A number of months in the past, I wrote about how we’d be taking our son, Miles, on his first transatlantic shuttle, coinciding together with his 2nd birthday. Whilst I gained’t be writing a complete shuttle document (sorry, it’s onerous to report the whole lot whilst you’re wearing 17 luggage and feature any person yelling “no no” at the whole lot), I did need to percentage some basic ideas on our enjoy. 😉
On this put up, I’ll be overlaying our outbound adventure, which was once a large number and a part. But oddly after we landed at our vacation spot, we set free a sigh of aid, and have been in reality roughly satisfied about how the entire thing went.
Fundamentals of our son’s first shuttle to Europe
Our son became two again in early August. Previous to that, we had finished a good bit of quick haul trip with him, however hadn’t but taken him on an extended haul shuttle. Ford and I are fortunate that we each make money working from home, so we get to spend far more time with our son than the general public who’ve to visit an place of job. Then for the eventualities the place we traveled lengthy haul, our circle of relatives beloved having the ability to spend time with him, because it was once very particular for everybody.
Frankly up till not too long ago, we didn’t assume Miles would in reality get the rest out of lengthy haul trip. I imply, if in case you have an toddler, they’re extra interested by seeking to put their palms in each outlet in a brand new surroundings, and gained’t remove an entire lot from a shuttle, individually.
Then again, as he will get older, we fight extra with being except him, so like taking him alongside. Moreover, we figured we needed to rip the band-aid off, and after all take an extended haul shuttle with him, simply to look how it’s.
With that during thoughts, we took Miles to Greece for his first shuttle, as we have been visiting some buddies there. The outbound portion was once in a while sooner than his 2nd birthday, whilst the go back was once simply after his 2nd birthday (which is attention-grabbing as neatly, since he generally is a lap toddler at the method out, however now not at the go back).
Since we have been touring with circle of relatives, we ended up wanting 5 seats. As you could have guessed, discovering 5 trade magnificence award seats in overdue July to Greece isn’t tremendous simple. So I ticketed the most productive factor I may to find, which was once American trade magnificence from Miami to Madrid, for 62,000 AAdvantage miles in line with particular person. We ended up reserving Miles his personal seat, since our hope was once that him having a trade magnificence seat would permit him to simply go out for all of the flight (“hope” is the operative phrase right here).
There was once no award availability from Madrid to Athens, so we ended up reserving money tickets on Iberia in trade magnificence, that have been moderately priced. Tickets have been $300 in line with particular person, simplest about $75 greater than economic system. However shall we additionally e book simply 4 tickets in this flight, and feature Miles trip as a lap toddler, since intra-Europe trade magnificence is composed of economic system seats with a blocked center (so he may sit down between us within the blocked center seat).
Our messy shuttle from Miami to Madrid to Athens
To be fair, I used to be dreading the outbound portion of our shuttle, and was once anticipating the worst. I used to be most certainly in my head somewhat an excessive amount of. I in fact get that folks on planes don’t love screaming tots, and I used to be decided to do the whole lot imaginable to forestall that.
Smartly, what I hadn’t factored in is that we’d simply have a type of terrible trip days, the place maximum issues cross flawed, unrelated to our son. Let me provide an explanation for…
A excellent get started on the Flagship Living room Miami
Our shuttle began off on a excellent be aware. After checking extra luggage than I care to confess and heading thru safety, we visited the American Flagship Living room, and we have been excited. I’ll let Miles’ facial features discuss for itself. Not anything can forestall us now… oh, wait…
We’re able to move!
Uh oh, right here comes a rolling extend…
Actually a minute after sitting down within the Flagship Living room — it was once nearly comical — I were given a push notification from the American app that our flight was once not on time by means of 75 mins. I assumed “k, nice, we now have a 5 hour layover, so this will likely simply make that more uncomplicated, and Miles might be much more likely to sleep onboard.”
The preliminary American extend
In the beginning, Miles loved the airplane recognizing, and the fabulous American Airways catering (he extremely recommends the cookies and bread).
To this point so excellent…
Then I seemed up the cause of the extend, and noticed that it was once indexed as being because of team availability. Smartly, I imply, no doubt it may well’t be that tough to seek out every other team member at a hub, proper? I went to talk to a consultant within the Flagship Living room, to get extra of a way of what was once occurring.
Consistent with her, we have been lacking a “flight engineer” (that’s how you understand she’s an old-fashioned worker!), however they have been running on discovering a substitute.
What adopted was once probably the most textbook American extend dealing with conceivable, the place there was once merely no knowledge, and the flight simply stored getting driven again by means of quarter-hour at a time. On more than one events we idea we have been going to board, in response to the tips equipped within the Flagship Living room, so we even headed all the way down to the gate. On the gate, the gate brokers merely stated “they don’t let us know the rest” (they usually didn’t even make any bulletins, however relatively that was once the reaction when going as much as the rostrum).
quarter-hour at a time, our extend stretched from 75 mins, to 2 hours, to 3 hours, to 4 hours, and past. Grrr! We after all sooner or later began boarding a bit of after 7PM, and we ended up departing at 7:40PM, 4hr25min at the back of agenda (too dangerous EU261 reimbursement simplest applies on US airways when originating in Europe).
Our extend lasted for over 4 hours
Glance, these kind of delays aren’t amusing for any individual. However they’re particularly now not amusing whilst you’re touring with a child, they usually’re much more stress-inducing whilst you’re booked on two separate tickets in Europe, and also you’re going to misconnect. Not like in the USA, airways in Europe additionally normally don’t rebook you on every other flight for free of charge. Grrr…
A sleepless(ish) flight around the Atlantic
My dream was once that 5 mins after takeoff, Miles would go out for all of the 8 hour adventure, and simplest get up in a while sooner than touchdown. However I knew that wasn’t the most probably end result.
Each child is other. Miles is a completely implausible sleeper at house. He sleeps 12 hours in line with night time with out exception, and he actually hasn’t woken us up in over a 12 months with screaming in the midst of the night time. No longer as soon as.
Then again, when he’s now not in his crib at house, it’s a unconditionally other tale. He. Refuses. To. Sleep. No longer in his automobile seat. No longer in his stroller. Sadly this flight wasn’t actually an exception. I had booked him a seat in hopes of him the use of it, however he completely wasn’t interested by napping on his personal (by means of the way in which, opposite herringbone seats are patently beautiful dangerous for households — I used to be hoping our flight would get American’s “different” trade magnificence seats).
Miles’ (empty) seat
He wasn’t drained to start with, so he were given some display time, which stored him entertained, because it’s a novelty for him, and he doesn’t get a lot of it at house.
“Cocola,” as Miles name is
Sooner or later he agreed to sleep, however provided that he was once in any person’s hands. He did finally end up napping… for perhaps a couple of hours. It was once higher than not anything, however a a ways cry from what we had (unrealistically) was hoping.
A silver lining right through our Madrid layover
We had checked luggage in this shuttle, and American doesn’t will let you verify luggage thru on separate tickets, despite the fact that you’re touring on a three way partnership spouse. So we knew we have been going to misconnect, since our flight arrived at 10:15AM, and our connection was once at 11AM.
That’s now not sufficient time to transparent passport keep an eye on, pick out up luggage, verify luggage in once more, and make a connection.
The opposite factor about Europe is that airways don’t be offering a lot flexibility if you happen to leave out your flight, so that you’ll usually be requested to simply purchase a brand new price tag if you happen to leave out your flight. After all we have been taking some chance with our itinerary, however that’s additionally why I deliberate a 5 hour layover in Madrid, which will have to’ve a great deal restricted our chance.
So we arrived on the Iberia check-in counter in a while sooner than 11AM, and the agent stated there was once not anything he may do, and he directed us to the price tag sale table. Honest sufficient, however FML. I had noticed that economic system at the subsequent flight was once bought out, and that trade magnificence tickets value over $1,000 each and every. I used to be clearly now not extremely joyful on the prospect of this, and was once ready to take a look at to determine every other inventive plan (which is in fact the entire extra sophisticated when a child is concerned).
The Iberia price tag gross sales table in Madrid
The 2 events on the price tag gross sales table in entrance people each left with out reserving tickets, when they heard the fee. I attempted to be on my perfect and nicest habits — gosh, I don’t have in mind the closing time I’ve approached any person with such over-the-top reverence. I informed my perfect sob tale, and after performing some typing, he stated “I’ve excellent and dangerous information.”
I used to be anticipating the excellent news to be that he can rebook us the similar day, and the dangerous information to be that it will value us 1000’s of greenbacks. However nope, our fortunate stars aligned, and that’s now not the way it performed out. “The excellent news is I will be able to rebook you nowadays, however the dangerous information is that the flight is simplest at 3PM.”
“That sounds nice to us, thanks such a lot!” I used to be anticipating the following level of our interplay to be for him to invite for some massive fare distinction. However nope, a minute later he published out our 5 boarding passes, and stated “have a pleasant flight.” As we walked clear of the counter, I nearly anticipated him to nonetheless say “wait, I’ve to price you.” However nope, we have been excellent to move!
Suffice it to mention that this became round our temper for the simpler. Certain, we had a actually lengthy day, however a minimum of we’d get to our vacation spot with out spending an arm and a leg.
A good layover, and VERY lengthy flight to Athens
We had round 3 hours in Madrid sooner than our connection to Athens, so we spent that point within the Iberia Living room, which labored out easily. Children are beautiful resilient, so long as they’re neatly fed and entertained. So we took turns entertaining him, from enjoying video games with him, to strolling across the terminal with him.
I’ve gotta say, I actually admire when lounges have top chairs. That was once one thing that was once lacking within the Flagship Living room Miami, however that Iberia had, and that made the layover such a lot more uncomplicated.
Miles running on essential issues!
In all probability probably the most difficult side of the adventure was once the closing section, from Madrid to Athens. The flight was once round 3 hours, however in truth, it could as neatly had been from Singapore to New York, in response to how lengthy it felt.
In the beginning shall we stay him entertained with some TV presentations. However then he began announcing “no Cocola!” Oy, you understand you’re in bother when your infant isn’t interested by Cocomelon anymore.
This stored him entertained for round half-hour
Miles then made up our minds that he completely wasn’t going to simply keep seated, after which he kind of was a trojan horse, and attempted to wiggle his method out of his seat and our hands. Quickly sufficient he gave in to the temptation to sleep. Despite the fact that I believe this was once actually uncomfortable for Ford, we have been thrilled on the sight.
Miles passing out, ultimately!
We after all landed in Athens just about 24 hours once we left our house in Miami, and gosh did we breathe a sigh of aid…
A merciless funny story to complete off our adventure
As we deplaned in Athens I refreshed my e mail, simplest to discover a message from Iberia, telling us that considered one of our luggage hadn’t arrived on our flight. My first idea was once “please don’t let it’s the bag with Miles’ stuff.” I referenced the bag tag quantity, seemed it up, and… sure, it was once the bag with all of Miles’ stuff.
That is imply, Iberia!
I began filling out the shape whilst we have been status at luggage declare. Sooner or later luggage got here out, and to my wonder, all of our bags had made it. So our frustration there briefly became to pleasure.
Our conclusion from our outbound adventure
By the point we arrived at our lodge in Athens for the night, we have been thrilled. The adventure would’ve been hard with out the extend of over 4 hours, the misconnect, and so on. However we actually walked clear of this announcing “that in reality labored out beautiful neatly.”
I imply, Miles most often sleeps 12 hours in line with night time, and on this case he traveled for almost 24 hours, and perhaps were given a couple of hours of sleep. We have been tremendous exhausted by the point we arrived in Athens, so I will be able to simplest believe how drained he was once. However nonetheless, it’s a perfect mirrored image of the way versatile tots are, in spite of them having one of these sturdy will.
Humorous sufficient, when we have been in reality at the flooring in Europe, the shuttle couldn’t have long gone extra easily. He had no jet lag, and he no doubt took one thing clear of the enjoy. After all whilst you’re two years outdated, you’re now not absolutely soaking up what you’re seeing, however we spotted adjustments with him after we returned from the shuttle, as a result of clearly he was once challenged somewhat, going to this point out of his day-to-day regimen.
For that topic, this shuttle actually made him like water for the primary time. He had taken swimming classes at house, however was once petrified of water. In the meantime we rented a area in Greece with a pool that had a steady access, and he has had an passion within the water ever since (extra on that condominium in a separate put up, as I booked it thru Properties & Villas by means of Marriott Bonvoy).
Miles had an implausible time in Europe!
Final analysis
Lengthy haul trip can also be hard underneath the most productive of cases. So I’ve gotta say, this shuttle gave me an entire new appreciation for a way easy trip is whilst you’re now not touring with younger ones.
Our outbound adventure was once far more sophisticated than I used to be hoping for, due to a rolling extend of over 4 hours and a misconnect. But if we arrived in Athens and Miles was once after all asleep, we felt a way of happiness about the entire thing, and have been more than happy about our determination.
