 12/02/2014 - 13:33

      That is very creative, good on ya. Your baby would have felt like Christmas all over again :). Will look into some activity for her to work her brain out.

      Thanks

  • Geekomatic on 12/02/2014 - 20:32
    +1

    I agree on the daytime flying with little ones. Everyone expects a toddler to have the understanding & patience of an adult & the energy of a 90 yr. old.

    I was advised, by an old family doctor, to try a bit of benedryl liquid as an "energy suppressant" when things got a bit too rowdy. Benedryl is used for allergies & can be taken by infants. It's the main ingredient in the sleeping meds you buy over-the-counter—-> makes you sleepy. Personally, I always travelled with it because our whole family is prone to allergic reactions to things- especially insect bites.

    However, you should test it before flying- as some kids (rare) experience an opposite reaction.

    HTH

    PS- I'd get a seat for each of you

  • tymatk on 13/02/2014 - 09:54

    Thanks

    Go with Airlines that has good reputation for service and children friendly. I'm a member of Cathay Pacific so i will look into Cathay first.

    By the sounds of it, i should try to secure/request for a baby bassinet first or buy the extra seat at %75 and everyone is happy plus the benefit of being able to bring extra luggage.

    Load up ipad with cartoons

    Come up with some activity

    Be prepare to cope unpleasant looks from fellow travelers

    …. and a heap more that we're yet to think of.

  • backpaqer on 14/02/2014 - 08:26
    +1

    Yes, sitting near a screaming kid can be pretty trying…but there is nothing that you nor the parent can do about it really. I've heard about Phenergan as a knock-out agent and several other tactics parents can employ. I think kids pick up on their parents level of stress and bounce off that. If you are worried, the kids will be worried. Try relax and observe your surroundings and point out things of interest, introduce him/her to the funny man in the funny uniform in the funny booth with the rubber stampy thing. I've found Emirates to be probably the most kid-friendly airline around, they really go out of their way to look after their "little ambassadors", but most other airlines will hand out activity packs and toys to keep the kids amused.

    Our daughter flew really well…never a problem…but for 24 hours after the flight she'd always be a bit grizzly and not sleep well, but thankfully that only ever lasted 24 hours and no longer.

    To anyone who is worried about screaming kids on flights…Bose Quiet Comfort 15 headphones = kids be gone!

    • Emilia on 15/02/2014 - 12:07

      Phenergan can only be used in children over the age of 2.

      Geekomatic mentioned Benedryl earlier, however that can only be used in children over 6 now.

  • donga100 on 15/02/2014 - 09:25
    +1

    If you PM me I can give you some tips about getting an extra seat more cheaply.

  • tensai on 21/02/2014 - 13:33
    +1

    I have travelled overseas with my now 16 months old boy couple of times over the last year..
    And also numerous domestic flights.. he usually cope the short flights very well, 2 hours is not that much

    For the long haul (9 hours)
    It was much easier when he is younger as all he need is milk and sleep
    At 14 months we took him to Singapore/Thailand and day flight does not work for him.
    He does not want to sleep, and he is not at a stage where he concentrate to watch tv
    he likes to walk around and around and the 9 hours flight to Bangkok was terrible… it seems like 13 hours.
    He only slept his usual afternoon nap…

    It is much better at night flight return, especially if you can get on the flight that leaves around his usual bedtime…. (8pm leaving HK/SIN on Qantas flight is perfect)
    usually I make sure he is full, clean nappies, keep him awake, fill him up with milk during take off
    by the time the bassinet is ready, he is well slept and we can have a peaceful few hours break.
    Last trip at 16 months, on our return from HK, he slept 7 out of 9 hours in the bassinet..

    Make sure, he is well fed, deprive the baby a bit of sleep before on board, plenty of snack, food, favourite toys

    I would ask for a bassinet seat as you are still eligible to request for those seats even tho the 20month old may no longer fit in the bassinet. Those seats are the first row and you have a bit of room for the toddler to walk around. Be nice at the checkin counter, they usually will try hold a spare seat for you (but will not guarantee). I have travelled 3 times and all 3 times I managed to get a spare seat..

    HOWEVER, as a spare seat at the front row is very precious, my last trip there was a lady jumping over from a middle seat of a 3 seater and moved into our spare seat. I try to be nice and told her that as we are carrying a baby it will be more convenient for us. She went as far as talking to the supervisor of the Flight Attendants that I HAVE NO RIGHTS to request for a spare seat, and they have NO RIGHTS to deny her sitting in the spare seat. They only have RIGHT to move her back to her seat during take off and landing. :(

    SURPRISE SURPRISE, all Flight Attendants said I in fact have no rights and I didnt pay for the spare seat.
    I said yes but at the same time, she has no Rights to change seat either. Flight Attendant said they cannot police passengers during the flight. So soon after take off, she jumped across and sit between us. We accept the fact and let her sit on the side. She didnt even bother to move back for the landing.

    • tymatk on 21/02/2014 - 15:39
      +1

      Wow, that's not very nice ….. what a loser.

    • NancyCat on 22/02/2014 - 08:59

      What a dumb bit*h. (No, offense to you and your child) Why would she want to sit in the middle of you guys? Most people would want to move away from a baby/kid as far as possible. (Again, no offense!)

      If I were you, I would 'accidentally' spills some of the kid's food/drink on her.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join