Future Travel

B.,
I would definately book him his own seat for that long of a flight. That way you can set up his own little "pad" to keep him busy with play and snacks.
I would also try for a long layover if possible. He will need to run off some energy and get some good fresh air as well. It would be nice if you could stop half way and stay the night and then fly the next half in the next morning, but you may not have that flexibility.
Take Care,
T. (mom of 4)

It appears you have tons of wonderful advice here. Kids adapt...that is the key to remember here...as long as Mom & Dad don't appear stressed, they won't either...so direct flight or one with a layover is COMPLETELY what you prefer...just plan accordingly with books/snacks/diversions either way. The last two times we flew with the twins it was 3 hours direct. This summer we are doing our first time with 1 1/2 hr. layover each way, due to the cost/airline we are flying...so we'll see how it goes. We plan on having lunch, touring the airport, watching the planes, etc. But when we flew direct...(which I prefer) I just brought books, colors, snacks to keep them occupied and they did great. Not TOO many toys, maybe 3 different things, once they are bored with one, move onto the next. If all else fails, then break out the cheerios! LOL If you can afford the extra seat, I would buy it. Good luck, God bless and Safe travels...I just talked to a friend that did the Alaska Cruise with her family and she said it was fantastic. You will have many wonderful memories there. ENJOY!
Love, B. ~ SAHM of 3 1/2 year old b/g twins.

I've never traveled with my boys, but I have been a passenger on a plane with young kids. And I have to say PLEASE, for the sake of the other passengers, book a flight with layovers.

One flight, I sat next to the most hyperactive kid in the world and he just got squirmier as the flight went out. It was a five hour flight and I definitely could've used a break, so I'm sure he could've too.

I also think you should book him a seat, just so he has his own space. At 20 months, he'll be big enough to be a pain in the butt (maybe even literally) sitting in your lap the whole time.

Hi, B.!

First, let me say, How Very Wonderful for you and your family.

I have never traveled THAT long at one time, BUT I have traveled ALOT car, train, plane with babes & kidz. I say go non-stop, once you take off and he gets 'settled in', there will be a whole lot of sleepin' going on! His own seat is a MUST!!! He will need his own space & so will all of you, a 'special bag' that he can have with his own 'stuff' is also a MUST! Gummy fruits, real fruits & good snacks, etc.. Have him a juice box for take off & as you just get into the air so it will help with his ears.

Have a great trip!

A.

Oh yes-for your own sanity--book him his own seat! Do you really want to be holding him for 15 hours?
And a layover is a very good idea to break up the trip. Also bring lots of things to keep him occupied including a portable DVD player with some good educational/kids dvds, books, games, and snacks/drinks, etc.
Besides that, I think you guys will be fine, he will nap when he's tired (but don't expect him to stay on a schedule while you are traveling). We just got back from a vacation with a long road trip and though my son didn't have much a a nap/bedtime schedule while we were gone--he fell right back into it once we were home.
And have fun!

ask the airlines.But I think if he sits on your lap,he's free. Get him seasick ness meds and he'll sleep He needs gum or bottle sucking to keep his ears from poping. Find a plane loaded with Marines they will pass him around and play with him all the way. Those big brutes love kids. We flew on a plane loaded with Marines. Once they shut the door forget your kid, they will talke total care of him

If you have it in your budget, I would definitely suggest purchasing a seat for your son. Depending on the airline, sometimes they will give you a 1/2 price ticket for a child under two. If you are booking through a travel agent, they may be able to get you that deal. When I flew alone with my oldest son when he was six months old I got a 1/2 price ticket on United, but last month, my husband and I flew with both our kids (now 3YO and 18 months) and that was not an option on Jet Blue, so we diceded to have my 18MO be a lap rider, and that was tough at that age. I was a little cramped with one on my lap and anticipate the flight would have been tremendously more comfortable for both of us if he had his own seat. Even if you don't purchase a seat, sometimes the gate agent will give you an extra seat if the plane is not full, but ours was, so don't count on that. Check with the airline about car seat rules as well. Sometimes under two, they MAKE you have a car seat on the plane, which can be a pain, so that might factor into your decision as well.

Our flight was five hours, and I have to say the boys did remarkably well. I purchased some inexpensive toys and coloring books that they had not seen before, and brought mini tubs of play-dough to keep them busy (I was worried they play dough might not make it through security, but it did).

It is a tough decision whether to schedule layovers and make the traveling take longer, or do a non-stop and just get it over with. We chose a non-stop so we could just get on the plane, and settle in for the long haul, rather than having to pack up, get off, wait, get on another plane, get settled again, and so on. So, even though 15 hours on a plane may be seem like a challnege, I would choose to tough it out on a nonstop, instead of having to takeoff/land, get on/off, and wait multiple times. I found that even in the airport we had to keep them strappend in strollers, as it wasn't really an ideal place for them to run around and play, so it wouldn't seem to me like it provide much of a break anyway, especially if you are running late for your connecting flicght (anything can happen) you just end up making a mad dash to get on another plane and get no break at all.

Either way, don't stress. It's not going to be nearly as bad as you anticipate, and the flight is not going to be what you remember anyway, as you will create so many wonderful memories for your family with the expereince. Good luck and have FUN!

If anything, please purchase his own seat. I have flown with my 18 month old (at the time, now he is 4) while 6 months pregnant on my lap... I wanted to save money but it was not worth the suffering I put us both through.

Good luck and have fun!

Hi B.,
I would say for sure to book his own seat for two reasons... first you can take his car seat, which is the safest way for him to fly and he can sleep in it too! There's no way you want to hold a squirmy 15-month old for 15 hours! :) Yikes. I would try to break up the fly time, unless you can do most of it at night time and you think he'll sleep. And be sure to bring easy, non-breakable playthings, like mini-doodle pro, sticker books, non-staining markers, favorite books, lovey, in this case, I'd even say, bring the portable dvd player, even if he can't hear it, he can watch it for a while when you all get tired of the rest of it.

Good luck!
K.

If you have not already booked your filght i suggest booking it at night right around his bedtime. That way for most of the flight he is sleeping. Also buy a small dvd player that you can take with you and dvds that he likes. I would also suggest not to bring loud or small toys, small toys fall and the people around you might get upset about that. I have made a few trips by myselg with my 2 and 3 year olds, they sure were an experience. I did not take a car seat, i simply buckled them in for take off, and when the light went off let them lay down in my lap. I also suggest a stroller, it will be much easier walking in the airport with one. The will stoy it for you. Also check with the cruise line for baby activities so your son will not get bored. Have a great trip!

You should definately schedule layovers of at least 90minutes. I have flown with my son 3yo about 10 times at different stages and the layover will be a lifesaver! Especially at that age, goodluck and have fun!

Hello!
My opinion would be to fly direct. That way you avoid the up & down of the airplane which can hurt your son's ears. And I would say that you should def get him his own seat. If it were a 5 hr flight, then you could probably manage. But 15 hrs!!! NO WAY!!! I think you will go nuts by the time you arrive. My best friend just flew to Hawaii from LA with her 4 yo daughter & 20 month old son. They bought the baby his own seat, & he still had a hard time. She was so happy they spent the extra money on that.
Hope this helps!
H.

I have a three yr old and a 2 month old. We recently flew to visit family and have done so many many times. My three yr old has flown more than most adults I know! I found that once he was old enough to walk he was very hard to fly with as a lap child. I know the airlines allow it until they are 2 yrs old but I would recommend getting him a seat. I would also recommend a good safety seat to put him in. I had a lot of trouble with my little guy when he was a lap child because he wanted to get down and run and could not understand at that young age why he could not. The next flight I was sure to get him a seat and strapped in he was a lot less of a fight. I have a stroller/safety seat combo and I love it. we have used it numerous times and will use it after our youngest son is ready for a seat on the airplane.

As far as a layover I would say yes. On our recent return flight we had a short layover (to get cheaper tickets) and it actually worked out very well. I was not travelling alone with the boys however or I would have never done it. I usually travel alone, this time my husband was with me. Having that brief break helped with the monotony and we got to see an airport we had never been in. Some of the bigger airports are very cool to visit. So if you are going to do a layover do it in a big airport if you can, they have plenty of things to do. I would make it at least an hour (to give you plenty of time to get from one gate to the other) but no more than 2 hours (cause then you start getting bored and exhausted.) If you can afford it I would think about an overnight layover in an airport with a hotel in it to get some rest. For example the Orlando airport has a hyatt built right into it so you never have to leave the facility.

HTH

T.

I say definitely buy him his own seat. And bring the FAA approved carseat for him to be in some of the time. You can take him out during the flight. But in the case of a "rough" landing, it's extremely hard to hang on to a lap child. Any way to avoid unnecessary injuries is the way to go.
As for lay-over time. I would opt for at least 90 minutes. You never know if your plane will be delayed. You want to leave a cushion of time to be able to get to the other plane. And it would be nice to let him down to walk around, change diaper or clothes, eat a little something, before getting on another plane. *getting on the second plane may be a trigger for a tantrum* He could be thinking he's done with being cramped for the day and now here she goes putting me back in there.
Usually, babies and toddlers do fairly well on planes though. Of course, you hear all the horror stories and strangers giving the parents the evil eye. But most times it's not like that at all. Bring lots of snacks, plenty of diapers and extra clothes for you both.
Hope you all have fun!