1 Year Old - First Hol - Plane Advice.

[Alipops1986]

Evening All,

We're off on our first summer holiday to Spain a week on Sunday for 12 days. I'm starting to fret about everything but mostly the plane Journey. Zac will be on our knee, so no seat of his own, does anyone have any suggestions/advice?

On the way out we take off at 7am. So, the plan is to move Zac from Cot to car seat about 4am, hopefully he'll stay asleep/drop off on way to airport. Ideally waking up about 6am, and then breakie etc there. Anyone have any further advice regarding this?

I've managed to get him off formula and bottles so don't need to worry about that at least!

Any advice would be fab as the temperatures are in the 35+!!

Thanks,
Alipops x

 

[Becky1]

I took my ds when he was 14mths, we had an early flight but woke him at 4am when we needed to leave so he slept on the plane. We relied on the iPad and books for the rest of the flight when he was awake.

It was a great holiday and a great age to take him, he's now 2 was a nightmare on holiday! xx

 

[Lucyboo]

I work for an airline so bit of an expert lol. Make sure you have bits to distract him, few toys, snacks drinks etc, seen so many people with young children/ babies bring nothing, also worth asking the crew if there is a spare seat anywhere, (though unlikely being holidays) I've seen so many babies do the opposite to what they should, ie wide awake at night so just be prepared but honestly you'll be fine. Defo wouldn't worry about getting him changed etc until at airport. Also you won't have pushchair until you reach carousel when you land so think of that when planning your hand luggage. Good luck x

 

[JD.Deedee]

Also you won't have pushchair until you reach carousel when you land so think of that when planning your hand luggage. Good luck x

That's different per airline.. Fly to Amsterdam and ask for a tag when checking in other luggage and you get it back once you get off the plane and not all the way down the carousel.. Manchester puts it back on there regardless... So if asking for the tag don't work, I think it's more down to the airport than the airline..

Plus, no one ever told me this until last time I had flown... NOSE SPRAY, saline spray whatever it's name.. 45 mins before flying, no ear ache, no totally different baby days after landing... Regardless if they are congested.. Flying turned my child into a complete ill wreck of a baby since someone in a boots type of shop bothered to explain this to me, I had my child back!!! It's a life saver because it clears the nose and the ears..

My son tends to nod off.. I've brought ipads and other books but they are a bit cramped.. I actually broke my ipad last time during getting off and the screen cracked.. Things that are not too big and if you take a pad, properly protect it and take headphones not the earbud ones but the ones you put over the ears.. And pop some offline video's on there.. You can buy them from amazon and stuff or you download a flv downloader and get them off youtube...

 

[Becky1]

I downloaded loads of stuff on the bbc iplayer, all free and a lot of his fave shows are on CBeebies.

 

[babyslog]

Noah was 22ms when we took him on his 1st homiday abroad. So a bit of an age gap.
But we flew at 7am too, worked out fab for us. He was awake the whole car journey but fell asleep in my lap as we took off. Stayed asleep for an hour. When he woke we just used the iphone , downloaded loads of free apps and portable dvd player. Just packed them in his trunki with crayons and some books too to entertain him.
He was good as gold on return flight too.
He was well behaved most of the time on holiday. Couldnt keep him still for 2 mins though and run riot everywhere lol! Inc trying to dive in the pool.
We went all inc, he hardly ate all holiday!

Will go self catering next time.
We flew with thomson and they allowed us if we wanted to take pushchair through security. We didnt, as we thiugh letting him run around a bit before the flight would tire him up.
Other ppl did take it through and a the airhostess just took it off them as they boarded the plane, they collected it again once landed.

Noah wasnt on formula when we went but i found packing the growing up milk ready to drink cartons came in handy for tr flight. He still loves a beaker of milk in the mornings so if we woke early before breakfast id give him one.


Just pack loads of nibbles!!!!! xx

 

[Pin badge]

We did long haul to Barbados at 8 months and have just been the Crete at 14 months. Both trips were fine (even with a 9 hour delay to Barbados!)
Most recently we flew at 6.25am, took her to the airport in her pjs and had breakfast there bofore boarding. I took an empty beaker and bought a bottle of cows milk at the boots airside.
We have a trunk I and packed a couple of small new toys to keep her occupied on the plane, iPad with Postman Pat videos, some snacks, change of clothes, little blanket and her fave teddy. She didn't have a seat so sat on our knee and we just passed her round as she got bored.
We kept the pushchair until the gate and had no pushchair again until the baggage claim in Barbados or Crete but I'd packed a sling in my hand luggage (a babas ling summer lightweight one) which was handy when she was younger in Barbados but she is walking now and didn't entertain it this time!
With regards to the heat see if you can get a clip on fan for the pram ..we got one from eBay and it was brilliant, it had soft blades in case she stuck her fingers in. We also got a full cover sun shade for the pushchair which provided good shade and kept her cooler inside.
For nighttime we packed a thin 1 tog sleeping bag but it was too warm and we swapped it to a sheet instead.
Pack light cotton clothes and don't bother with too many...we came home with lots of DDs clothes unwashed.
You can save space in your luggage by reserving nappies etc at boots airside and taking them as hand luggage if you think it would help.
Have a lovely time! Xx

 

[hellywelly]

Try and give a bottle at take off and landing if at all possible as the sucking helps equalise the pressure in their ears (sucking a dummy or in my daughter's case her thumb would also help!). Also £10 spent on ten items from the pound shop which are brought out every hour helped when my daughter was a bit older!

 

[Loula]

My Lo was 13 months on her 1st flight. We left at 3am and she was awake the whole way in the car. She stayed awake til on the plane. She had her bottle of milk before security and took one on board just incase.
I was very lucky she was fine and had a good hour and half sleep which was most of the flight.

As for pushchair we took it right up to the door and had it as soon as we got off the plane so no waiting til the carousel.
As for the heat she did lose her voice after a few days but was fine

Were flying again this year at 3 years old and its a 4 hour early morning flight.
I plan on making her a bag of amusements including the tablet as a last resort x