Was it better than staying home? Part 3 - the flight
May 4th 2008 08:51
Hooray for personal entertainment systems. How did my parents ever cope with three of us on a long haul flight without video on demand?
The Qantas system is comprehensive and easy to use. My seven year old was in charge of his own system and his four year old brother's. I enjoyed a couple of chick flicks, two episodes of Law and Order, the Chaser's War on Everything and some treasured reruns of M.A.S.H. The kids worked their way through ABC for Kids, Playhouse Disney and Nickelodeon.
The food was fine, although the hour we spent on the ground waiting for the 23 people from Perth did mean we could have done with fewer pretzels and more substance a little sooner.
The worst moment happened before we even left the ground. The single woman in front of us turned round and said loudly: "It's a long flight. Can you stop your son from kicking my seat?" (His feet couldn't even reach her seat.)
I cried, overwhelmed with the task ahead of me and the loneliness of the single parent's lot. But then I thought of how lucky I am to have two wonderful children. I childishly stuck my fingers up at the woman in front and settled in for the long haul.
A word from the planner's desk. There are two direct flights to LA every day. Choose the afternoon flight if you have children, or even if you don't. That way, you can watch movies or TV for the first half of the flight then get the kids to sleep at what seems like night time.
I admit I was scared about this trip. 13-14 hours on a plane with two small children was never going to be a picnic. But, my boys were troopers. Even the flight attendants commented on what good brothers they were. I was so proud of how they coped. I was also thrilled to arrive in LA, not wanting to go straight home again!
Everything you hear about immigration and customs in the USA is true, but I found out there are some benefits to travelling with children. I was taken out of the queues and shown to the front of the line when we arrived at LAX.
Another word from the planner's desk. Book a hotel close to the airport to get over your jetlag. We stayed at the Embassy Suites LAX South. The Embassy Suites is a Hilton chain, with two room suites, free breakfast and manager's drinks and nibbles every night. The two Embassy Suites at LAX have indoor heated pools, which is rare in LA. This was a great way to relax and recover. The airport hotels are generally better quality for less money because they're not near the tourist areas.
The Qantas system is comprehensive and easy to use. My seven year old was in charge of his own system and his four year old brother's. I enjoyed a couple of chick flicks, two episodes of Law and Order, the Chaser's War on Everything and some treasured reruns of M.A.S.H. The kids worked their way through ABC for Kids, Playhouse Disney and Nickelodeon.
The food was fine, although the hour we spent on the ground waiting for the 23 people from Perth did mean we could have done with fewer pretzels and more substance a little sooner.
The worst moment happened before we even left the ground. The single woman in front of us turned round and said loudly: "It's a long flight. Can you stop your son from kicking my seat?" (His feet couldn't even reach her seat.)
I cried, overwhelmed with the task ahead of me and the loneliness of the single parent's lot. But then I thought of how lucky I am to have two wonderful children. I childishly stuck my fingers up at the woman in front and settled in for the long haul.
A word from the planner's desk. There are two direct flights to LA every day. Choose the afternoon flight if you have children, or even if you don't. That way, you can watch movies or TV for the first half of the flight then get the kids to sleep at what seems like night time.
I admit I was scared about this trip. 13-14 hours on a plane with two small children was never going to be a picnic. But, my boys were troopers. Even the flight attendants commented on what good brothers they were. I was so proud of how they coped. I was also thrilled to arrive in LA, not wanting to go straight home again!
Everything you hear about immigration and customs in the USA is true, but I found out there are some benefits to travelling with children. I was taken out of the queues and shown to the front of the line when we arrived at LAX.
Another word from the planner's desk. Book a hotel close to the airport to get over your jetlag. We stayed at the Embassy Suites LAX South. The Embassy Suites is a Hilton chain, with two room suites, free breakfast and manager's drinks and nibbles every night. The two Embassy Suites at LAX have indoor heated pools, which is rare in LA. This was a great way to relax and recover. The airport hotels are generally better quality for less money because they're not near the tourist areas.
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