As much as I’d like to think that I’m an expert on air travel, being a parent certainly adds a new challenge to the airport and airplane routine. While we’ve taken our son, Miles, on several short haul flights, we haven’t yet taken a long haul flight with him. That will be changing soon. As I plan this trip, I’m making a few realizations, and also have a few questions, for those who are more experienced with this kind of travel.
We’re taking our toddler to Europe
We’re planning on taking our son to Europe later this summer. Miles is turning two years old in early August, and we’ll be in Europe for his birthday. Keep in mind that for those traveling with a little one, the second birthday is kind of a big deal — children under two can travel as a lap infant (the best deal in travel!), while those two years and older need their own seat.
Just for a bit of background, up until now we’ve largely traveled with our son for short haul trips, while we’ve left him at home for long haul trips. We’re lucky that we both work from home, so we get to spend way more time with our son than most people who have to go to an office.
Then for the situations where we travel, our family loves spending time with him, as it’s very special for everyone. Frankly up until recently, we didn’t think Miles would actually get anything out of long haul travel. I mean, when you have an infant, they’re more interested in trying to put their fingers in every outlet in a hotel room, and won’t take away a whole lot from a trip, in my opinion.
But he’s now getting to an age where we’re really excited to travel with him, even though it no doubt complicates travel logistics.
Our plans for long haul flying with our son
While we could get away with traveling with our son as a lap infant on the flight out, our plan is to just get him his own seat in both directions. The reality is that he’s huge for his age, and holding him for a long haul flight just isn’t realistic.
The good news is that I’ve been able to find reasonably priced business class award space in both directions without issue, which is generally encouraging in terms of award availability trends this summer. And while I’m not sure I want to get our son used to always flying in business class, at this age it seems valuable for him to have a flat surface on which to sleep, so he (hopefully?) passes out for the entire flight, and doesn’t disturb other passengers.
What I’m realizing, though, is that the business class seats that are great for individual travelers or couples aren’t necessarily good for those traveling as a family. I mean, that’s not much of a surprise, but in this situation I’m kind of finding myself wishing more airlines had business class products similar to what we had a decade ago.
For example, traveling with a toddler in reverse herringbone seats seems challenging, given the distance between seats…
Meanwhile something like Lufthansa’s old business class seems ideal, by comparison…
It’s a good reminder that the best business class seats really vary based on the particular situation.
Struggling with how to safely sleep on plane
Obviously there are all kinds of basic best practices parents should consider when traveling with toddlers. Most of those are no different than anything else involving taking your kids in public, from bringing snacks and entertainment, to trying to plan their sleep and schedule to maximize rest.
The thing I’m most confused about is the logistics of actually getting our son to safely sit and sleep during a flight. I feel like two years old is kind of an awkward age when it comes to flying. Our son will need his own seat, he’s too big for a bassinet, and he only selectively follows instructions.
Two main questions come to mind. First and foremost, my hope is that Miles sleeps for (almost) the entire flight. One of us will be sitting next to him the entire flight awake, since you can’t leave a toddler “unattended.”
But what’s actually the best bet for securing him in the seat while he sleeps, and minimizing the odds of him rolling over and out of the seat? We’ll buckle him in and watch him, but is there any other accessory or something that I’m missing? Should we just bring extra pillows to put around him, or how do we make sure he doesn’t move? Is there some sort of a brilliant airplane net for sale somewhere that I’m just not familiar with?
I’m also now starting to question the flights I was able to find award availability on, since the aircraft will feature reverse herringbone seats in business class. The more I think about it, the more I wonder how exactly we’ll get him to even sit in place during takeoff and landing, given the distance between seats.
I suppose it’s less of an issue on the outbound flight, when he’s under two years old, and can technically still be held in our lap during takeoff and landing. But on the return flight, it’s a different story. Is flying in reverse herringbone seats with a toddler basically impossible to the point that I should rebook, or is there any way to make it work?
Bottom line
We’re excited to take our son to Europe for the first time. I’m also looking forward to his first long haul flight… I think. Two is a tricky age, since kids are too old to travel as a lap infant, meaning they need their own seat. However, at that age, many toddlers aren’t great at following instructions, and have a mind of their own.
I’m lucky that I was able to find business class award seats, which should help with Miles sleeping most of the flight. What I’m trying to figure out now is the best way to make sure he can sleep safely, so he doesn’t roll over. I’m also wondering if I messed up big by booking an aircraft with a reverse herringbone configuration, which seems challenging for these circumstances.
Any long haul toddler travel tips?
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