woodsy16 Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Hi all I am in the process of looking for flights to Canberra in Jan. I am trying to decide if it is better to go with Emirates with a stopover in Dubai or pay less and fly direct with Qantas. My son is 2 1/2yrs he has managed 3 hrs to Menorca before but I am not sure he would manage 22hrs in one go! Has anyone done either of these options with toddlers or babies, how did they handle the flights? Thanks Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest59177 Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Not me but I've read about it on forums. One Indian lady had the doctor prescribe some sleep inducing medicine. She was going India -> Melbourne so the flight would have been shorter. She reported a no pains flight. But with a toddler I'd suggest a stopover, or even TWO. A possible one is Britain -> Dubai. Dubai -> Singapore. Singapore -> Australia. Just my two cents... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulr Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Hi, we have got that dilemma to come but think I favour straight there otherwise there is the whole getting off, transfer, hotel, back again, checking in, waiting, etc. It's everything twice if you like! Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiechick2006 Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Hi all I am in the process of looking for flights to Canberra in Jan. I am trying to decide if it is better to go with Emirates with a stopover in Dubai or pay less and fly direct with Qantas. My son is 2 1/2yrs he has managed 3 hrs to Menorca before but I am not sure he would manage 22hrs in one go! Has anyone done either of these options with toddlers or babies, how did they handle the flights? Thanks Kate Hi Kate, I know that others may disagree, although in my opinion do it in one go. I've done it twice with my daughter, once on my own (return journey) and another time with my husband when I was pregnant (when she only wanted mummy!). I always feel that if your going there, just get there. The thought of getting all of my luggage, going to a hotel, trying to settle a little one in strange surroundings whilst not being in the correct timezone, lugging everything back to the airport, checking in again knowing that you have to do the flight all over again. When in reality, you could have already landed in Oz! Who cares if you get no sleep on the flight and your little on is up and down the isles, you have to do what's best for you on your flight. And even if people look like they're fed up having a toddler going past them 100 times, your never going to see them again And just think how comfy your bed will be once you get there! I've gone back home many times and would never consider a stop over especially with kids. Although many swear by this. Maybe I'm just too when it comes to paying for the flights and make mine stay up all day. AC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirra Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Im flying LHR->KUL-SYD tomorrow on my own with a 4yr old and 1 yr old :arghh: Ive done the flight a few times with my 4 yr old and she travels like dream. I prefer a direct flight....once you're on, you're on and she sleeps well. My 1 yr old is a 'mare though and Im not sure what to expect tomorrow. Last time I flew with him was back in July from LGW to Portugal and he screamed the whole way so my sincere apologies to all aboard malaysian airlines MH3 tomorrow I find an iPad is the best gadget for my 4 yr old. One small gadget and its loaded with lots of Peppa Pig's, educational games, drawing games etc. Nothing will work on my 1 yr old though *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Hi all I am in the process of looking for flights to Canberra in Jan. I am trying to decide if it is better to go with Emirates with a stopover in Dubai or pay less and fly direct with Qantas. My son is 2 1/2yrs he has managed 3 hrs to Menorca before but I am not sure he would manage 22hrs in one go! Has anyone done either of these options with toddlers or babies, how did they handle the flights? Thanks Kate Here is how we do it. Fly out on the night flight from Heathrow, usually Singapore Airlines (better than Qantas esp if you have kids), depart around 10pm. Settle little one into his PJ's and sleeping bag before boarding, then get comfy and he's usually asleep within an hour or two of take off. So are we then. Last time, aged 22 months he then slept for 8.5 hours solid. Was fab. Landed in Singapore around 5pm their time. Had 3-4 hours at the airport, time to let son run round the play areas, outdoor areas, we both showered in the Rainforest lounge, sprawled out on the sofas, chilled, got something to eat, had a walk, then got son back into PJ's and sleeping bag and he was sleeping before we even boarded. Flight departed at about 10pm Singapore time and son slept for the next 4 hours of it. He woke, was calm, ate some cereal and watched a bit of TV and then had breakfast and we landed at 7am in Aus. So awake for the last 3 hours of the second leg. Don't give them anything to make them sleep. Its really not advisable. Try to encourage kids having a drink or something to suck on during take off to help their ears equalise. I'd always recommend the night flights with younger kids as they do tend to sleep during the night then on the first leg, which is the really long one. Just ensure you do all you can to keep him awake till close to boarding and have PJ's and usual bedtime stuff to put him in to for the night. I've travelled lots with young kids and I do believe they sleep better on long haul if they have their familiar night routine stuff to wear etc. Sleeping in daytime clothes never makes for such a good nights sleep I find. Last time we got our son ready for bed while waiting for the gate to open. He was more than happy to get into his PJ's and sleeping bag and then just cuddled up on me. He'd also had a good meal and some milk. And because we kept the sleep pattern close to his own natural one through the duration of the flight he was more inclined to sleep. He was full of beans in Singapore airport and while not quite his actual bedtime when we took off, he was still tired from the night before (so to speak) and so was happy to sleep a couple of hours earlier than his bodyclock would normally expect. We prefer to not do longer stopovers than a few hours in Singapore airport. Some like to get a hotel room and have a proper sleep for 8 hours but then I find it just causes more havoc with a young kid and I prefer to go with their bodyclock. They suffer jet lag either way once you land in Aus. Singapore airport is the best in the world. It has loads for kids and if you can break up the journey with a few hours there it would be good. The straight through flight still have to stop there and refuel so you have to leave the plane for 45 minutes anyways. But take a few hours on the ground if you can I reckon as it gives your son a chance to run round and wear himself out and have a change of scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millers Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 We have a day flight from Manchester in Feb with Quantas and we are stopping in Singapore for almost 3 days ( to do some sightseeing) and then on to Brisbane, our son is 6 and we have got him an Ipad for xmas !!!! hope it works to keep him occupied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 We've done it both ways. I preferred the stop, but it was only a 12 hour stop in Singapore so we took what we needed in our hand luggage and stopped in the transit hotel without leaving the airport. It was great because it meant we could get the night flight from Heathrow (10pm) so they both slept, then we had the 12 hours in Singapore, and then we got the flight that arrived in Sydney in the evening so they went straight to bed and woke up with no sign of jet-lag the next day. The straight through flight that we did with them was awful, but we had two, one of which was a young baby and one very demanding 2.5yr old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nikkidel Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 If you have a stopover you have the potential of even longer without sleep. Say for example, your toddler sleeps the first leg of the journey and gets off the plane fairly well rested. You've then got a stopover where you want to sleep and your child is wide awake, so that means even longer awake looking after them, and then they sleep on the plane the next day but you don't, therefore even longer without sleep for you. We have four children under the age of six, and decided that as we'd be desparately unhappy if we had a stopover and still didn't manage to get any sleep, we'd do the flight all the way through with only a few hours at the transit airport. It was a nightmare! The kids were great, really well behaved, but we were exhausted. But either way we'd have been exhausted and at least we could get it all over with a bit quicker by going straight through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger2shirts Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 In terms of airlines with children - Singapore Airways is the best by many miles. Do not drug your kids as they can actually go hyper and if you have a drug reaction at 25000 feet what are you going to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 I would be taking a straight through flight through Melbourne, not Sydney. Done this trip with my own kids when they were little and with my grandkids more recently and have generally found that the kids are the least of your worries. I always leave as late as possible, that way they generally sleep the first leg pretty much all the way through. Then let them run around for the refuelling stop and get back on the plane, bit to eat and they will probably sleep again. Why prolong the agony if you dont have to I reckon! Reason I now tend to go through Melbourne to Canberra is that the transit from one flight to the next is much easier as they are all in the same terminal. When you are changing in Sydney you actually have to trek to the other side of the international terminal with all your luggage then get on a bus which takes you across the airport to the domestic terminal - all a right royal p*i*t*a when you have just got off a long flight. With a child over 2 you may look at travel sick meds and if you have a child who has the slightest tendency to chuck in a car/boat/train/plane then source some travel medication and try it before you get on the plane (they generally make a kid sleepy but sometimes they have the opposite effect and you have a kid who is bouncing off the walls - you do not want to find that out on the plane en route for Singapore or wherever). Nothing wrong with Qantas btw, despite what some folk seem to think. I always travel Qantas these days and have yet to have a bad experience with them. Their cabin crew dont fawn all over you (which I would find very annoying anyway) but they are pleasant and efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 No one seems to have mentioned the fact that although on the qantas website the LHR to SYD flight is listed as a single direct flight, it does in fact include a short refuelling stopover in either singapore or bangkok. Something to be aware of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Nothing wrong with Qantas btw, despite what some folk seem to think. I always travel Qantas these days and have yet to have a bad experience with them. Their cabin crew dont fawn all over you (which I would find very annoying anyway) but they are pleasant and efficient. In my experience the cabin crew have been terrible on the few occasions I've flown qantas internationally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landv Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Hi all I am in the process of looking for flights to Canberra in Jan. I am trying to decide if it is better to go with Emirates with a stopover in Dubai or pay less and fly direct with Qantas. My son is 2 1/2yrs he has managed 3 hrs to Menorca before but I am not sure he would manage 22hrs in one go! Has anyone done either of these options with toddlers or babies, how did they handle the flights? Thanks Kate How long is your stopover in Dubai? If it's just a couple of hours in transit, that should be OK. Personally, I would avoid long stopovers, transferring from airport to hotel, staying in hotels, struggling with luggage, the best is to get over and done with and get it out the way in one go. Try to get a late evening flight, so little one will hopefully sleep for the first leg of the journey. My little one was only 9 months old when we flew to Uk and back, we had late night flights both direction and she slept all the way through the first part of the journey. We flew with Emirates and they were brilliant not just with us, but also with all the other young children on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger2shirts Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Qantas is also in the middle of some pretty unpleasant industrial action and there was a strike recently. Go with Singapore Airways and this will not be an issue at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 No one seems to have mentioned the fact that although on the qantas website the LHR to SYD flight is listed as a single direct flight, it does in fact include a short refuelling stopover in either singapore or bangkok. Something to be aware of. All flights have a refuel somewhere over there. I guess I am so used to this it never enters my head as I know they will all touch down for 45 mins to throw us off the plane and then make us redo security to get back on :wacko: I see 'direct flight' and I know it is, just one of the minimal stops for refuel. I never do these anymore, they are draining and I hate sitting for so long in one go. I like a few hours on the ground at Changi to regroup . Plus we usually have to change flights anyways with going to Adelaide now so many fly direct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 In my experience the cabin crew have been terrible on the few occasions I've flown qantas internationally. I had one really crappy flight (loos went out of order and all that) and the mess! O it was vile. Someone threw up outside the loo (as they were closed) and it didn't get cleaned, only had some paper towels and stuff put over it. So the entire cabin area smelt of vomit for 9 hours :mad: I've always found Qantas staff ok to good. BA usually very good, Singapore also. Cathay was lovely also but that was going back some years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Nothing wrong with Qantas btw, despite what some folk seem to think. Your opinion :tongue: Others are entitled to their own :cute: Personally I've always found Qantas ok. Never amazing or excellent. Being honest, flying long haul in cattle class is never going to be the trip of a lifetime. Well it can be but usually for all the wrong reasons :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 In my experience the cabin crew have been terrible on the few occasions I've flown qantas internationally. Really? I've not yet had a bad crew. True, they dont fawn all over you - but they have all been very pleasant and efficient. I guess if you compare them with the Asian ladies then they can appear churlish but in my experience far more efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurls Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I would be taking a straight through flight through Melbourne, not Sydney. Done this trip with my own kids when they were little and with my grandkids more recently and have generally found that the kids are the least of your worries. I always leave as late as possible, that way they generally sleep the first leg pretty much all the way through. Then let them run around for the refuelling stop and get back on the plane, bit to eat and they will probably sleep again. Why prolong the agony if you dont have to I reckon! Reason I now tend to go through Melbourne to Canberra is that the transit from one flight to the next is much easier as they are all in the same terminal. When you are changing in Sydney you actually have to trek to the other side of the international terminal with all your luggage then get on a bus which takes you across the airport to the domestic terminal - all a right royal p*i*t*a when you have just got off a long flight. I second what Quoll has said here. Transferring from international to domestic at Sydney is a right nightmare!!! I would rather fly via Melbourne any day of the week. Of course, one day if we're lucky we might see some true international flights out of Canberra International Airport! :biglaugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I second what Quoll has said here. Transferring from international to domestic at Sydney is a right nightmare!!! I would rather fly via Melbourne any day of the week. Of course, one day if we're lucky we might see some true international flights out of Canberra International Airport! :biglaugh: LOL wouldnt that be good! I always used to go via Sydney because that is what one did but recently I have been choosing via Melbourne when I get a chance and it is much easier and far less stressful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsy16 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 AC Thanks I guess its just the unknown. There is always the chance he will be perfectly fine and I have just found something else to worry about! Kate Hi Kate, I know that others may disagree, although in my opinion do it in one go. I've done it twice with my daughter, once on my own (return journey) and another time with my husband when I was pregnant (when she only wanted mummy!). I always feel that if your going there, just get there. The thought of getting all of my luggage, going to a hotel, trying to settle a little one in strange surroundings whilst not being in the correct timezone, lugging everything back to the airport, checking in again knowing that you have to do the flight all over again. When in reality, you could have already landed in Oz! Who cares if you get no sleep on the flight and your little on is up and down the isles, you have to do what's best for you on your flight. And even if people look like they're fed up having a toddler going past them 100 times, your never going to see them again And just think how comfy your bed will be once you get there! I've gone back home many times and would never consider a stop over especially with kids. Although many swear by this. Maybe I'm just too when it comes to paying for the flights and make mine stay up all day. AC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsy16 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 We were only looking at a few hours stopover. Just trying to save pennies were we can but of course we don't want to start our new life off on a bad foot! Kate How long is your stopover in Dubai? If it's just a couple of hours in transit, that should be OK. Personally, I would avoid long stopovers, transferring from airport to hotel, staying in hotels, struggling with luggage, the best is to get over and done with and get it out the way in one go. Try to get a late evening flight, so little one will hopefully sleep for the first leg of the journey. My little one was only 9 months old when we flew to Uk and back, we had late night flights both direction and she slept all the way through the first part of the journey. We flew with Emirates and they were brilliant not just with us, but also with all the other young children on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliag Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 We were only looking at a few hours stopover. Just trying to save pennies were we can but of course we don't want to start our new life off on a bad foot! Kate We flew from birmingham to dubai in may 2010 with a 2.5 yr old. We had a two hour stop over and I was absolutley dreading the flight, but i did not need to worry. She slept the whole flight stretched across my lap and my husbands....needless to say we didn't get much sleep as we were frightened to move, lol. But it was a small price to pay for a relatively easy flight. The flight from Dubai to Perth was the longest flight but we kept her occupied with games and the cartoons and she also slept a good few hours of that flight too. Try not to get too stressed about it, most kids cope really well. Good luck:biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Really? I've not yet had a bad crew. True, they dont fawn all over you - but they have all been very pleasant and efficient. I guess if you compare them with the Asian ladies then they can appear churlish but in my experience far more efficient. I don't mind not being fawned over. This was terrible service, not just being churlish. Having a go at a mother travelling on her own with a wriggling 9month old because the kid wasn't strapped in yet and the plane was ready for take-off when they hadn't actually provided her with the kid belt yet, then just throwing it at her and walking off without showing her how to use it? It got worse from there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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