Need advice flying 21 hours with infant and 2 toddlers!
Dear readers, I am so glad to have found this forum, have already picked up some great advice! I am no stranger to long flights, however, I have not flown for the past 5 years and now have 3 children to take with me! Believe me, I have no choice, we are immigrating, otherwise I would not have placed myself in this situation! We are flying from Melbourne to Amsterdam and so far I selected 2 airlines Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines (mainly because they have only one stop over!). I have so many questions, but I will start with a few:
1. Is Singapore Airlines really no longer stopping over at London, where you need to disembark and take another flight to Amsterdam? (Something that I really want to avoid!!!). Nothing like being tired after a long flight and then having to board another plane for a short flight, don't even want to try that with 3 kids!
2. Malaysian Airlines has been more forthcoming with their information, so I think I would prefer them, but I am upset to hear that I will not be seated with my husband and children because I want a bassinette for my infant and the other 2 seats in that row are allocated to anyone else travelling with an infant (which ofcourse is fair). But I am now thinking of booking 5 seats so that my husband and 2 toddlers don't get seated next to a stranger. The plane is a 3 4 3 seat configuration. If I book a flight with seat for baby, do I still have a right to have a bassinette? Has anyone flown accompanied by children with Malaysia airlines?
3. I am worried that if I bring a car seat (which I have been told needs to be installed near the window seat), I forgo the right to sit behind the bulkhead, does anyone know if this is the case?
I want the extra seat so that the two boys can be seated with their dad when landing etc and I can feed my infant with her legs dangling on the empty seat next to me. I don't really relish the idea of having one of my toddlers next to me during take off and landing, incase he gets sick or upset and i am also holding a screaming baby! By the way, this is all in economy so you can imagine I am already having nightmares about this scenario!
Any advice would greatly be appreciated! Thanks so much!
Simone