I flew 18 hours with my toddler and these are the essential lessons I learn

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I flew 18 hours with my toddler and these are the essential lessons I learnt

As well as the things I wish I had known

By Jessica Rach

22 April 2024

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A plane ride across one of the longest flight paths in the world is certainly an undertaking, let alone with a talkative toddler in tow. But, determined to introduce my son to the paternal side of my family I hadn’t seen for over 20 years, we embarked on an 18 hour journey from London to Bali. Here is what I learnt – and what I wish I had known.

Consider the duration of each leg of your flight if you have a stopover

I opted for a stopover in Singapore rather than Dubai, reasoning that getting the bulk of the journey out of the way in a 13-hour marathon and then completing the remaining three hours from Singapore to Bali would be kinder to all involved. This worked out really well as we began our trip with a night flight and didn’t have to interrupt my son's sleep, which would have happened if we had stopped in Dubai after just seven hours.

Think about the timing and length of your stopover

Will you want to nap your child and use the opportunity for a day trip in the city, or do you want to get the journey over with as quickly as possible? I opted for the latter, keen to get to my destination. We had a perfect two-hour window to stretch our legs and burn some energy before getting on the last leg of the journey, which I wanted him to stay awake for.

Plan a night flight around your arrival times

To minimise jet lag, consider any sleeping schedules and the local time difference, and take advantage of a night flight if possible. I booked an outbound night flight but realised the local time on arrival would be midnight, and we would be expected to sleep again – a recipe for jet lag disaster. Luckily, we stayed awake for the last leg of the journey and were all so tired once the plane landed that we got to sleep pretty quickly on arrival.

Research your airline

I flew with Singapore Airlines, which I soon discovered to be very family-friendly. I was offered baby, infant, vegetarian, western and Asian options for my three-year-old son’s inflight meals on booking, an impressive selection which I was able to pre-order. They also gave us an inflight entertainment pack, which included a puzzle and colouring pack, and the team made a real fuss over their smaller passengers. For those with babies, most airlines will warm up expressed milk on a flight and you can request a blanket for breastfeeding privacy.

Young Asian mother and excited little daughter looking out through window in airplane while travelling on holiday

Getty Images

Choose the best seats in advance

Luckily, I was able to select my seats upon booking, so there would be no last-minute kerfuffle trying to get the best window seats within a civilised distance of the toilets. Whilst I didn’t need baby changing facilities, I made a mental note to pack a slimline foldable toddler toilet seat. We managed to get a seat with no one behind us, so I only had to worry about potentially annoying one row of passengers. The window seat kept my son entertained during take-off and landing when entertainment had to be put away

Ensure a checked stroller is included and permitted on board

My Bugaboo Butterfly was permitted on Singapore Airlines, but I was also flying a leg of the flight with their sister airline – Scoot – which only allows strollers on board subject to space. Unfortunately, the buggy had to be checked in without a buggy bag, which I was slightly nervous about, but thankfully, it came back without any damage. For other suitable stroller recommendations, see our guide to the best travel prams.

Bugaboo Butterfly Seat Pushchair

£419 £396 at Bugaboo

£379 £369 at John Lewis

Babyzen YoYo Chassis & Colour Pack Bundle

£450 £375 at John Lewis

Invest in a plane bed

I decided to bring a seat extender to turn my son’s seat into a bed. Many airlines have varying rules on which convertible beds or seat extenders are permitted, and they are only allowed in the window or middle seat, so it's always a good idea to check before travelling. Decide whether you want to use a kid's suitcase that converts into a bed box like the Stokke ride-on or invest in an inflatable mattress. I opted for the ‘Bubba board’ as it provided the perfect balance of comfort, travelling light and easy set-up. It was a total game changer, and my toddler slept solidly for over 10 hours. It took me two minutes to lay the board on the seat and clip the extension to the tray table, and my three-year-old immediately curled up and fell asleep. This will be accompanying us everywhere from now on.

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Bubba Board

£65 at Bubba Board

Image may contain: Appliance, Blow Dryer, Device, and Electrical Device

JetKids by Stokke BedBox

£179 at Stokke

Take a rucksack as your carry-on

Check in as much as you can and keep the essentials in a travel backpack to carry on – you want your hands free when running to and from flights and going through security. I took the Longchamp Le Pliage backpack which was great. Although it doesn’t have many compartments, it’s really spacious, light and wipes clean. I kept my phone and documents in a handy-to-reach sling bag, which, at the risk of looking like a packhorse, saved me from rifling around for everyone’s passports during the endless checks.

July Volume Plus Backpack

£175 at July

Check out airport facilities

I enquired about booking the airport lounge as we would have to arrive at least 3 hours before the flight departure time, but it proved too costly. Instead, I read up on the airport’s children’s soft play and playground areas, which my son was thrilled with.

Pack an entertainment goodie bag

Despite the airline offering great inflight entertainment and an activity pack, I decided to wrap up an array of travel toys including playdough, paper and pens, snacks, headphones, books and the famous iPad, for him to open and alternate at varying intervals. I also packed an inflatable cushion and blanket in the hopes that a ‘bedtime’ routine would help give everyone a restful night. However a pillow and blanket were included with our seat, so I could have saved the luggage space.