when we go on holiday our flight is at 7 in the morning so we have to be at the airport for 3.30 so we leave the house at 3 so we have to be up at 2 in the morning my son who is 8 this year has adhd and is on sleeping tablets and is autistic also so yer hes a right hand full wanting to know when we can go to the soft play bit but he know he carnt as we have to pass through security after we check in i take coloring books his ds and some music for him as he a totall pain in the butt on the plane he is up and down all the the way i say thanx for the ritlin.xx

Evening all,

We are off the the Dominican Republic in April with our baby son. He is very 'routiney', so I wondered what the best way to deal with the change in time zones is? I was thinking in the few days leading up to our departure, should I push his routine back by, say, 30 mins each day, so that by the time we get there he will at least some way to being on DR time?

Also, if anyone has any tips about flying with a baby they would be much appreciated. I've got a few ideas, such as feeding him on take off and landing, but any other advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

Lisa

Hi all, I've been if'ing and r'ing about going abroad I'm September this yr for aged now. one minuet deffinatley going to go the next I'm not! I do really want a nice holiday, the thing is I'm a bit scared of flying and now we have a baby it's worse as it's not just us Ive got to think about and he is way more important than us!

I know 1000's go on holiday with toddlers and babys but it's just the feat of flying I think holding me back. we've decided if we do go to het him his own seat, hel br nearly 17 months. Wel either take his car seat on or buy one of those cares harneses.

I suppose I'm just looking for reassurance or any tips? Were thinking of going to Majorca, thanks

Edited to add sorry for all the spelling mistakes im typing from my phone

linzi_lou,

You might find the discussion over on the General Enquiries forum useful; Is it easy to go abroad with a baby? and Child aged 22 months. In relation to taking car seats, depending on who you are flying with, there are only certain models that are usable on aircraft due to the rescricted seat width. I can't remember the model off hand, I'll dig it out if you want, but anything more than 16 inches wide won't fit in most aircraft seats, hence it's only a certain model that's permited.

Darren

Thankyou I'll take a look at those threads, we have a britax eclipse, I will measure it, if not ill buy a cares harness not cheap at £80 but worth it for peace of mind I say. we will be flying with thompsons. thanks

Details of using your own car seat on Thomson Airways aircraft are here. I think it is the Britax Eclipse SI or the Freeway that's the only one small enough for use so you should be fine with it.

Darren

It's worth giving your toddler something to suck during take-off and landing to avoid the ear popping sensation as it can be very painful for some little ones. My youngest suffered terribly during his first flight when he was 14 months old and it wasn't until afterwards that I realised what the problen was.

I don't think the Britax Freeway is made anymore and you'll have to check the dimensions of the Eclipse as I think that's wider than 16 inches. You'll also have to cvheck that Thompsons will allow the Cares harness, it's not been available in the UK for long so some airlines might not allow it.

Thanks, little one has a dummy at sleep times so I'll let hi
Have it on the flight or maybe a bottle of milk although I'd think he'd be off all day milk feeds then but I suppose one would be ok as I doubt he'd have water from a bottle ad I don't really want to give him juice in a bottle bit then maybe once or twice might be ok, I'll see. I think you might be right re the carseat been too big as the britax site says something like 43cm, but i will double check ad measure it. I will ask about the harness before we boon too and whether he will still have to come in my knee for take off and landing or if he would be ok to sit in his seat with the harness throughout. thanks for your help, just got to wait till payday now in a couple if weeks to go I to the travel agents! Maybe even get it booke then I can't changer mind!

sorry once again for the terrible spelling I will try to be mire careful typing on my phone!

Hubby & I are going to Turkey next Monday with our 17.5 month old twin girls. Will post any tips for you when we get home. For drinking juice, ours use a couple of different types of cup depending on whether we're in or out. if we're in, we've got the Tommee Tippee ones with sports type spout and for when we're out, we have the Avent Sportster cups which have a clip for attaching to the buggy. We got 2 metal key chains and clip them to the d ring on the buggy and the bit that keys go on is just small enough to go over the clip part of the cup, stops the cups going on the floor if the girls throw them when they've finished drinking. They will also drink from a straw.

Cate

Just to warn you. If you have booked seats for your twins to sit on you laps during the flight and they don't have their own seat you and hubby will need to be seperated by an aisle, the reason is that if your aircraft seats are 3+3 which they normally are to Turkey each set of three seats only has 4 oxygen masks in case of emergency hence if you seat together and there is a passenger in the third seat there would be a need for 5.

Just don't want you to be surprised when you check in if this is the case.

Dave

Two trip reports coming up, first is trip to Turkey at the end of May. On the outward flight, we got settled in our seats and memebr of cabin crew explained to us that girls needed to be on seperate rows and she'd explain why a few minutes later but I said I knew why. We passed H back to my parents who were in the row behind. All ok until I heard H protesting and looked round to find see Dad's hand over the buckle of the seat belt round her, yes she sussed out how to undo it within a couple of minutes.
Return flight was half empty so we were able to spread out after take off which was great and I mean spread out, bro in law had a row of 3 seats to himself, during landing I didn't have either of the girls on my lap, H was asleep on dad's lap and S was with hubby. Travelling with Thomsons is great, they were really helpful and kept a couple of adult meals warm while one ate and other held a infant. If you're travelling with kids and have booked meals, they give the kids meals out first.

We were over at my parents for a week at the end of July and by then, S didn't like being on our laps and protested loudly. I apologised to passengers nearby and they were fine. The return flight was very full so hubby & I were across the aisle from each other and another passenger took the middle of the row I was on, I'd taken the aisle hoping to be able to let S sit in the middle for cruise part of flight as she was really protesting at beiong on my lap. The man who was in the middle commented after landing at how good both girls had been (hubby & I swapped so he had S) and yes that was after the crying from both.

Taking a sip out of their juice bottles, no problem at all. we only had 1 each for them.

Next time we fly, girls will be 2 and able to have their own hand luggage (small backpack each). I assume that security staff at airports will be ok with hubby and I putting girls bags onto the belt to go through the scanner or do they have to be able to put their bags on?

Hi cate ..

Next time we fly, girls will be 2 and able to have their own hand luggage (small backpack each). I assume that security staff at airports will be ok with hubby and I putting girls bags onto the belt to go through the scanner or do they have to be able to put their bags on?

2 year olds wouldn't be expected, and perhaps wouldn't be allowed, to try and lift their hand luggage up on to the conveyor belt.

David

Thanks for that David, I did read a few years ago on another website about a mother who was told at security that she had too many bags when she put her son's hand luggage onto the belt, her son was 3 but small for his age. Girls backpacks are small ones (you could get an A5 sized book in them but A4 way too big). Don't know which airport it was though.

We're going over to England in January. Hubby & I will have one child each but I'm not sure whether it's better to go for seats across the aisle or one row behind the other, I don't think their legs will be long enough to kick the back of the seat in front. I'm thinking that window and middle is going to be easier so that if the flight is full, we don't need to move for someone to take the last seat on the row. Also one of H's favourite words is Bye bye, reading this story has me a little concerned, I know it was in America but am wondering how likely it is to happen here in UK? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19735896/ns/travel-news/t/mom-chatty-toddler-kicked-flight/#.TqhpPt6Im0s. I've looked but can't find the outcome to this. It goes without saying that we'll try to keep the girls quiet during the safety talk but can't guarantee success, how much of a problem is it if toddlers aren't silent during the talk?

I know some people on here will be wondering why we don't use the rail & sail, the answer is that it just wouldn't be practical. We'll probably do the rail & sail once the girls are old enough to help with luggage (saw children age 5/6 pulling wheely cases which are hand luggage size back in April). Hubby & I will have the bigger bags. Also by then, they'll be old enough to enjoy train travel and it'll be an 'adventure' for them.

Hi all,

We are going to Salou in July and my son will then be 2 years old. Im just wondering will he get his own seat on the plane? And if he does then does he HAVE to sit there for take off and landing or can he sit on our lap?
As most of you with babies/toddlers will know, they are very fidgity and i think it will be easier to keep him seated on my knee if you know what i mean?

Thanks for any replies in advance.

Emma B

Hi Emma,if your son is 2 he will have to sit in his own seat for take off and landing,my son had to when he was 2 but it was a long time ago,he's 18 now.

Oh noooo Just the answer i was dreading. Haha...

Suppose we will have to make him sit!! Haha... But hey you never know, he might like feeling like a 'big boy' sitting in his own seat and be as good as gold Fingers crossed...

Thank you Oscarben.

Emma B

EmmaB88,

When you booked your flights / holiday, did you book a seat for the 2 year old? He won't be able to fly unless he has his own seat as anyone from the age of 2 can't sit on parents lap for take-off and landing and therefore needs their own seat. You won't be given one unless it's been booked. Details are on Thomsons website.

Darren

Hi Dazbo,

Yes we booked for 2 adults and 2 children, so yes i suppose i should have known he has his own seat but i was just unsure if he had to stay there for take off and landing but i now know he does and will have to just deal with it i suppose Its only a short flight so fingers crossed he wont make a fuss! Haha...

Thanks

Emma B