D, Kayla and I went on our first trip together last week to Bali! Thought it'd be great to document her first flight experience here and share some information on flying with a baby under 1 :)
( Very sleepy us on the way to the airport )
We were actually pretty nervous because Kayla was super grumpy in the morning cos she was really tired. In the end she fell asleep while we were having breakfast at the airport haha
We chose to fly with Singapore Airlines because it's a trusted airline and also because I read some rave reviews about flying with kids with them :D
The crew was really friendly and thoughtful, we actually arrived last (a little embarrassed about that) but they were very patient and helped us settle in smoothly. We were given an infant seat belt before takeoff and Kayla had to be strapped onto either one of us until the seatbelt light goes off. This is the best time to give your baby some milk to help with the air pressure. To our surprise, the air pressure during takeoff didn't affect Kayla at all and she was just happily drinking her milk and focused on the flight instruction booklet loll
Once we were safely mid-air, the stewardess came by to help us fix up the bassinet :) It wasn't as deep as I'd expected but I still found it helpful! Kayla could sit comfortably in it (although I was hoping she'd just fall asleep lol, no such luck) and play with random things.
Look at how happy she is hahaha
The flight includes a baby meal, you can choose from 3 flavours of Heinz baby puree. Kayla has never tried this before prior to this trip and really hated it lol. So thank God we brought her favourite snack along!
The flight was seriously a lot easier than I'd expected, Kayla was pretty much happy and calm throughout most of the flight. On the way back she was sleeping through most of it hahaha so yay!
One big problem we encountered was..... having to change her diapers! D checked out the toilet and felt that it was too dangerous to change her in there because she fidgets a lot and the changing table was super small. We ended up quickly changing her at the seat instead, so pressurising omg. Cannot imagine if the flight time was even longer. Really hope planes will include a baby room or a small section for nursing/diaper changes in the future since a lot more people are flying with small babies these days.
All in all it was a good experience for the three of us and am looking forward to more holidays with Kayla in the future ♥︎
Oh yes I heard that to ease the ears of your baby during the take off time is very important, I glad you all have overcome that problem.
ReplyDeleteDefinately, changes in pressure can irritate baby’s sensitive ears. So since swallowing can help to alleviate ear pressure, What to Expect recommends timing feedings for takeoff and landing (when ear pressure is usually worse). In a pinch, pacifiers will also help.
Karla
Hi, A tip to offer for bringing a little ones on flight:
ReplyDeleteWe have always put our 3-year-old in his car seat on the plane. It solves the need for a seat at our destination and, more importantly, he feels secure in it, it’s familiar, he’s safer, and he’s confined. For him, it’s just like being in the car. We started that the first time we flew with him and he’s never given us a problem since.
Sabrina
Bring your child’s birth certificate . You already know to bring your itinerary, tickets, boarding passes, and either a passport or photo ID. Your child’s birth certificate can come in handy if you need proof of her age or if her last name is not the same as yours.Because our son is a tall 20-month-old, we’ve been asked on several occasions at the check-in counter to provide proof of his age. My advice: If your baby is going to travel as a lap baby, be sure to bring a birth certificate. It can make the difference between a fast, streamlined check-in and being forced to purchase a seat for your child.
ReplyDeleteStaci
Do you know that you don’t need to fly business class or be a frequent flyer to gain admission to airport VIP lounges. If you have a long layover, consider buying your way into a cushy lounge where chairs are comfy, space is ample, TV and wi-fi are available, and food and drinks are free. For as little as $25 a person, Priority Pass and Lounge Pass will let you and your kids gain entry to hundreds of airport clubs around the world. An increasing number of these lounges are now offering designated family rooms; in the United States, these include three of Continental Airlines’ President’s Clubs and nine of American Airlines’ Admirals Clubs. Most lounges allow children under 12 when accompanied by an adult, and there’s sometimes no charge for tots 2 and under, but policies vary so double check before booking.
ReplyDeleteMandy
ALWAYS take zip lock bags for you soiled diapers and dispose of them later. Do this anywhere you go out of your home not just on an airplane. No one wants your smelly dirty bowel movements and urine on their waste baskets. Why would anyone want to expose the flight attendants and other passenger to bowel movements and urine???
ReplyDeleteNatasha
Hi, it’s always good to check with the airline because each airline or even country, has different rules. However, my family is having a big reunion and people are coming from all over and going to S Africa where one of our daughter lives. She wrote and told all those planning to come with small children that they MUST have an original birth certificate. This is because there have been awful cases of people trafficking children to other countries and they are never seen again. So a birth certificate should be fine. Sometimes when a parent travels alone with a child, you have to have a letter from the other parent to say that (s)he gives permission so as to not allow illegal abduction.
ReplyDeleteI hope this tip will puts your readers' mind at rest and have a good trip with their little children.
Krystal
Our infant is now 15 months old,and this week he goes on his 5th flight and 4th long haul. The short one was Manchester to Malaga.
ReplyDeleteIn that respect,I have gained valuable experience. I have always found a satchel much easier than a trolley bag. I can put it on my back while he is his buggie or while I strap him on my tummy.
Another thing I found useful is selecting seats with more leg room as you will definitely need this.
Sitting not too far from the toilet does help,and making sure you do not feed your baby or infant food that is likely to upset their tummy or you will be spending your whole flight changing diapers.
When your baby/infant goes to sleep,do likewise and take the much needed rest. You will need it,especially if you do the long haul flights like I do.
This will be my first flight since he started walking,and I definitely know that he is going to want to walk up and down the aisle being amused at all the smaller babies he sees. I am relishing the experience. I love challenges.
Happy flying to all mums and dads who fly with their babies and or infants.
Wanda
How did my one year old Eva do on her recent 9+ hour flight?
ReplyDeleteWell, we had a 3 hour flight delay before we ever able to leave the airport, so it was way past E’s bedtime before we even boarded the plane. We had originally planned the flight for right around her bedtime, so from the get go we were already kind of “playing it by ear”. It was past 11PM by the time they dimmed the lights on the plane, so we were all very tired by that point. We travel with a bag of earplugs in case E gets “grumpy” so that we can offer them to fellow travelers. Fortunately, we haven’t ever had to actually offer any out.
We used many of the Mommy Points tips for reserving new and special toys and books for the flight in order to keep E entertained. Eva does not usually watch tv or movies at home, but we made sure we had some Pixar films ready on our iPhones so that she could watch some movies on the plane. I felt like a horrible mother, but entertaining her with food was very helpful! Hopefully, I am not teaching her to eat when she is bored.
The return flight was much better as she wasn’t overtired and stayed fairly entertained with books, toys, food, nursing and even took two naps without much coaxing (not really her style to nap voluntarily!). We put her in pj’s for comfort and ease of changing diapers. We also put her in an overnight diaper so we’d only have to change once during the flight or in case of “code brown.”
Overall we had so much fun in our recent Europe trip with Eva, but I wish that we had packed lighter and limited our traveling within Italy a little more. It was stressful catching trains and getting all our stuff in and out while entertaining the munchkin. We also found out the hard way that you have to ask for the bulkhead seats to have more room on the plane way in advance and that booking those seats on the internet didn’t mean anything. Always follow-up with a phone call and again at the airport.
Kelly