Ok so it's time to book our annual Thanksgiving trip. We have the choice of booking a seperate seat for our will-be 8 month old daughter at full price or having her on our lap. Now it's a 7 hour flight and she weighs 23lbs now (according to the chart, as much as an average 18 month old) so having to hold her or let her sleep on one of our chests the whole time could be wearing. On the other hand, it's almost £400 🙁

Anyone got experience of these things?

No but will be flying with 9 month old twins at Christmas so will hang around to look at replies, although keep it down cos they're asleep…….eventually.

buy her a seat.

In another part of the plane or, for preference, on a separate flight.

Failing that both our GP freinds used to does their kids up on medised and get through long flights that way ("It's best for everybody, includign the child").

I certainly wouldn't bother paying for a seat. My dad lives in the US and we have been over there several times with the kids and only pay when we have to. At that age they won't sit on their own and if at all possible, they will usually try to give you a spare seat anyway.

Just hope that the nipper's a bit under the weather so that they sleep all the way. THose have been our best flights.
Take some new toys and pray to god that they aren't in "one of those moods" on the day.

She's old enough to be entranced by cBeebies, so having her be able to watch her own telly might be good. On the other hand, I could load up the PSP with downloaded cBeebies stuff…

Oddjob – kindness from the cabin crew could work out.. there are usually plenty of empty seats on our flights anyway…

Have thought about the drugs idea.. but I dunno what kind of stuff you can give to a little baby. What's medised?

How busy do you think the flight's going to be? You can take the chance there'll be spare seats, and you might get offered an extra one at checkin, especially if you can book in a set of seats with three seats.

For 7 hours though, I'd pay. The difference might not be that great once taxes (think babies still pay these) and the 10% baby fare are taken into account. And you get another luggage allowance. And another meal.

Take plenty of nappies and wipes in your hand luggage. Even a slight pressure drop that you or I wouldn't notice can cause the little one's bowels or belly to unload.

What's medised?

Over-the-counter liquid medicine that I think contains paracetamol – known to have a tranquilizer effect and hence it's now 'restricted' as people were found to be abusing it ie. giving it to their kids on flights to make them sleep.

Well according to Expedia, on American if you want another seat you have to pay full fare.. £375 in this case. That's almost a set of Magura Thors 🙁

We flew for 3 hours with a 3 month old (11lb) on our laps and she was fine. However at over twice the weight for twice the time I would want a seat for her.

At 8 months even if she has her own seat she'll be sitting on one of you for most of the flight anyhow…

I wouldn't bother.

My top tips: lots of spare nappies* and wet wipes, obviously a couple of changes of clothes, and a bottle with water in it for take off and landing – the swallowing will help with the change in air pressure.

* Lots: flights can be cancelled, which means long waits, and buying a pack of 20 nappies and then having to chuck half of them as they won't fit into your hand luggage is a PITA.

Do they offer a reduced rate for baby seats Molgrips?

I did Hong Kong with a 4 year old and a 12 month old by myself, not something I would want to repeat tbh 😉

Only bonus for me was the amount of interest the air stewards gave me having two kids in tow 😉

Its easier if they have a seat, if you can live with the cost.

Also doubt there will be many spare seats when flying to the US at Thanks Giving. I think it is the busiest time of the year travelwise over there.

Some years back we [my employer] paid for a seat for our youngest ~12 months old on a BA flight to the States
BA bumped her out of the seat & onto our knees

Given that we didn't pay for the seat we didn't get any compensation either 🙁

don't know if they still do this though

Also doubt there will be many spare seats when flying to the US at Thanks Giving. I think it is the busiest time of the year travelwise over there.

You'd think, but it's not. Internal flights around that weekend are mental, but for us Heathrow to Chicago has frequently been half full.

flying babies are so annoying…i didnt think the drone of the jet engines could be beaten…but oh yes…the babies screaming cos their ears have popped can beat it…all in all…that crappy sound you get from their earphones and media system just cant compete…ruins every flight.

flying babies are so annoying…i didnt think the drone of the jet engines could be beaten…but oh yes…the babies screaming cos their ears have popped can beat it…all in all…that crappy sound you get from their earphones and media system just cant compete…ruins every flight.

It doesn't take much to imagine the looks when you trot an infant and a baby into business class…

It doesn't take much to imagine the looks when you trot an infant and a baby into business class…

I gave up caring a long time ago what people think about my kids when flying, it's only a couple of hours, and they were young once.

Although I still feel a little sorry for the Irish businesswoman my eldest daughter (then a baby) managed to kick coffee over 😳

my last flight back from france i had a toddler kick my seat every 5 mins for the entire 90mins, not pleasant the little sh!ts parents had even managed to leave him with their teenage daughter and sit a couple of rows back

i may be a miserable bastard but if you have young kids the relatives can come and visit you flying with kids is cruel on everyone, especially me

I've never been on a flight where screaming babies were a problem. They cry on takeoff and landing but that's not for long.

Don't worry Kimbers, my daughter will absolutely not be kicking the back of anyone's seat. TBH if an unsupervised toddler kicked my seat I'd give him/her a piece of my mind.

It doesn't take much to imagine the looks when you trot an infant and a baby into business class

LOL – now that's something I would like to see 😉

can't you put them in the hold like you would a cat or similar?

It doesn't take much to imagine the looks when you trot an infant and a baby into business class

we're flying early next year on Virgin Premium Economy to San Francisco
6 adults & 4 kids [under 3] 🙂

use a baby bjorn so when they do sleep you can read a book and such with two hands, drink, go for a walk. don't pay for a seat hope for a spare one or on an aisle. next year will be harder as they won't fit a bjorn and they are bloody heavy from vancouver to heathrow(11 hours)

8 months and 28 lbs – what the fucck are you feeding it!?

ours is 9months and no where near that!

thre is no way they will sit on their own even if you want then too. dont waste your cash.

make sure they are on the isle seat so they can see whats going on/chat to everyone.

Cancels flight in prep of crying kids behind me etc.

She was 23lbs at 6 months, she'll be 9 months when we fly home so I am guessing she'll be maybe 25 ish lbs. She's been fed the best from the breast all the way.. just starting some solids in the last month or so.

At the risk of inviting hate emails- kids should be banned from flights unless there is an extremely good reason.

Wasnt my choice for you to have kids, so why should i put up with them crying and bothering my journey.

Just so mummy and daddy can go somehwere nice on hoiday is not a good enough reason to ruin 7hrs of my life. Its selfish.

If you guarantee your kids dont cry, kick etc.. or have a dying relative abroad then igonre all that.

p.s. i am half inviting a nasty response, but I do feel that way when some little sht is crying for a whole flight right behind me. Also I know that wasnt the original question, but it is a pet hate so couldnt help myself.

"kids should be banned from flights unless there is an extremely good reason"

can we start the sentence with 'everybody' and further state that 'going on holiday' isn't a good reason?

crikey they must be some mammaries to sustain that kiddie molgrips!