flying overnight

[ffemtmomof4]

This isn't a WDW question but I figured someone on here would know.

We are flying to Seattle this summer and on our way home our flight leaves Seattle at 12:50 am and arrive in Minneaplois at 6 amd and then leave there at 7:10 am. Anyone have any suggestions for overnight flights with kids? The ages I will have are 1, 3, 6 and 2 16yos.

Thanks.

 

[katied]

Good luck and prepare for cranky kids...

More seriously, keep in mind that your overnight flight is really only a bit over 3 hrs because of the time change between Seattle and Minneapolis. So, the kids are not going to be getting much sleeping in. We did something similiar with DS when flying around Europe and had an "overnight" flight that was really only 4 hrs, with DS when he was 2 1/2. It's rough. He doesn't get much sleep - just snoozes here and there, and we don't really get any sleep.

With a 1 yr old, you can minimize this if you have a seat for them and are brining their car seat. Maybe you can get them to sleep at the airport before in the car seat, and then maybe you can keep them asleep when you board. This didn't work with DS when we flew to London when he was 11 months, but it was worth a try... (that flight took off at 1 am, and took about 7 hrs - DS only slept about 4 of those hrs, so was very cranky by the time we landed in London).


Keep the kids in comfy clothes, have blankets and travel pillows so they can try to get comfortable. Sleep masks can help the 6 and up kids, to block out the light in the airport and on the plane.

Maybe a DVD player will keep the younger ones from getting too cranky, but it's really hard at that age when they just want some quiet and dark to sleep, and airports and boarding airplanes does not help.

 

[laughinplace199]

We did an overnight flight once from LA to Boston when DD was 13 mos old. It was a nonstop flight and she slept most of the flight (we had her carseat on the plane), but she was nearly impossible to wake up when we landed. I ended up carrying her through the airport, holding her with one hand and pushing the stroller with the other hand because DH had to carry the car seat and all of our carry-on bags. So, if your little ones are deep sleepers, be prepared for a possible challenge when you land, especially since you have to get another flight an hour later. Good luck!