[katiejay]

Does anyone have any experience of flying direct with two young children? Mine will be 7 & 4 when we go out for our reccie in March '07. Hub and I are both convinced a direct flight would be best, but before I book I would welcome some thoughts. Our thinking is that we don't want to waste time in a country other than NZ, worrying about the next flight, and don't like the idea of sitting around an airport for hours waiting for the next leg of the journey to start. BUT, what is a 23 hour flight really like with children in tow??

Kx

[Angie and Mick]

We flew direct coming back from NZ however did have a two hour stop at Singapore, gave us chance to stretch our legs. Daughter only 3 and half at the time. We took a pushchair which meant she could sit in that and did fall to sleep. We went with Singapore airlines. I would say unless you are going by the new airbus you would have to have some stop with limited time at a airport while they re fuel. I may be wrong though.

It was tiring though.

When we flew out from England we landed at Singapore for 6am but next flight out 9pm at night, we booked a hotel room and got a few hours sleep then had a quick look around China town before getting the courtesy bus back to the airport. Note did not have to check in which is scary as how did they know we would be there.

Good luck in what ever you decide. :)

[Diny]

I've done the direct flight several times with my 2 kids, starting from when they were 3 months and 20 months old. Some times I've even done the flight without hubby.

You'll get stacks of help from the trolly dollies and your every want will be catered for (especially if you travel on Singapore Air - they are A1).

We've never had a stop over, have always felt that it's best to 'just get there'. By dragging out the journey we feel we're just dragging out the time scale.

We've been very lucky with our boys and they've travelled well from day 1. There's plenty of entertainment for them (films, games & music etc), they get fed all the time, and because of their size, the seating is usually alot more comfy for them than it is for us.

However, my boys are now 9 & 10 and the journey is 'old hat' to them. We're heading home for Christmas and are planning a couple of days in Dubai on the way. So there goes my theory on getting the journey over and done with.

I guess alot depends on how long your holiday is. If you only have a couple of weeks up your sleeve then I'd definately recommend you get here in one fell swoop.

Diny

[Paul & Rach]

We did it with a 6 year old and an 18 month old via Dubai with Emirates. We had about 3 hrs in Dubai and and Hour at Sydney. It seemed like a long long flight at the time but coming back was strangely easier.

If you can afford the time and cost I would stop over for one night each way. We were completely wiped out when we arrived... but it is survivable.

[sizzlingbadger]

We flew direct last April with 3 kids aged 4, 2 and 14 months at the time.

We went out of Heathrow at 10pm which meant the kids slept the whole leg. Then arrived in Hong Kong had a wait of about an hour and onto the second leg. Kids slept again as it was about 7 in the evening, this time middle one slept on the floor most of the way :laugh Then we had a bit of a wait at Auckland to get our connecting flight down to Wellington. By this time we definitely needed a shower and bed, very tiring but worth it.

The thought of a stopover with 4 cases, 5 pieces of hand luggage, a pushchair, travel cot and 3 car seats was not appealing.

It may be worth doing a stopover if you're kids are Diny's kids ages now but not when they're so small, I don't think they'd enjoy being dragged around HK or Singapore for some sight seeing. You can ask for short transfer times and that's a lot easier with little ones. Ours now just love flying and know the ins and outs of it all which is great.

[katiejay]

:raebanana Thank you, all. I love this forum. I only joined today and I've found out so much already - who needs books!!

Hope to return the favour some day, when I've learned enough!!

Kx

[dawn]

The best flight we did was when we flew with Malaysia Airlines and stopped over in Kuala Lumpur for 2 hours, we were able to get the kids changed into PJ's and have a wash, brush their teeth, etc, when we got back on the plane, they were "ready for bed" and slept the whole of the flight from KL to Auckland, they were refreshed when we arrived at 10am and never suffered from jet lag (not like us, we were shattered!).

All our luggage got transferred by the airline, so we only had our hand luggage to carry round the airport.

We went direct via LA with a tiny stopover and we found that a lot harder, the kids found it harder to make the distinction between day and night and we arrived at 5.45am which meant we had grumpy kids who kept falling asleep all day and we tried really hard to keep them awake.

We're going LA again this time, but the kids are older now and besides, I'll make them take a Nytol once we get back on the plane!!!!!

I wouldn't go via Singapore personally, too hot for the little 'uns and I've heard that going via Dubai, with Emirates, isn't so good as Emirates isn't as good an airline.

[Tia Maria]

katiejay,

We flew via Singapore, and stopped over in transit, for 6 hours. If you do this you only have your hand luggage to deal with, as your suitcases go onto the next flight, but you can not leave the airport, unless on an organised tour

We booked that time in the transit hotel, everyone had a bath/shower, stretched their legs and had some food. I had a nap, as I was the only one who didn't manage to sleep on the plane.

My boys are 4 & 2 and coped better than I thought, but they still had their moments, so the time off the airplane, to let off steam, was essential! We had planned to get a massage and have a swim at the airport, (we had our cossies packed in the hand luggage), but ran out of time in the end - which we didn't think would be the case with a 6 hour stopover. The boys did get a chance to play in one of the play areas. To get an idea of what facilities Changi has to offer:

www.changiairport.com.sg/changi/en/index.html

You can also book the transit hotel online:

www.airport-hotel.com.sg

There are 2, and you book them in blocks of 6 hours, its very popular, so book in advance. We found it basic, but clean, comfortable & friendly. We didn't hear or see anyone else, but we did worry that our children jumping up and down on the beds, might wake up the other guests!

It is certainly a world away from having to spend 6 hours at Heathrow!

Cheers

Tia

[veronica]

If you go via changi airport in singapore you never leave the airconditioned airport so theres no tempreture change. I've spent several changeovers there from 2 to 8 hours and still havent found all the airport has to offer. Its a long time since I travelled between the southern hemisphere and the UK with kids but I used to do it in one hit and get it over with. less disruption that way.

[katiejay]

Hello all

I know Air New Zealand literally flies direct from Heathrow to Auckland, where you can pick up a connecting flight to Christchurch after a few hours. This was kind of what we had in mind, but the suggestion about a short stop half way for the kids to let off steam and us all to freshen up sounds like a good one - if the bed-springs can stand it!! Might get rid of enough energy to get them to sleep for the last leg, you never know!! I presume also that a stop-off for refuelling means the flight is cheaper than ANZ's direct Heathrow/Auckland flight??

[veronica]

As far as I am aware (and we have made that flight on several occasions) there is no direct heathrow to Auckland flight, it stops over in LA and given a choice I would go via singapore over LA anyday.

[K&CS]

Hi Katie

Two years ago we did the Heathrow-LA-Auckland-Christchurch Air NZ flight. We had about 2 hours in LA, then unfortunately missed our connection from Auckland to Chch so had to wait about 2 hours at Auckland. Our girls were 4 and 6 at the time. I have to say they were fine. They slept most of the time. I was knackered though. It took me literally weeks to recover from the return flight. I hated the stop at LA in the transit lounge - not a pleasant experience.

Kate

[JJG]

We flew direct with our boys, 6 and 2 at the time.
No worries and Singapore Airlines were brill :nice1

[Debbie P.]

Changi Airport at Singapore is great, and it was SOOO nice to stop for a few hours, just long enough to have a shower at the hotel and a free massage. Next time, I'm checking out the Rainforest Lounge :)

[Cardy]

we came straight through with 2 hour stop at singapore to stretch our legs 3 kids two at 12 y/o one at 14y/o they didnt enjoy it much but we just thought lets get it done and the staff on singapore airlines are brill cant do enough for you, if theres any spare seats they will let the kids get laid out on them too.the only good thing about the flights is the kids said even if they hated NZthey werent flying back!! but luckily they love it and have settled really quickly. Cheers cardy

[NoelMC]

We did a direct flight from UK to Sydney, and a change to AKL, with a 2 hour refuel and empty the bins stop in Bankok, with 3 kids (9, 10 & 11) last year.
They coped well with the flights but do check that whoever you travel with has seat back entertainment.
The thought of our kids on a plane without recourse to watching what they wanted would be a nightmare.
Some of the carriers (ANZ was one) would not guarentee that the plane would have seat back screens. This was the main reason we didnt go with ANZ.
I

[Danny & Julie]

We went via LA at Easter with 4 kids 15,12,9 & 3. NZ airlines were really good & the entertainment system was brill :) We just stopped in a transit lounge to refuel for 2 hours going. The facilities were rubbish, Hannah our youngest was asleep & you couldn't lay her anyway except on a not so clean floor.
Coming back was via LA again with a 4 hour delay-it was awful!! The facilities were next to nothing, security was really over the top, we were relieved to get back on a plane.
I will never fly via LA again & for such a long flight I'd do a stop over.
We are going back in 2 weeks & we are going via Singapore and staying for a few days just to break up the journey & have a little holiday.

[katiejay]

Crikey - can't imagine what my lot would do without entertainment!! Good tip, thanks Noel. The general consensus, then is that Singapore is better than LA and Singapore Airlines have the better service all round. I'll book my tickets and give you a report after the flight! Got a new thread to post, now about Christchurch recruitment consultants.....

[willowshouse]

We travelled with Singapore Airlines who were fantastic, great in-flight entertainment and decent food, and after a lot of consideration we chose to stay over for the night to give the kids (3 and 8) a decent nights sleep in a proper bed.

We left the UK late afternoon which meant they had a few hours awake on the plane watching movies then they naturally fell asleep for almost the rest of the flight.

We got off in Singapore in the morning (hand luggage only as your luggage goes straight to NZ if you request it as long as your stopover is less than 24 hours), checked into a nice hotel with a pool, dumped our stuff and got the cable car to Sentosa Island which is great for kids .. and not too awful for adults and spent a few hours there where we had our photos taken with a huge snake and saw pink dolphins .. went to a restaurant for dinner, went to bed and slept through till 12!!

We checked out of the hotel but they allowed us to use the pool (ordered drinks & food poolside :nice1 ) until we were ready to leave for our evening flight, so it meant the kids could fall asleep as soon as we got on the plane and they woke up 7/8 hours later with only a few hours to watch movies before we arrived in Auckland.

For us - it was perfect and I wouldn't have done anything differently .. I am biased against a direct flight though as I find it very 'drying' and so the thought of spending 23/24 hours out of 26 on a plane is more than I could contemplate!!

I would be inclined to think the journey through with regards to sleeping on the plane & departure/arrival times to help you make a decision.

Best of luck!

Dawn

[jonSE]

Don't fly ANZ
Take a stop over 24 hrs in Singapore,Dubai, or LA (Disneyland)
Ensure the flight has seat back entertainment.

Despite the recent Sex for seats scandal surrounding Air NZ I still wouldn't fly with them

Jon
43 yr old kid