flying with a toddler

i would like to imagine that i could provide some expert advice about how to have a successful (i.e. relatively tantrum-free) flight with a toddler. but the truth of the matter is that the only way to really ensure an easier time of it is to fork out the cash (or air miles) and wrangle seats in business class.

our flights to and from singapore were hell and heaven, respectively. we were in cattle class from sydney sitting in the middle row bassinet seats, sharing the row with a couple from spain (or germany or south america, i couldn't quite make out) who were politely tolerant, but only just. i was trying to get us the bassinet seats on the sides (i.e. window seats) but they had been booked up already. (why is it that we can NEVER get our favourite seats even when we log onto the internet seat booking service at the very minute it is open?)

the bean was fidgety and antsy every half hour, except when she was asleep*. thankfully she snoozed twice. she even screamed several times and frequently pleaded with her daddy or me to bring her "out! out! out!"

and when she wasn't being a fidget-ma-gidget she would be staring at the chap seated next to me, pointing at his reading materials, at him, at his shoes, and even trying to touch him. it was inevitable that he was prodded a little at times because we didn't have much elbow room...even in the wider seats of the a380 plane!

during one particularly irksome episode, she slid down my lap onto the floor and i let her sit there for a bit as she was temporarily distracted by shoes and books and toys. anyhow, suffice to say that my cheeks were inflamed at each of the bean's outbursts.

so i was not looking forward to the return trip, which i would be doing alone with the bean. (dh had to fly back earlier for work.) what compounded matters were that it wouldn't be a direct flight - we had to transit in kl - and that the flights were at night. hmmm...no rest for me! (i never sleep well on planes anyway.)

luckily dh managed to get us onto day flights, and used his points to try to get us upgraded. the upgrade came through the day before we flew and i was literally hooting for joy, dancing a jig, when i received the call with the good news.

it was a pain lugging the bean through 2 airports (changi and klia), in a borrowed cotton ringsling which is not good for long periods with a heavy toddler**, but it was so amazing to be able to relax in an airline lounge and enjoy a semi-civilised breakfast. the mas lounge (in klia) scores points over sia for its kids play area. that kept the bean pretty happy for half an hour.

then when we finally got on the final leg of the journey home, i found that the crucial differences between business and cattle class are service and space. because there were fewer passengers to look after, the stewardess in the business class cabin could keep coming over to make sure that the bean and i were well catered for. i had ordered a child meal beforehand, having learnt my lesson from our flight from sydney***, and besides the meal itself (mostly sugary confections - a lot of empty calories, and there wasn't a single french fry i requested in sight), the bean was given a hershey bar and a small tub of apple jelly. she was also provided with her own set of headphones (which weren't used).

instead, i amused her on the flight with a new storybook (a previous day's purchase i had to make knowing that she, i.e. we needed new entertainment), which we read twice, and with some new toys. (mas gave her a funny-looking police car soft toy that vibrated when you pull on the attached string.) we also sang songs - action songs were big hits. e.g. one potato; dingle-dangle scarecrow; incey wincey; hickory dickory; row row row your boat...

we were placed in the centre row bassinet seats in business, but because there was only one other passenger at the other end of the row, i cheerfully used the middle seat for our barang barang. when the bean finally fell asleep in my seat, i just happily transferred myself to the middle seat and got comfy with vanity fair magazine. ahhh...a sleeping child and a trashy mag - luxury.

i said it before and i will say it again: business class - the only way to survive the toddler years.

* the first time, she fell asleep whilst bfg in a toilet cubicle. i had to pop her off and carefully cradle her back to the seat, making sure that her head or feet didn't hit anyone along the way. i had a mental picture of the bean's feet hitting the heads of seated passengers like they were xylophone keys.

** i really regretted forgetting to pack one of the becos or a meitai. a 2-shoulder carry was what i desperately needed. and i was only too happy and relieved to offload the bean to her daddy when he came to pick us up at the airport.

*** we suffered on the sq flight partly because the bean didn't have a proper meal of her own. sia didn't even give us a baby meal!