Anyone taken a red eye flight with kids?
May 9th, 2006, 12:10 AM
#1
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Anyone taken a red eye flight with kids?
The best deal I can find for a summer flight from PHX to BOS is a Jet Blue red eye,leaving PHX at 10 pm and arriving in BOS at 6 am. I have an 8 year old daughter traveling with me. She's a great traveler, been making this trip 1-2 times per year since she was a baby. I'm just not sure how she'll handle the red eye; she's usually in bed long before 10pm.
Does anyone have any experience or words of wisdom for me before I book this flight?
Thanks!
Does anyone have any experience or words of wisdom for me before I book this flight?
Thanks!
May 9th, 2006, 02:45 AM
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There is a world of difference taking a under four year old and an eight year old on this flight. It isn't ideal, but you'll both be fine.
Make sur you have a good meal before the flight and focus on sleeping as soon as you board. No meal, no drinks, no nothing but sleep.
It will be slightly harder for her to adjust to the time difference with this flight (loss of sleep and time adjustment). If it were my kids I'd try to keep them up and outdoors as much as possible the first day as sunlight helps your body clock to adjust.
Make sur you have a good meal before the flight and focus on sleeping as soon as you board. No meal, no drinks, no nothing but sleep.
It will be slightly harder for her to adjust to the time difference with this flight (loss of sleep and time adjustment). If it were my kids I'd try to keep them up and outdoors as much as possible the first day as sunlight helps your body clock to adjust.
May 9th, 2006, 03:03 AM
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We just took a red eye from San Diego but with a 5:45 a.m. stop in New York - it was great except for the stop. My kids are older - 12 & 17, but there were probably 20 kids under the age of 10 and they did fine. I decided it's the best way home from the west coast. I am usually wiped out the first day home anyway, so this way the first day home was just for reading mail, unpacking, then into bed by 8:00 p.m., which was no problem for any of us!
Good luck!
Good luck!
May 9th, 2006, 05:23 AM
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i agree with everyone -- it will be fine, given the great suggestions. when my children travelled x-country at that age, i used all those suggestions, plus gave the kids a teaspoon of dimetap (otc), and a small fleece blanket to help them make their own cozy nest. older now, they like to use those blow-up neck pillows to help them "stay" asleep more comfortably.
corwin
corwin
May 9th, 2006, 05:45 AM
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We've flown red eyes with our kids lots of times. The stop overs are hard especially if the have their own carry on luggage but direct flights have been fine.
My kids are now 15 and 8 yrs and have coped with red eye flights all their lives... usually better than I do. They seem to sleep more on the flight and adjust better to jet lag than I do although in the last year I've noticed that the 15yr old (now 6ft2' ) doesn't even attempt to sleep anymore.
My kids are now 15 and 8 yrs and have coped with red eye flights all their lives... usually better than I do. They seem to sleep more on the flight and adjust better to jet lag than I do although in the last year I've noticed that the 15yr old (now 6ft2' ) doesn't even attempt to sleep anymore.
May 9th, 2006, 05:45 AM
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My cousins on the west coast, who visit us on the east coast each summer, have 3 kids, ranging from under 1 to 8 and they always take the red eye - and the kids are raring to go their first day here, although they usually go to bed almost immediately after dinner - but she also abides by the previously mentioned advice of feeding them a few hours before they board, just having a snack available for them if they need it, no eating on the plan, and after the initial settling in, getting right to sleep - no tv, no movies, no food, etc.
For an eight year old, I would say do the same - and settle her in as soon as possible with a blanket and pillow and if she has something like a cd/ipod/head phone music contraption, maybe some time with some calm down music and a book before you tell her it's lights out time.
When I traveled with my kids at that age, I would surprise my daughter with one of those soft "eye pillows" for her eyes and a pair of inexpensive softie type slipper socks I'd pick up at Marshalls/Walmart/Target type store to help her get cozy and make it like a little 'spa' night to help her get comfie - and b/c of her history with ears problems, I always gave her a dose of something like dimetapp before we boarded.
if my daughter was still young, I would also consider now adding one of those 'squishy' small pillows they sell everywhere that you can really tuck anywhere that are so comfortable too rather than the stiff airline pillows.
Unfortunately for me, she always slept and I was the one who always had trouble sleeping on a plane! I think the smaller ones have an easier time getting comfortable in airline seats anyway.
For an eight year old, I would say do the same - and settle her in as soon as possible with a blanket and pillow and if she has something like a cd/ipod/head phone music contraption, maybe some time with some calm down music and a book before you tell her it's lights out time.
When I traveled with my kids at that age, I would surprise my daughter with one of those soft "eye pillows" for her eyes and a pair of inexpensive softie type slipper socks I'd pick up at Marshalls/Walmart/Target type store to help her get cozy and make it like a little 'spa' night to help her get comfie - and b/c of her history with ears problems, I always gave her a dose of something like dimetapp before we boarded.
if my daughter was still young, I would also consider now adding one of those 'squishy' small pillows they sell everywhere that you can really tuck anywhere that are so comfortable too rather than the stiff airline pillows.
Unfortunately for me, she always slept and I was the one who always had trouble sleeping on a plane! I think the smaller ones have an easier time getting comfortable in airline seats anyway.
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May 9th, 2006, 09:17 AM
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LOL unless you consider it Permanent Damage when you give her the Travel Bug 
My little ones flew all the time day or nights, it never seemed to make a difference to them. They ( as most children) were blessed with the ability to sleep anywhere..
My little ones flew all the time day or nights, it never seemed to make a difference to them. They ( as most children) were blessed with the ability to sleep anywhere..
May 9th, 2006, 09:20 AM
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I'm so glad I saw this topic because I have two children (10 & 9) and just booked a JetBlue redeye from Denver-Boston because it was by far the most affordable flight out there. I did hesitate to do it because of the children, but I just can't afford $500+ per ticket for four people! (JB was less than $300) We are planning nothing for our first day in town, but I want to try to get everyone on East Coast time as soon as possible. What do you suggest - quick nap in the morning when we arrive, then make everyone stay up until "normal" bedtimes?
May 9th, 2006, 11:06 AM
#12
We just flew to Hawaii from the east coast over spring break. The flight home is essentially a red eye flight but longer. My kids are 12 and 13 and slept about half of the trip (10 hours to Atlanta) We then changed planes and stayed up till 9pm the next night. The slept about 13 hours that night after. Everyone survived and much better than I who had no sleep on the plane. Kids are resilient and seem to adapt. Mine had a harder time dealing with the 6 hour time change. It took several days for the family to stay up past 9pm in Hawaii. We barely made it till 9 until the last few days. We stayed up till 11! Woo hoo!
The first night in Honolulu, we arrived at 8pm Hawaii time. This was about 2am for us. I told the kids think of it as a late night sleepover party.
Your child will be fine!
The first night in Honolulu, we arrived at 8pm Hawaii time. This was about 2am for us. I told the kids think of it as a late night sleepover party.
Your child will be fine!
May 9th, 2006, 11:39 AM
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We fly to Europe overnight every time, we hit the ground running. But then around 2-3 in the afternoon, I fade so we take a nap and go back out at dinner time. Kids seem to sleep easier on planes than adults who really do not fit in the seats 
My son flies back and forth from Japan all the time, he is usually lucky enough to get a few seats in a row that are empty, he stretches out and sleeps the entire flight!! Must be that good upbringing ( travel when a little one = good adult traveler)
My son flies back and forth from Japan all the time, he is usually lucky enough to get a few seats in a row that are empty, he stretches out and sleeps the entire flight!! Must be that good upbringing ( travel when a little one = good adult traveler)
