9.5 Hour Flight w/Kids (and Not Paying to Guarantee Seating Together?)

[Bonnie151]

We'll be flying next May from Glasgow to Sanford with First Choice. The planes look pretty nice with their individual TVs, but it's still a 9.5 hour flight and we'll be travelling with a (just turned) 5 year old and a (nearly) 2 year old and to say that I'm dreading the flight is an understatement indeed.

How on earth do you keep a toddler entertained for that long???? We need to be at Glasgow airport for 7:15 AM which does mean a very early rise so between that and Amber's need of an afternoon nap anyway, I'm hoping some time will be spent sleeping, but I'm expecting to spend most of the rest of the flight walking up and down the aisles with her.

And on an unrelated note- for £100 I can pay to guarantee to have seats together on the plane. I wasn't going to do so as we've already preregistered for 2 extra legroom seats for DH and grandad so two of the party will (hopefully) be sitting separately anyway. That leaves granny, me and the two kids. They couldn't possibly sit either a 5 year old or 1 year old on their own, could they? Surely they'd have to have at least one adult next to them which leaves possible combinations of:

Me and two kids, granny separate
Granny and two kids, me separate
Granny & I each next to one child

Any of those are fine to me - if there's a flaw in my logic to not paying the £100, could someone please point it out?

Ta

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

I havn't paid for seats together either and have never had a problem.

 

[CustardTart]

Hi Bonnie! I'm not sure, but I don't think you can book both the Sit Together and Extra Legroom options on First Choice. As your kids are so small they won't have them sitting alone. I reckon the 2 + 2 option is prob best tho' if it's 3 + 1 you and Granny could always swap half way through the flight. Good luck...

 

[alisonbestford]

Try not to worry about the flight with your little ones
I've walked many a mile around the plane on visits to Florida, starting when DD was 3

We've never paid the extra for guaranteed seating because, as I understand it, children won't be left to sit on their own - even though the prospect of a lovely, peaceful flight, whilst DD (now almost 8) chatters away to some unsuspecting stranger is tempting.........

I usually pop into one of the Pound shops, or somewhere equally as cheap, to pick up surprises for the flight

 

[wicket2005]

We have never booked to sit together on any flight and have always sat close together. Sometimes in a 3 and a 1. I don't think they would ever sit kids by themselves, just make sure you get to the airport as early as you can and I don't think you will have any problems.

I would double check with First Choice that you can actually split the party up into two. Whenever I have seen the extra leg room seats, it states that all the party has to sit in them and the minimum age is 16.

The first time I went to Florida the kids were 5 and 7, I bought them haversacks and stuffed them with everything you can think of. So much so that if they fell over they would have looked like little beetles with their legs up in the air trying to right themselves. A few bits and pieces will be all that is needed.

 

[Bonnie151]

the prospect of a lovely, peaceful flight, whilst DD (now almost 8) chatters away to some unsuspecting stranger is tempting.........

Ooooooh, that's a wonderful thought!


I have checked about splitting the party for just booking the 2 seats for extra leg room and that's definitely not a problem (although it did take me a few attempts to persuade First Choice that I really did want to pay for a seat for my daughter as she will still be under 2 ). They did say, however, that they won't book the extra leg room seats until the end of March so we are on some preregistration list and they'll phone us back then to make sure we still want the two seats. Hopefully we'll get them!

Thanks everyone!

 

[Soprano]

I have flown with a usually active 2 and 3 year olds before and was dreading it. To my surprise, they sat for most of the journey watching TV, eating or drawing. A brief sleep too. They were great. I know a lot of parents worry about keeping their children happy. To be honest, I have never had a problem with noisey children either on any flight. I cannot remember any trip reoprts here mentioing that either. Maybe the thinner air keeps 'em quiet.

I think it really will be easier than you expect.

 

[alisonbestford]

Ooooooh, that's a wonderful thought!

 

[gbrchill]

You better hope for 2 + 2 then... Granny and you get a nice quite journey whilst some complete stranger gets to play with the kids all the way there!

I've seen that done.

Chris.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

You usually find that young children cope with the long flight very well, to be honest we have found it more difficult now Josh is a little older.

A Portable DVD player has proved invaluable to us and is well worth a consideration, only problem is we have had to buy 3 batteries to last the whole flight.

 

[martinrmn]

Do the majority of people believe it a bit of a con having to book seats together? I have booked the 3 of us, my son is 5, to be sat together. After reading this I am wondering if I have done the right thing at £20 each.

 

[Groovee]

I once didn'tpay for seats together and the eejits had dd sitting on her own at 15 months. The next year I did and they had ds aged 2 sat on his own and they did the same this year. Luckily I just swapped dh for him and a lovely couple swapped with us to allow us to sit with dd.

 

[Cochise]

I once didn'tpay for seats together and the eejits had dd sitting on her own at 15 months. The next year I did and they had ds aged 2 sat on his own and they did the same this year. Luckily I just swapped dh for him and a lovely couple swapped with us to allow us to sit with dd.

Unbelievable!! i would ad a favourite Father Ted phrase at the start of eejits!

 

[alisonbestford]

I thought that airline rulings meant that small children weren't allowed to be seated alone?
Only going on what I thought I'd read?

 

[Claire L]

I thought that airline rulings meant that small children weren't allowed to be seated alone?
Only going on what I thought I'd read?

That is true to a certain degree - CAA guidelines re family seating.

Claire

 

[Groovee]

I thought that airline rulings meant that small children weren't allowed to be seated alone?
Only going on what I thought I'd read?

Doesn't seem to be rulings as such more guidelines. Dd was sat in 4a and we were 7a and b. The air hostess told me to give up the seat for her and let some other passenger sit there. Ds was sat 2 rows ahead of us, and that was after I'd paid for 2 window seats. Funnily after complaining on arrival, on the way home we had 2 window seats. Plan to try and get a 4 together by getting there early to check in next year or 2 window seats.

 

[Bonnie151]

Hmmmmm - I think we'll *definitely* be planning on getting to the airport early now. I can just imagine the horror on some poor passenger's face when (s)he realises they've been stuck next to an unaccompanied 23 month old!

I'm starting to feel a bit cheap for not wanting to pay the £100. As of this morning, though, Stephen was starting to swither on the 2 extra leg room seats as he's leaning towards wanting to sit with the kids. He said he doesn't want to leave his dad on his own in an extra leg room seat, but I don't think he'd thought about the fact that there's no guarantee that *those* seats would be together either!

And now I have another question- the CAA guidelines which were kindly posted, state that the under 2s need to be either on an adult's lap or in an approved car seat during turbulence/takeoff/landing. We have bought Amber her own seat on the plane, but had no intention of bringing her car seat (mostly because having flown with Connor to DLP at around the same age, I can't imagine having had him squished in a car seat for a long flight). I take it that she'll need to sit on my lap during takeoff etc or would we be better off reconsidering bringing her carseat?

 

[karengr]

we have taken our children from 8mths and they have been wonderful. Even better was last year when we flew First Choice due to the TVs. we are myself,DH,DS6,DD2(ages when they went last) my suggestion is to get to check in early to avoid any dissapointment but the children will not be sat on their own, also take some extra non messy snacks as my 2 got a little hungry between the aircraft meals. you had to pay for extra drinks which was expensive so bear that in mind when thinking about taking money with you.

We had agreat choice of entertainment with films and other tv programmes we just look at the timetable of programmes and planned our time round this so that they werent a: watching tv or playing games for the whole journey,
b: not getting bored
c:had alittle time to relax
d:had some food that they enjoyed so were not starving when they got off the plane.

Take a maazine or book and some puzzles for them.
they will cope far better than you think try not to worry

have fun finishing your planning.

karen

 

[Jules224]

The last time we flew i left the booking in to my SIL, never again!
Our son was 8 months old at the time, so we had requested a sky cot and our daughter was 5.
My SIL assured us it was all sorted and took charge keeping the tickets with her so we didn't lose them, then it came to boarding the plane, she was sat with her DH and 2 kids my DH was sat with DD 5 rows behind me, i was sat at front with more room because of infant but on my own.
We were not impressed, the air hostess came over to me and said if i needed a break or a coffee at all just call them, it was then i realised that they thought i was a single parent, they were fantastic but couldn't do anything about it.
I have no doubt it was SIL fault (not Virgin) so she could definately sit with her family as she is a nervous flyer.
Needless to say we booked our own seats home, even then she tried getting the sky cot for them so she could have more leg room.
Apart from this incident i have never had any problems with us all sitting together without pre booking seats.

 

[paulfoel]

We'll be flying next May from Glasgow to Sanford with First Choice. The planes look pretty nice with their individual TVs, but it's still a 9.5 hour flight and we'll be travelling with a (just turned) 5 year old and a (nearly) 2 year old and to say that I'm dreading the flight is an understatement indeed.

How on earth do you keep a toddler entertained for that long???? We need to be at Glasgow airport for 7:15 AM which does mean a very early rise so between that and Amber's need of an afternoon nap anyway, I'm hoping some time will be spent sleeping, but I'm expecting to spend most of the rest of the flight walking up and down the aisles with her.

And on an unrelated note- for £100 I can pay to guarantee to have seats together on the plane. I wasn't going to do so as we've already preregistered for 2 extra legroom seats for DH and grandad so two of the party will (hopefully) be sitting separately anyway. That leaves granny, me and the two kids. They couldn't possibly sit either a 5 year old or 1 year old on their own, could they? Surely they'd have to have at least one adult next to them which leaves possible combinations of:

Me and two kids, granny separate
Granny and two kids, me separate
Granny & I each next to one child

Any of those are fine to me - if there's a flaw in my logic to not paying the £100, could someone please point it out?

Ta

You could always give the little one some Piriton to assist with sleep !