What time do you fly with small kids?

[6laurac]

Hello fellow planners,

I am trying to find a good flight time with no stops and all the flight I can find leave very early, lunch time or late (7:30 pm). For those with small children what flight time did you go with and how did it work out for your family?

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[journ116]

My family and I will either fly first thing in the AM or last flight of the day, and here's why:

AM:
-With a 7 or 8 a.m. flight, I have to get my DD's (6 & 3) up about 2-3 hrs. before (and depending on where we fly out of, we'll stay at a hotel close to the airport, giving everyone an extra 3 hrs. of sleep...in theory). So...since the girls are up by 4 or 5 a.m., they typically sleep thru the entire flight, which is good news for us parents and fellow passengers! And, they're ready to crash by 9 p.m., sleeping until 8-9 a.m. the following day.

PM:
-Typically, the last flight of the day out of BWI with AirTran (the airline we ALWAYS use), is around 7:30 p.m., getting us into MCO by 9:30-10 p.m.. Sure, the girls will probably be up for most of the flight, if not all, but by the time we hit the hotel, they're ready for bed (with DME, this ends up being close to 11-11:30 p.m.). This later flight allows my DH to get a full work day in and DD6 an entire day of schooling in. The only reason we take a night flight is because we cannot wait to start the "magic" and really enjoy waking up in WDW; but, we basically wasted our DVC points on a few hours of sleep.

In conclusion, AM flights are better for the parents (well, us at least), because the kids sleep; while PM flights are good for everyone in terms of getting another day of work and school in. The very first non-stop flight of the day, in my experience, is almost always full. Mid-day flights (I have taken a couple) were the least crowded, followed by the last non-stop flight of the day.

Basically, it depends on your family dynamic: are you morning people or night owls?

Have fun and don't forget to pack distractions for the kiddos in your carry-on!

 

[journ116]

Oops, forgot to address the "why we don't often fly over lunch time:" food. With an early A.M. or even a late P.M. flight, you can get all your meals in for the day, either at home or at your destination. Whereas, lunch time at the airport doesn't sit well with my little family. Just sayin'!

 

[bmarkelon]

Flight time always throws us off! My kids are 7, 5 and 2 and I have found that those early morning flight just doesn't work. Waking them up to get to the airport throws us all off for at least a full day or two. And we usually find that the other direct flight time is too late in the day. We have yet to find the perfect flight time for us, I would love a 9-10:30 range direct flight!! I am still waiting for August to open up on Southwest, so far I'm not loving the Jet Blue times. It's very tricky and so important!

**Edit, I don't think that was helpful at all, just me thinking out loud on the topic.

 

[LizC]

Great question! I have no input, but I am looking forward to seeing the responses.

 

[SAV]

We always fly the earliest we can. I like to do a park and fly at a hotel by the airport so instead of the hour commute to the airport, it is under 5 minutes. It also feels like we are starting the vacation a day earlier that way. The kids get a night at the hotel pool to get things started.

 

[Jennibelle]

We usually fly early but last year we took the last flight out (only $59 per person) which got us in just before midnight. The only issue we had was that we didn't have a pack and play when we got to our room and the fridge we requested so we had this CM coming and going until 2 am. We also had to get our own luggage. We were so exhausted the next day and were running on adrenaline and excitement which eventually took its toll. I personally like to get the most out of my day and my daughter does better with early flights so I prefer earlier the better.

 

[popcenturylover]

On our last trip our daughter was a month shy of 4. We took an early flight to Orlando(6:30a.m.) & took a later flight home(7:30p.m.) It was perfect! We had plenty of time on both our arrival day & departure day to spend in the parks.

 

[docdebbi]

we changed our usual schedule for the last time we just went in december and it was the best solution we've found yet.
we usually get an early morning flight so we can make a whole day of our first day, but with how early you have to get to the airport these days, we decided to try flying down late friday night instead. the kids schedules were really messed up by getting up at 4 or 5 AM to make an 8 o'clock flight. so we took an 8:30 PM flight out of philly and got in at 11:00. still got in a full day's work and the kids fell asleep on the plane. they stayed asleep through the night because of the smartest decision we've made in awhile
WE STAYED AT THE HYATT IN THE AIRPORT. how wonderful was that? we got off the plane, put the kiddies in their stollers asleep (ages 3, 2 and 4 months) and rolled them right to the hotel. the hotel picks up your luggage and brings it to you, so it was quick from plane to bed and they never stirred.
next morning, quick breakfast in our room (from the airport quick service stand) and we had a full day with well rested kids. and the best thing? i got it for $120 on priceline.
we decided this is our new "usual". worked out great, and the hotel is super nice and super cool for the kids- your room overlooks the runway and they can watch planes coming and going. they loved it.
they also have a rooftop pool which overlooks the runway, we didn't get a chance to us it, but it looked great

 

[6laurac]

we changed our usual schedule for the last time we just went in december and it was the best solution we've found yet.
we usually get an early morning flight so we can make a whole day of our first day, but with how early you have to get to the airport these days, we decided to try flying down late friday night instead. the kids schedules were really messed up by getting up at 4 or 5 AM to make an 8 o'clock flight. so we took an 8:30 PM flight out of philly and got in at 11:00. still got in a full day's work and the kids fell asleep on the plane. they stayed asleep through the night because of the smartest decision we've made in awhile
WE STAYED AT THE HYATT IN THE AIRPORT. how wonderful was that? we got off the plane, put the kiddies in their stollers asleep (ages 3, 2 and 4 months) and rolled them right to the hotel. the hotel picks up your luggage and brings it to you, so it was quick from plane to bed and they never stirred.
next morning, quick breakfast in our room (from the airport quick service stand) and we had a full day with well rested kids. and the best thing? i got it for $120 on priceline.
we decided this is our new "usual". worked out great, and the hotel is super nice and super cool for the kids- your room overlooks the runway and they can watch planes coming and going. they loved it.
they also have a rooftop pool which overlooks the runway, we didn't get a chance to us it, but it looked great

That's an great idea about going to have a full day at the parks and I am curious to see what did you do about the return flight? Did you leave early in the day or try and find a late flight home?

 

[6laurac]

****Update***Just booked my non-stop airfare at $236 leaving at 7:40 and departing at 9:44 pm.
Please keep us in your thoughts as this is a real first for my little family in taking our 2 1/2 year old to DW, flying and on a big dream trip.

Thanks!!

 

[docdebbi]

we left on a 730 pm flight, kids slept again. got a whole day out of our last day too!

 

[MacVenture]

My family (DW, 7yr boy, 5yr girl and 4yr girl)and I always pick the non-stop and the earliest flights-7am. The kids sleep during the 45 min drive to the airport and during the flight which allows us Adults some sleep/quiet time. Also the flights are less crowded (of course this depends on the day of the week). Yet another factor for us was being on Disney property early (flight is only 2hrs)so we can hit the parks while it is still early. The kids will start to crash by 7pm so we typically call it an early night, get a good nights rest, and prepare for the morning energy boost!

 

[Disneykidder]

We always take an early flight there so we have the entire day to play!! My two biggest were on their electronic devices while the little one was passed back and forth until he fell asleep or until we arrived. Coming home we took a 7-8pm flight and all of the kids were out cold. We like to maximize our time there so doing this allows us more time. We shall see what this summer brings.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I prefer early morning...just b/c it gives us the whole day...either to play or to have back up plans in case there are delays. Plus it's a bit easier to keep a routine if you're getting going around the same time you normally would on a regular non-travel day. Still, we've not always flown at my preferred time and we've made it work. I think as long as you know far enough in advance when you'll be traveling-- you'll have enough time to work a game plan around whatever flight you book...which really is the bigger thing- i.e. being prepared for your specific plan.

 

[MITCH 112198]

we always leave at 6 am, love the time.

 

[BigRedDad]

It really depends on your kids and what you expect out of them. On most flights to MCO, there are as many kids as adults in my experience. Most kids tend to be perfectly fine, excited, and maybe a little louder than normal. In almost all cases, well behaved. If it were me, I would leave earlier in the morning and not let her know before you are going. Two things happen from this. Wake them up very early so they sleep on the plane or they are so excited, they wear themselves out for the plane.

What are you concerned about?

 

[Lucyred]

Hmm this thread is interesting to me. We've flown multiple time with DD, all at different times and she's been good each time usually sleeping for part of the flight. Our next flight is in the early afternoon, 230 direct to MCO, we are staying with family before we head to WDW for a couple days. Our return flight is leaving MCO 630. I don't think we've had any problems with DD flying, she loves it. Each kid is different thought and if early morning work then stick with it.

 

[6laurac]

It really depends on your kids and what you expect out of them. On most flights to MCO, there are as many kids as adults in my experience. Most kids tend to be perfectly fine, excited, and maybe a little louder than normal. In almost all cases, well behaved. If it were me, I would leave earlier in the morning and not let her know before you are going. Two things happen from this. Wake them up very early so they sleep on the plane or they are so excited, they wear themselves out for the plane.

What are you concerned about?

Getting a 2 year old up at 4 in the morning mainly.....

 

[Weather_Lady]

We pick the earliest direct flight we can, but our choice to fly in the morning has everything to do with the budget and very little to do with the kids (ages 4 and 6). By flying early, we maximize our time in the parks on the first day. If we flew late at night, we'd be paying for an extra night's stay on a day where we didn't visit the parks.

It works easily from a logistics standpoint, too. We warm up the car and put the kids' pillows and blankets in the back. If we put them to bed in their traveling clothes (comfy warm-up pants and a T-shirt), we can carry them right to the car from their beds and they can sleep during the hour-long drive to the airport. (This is, of course, all theoretical: in real life, they're too excited to sleep.) By the time we get to the airport, everybody is awake. We are less likely to have our flight delayed (because there are no earlier flight arrivals upon which our departure might depend), and the airport security and airline staff are cheerful, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed because we're among their first customers of the morning. We arrive in Orlando by mid-morning and are unpacked and in a park by lunchtime. If we get delayed somewhere along the way, that's okay: we're not racing against anybody's bedtime. This routine just really works well for us!