Flying with babies

We are heading over back to Australia with our 11month babies (twins) and since this is our first flight with them we have no idea what to expect.
Do you have any tips or stories to share?

Have you tried using the search function? This thread should help: Flying intercontinentally with a baby.

I would suggest using a plane. Everytime I fly with a baby I find the buggers just dont have enough speed for take off.

(Who wrote that title?)

Do not put the baby under the seat in front of you so that you can "hold a drink". Yep, one mother did this but the air hostess told her that it was not a good idea. I cannot think why?!

I would also suggest dressing your baby in a suit and tie. If the plane is full, you're sure to get an upgrade to first class.

Bring something for the little one to suck on: breast, bottle, lollipop, etc.

Hand the babies to the stewardess and say, "Wake me when we get there".

Give your baby a cigarette after breast feeding. That way people will not complain about him screaming.

(Sorry for more serious advice go to the other thread: I'm trolling this for the fun of finding silly advice. I do appologise)

Leave one behind. You'll save a fortune in school fees later on down the road. Nobody needs two babies the same age.

One word, on behalf of child-free travellers everywhere: sedation.

Sedate yourself. Children can make so much noise. Much better for the other passengers to deal with it, you need your sleep you're a busy mum!

Be sure to post which flight you are on so everyone else can avoid it.

I find Flying intercontinentally with a baby even funnier as a title. Every time I see it I think it says "incontinently".

Coolmilo I do sympathise. Some told you to ask on toytwon and you will get help, after all you only joined today! What a big mistake mate. Andnow for the advice, make sure you take your wife. It's a long flight with two kids. Alternatively get the person who adviced you to aks on Toytown on a night flight with your twins and you and mrs follow on the next one. That will teach him or her!!!

If that's what happened then that person was a spacktard. What they should have advised was, use the search function on Toytown and you'll most likely find that your question has already been answered.

However, Kay's already provided a link to a previous discussion on the subject so the original poster has gotten what they wanted.

I was on a flight and was 'lucky' enough to have the parents and their twin girls sitting beside me I think they were a year...
First...the flight attendant made one of the parents and one of the babies move to another aisle (the seats directly behind me) Something to do with safety regulations and the number of oxygen masks..they can only have one baby per row...The parents didn't buy seats for the babies, they were carrying them on their laps.
Anyhow...
DON'T take toys that play music...I was about to toss it across the plane if I had to hear the high pitch electric twinkle twinkle little star one more time...
The parents were pretty good...and the babies really only cried during takeoff and landing, and the one with the dad wasn't happy because they wanted mom I guess...
It sucks being stuck on a plane with small kids...but really you just have to go with it...if they want to get out of the seat, then get up and walk a bit...
I flew with my niece once when she was 6 months and really didn't have any problems...it is stressful and I felt bad when she cried because some people were looking annoyed, but so what...babies cry.

Good luck with your flight...take a box of earplugs to sell to the people around you (kidding)

I recommend he auction off the earplugs . I would start the bidding at 20 Euros .

Two months is not exactly "today", is it?

If AT ALL POSSIBLE...go business!!! Bought a more expensive ticket and then used all my miles to upgrade (less miles needed with the more expensive base tickets) and it made all the difference.

I also brought a sling that I had wrapped around her for safety for take off and landing or if I felt there was any turbulance. There was the recent flight where 9 people were injured due to hitting turbulence and hitting their heads.

Or try to get the bulkhead seats in the front middle rows of economy class, as there is more space in this section of the plane.

The "corrupt post" detective has struck again.

Well, the fact that you care what people think means you haven't fully assimilated into German life, and shows promise for your trip. My brother has two daughters, he is American and often flies back to California from Northern NSW where he lives now. He tells me that is is a (and I quote) "suicide inducing event". Not to be negative, I guess that's life with children. My advice would follow that of the other poster that told you to be prepared not to sit next to your significant other because of safety - also, buy lots and lots of water after you get through security. The flight attendants have a million other things to do than to deal with dehydrated twins.

Children that age are especially susceptible to inner ear problems associated with drastic fluctuations in pressure, so keep that in mind if the crying is persistent.

And this next statement wont win me any awards or get me any friends on the board but thats not why I'm here. From someone who has spent so much time on airplanes you could see it in a pie chart of my life, I really question the judgement of parents who fly long distances with children under 3 or 4 years of age. I know it is sometimes 'necessary' but kids as young as yours become a hazard in emergency situations, they don't understand enough of any language to be obedient, they drive the other passengers absolutely crazy - and most importantly, they wont remember a damn thing they see on this trip.

Am with you on that Lavender Rain. Kay pardon me.

I got a list of tips when I asked the same question. Here's the list that I got (several of these tips are also in the other thread).

The suggestion of things to take (but don't get them out all at once
is the advice - one thing at a time until they get bored) include:-

- Play Dough, Soft Stuff or similar
- Sticker books (the most popular thing mentioned by a mile!)
- Colouring books (esp the aqua draw 4 pictures in a box)
- Fuzzy Felt
- Books
- Small puzzles
- special toy, if they have one, to make them feel at home
- Leap Frog or similar
- Portable DVD player if you have one with fav progs or movie

Other suggestions included:

- Wrap up little gifts of toys/sweets/etc and if the going gets
tough give them one to open
- play running games at the airport to wear them out
- Take spare clothes for everyone in case of travel sickness
- Take food in case the kids hate the airline food
- give the kids something to drink during take off and landing to
help sore ears
- Have one child each and swap every now and then
- Don't forget wipes
- ask for kids meals to be delivered before yours
- try to stick to the same routine as you do at home

and my personal favourite...
- deny they are yours when they start to scream

Not much to add after all the helpful advice you got... Just a few tips:

Absolutely, positively book seats for the babies. You (and your babies and everyone around you) will go crazy if you don't.

Bring car seats. Your kids are reasonably comfortable in there. Make sure to check with your airline about what certifications they require. On US flights, the car seats have to be FAA approved or they won't let you use them.

Whatever makes your kids happy, BRING IT. People around you might not enjoy twinkle, twinkle, little star. But trust me, they'll prefer it to listening to two babies screaming at the tops of their lungs.

If they take a bottle or sippy cup, give it to them during takeoff and landing. Swallowing will help with the change in air pressure.

Check with your doctor about meds to help against motion sickness. (Helps them sleep, too...) We've used Benadryl before. Works GREAT.

Bring plenty of diapers. The airline only has the one-size-fits-none variety.

Bring a stroller (or if you're British, a pram ). Take it with you and check it at the gate. Insist you get it back as soon as you leave the plane.

Expect not to get any sleep on the trip.

Relax. Ignore the people around you. When your kids get fussy, focus on THEM.

Also, don't plan on getting much done the first few days after you arrive. Kids take a while to adjust to the time change.

If possible book bulkhead seats ahead of time. If that's a no-go, get to the airport plenty early, go to the counter, and make sure you stick the babies in their face (helps if your kids aren't ugly) and push every button you can push until you get bulkhead seats. Go to a female at the counter vs a male. Trust me on that one.

If they are weaned, take some sort of sippy-cup and get water or fruit juice for the take-off. Don't let them drain the cup until takeoff as drinking will help with the inner-ear problems.

***********Take five or six small trash bags with you**************
Children on planes create trash. You don't want to be sitting there with a handful of crap waiting for the F.A. to take it off you. It's also a LOT nicer for the F.A.'s if you have small trash bags to put dirty diapers in.

Ditto whoever said take extra clothes for them and YOU. Shirts usually take the brunt of puking episodes. Take a couple spares.

Ditto whoever said RUN THEIR ASSES OFF at the airport. You want them tired as Hell. I know tired sometimes means cranky but tired is still always better than hyper.

We did it for years with four kids and only had one bad experience. Had a two year old throw an uncharacteristic tantrum and some snotty bitch behind me wanted to lecture me about my kid's behavior. I asked her if it bothered her to fly with children and she said yes. I suggested she buy her own fucking airplane and she wouldn't have that problem anymore. That pretty much shut her up and got a laugh out of the rest of the cabin.

Try to get the shortest route in terms of actually being inside the plane. From Frankfurt that would be via Singapore. I am not sure if that applies to Munich as well. Consider the Airport where you leave the plane midway. Again I would recommend Singapore. There is a very clean and relaxing transit area with lots of different areas for children, there is an outdoor swimming pool, a quiet corner with comfy seats to relax and a lovely outdoor garden. Changi Airport is one of the nicest Airports In the world.

If you fly with Qantas you should be able to book a bulkhead seat with sky-cots in advance. If you order vegetarian meals you often get them before everyone else, that may be practical as well.

Try to get a flight which leaves late in the evening, close to their usual bedtime, so they can go to sleep as soon as you board the plane.

I also tried to pick flights that would hopefully be less crowded...i.e. lacking business and weekend travelers. Then when I checked in I asked them if they could block the seat next to me unless there were no other seats available. They did that no problem.

Did you already book your flight? If not you should compare the sizes of bassinetts the airlines offer. Some of them are quite small, but I am sure there are some which are big enough for 11 month old babies. Some airlines don't limit their use by age but by weight.

I've travelled aroung the world many times with my kids, starting when the older was three month old. Here are my suggestions:

Buy seats for your kids! Would you travel in a car without seats? THen why would you contemplate a plane trip with kids on the lap? Yes, it is expensive, but do you want your kid to be a projectile during really rough turbulence or a crash? What good is a sling going to do? It might help during mild turbulence, but anything worse and your kids is just going to be your on little blow-up dashboard bag and your kid is going to be squashed. My mom knew a family where everyone died except the mom--she had a baby in her lap--very convenient for her when they were flung against the dash board. The baby was crushed, of course...

If you are absolutely determined to use Benadryl, try it out before hand. Do not administer a dose, and lean back, confidently expecting a miracle. For some kids Benadryl has NO effect at all, and for some it actually revs them up. Try it at home first.

Do not expect that you can get bulkhead seats. BA., for example, started giving these seats to preferred customers years ago (unless they have changed their policies)

Check your stroller at the gate. It'll also help as a convenient makeshift bed when your airline loses every bag except...the stroller.

If you have a plane transfer, have one of those little electric cars sent for you. Let the kids run around near the gate, not during the death march through to another terminal...

I've flown from England to Hawai'i with an 11 month old. The kids ares going to want to walk. Walk them. And around and around. And around and around. Hope there isn't too much problems with security issues these days.

Acknowledge beforehand to your fellow travellers that it will be a bit of a trial for all of you. A little personal contact before any possible screaming will help work wonders with everyone's moral.

Tuesday, as to WHY people travel with tiny ones, they are many reasons. They move. They live overseas and don't want to wait for 4 years to show off the kids. They have parents who are dying. They have parents who have cancer/ are arthritic and simply cannot travel to the kids. They have family weddings to attend. I agree, it is no joy to travel with preschoolers and toddlers, and maybe some people do it just because they've gone stir-crazy and long to get OUT of wherever they are. I've always had really pressing reasons.

Most important--get something to help pressurize the ears. Even my nine year old, for some reason had some real problems when we flew from Japan to Australia. Get a dummy, or a binky, or whatever you want to call them. But make sure the kids have something.

I've had great experiences with Quantas. Good luck!

I would strongly suggest to any parent NOT to give benadyl or other medications in the hope of making your child sleepy. Especially in young children <2 years old. This is medication with a specific purpose, not indicated as a sleeping agent and may have minor and serious unintended side effects.

gaeta has excellent suggestions. Not sure if I agree with the extra child seats. Traveling is stressful enough without having to lug around extra seats.
If the plane crashes I seriously doubt the child seat will help anyway. Go to a dollar store and buy a bunch of little toys for them to play with. Bring lots of water and some snacks.

Be kind, take a ship

If you must fly, don't allow the kids to eat or drink anything for an hour before take-off and landing. You want them to be hungry/thirsty so they can move their jaw and swallow, thus taking care of the pressure. Otherwise, the kids will be in pain and screaming at the top of their lungs.

Try and keep them awake as long as possible before the flight. Once you reach cruising altitude and they're full, let them sleep. If they can't, children's Benedril is your friend. Forgot to get some? Brandy. Ok?

They're not "knee-biters" yet, so we ... er, you don't have to worry about them running around the cabin during the flight.

Poopy diapers? Change them right away, please. In the bathroom, not at your seat. Nothing is quite like breathing in recycled air tainted with baby-poo

But I wasn't joking, take a boat. It's a longer trip, but the chances of arriving safely are greatly increased when there isn't 500 people in a cramped cabin wanting to do unspeakable things to you because they can't get any rest on this 12+ hour flight when children are screaming. Just a thought.

Yes, I myself have never tried to knock out my kids with Benadryl or anything else. I was scarred for life when my Siamese had an adverse reaction to some vet-supplied tranquilizers. He started chewing on his foil turkey pan (litterbox) on the freeway until his mouth bled. There we stood, on the interstate outside Kansas City, picking out bits of foil from his bleeding mouth, while the trucks and cars roared by. I've never done it again...

When all is said and done I'd rather travel with kids. At least you don't get shunted off to a urine-soaked room in an Ibis hotel (in France, when moving from Spain to Italy) when you tell them you have pets...

I don't think she means child seats like those used in cars; she's advising the OP to pay for separate seats (=buy airplane tickets) for the children.

I guess if you're unlucky to be on our flight there's not much we can do for you since our kids come first. Thank you all for the feedback.
With some of your comments like gideon I could only say that it's cool to be in a place where you can have a laugh at some events in life.

now i think i will go ahead and design my warning t-shirts to wear on the flight.