BeatCal

Did you have a syntax error? You meant you can distract infants and they will adjust their behavior. Adults don't care

firstclassnewbie

Hi,

I am planning my next trip SYD-LHR for June 16, it will be our first trip with our new baby who will be 14 months old at the time.

Questions 1 - How do fellow travelers usually react to infants in F? I really can't predict how she'll be in 12 months time in terms of crying, etc.

Question 2 - For a 24 hour flight, any advice?

I am thinking if my wife and myself take a suite type arrangement (Singapore A380) it will be easier to contain and keep baby settled, and given the structure around us, there should be some sound absorbed.

Valid assumptions?

expatboy

SQ J is great for families with infants - we flew LHR-BNE with SQ a couple of years ago and our youngest was 18 months or so. She had her own seat but the J seats were plenty spacious enough for her to curl up next to my wife. The crews were great. The mid-haul A330 config is pretty poor in comparison but I don't think SQ operate that SYD-SIN, so you should get the proper long haul product on the 777.

I've only had my kids in J (and Y!), not F, but I don't worry too much about how the other pax will react - the only way I can control that is by looking after the kids to the best of my abilities to avoid or minimise disturbance. If I stress about what other people think it makes me more stressed and less able to respond to the kids appropriately in this kind of situation.

Some people advocate breaking the journey with a stopover but I'd rather just get the journey over with in one go. Personal preference so YMMV. I would do the SYD-SIN as a daytime (assuming schedules allow) and then the SIN-LHR as an overnight - longer flight so hopefully more sleep. If you timed the journey to leave SYD Saturday lunchtime-ish, connect in SIN for a Saturday evening departure to LON you'd arrive Sunday morning - reasoning being there may be fewer business people on the flight if that concerns you. But then you get into a debate about the relative merits of business or leisure J pax. Which I don't want to get into - YMMV.

Good luck!

firstclassnewbie

Thanks Expatboy. I think the approach of just getting it over with is probably going to be the way to go, as daunting as 24 hours in the air with an infant seems.

A number of people have said SQ are great with kids. I have heard mixed reports about Etihad's on board nanny, and I don't think the seat config will work for us if we want the option of using the bassinet.

BeatCal

ask your doc and try before you leave but benadryl works wonders

Erasmus

As someone who has flown a great many times with infants (and toddlers) in premium cabins, I strongly recommend flying J rather than F for three reasons:

1) For (less than) the same price you can get the infant their own seat where you can place them safely in their carseat when they sleep, freeing your hands and lap and greatly increasing their safety.

2) If your kid is anything like mine, you will be too busy minding them to have a chance to enjoy the luxury of F, and J on most top-shelf carriers these days has a perfectly comfortable seat, which is the main concern when you can't enjoy the service and food.

and, a distant third:

3) IMHO, it is more courteous to your fellow pax. J in general is going to be more bustling, so the inevitable moving about required when managing an infant is less of a distraction than it would be in F. IME, the suites on both SQ and EY aren't going to do a thing for sound insulation, so not seeing the crying baby doesn't make much of a difference

tubulus

Apologies if this has been covered -
will we have any trouble using our car seat in one of the flatbed business seats on a United 757-200? United seemed to say it should be fine (on twitter) but I never trust them.

Blueskyheaven

I was thinking of trying international biz class seats for first time for 2 of us and our 2 yr old but the way biz class seats are set up, they are not next to each other right? Not like economy class where 3 can seat right next to each other?

Our young son will need one of us sitting right next to him.

Which airlines have biz class seats like what we are looking for?

SRQ Guy

Where are you going to be flying?

BA's Club World configuration has two rear-facing seats right next to each other in the center of each row.

Blueskyheaven

Hong kong and india probably on cathy pacific. Depends on airlines?

Erasmus

Very much. CX is among the worst for traveling with little ones in the premium cabin, as their long-haul J cabin is all suites, which are very difficult to manage, especially if you need to physically reach the child during takeoff/landing. What routes do you need? We may be able to suggest carriers/equipment that would work well.

expatboy

BA, QF, SQ are all good - seats right next to each other. EK is tricky as the seats are staggered. VS, AA, CX are all dreadful from a family point of view due to the herringbone seat config, so you wont't be able to see them, never mind hold their hand etc.

Tell us the route and we can help more...

Blueskyheaven

ORD-HKG . HKG- DEL. KTM-ORD with AA & UA miles and I prefer foreign carriers. Thanks

MisterSelfish

Mrs. Selfish and I are debating whether or not to take our 2-year old in econ or J on an SFO-ICN flight next year. Our (now) 1 year old has taken 13 flights at this point, though only one long haul international trip to Japan last year in J when she was 3 months.

She's changed a ton since, and basically only sleeps in her crib. She used to sleep in her bucket seat on flights, but hates the new throne-style car seat. She has also never slept on us.

I'm looking at using ANA miles to book United or Asiana (not seeing any availability here) for the direct flight from SFO-ICN and back. We have enough for 3 biz or econ seats, but I'm not sure what would be best. It seems like econ would be good for awake time, but J would be good for sleep time since she'll have her own "bed".

What does everyone think? She's generally well-behaved, and we're hoping we can distract her by then with an iPad. My biggest concern is sleep, especially since all direct flights leave out between 11am - 2pm which means she'll be awake for the majority of the flight.

expatboy

I would go J both ways...the extra space and better service should make the daytime flight much easier for your and your wife, which means you'll be better-equipped to entertain etc your daughter. The flat bed on the night flight is a no-brainer, although if it's an inclined lie-flat rather than fully flat then you may need to have her on your lap (if not in a car seat).

Asiana looks to have some aircraft (A380, B777) with fully flat beds ("Business Smartium") and the others with an inclined lie-flat seat. Difficult to tell on their website which plies which route. UA's seems to be fully flat from a quick look on their site.

Happy travels...