Anyone fly overseas with small children?

[Nik's Mom]

Am I insane to take our 2 sons (4 and 7 at the time of trip) to England? We'd love to go, and our 7 year old is very into medieval history (he's autistic and has som unusual interests). So, am I insane to take them so far, with such a long flight?

 

[DennisP]

No, you are not insane. Many people take their children on long trips. I was on a flight from Tokyo to New York and there was a family on-board with 3 children. The youngest appeared to be about 4 or 5 and he was absolutely the perfect traveler throughout the entire flight (he was sitting across the aisle from me).

Have a good flight and a great time in the UK!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yes we have and no you are not.

Our children were 17 months and 3.5 years old at the time.

They had a blast.

We did have to walk laps around the plane on the return flight. The eastbound flight is definitely easier!

I have a friend who lives in Wales and she has crossed the Atlantic many many many times with her son and he is 5.5.

I always think of it like this--kids live where we are going....so there must be something for them to do.

My girlie girls LOVED Harrod's . The next fave for my oldest was actually in Paris--the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa.

ETA: The youngest also when to Hawaii when she was 23 months...and that took a LOT longer. Still an uneventful trip and she did wonderfully.

 

[the kabuki]

I wouldn't do it, but that doesn't mean you're crazy if you do. I'm already antsy myself on long flights, wouldn't want to deal with my kids' on one too. But that's just me.

 

[Nik's Mom]

O.k. I feel better. So, any tips on how to keep the kids from going nuts on such a long flight (I think it's 11 hours long!).

 

[ilovepcot]

Just the fact that you asked makes me wonder if you feel deep down that this may be a bad idea where your children are concerned. I traveled from NYC to Moscow a few years ago and a young child on board screamed the entire trip! By the time the plane landed, all the crew and passengers wanted blood. I kept my mouth shut but actually heard some ugly remarks made to the parents. If you feel (should things not go smoothly) that you have thick enough skin to handle an entire plane of angry people, go for it! On the other hand, your children may be well behaved and enjoy the trip. Here's hoping you make the right call!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

O.k. I feel better. So, any tips on how to keep the kids from going nuts on such a long flight (I think it's 11 hours long!).

On the east bound flight....

Dinner and bedtime! Sleep is important on the flight--really no point in keeping them up...games and such to a minimum. The sleep helps minimize jet lag. Amazingly, my kids went to sleep on their own right on cue.

Depending on the airline....we got our pillow, blanket, sleep mask and stuff...the kids got a little kid back with coloring items and such.


The return flight is more difficult--I'd save the activities and bribes for then. They do have kids programming on British Airways. Our westbound flight was kind enough to play Disney for them the whole way (most families were headed there anyway). The flight seems to take longer b/c it is in broad daylight and sleeping is of little concern.

Don't walk around the plane unless you have to..like for potty breaks. My youngest decided it was her favorite activitey so we walked a bit. It was the flight that wouldn't end.

We did our best and had no problems..but my kids our younger, so no real tips for you there--just the "be aware" moments.

 

[Judy from Boise]

We took our 7 yo to Australia ! So 11 hrs seems VERY doable

coming home we flew straight from Brisbane to Sydney to LA to Boise in one 24 hr shot !

 

[mrsv98]

When I was a nanny, we went to Hawaii every winter (tough job I know ) and from Chicago, that is actually a longer flight than London. The only really tough flight we had was when the youngest was 18 months. Other than that we dealt with it. Lots of new toys, even just ones from the dollar store, Leapster, books, etc.

Having gone to University in England and thus having made the trip many times, I agree that heading east is much easier, especially for kids who tend to be able to sleep anywhere. The home bound flight is harder but managable. I intend on taking DD to England in the next couple of years, when she is about 7 yo and I think it will be just fine.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

When I lived in Germany, I flew 3 times with my twins that were toddlers and my preschooler at the time. It was hard, and they had a few breakdowns on the plane ride. It is really hard for a small child to sit still that long. I wouldn't have done it or would do it again unless I had to.

 

[Conversationist]

If the kids behave great, have a nice time. If they cry, scream and run around the whole flight, then you are not being fair to the other travelers who are already miserable from being forced to sit in coach for 8 hours.

 

[MamaLema]

Go for it!

 

[jrydberg]

Took my daughter to France a couple years ago. She was fine. Just make sure they've got plenty to keep them occupied on the plane. With any luck, they'll sleep a good bit

 

[magicfan]

Am I insane to take our 2 sons (4 and 7 at the time of trip) to England? We'd love to go, and our 7 year old is very into medieval history (he's autistic and has som unusual interests). So, am I insane to take them so far, with such a long flight?

Not insane at all. Just take a bag full of snacks and stuff to entertain your children on the plane with you. And books. I also do something sometimes when we are on those long flights:

Go to the dollar store and buy some things for your kids and wrap them up when you get home. During the long flight, when your kids start getting antsy give them a "surprise". New things are always more exciting than old things, so bring a few (that's why I suggested the dollar store, but you can budget however you like).

 

[golfgal]

Bring a laptop computer, lots of movies, extra batteries and computer games. Don't forget headphones, too.

 

[chris1gill]

Eleven hours is a piece of cake!!! Bring lots & lots of snacks! We've taken our kids from Boston to Hawaii a couple of times & from Boston to Sydney, Australia & then back from Brisbane... this year is a little crazier, we are taking them from Boston to Ayer's Rock via a 2 day stay in Sydney & then doing some other crazy stuff before we leave from Brisbane back to Boston... We started all of this when our daughter was like three... both kids are the best traveler's ever... it was all those flights to Florida that really started them in training!!

Lot's of snacks, something like crayons & paper & then books or some other puzzle type of activity, or even a travel boardgame....

 

[happybratpack]

This is kind of a rude remark IMO. What about the guy sitting next to me who smells like he forgot his deodorant? What about the lady that insists she talk to me the whole time? That's not fair to me either.

On top of that, it's not my problem that they are miserable from sitting in coach, I'm there too.


I'm flying back from China with a 3 year old. I will do everything I can to make the flight as enjoyable as possible for her and my fellow travelers, but there's no chance I would not travel with her because of my worry that she might cry and disturb someone. I would do my best to make things pleasant.

If the kids behave great, have a nice time. If they cry, scream and run around the whole flight, then you are not being fair to the other travelers who are already miserable from being forced to sit in coach for 8 hours.

 

[mark&sue]

I have always taken my daughter on planes even before she was 1 year old. As we live in the UK we have no choice (and we are DVC members) and we live on an island!!

We took DD on 9 hours flight when she was 2 to Dominican Republic. Took her to WDW from UK when she was 4 and even further to LA and Las Vegas from London when she was 5. In fact the younger they are the longer they sleep.

From UK to WDW if you fly with Virgin during off peak there are loads of people with children under 5 taking them to WDW before they start school. I would not advise anyone not liking children go take a virgin flight from London to Orlando!!! A lot of the time the babies and toddlers cry but they do in a car as well.

Have a great time


Susan

 

[Nik's Mom]

My kids actually do great on a 5 hour flight. The youngest ds gets a little fussy when he's trying to get comfortable to sleep, but once he finds the right position, he's quiet. I've just never been on a flight that long, so I have no idea what it's like. I guess that is what's making me nervous. I'm not crazy about being in airplanes, but I know this would be an incredible learning experience for my autistic ds. He learns things much better when he experiences it first hand. Seeing the sights of England would be great for him. Hmmm, I'll have to ponder this some more. Thanks everyone.

 

[pogo791]

I'm old, but not so old that I don't remember flying when I was kindergarden age. For 4 and 7 year olds, the flight should be a delight: you get a few cartoons at the start of the flight (I assume you're travelling economy), some nice lady gives you food in a strange package on a tray, and my parents kept giving me lots of books filled with different activities (connect-the-dots, mazes, and so on).
Yes, an eleven-hour flight is a long time even for an adult, and it may be difficult to keep an active child entertained. Like many have already said, the east-bound flight is the easier one, since it usually involves dinner and sleep. I'd say one important tip both east-bound and west-bound would be to try to keep their energy level down; no naps before getting on the plane, for example, and it might be a good idea to keep the candies, cokes and other high-energy eatables at a minimum.
You already know what your children like. Do each of them have a favorite book, one that they're looking forward to reading? Save it for the trip. Do they like movies or computer games? Take some along. And the idea of having a fall-back bag of small gifts is great, especially if it can lead to activity-time at their seats.
And yes, your children will absolutely love England!