Help and advice, traveling on a plane with a one year old child?

Hi, I've travelled with a 1yr old twice, first with my son then with my nephew, I went to Pakistan with my son, it was a 8hour flight, I fed him some fish and chips just before getting on the plane, I took his favourite teddy on board and took other toys to entertain him! I took some chocoltaes and sweets and crisps etc for him just incase he didn't like the food on board, checkin annoyed me a little! I had to put my one year old through the walking thing (don't know what you call it!) first then I went through, I mean do they realy think I'm going to strap a fukin (excuse my language) bomb to my own child? Then just before we were allowed to the waiting area they asked me to drink my sons milk which he was already drinking to prove it was milk!!!!!!!! Did they realy think my son was drinking a liquidised bomb substance!!! Anyway as we got on to the plane I discovered I only had 1 seat for me and my son!!!! I was thinking OMG I have to have him sat on my lap for 8 long hours!!!! Thank God an air hostess came and kindly told me I could have 2 seats as the aeroplane wasn't fully booked, I breathed a sigh of releif! As we took of my son was so excited that we were on a big plane and that he could see everything from the sky, he was amazed when we were flying in the clouds! Lol but it was a long journey so he did get a little bored, I just sang him nursery rhymes, told him stories, got his teddy and sang the wheels on the bus go round and round, I put cartoons on for him then it was night, the lights were switched of and I gave him his milk and blanket and of he went to sleep, I asked the air hostess for milk, she filled my sons bottle up plus gave him a cosy blanket :) he woke up just before we landed, it was the same coming back, you can change your sons nappy in the loo, there's a baby changing board in there, its above the toilet, if you can't find it just ask the air hostess to help, right me and my cousin went on holiday last year to Tunisia, it was a 3 hour flight, he got his own seat, just as the plane took of he started crying, he cried and cried and cried, he didn't stop till we landed!!! My cousin ended up sitting with him on the floor, we all tried everything but he just wouldn't stop crying, we gave him is favourite teddy, a chocolate, a biscuit, his cuddly blanket, a bottle, lots of hugs, kisses, we all tried to comfort him, we sang to him, walked up and down carrying him and nothing worked, thank God on the way back he was ok :) we didn't take a pushchair but I belive your pushchair gets sent away with your suitcases! You can't take it on the plane personaly because there's no where to safely store it! You can buy snacks in the airport and you will get a meal on the aeroplane, the type of food varies depending on where your going! I mean if you were going to Pakistan you would get a pakistani dish, if you were to fly to france you would get a french meal etc! Hope this info helps

You can check the pushchair in, or you can have it and they'll take it from you at the gate as you board the plane. They asked me this at Gatwick recently with my son, but he's older than your child and could walk around the airport for 2 hours so I checked it in.

They will only let you take 100ml of milk through security (about 3fl oz), and you have to put it in a clear bag and send it through the X-ray machine separate to your hand luggage. Anything else has to be checked in. You can buy formula airside in most UK airports, in places like Boots, but they bump the price up. Try and feed him before you go through security and carry a small bottle for emergencies, if it's a short flight. If it's longer then you'll have to pay for milk once you're through security.

Children can't sit over the emergency exit. It's best to check with your airline and see if you can book seats. At his age, he's not required to have his own seat. He can sit on your lap. He'll only be given a seat if you paid for one for him.

Change him before boarding the flight. Planes do have changing facilities but they're cramped.

Take nappies etc in hand luggage, as well as a dummy for take off and landing (ears pop), toys, books etc to keep him entertained.

Oh, and ?, those with children are entitled to fly as much as those without them. The childless do not take priority over families. If you don't like crying children, then YOU don't fly.

"like feeding him"

he will need to use a bottle... its inappropiate and probably illegal to have him attached to your breast

"changing him"

some planes have a changing table in the small restroom... otherwise bring a changing pad... put seat down... pad on seat using it as a table

"what to do with his pushchair"

overe head compartment

"going through airport security with him"

either carry him or roll him in stroller if allowed

"and his milk"

again, must be bottle

"hand luggage"

u can carry it for him

"where he will sit"

for safety reason he has to have his own seat... get the window so he can see the view... unless he is scared of heights

bring a carry on bag of his favorite hand held toys

The big question is, is he walking yet? Traveling with children gets much harder when they are just walking, because that's all they want to do. You end up walking them up and down the aisles- if the "fasten seat belt" sign isn't on.

Take toys and things to distract him. If he watches tv, you can take a portable DVD player or laptop and some recordings of his favorite shows. I know one child who was kept busy for most of a 1 hour flight with stickers. We stuck them on him and he took them and stuck them on us and the seats.

If the flight isn't full, you might have an empty seat next to you for him- but don't count on it. All the flights seem to be full these days.

Ask your doctor about giving him a little baby decongestant before you get on the plane. It helps reduce the possibility of ear pain on take off and landing.

Push chair goes in the hold.

He sits on you - unless you pay for a seat for him.

Feed and change just before you board and keep your fingers crossed! (but you WILL manage if you need to)

Your kid will be hated to the fullest. I fly a lot and I hate kids crying on the aircraft making the journey unpalatable. Even many flight attendant friends of mine says nothing is more annoying than kids during a flight, there's always the one that ruin the journey.

Phew..kids should be banned from flying.