Lessons Learned for Long-haul Flight with 10-to-12 Month Old Toddler

I purposely planned a very laid back two-city 12-day itinerary to visit friends and family with my 10-month old because I knew trying to do or expect anything more than that from him or us would just not be realistic. I also found that at 10 months old my son was a lot more fun to travel with because he was a lot more aware, playful and interactive so he would enjoy being out and about. This meant as a family we could do more together such as going to parks, visiting the zoo, brunch with friends etc. He was also much easier to manage and keep entertained on the plane because he hadn’t started walking so he was happy to sit in one place without squirming away.

It took a lot (and I mean A LOT) of advanced planning and research to ensure we had all our bases covered for our very first long haul flight and holiday with our budding toddler. Overall the trip was quite successful so I thought I’d share my experience and lessons learned:

Travel on a known child-friendly airline

Before booking flights, I did a lot of research and watched lots of YouTube videos showing other people’s experiences on different airlines and here are the top child-friendly airlines that I narrowed down:

• Eva Air
• Cathay Pacific
• Korean Air
• Emirates

We ended up flying on Eva Air and had a great experience. The flight timings to the US were perfect (night flights!), the prices were very reasonable and the staff were incredibly helpful and warm. I also have to say the baby meals provided were pretty good – my son ate most of it.

Travel with a companion or find one on the flight

If you have the option to have travel with a companion – do it. Having an extra set of hands makes life so much easier. But I understand that is not always an easy option for some. So if you’re traveling alone try and find another solo-traveling mum or friendly passenger nearby who wouldn’t mind watching your child if you needed to step away for a few minutes or generally help when you needed it.

Pay for an extra seat if it’s affordable

 

My growing toddler just wanted space to stretch and explore. His hands would literally reach for anything and everything in sight. Even though he was not allowed to sit in the extra seat for takeoff, during turbulence or landing, having it was incredibly helpful because it gave us a whole row to ourselves, extra space and flexibility to spread out his stuff and the option for a window seat to entertain him. During the long-haul flight my toddler mostly slept across our laps and we belted him in. I’ll be honest it is not comfy trying to sleep upright with a toddler but it’s better than being squished in only two seats. The same applies if you’re traveling alone with a toddler.

Take your car seat on board if you get the extra seat.

My son was still small enough to use his infant car seat when we traveled to the US so we brought it on board for him to have a cozy place to sit and sleep safely in. He didn’t love sleeping in it but it worked for 1-2 hour stretches and that offered us some relief. Also an infant car seat is much easier and lighter to lug around as compared to a toddler one.

Dress in layers

This applies to you and your toddler. Temperatures on planes vary at different times during the journey. I often find after the plane reaches cruising altitude the temperature is freezing and while on the ground it’s hot. I dressed my toddler in soft cotton leggings and a full sleeves shirt and kept extra t-shirts, socks, sweaters and a hoodie so I could change him easily depending on the temperature. For myself I wore black leggings, a top and carried a hoodie and a scarf.

Don’t overpack toys and activities. Take a few favourite books and small toys that are easy to hold in one hand such as a stuffed toy or small car.

 

I made the mistake of packing too many toys and activities for my son. At this stage (10-12 months) he’s more interested in whatever I was doing or holding or wanted to walk around and explore. My recommendation is to take a few favourite books and small toys / objects that are easy to hold in one hand. While it doesn’t guarantee hours of distraction, I kept pulling out the books and toys whenever he got hyper or upset and it worked to calm him down for a few minutes. On the plane whenever he was awake, my husband took him for a strolls up and down the aisles to tire him out.

Take a night flight on the long-haul segments.

A night flight simply guaranteed that my son would be tired and sleeping for most of the journey, which means less stress to think about how to keep him entertained in a plane.

Keep your baby carrier in your carry-on luggage.

The baby carrier was a lifesaver once I handed my stroller in at the aircraft door. I popped my son into the carrier and had both hands free to easily board the plane, walk down the aisle and get settled into my seat. It also came in great use to help rock my son to sleep if he was getting too fussy.

Keep a change of clothes for everyone traveling with the toddler and extra plastic bags to store wet / dirty clothes.

I kept a change of clothes (including underwear) for myself and my husband and about 3 pairs of clothes to change for my toddler in case there were any unexpected diaper accidents or vomiting. I also made sure to keep extra plastic bags for any wet dirty clothes so they wouldn’t mix with the clean ones.

Keep lots of snacks

I didn’t know what to expect in terms of food for my toddler on the plane. Some airlines offer well-cooked healthy and tasty options while others will give something useless like a jelly juice pack and a jar of tasteless baby food. And a hungry toddler in a cramped plane is the biggest no-no. So the space saved from not carrying too many toys, can be used for extra food options. I kept bite-size, finger-food snacks that won’t go bad like Cheerios and a variety of crackers and biscuits in compact containers that were easy to open and close. These kept my toddler entertained and full, which at the end of the day is all you need on a plane.

Keep a plastic foldable bib

I swear by these bibs from Tommee Tippee. They are amazing to travel with because they can be folded to become compact, wipe clean easily and catch crumbs and sudden vomit/spit up really well. I know the last point sounds weird and gross but it has saved me from huge cleanups and major headaches more times than I can imagine, especially while traveling. I cannot recommend them enough for use at home and traveling.

Be mentally prepared to be frustrated and physically ready to be uncomfy and exhausted

It sounds like I’m stating the obvious and I am: traveling with a toddler in this awkward phase where they are still somewhat physically dependent on the parent, don’t fit in the bassinet and aren’t independent enough to entertain themselves is hard. It is what it is. There’s no magic solution to making it any easier on you or your toddler. Just be as prepared as you can be but also be open-minded and remain calm should things go awry. Remind yourself repeatedly: this too shall pass.