Long haul flight with kids from Singapore: how to plan it

A long haul flight with kids goes better when you sort the seats early and plan the cabin hours in blocks. Pick a flight time that fits your child's sleep, as the AAP suggests. Then read what your airline's own page says about bassinets, meals, car seats and baby bags. Singapore Airlines and Scoot set different rules, and both are below.

How to plan a long haul flight with kids, step by step

1. Decide on non-stop or a stopover first. A stopover gives you two shorter flights, with one more airport in between.
2. Time the flight to your child's sleep. The AAP suggests flying when your baby naturally sleeps, and says a late-night flight may suit you if you can both sleep on board.
3. Book seats and the bassinet as soon as you buy the tickets. Singapore Airlines gives out bassinets first come, first served, for babies up to 14kg; Scoot has none.
4. Pre-order meals. Singapore Airlines needs a baby meal request at least 32 hours before the flight, and Scoot's menu has a kids' meal you can pre-order.
5. Check the entry rules for every passport in the family on MFA's country page. MFA says Singaporeans need an Electronic Travel Authorisation for the UK, and will be denied boarding without one.
6. See a doctor about 4 to 6 weeks before you go, as KKH's travel clinic page advises, to check vaccines. Our travel vaccinations for kids guide lists them by destination.
7. Pack layers and a spare outfit or two in the cabin bag, since the AAP says cabin temperature can vary. Our baby travel packing list has the rest.
8. Plan the cabin hours in blocks: a meal, play, a walk, a sleep. At take-off and landing, offer the breast, a bottle or a pacifier, which the AAP says can ease discomfort.
9. Get up and walk the aisle yourself every hour or two once you're cruising, as an SGH doctor on HealthXchange advises. Drink plenty of water too.
10. Switch to local time when you land. Jet lag by route, and the harder flight home, are in our baby sleep while travelling guide.

Non-stop or a stopover with kids

A non-stop flight means one boarding, one take-off and one landing to feed through. A stopover splits the trip into two shorter flights. Stay a night and everyone gets a bed and a bath, and your child gets room to run. You also get one more security check and one more boarding with all the bags.

Singapore Airlines asks you to confirm at check-in that your stroller is checked through to your final destination. If it was gate-tagged, you collect it at the aerobridge during transit. On separate tickets, ask each airline what happens to your bags and stroller in between. The AAP also suggests asking the airline to help you make a connecting flight.

Check the milk rules for the transit airport too. Singapore Airlines' extra 6kg of cabin baggage for breast milk, baby food and baby items applies when you leave Singapore. For flights from or through other countries, it asks you to contact it. Scoot says to check the local rules on breast milk and baby food for any transit connection.

What to compare between airlines for a family

No airline suits every family, so compare the rules that change your flight. Here's what Singapore Airlines and Scoot, the two Singapore airlines, say on their own pages. Both fly long routes: Scoot mentions flight segments of more than 11 hours.

Other airlines set their own rules. The AAP says most airlines that offer bassinets want babies under 6 months or 20 pounds who can't yet sit up. Before you pay, ask any airline for its bassinet limit, its meal deadline, its car seat rule and your baby's bag allowance.

Sleep and seats on a long flight

With a baby on your lap, the AAP advises a window or middle seat, away from the aisle. Our travel after giving birth guide has the full seat list. It also says where the other adult should sit.

A child in their own seat can stretch out on both airlines. Each allows an inflatable cushion or bed at a window seat or a middle seat in the centre section. Each also says a child under 2 goes back into the infant seat belt when the seatbelt sign comes on.

The AAP says babies under 12 months are safest in their own space, so a shared flat seat only suits a child past their first birthday.

Leave sleep medicines out of the plan. The CDC says antihistamines shouldn't be given under 1 year old. The AAP warns that some children get more alert on diphenhydramine, and asks you to check with your doctor first. Our baby sleep while travelling guide has settling tips that don't need medicine.

How to fill the cabin hours

Think of the flight as blocks, not one long sit. One block might be a meal, then a walk to the galley and back, then a book, a show and a nap. When a block stops working, move to the next one. Keep a few new things back for the second half of the flight.

Check your airline's food rule before you pack snacks. Singapore Airlines welcomes your own food. Scoot's meals page says outside food isn't allowed on board, so ask Scoot about your child's snacks. Our flying with a toddler guide covers activities and snacks, and flying with a food allergy covers special diets.

Plan for the adults too. The SGH doctor on HealthXchange says long sitting, more than the cabin itself, raises the chance of a blood clot in the legs. Walk the aisle when the seatbelt sign is off, and stretch your calves and wiggle your toes in your seat. The same page suggests an aisle seat to make moving easier. With a baby on a lap, give the aisle seat to the other adult.

When to get help

• Your child is unwell before you fly. The CDC says children with long-term heart or lung problems, or sickle cell disease, should see a doctor before flying. The AAP says to ask after an ear infection or ear surgery in the 2 weeks before the trip. Our travelling with a sick child guide helps you decide.
• Ear pain carries on after you land. The CDC says ear pain can trouble children as the plane comes down, and that nursing, a bottle or chewing helps. Our child ear infection guide sets out when to see a GP.
• Your child has diarrhoea and looks dehydrated. The CDC says to get medical help if your child is unusually irritable or drowsy. Other signs it lists are far fewer wet nappies, a dry mouth, and a sunken soft spot on a baby's head.
• Your child gets a fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, a rash or jaundice after the trip. KKH's Children's Travel Clinic asks children with these to come back to Clinic M at Children's Tower Level 1. Tell any doctor where you went, and use our fever checker for a fever.

In Singapore, see your GP or polyclinic, or go to the Children's Emergency at KKH or NUH. For an emergency, SCDF says to call 995. Pack the basics from our baby medicine and first aid kit checklist.

Abroad, look up the country on MFA's travel pages before you go. Its UK page, for example, gives 999 for emergencies and the Singapore High Commission's emergency line. MFA's Duty Office answers 24 hours on +65 6379 8800 or +65 6379 8855. Keep your travel policy's assistance line with your passports.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best airlines for flying with kids?

No one airline is best for every family. Compare the rules that matter on a long flight. That means the bassinet limit, free seats together, baby meals and their deadline, the car seat rule and your baby's bags. Read them on each airline's own page. Singapore Airlines has bassinets up to 14kg, for example, and Scoot has none.

How do you survive a long haul flight with a toddler?

Plan the flight in blocks of meal, play, walk and sleep, and save something new for the second half. From age 2 your toddler needs their own seat on both Singapore airlines. For an inflatable bed, both want a window or centre middle seat. Check the food rule before you pack snacks. Our flying with a toddler guide has more.

Should we do a stopover with kids?

It depends on your child and the route. A stopover gives you two shorter flights and a proper sleep in between, but adds an airport and a boarding. If you stop, confirm at check-in that your stroller goes through to the end, as Singapore Airlines asks.

Any tips for a long haul flight with a baby who won't sleep?

Book a flight for when your baby usually sleeps, as the AAP suggests, and ask for a bassinet if your airline has one. Keep your bedtime routine, and feed at take-off and landing. Our baby sleep while travelling guide covers sleep on board and jet lag after.

Can I bring my own car seat on the plane?

Yes, if your child has their own seat and the car seat is approved for aircraft. Singapore Airlines takes approved car seats or harnesses for children under 3, but not booster seats. Scoot takes forward-facing seats only, for ages 6 months to 3 years, and you fit it yourself. The CDC says an approved child restraint is the safest place for a child on a plane.