first transpacific flight
Mar 15th, 2004, 10:01 AM
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first transpacific flight
My husband and I will be travelling to China to adopt a child and we are very nervous about the long flight from L.A. to China. Any suggestions about how to keep occupied on the flight, be comfortable, etc.?
Mar 15th, 2004, 10:07 AM
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My advice, in order of likely effectiveness:
1. Fly business class.
2. Valium and lots of hydration.
3. Booze. Hard.
Seriously -- it's very long and not likely to be particularly pleasant. Go to the bathroom and prop your legs up for 5 min. every 2-3 hours. Sleep as much as possible. Try to get an exit row.
1. Fly business class.
2. Valium and lots of hydration.
3. Booze. Hard.
Seriously -- it's very long and not likely to be particularly pleasant. Go to the bathroom and prop your legs up for 5 min. every 2-3 hours. Sleep as much as possible. Try to get an exit row.
Mar 15th, 2004, 10:56 AM
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Take a Benedryl to dry up mucuos membranes to avoid catching a cold. get up and walk or stretch at least once every 2 hours. Don't skip that part, it minimizes soreness and discomfort. Try to get a seat where you can see the movie screen without craning your neck. Drink lots of water. Good luck. My observation of parents on the return flights from asia was that they were so excited about their new child that they did not get uncomfortable at all.
Mar 15th, 2004, 11:02 AM
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What airline are you flying, and what class?
My family and I have always flown coach, and here are stuff we do:
Choose your airline, and your plane - some have personal video screen for each seat, including economy. That is the best improvement to Trans-Pacific travel in recent years, in my opinion. Makes time past way faster than before. 777 and A340 are usually more comfortable than 747 in coach, because you have a lower chance of getting a middle seat.
Prior to trip - study the seat maps of the plane, and find out how full the flight is. Depending on those factors, determine the best seats available. Get aisle seats, peferably for both you and husband. If it's a 747, and the flight is full, try to get the last 3-4 rows on the side, where there are 2-by-2 seats. Just some examples.
Pack - light. I believe you'll need to check large bags anyways, so bring the least onto the plane. Some people like those "travel pillows", some don't. You may want to try one BEFORE the flight. Bring some good reading material. Bring your own music player, if you have one.
[You may want to bring your own headphone even if you don't have a discman or MP3 player, as some airline's headset can be very uncomfortable, like CO. However, to use that to listen to most airplane's plug, you'll need a 1-to-2 adapter which may be hard to find. Brookstone sells a headphone with that adapter for about $15.]
Bring a bottle of water. You want to be hydrated, and you may not want to call a flight attendant everytime you want a sip of water.
At the airport - Ask about seats again, if you haven't or couldn't get good ones prior. Bulkhead seats are controversial, and they are often only released at the airport. Good thing is that they often have unlimited legroom, bad thing is that the trays and TV screens (if equipped) come out of the armrests, which are fixed. You can't lift them out of the way, and the seats themselves may be a tiny bit narrower. Some are close to the lavatories. If you are tall, then those are worth getting, especially if the flights are full.
Onboard - drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol, which causes dehydration, and the relatively low air pressure on a plane can cause alcohol to affect you more severly. Know the features of your seat. Many new planes have adjustable headrests with "wings" to hold your head. Use them. Lift the armrests out of the way. Etc...
My family and I have always flown coach, and here are stuff we do:
Choose your airline, and your plane - some have personal video screen for each seat, including economy. That is the best improvement to Trans-Pacific travel in recent years, in my opinion. Makes time past way faster than before. 777 and A340 are usually more comfortable than 747 in coach, because you have a lower chance of getting a middle seat.
Prior to trip - study the seat maps of the plane, and find out how full the flight is. Depending on those factors, determine the best seats available. Get aisle seats, peferably for both you and husband. If it's a 747, and the flight is full, try to get the last 3-4 rows on the side, where there are 2-by-2 seats. Just some examples.
Pack - light. I believe you'll need to check large bags anyways, so bring the least onto the plane. Some people like those "travel pillows", some don't. You may want to try one BEFORE the flight. Bring some good reading material. Bring your own music player, if you have one.
[You may want to bring your own headphone even if you don't have a discman or MP3 player, as some airline's headset can be very uncomfortable, like CO. However, to use that to listen to most airplane's plug, you'll need a 1-to-2 adapter which may be hard to find. Brookstone sells a headphone with that adapter for about $15.]
Bring a bottle of water. You want to be hydrated, and you may not want to call a flight attendant everytime you want a sip of water.
At the airport - Ask about seats again, if you haven't or couldn't get good ones prior. Bulkhead seats are controversial, and they are often only released at the airport. Good thing is that they often have unlimited legroom, bad thing is that the trays and TV screens (if equipped) come out of the armrests, which are fixed. You can't lift them out of the way, and the seats themselves may be a tiny bit narrower. Some are close to the lavatories. If you are tall, then those are worth getting, especially if the flights are full.
Onboard - drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol, which causes dehydration, and the relatively low air pressure on a plane can cause alcohol to affect you more severly. Know the features of your seat. Many new planes have adjustable headrests with "wings" to hold your head. Use them. Lift the armrests out of the way. Etc...
Mar 15th, 2004, 11:24 AM
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Thank you do much for your helpful advice. Its going to be extra difficult because my husband is 6'4". I'm considering buying first class tickets--we are already spending a bundle on the adoption so why not?
Mar 15th, 2004, 12:34 PM
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Lisa - Forgot to congratulate you for the adoption.
A business class R/T ticket to Asia from N. America usually starts from about $3,000, while coach is often ~$700, so there's a substantial difference. And you won't need first class on a 3-class planes. Most business class seats on international flights are better than domestic firsts already.
One thing you do need to consider is the return trip with the child. How old is he/she? The reason I ask is that while they can't really do anything towards you, your fellow business-class passengers may not appreciate a crying baby close to them on a 13-14 hour trip, after they've paid $3,000+ for their tickets.
And there are more ways to get better legroom in coach besides bulk-head seats. For example, if you have enough status with United, you can get the Economy+ seats, with 34"-36" pitch on their 747 to Asia. Or any coach seats on American's 777 to Tokyo should have 33"-35" pitch. In contrast, other airlines' coach seats have usually 31" pitch. That 3-4" can make a huge difference for your husband on a trans-Pacific flight.
A business class R/T ticket to Asia from N. America usually starts from about $3,000, while coach is often ~$700, so there's a substantial difference. And you won't need first class on a 3-class planes. Most business class seats on international flights are better than domestic firsts already.
One thing you do need to consider is the return trip with the child. How old is he/she? The reason I ask is that while they can't really do anything towards you, your fellow business-class passengers may not appreciate a crying baby close to them on a 13-14 hour trip, after they've paid $3,000+ for their tickets.
And there are more ways to get better legroom in coach besides bulk-head seats. For example, if you have enough status with United, you can get the Economy+ seats, with 34"-36" pitch on their 747 to Asia. Or any coach seats on American's 777 to Tokyo should have 33"-35" pitch. In contrast, other airlines' coach seats have usually 31" pitch. That 3-4" can make a huge difference for your husband on a trans-Pacific flight.
Mar 15th, 2004, 03:00 PM
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If you can afford it, business class is the way to go. (never mind first - I'd never pay for it!) In business class, you'll not only have more room, you'll have good service - lots of flight attendants going through with water and snacks. Also, in business class, you'll have foot rests - for me, that makes a huge difference. No matter how comfy your seat is, remember to get up and stretch and move around. You'll have lots of optins for entertainment (many channels) and bring a good book - a real page turner.
Mar 15th, 2004, 03:15 PM
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Congratulations on the adoption; you will not be alone on the plane returning with a child; I flew one time with 6 newly adopted babies and their parents. Are you doing the adoption in Guangzhou or some other city? I assume you have seen the US State Dept's info on adoption in China, if not, take a look at http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us.../adoption.html or go to the main website for the US embassy in China at usembassy-china.org.cn. You will need to get a visa for the baby to enter the US while you are still in the PRC, check the website for information.
You have received some good advice above about how to survive the flight. I personally love these long flights, as no one can reach you by phone, you get to read for hours, or watch movies and people bring you food and regular intervals. I totally agree that if you can afford it, fly business class versus coach. First class is nice as they would have seats that fully recline into flat beds, but these are not strictly necessary; and also many airlines now offer full recliners in business class. Even just in business class you will have a lot more room around your seat, and a baby carrier could fit on the floor in front of you and you would still have legroom. If you have the choice of upper or lower deck, I would take the lower, as I always think there is more room (the aisles are definitely wider which may lend that impression); plus I think people tend to take an upper if they plan on sleeping, and you may disturb people less on the lower deck if you have a restless infant.
If you have any possibility of going on Singapore Air business class or first, I would take that flight. Even their coach class may have roomier seats. Their service is by general opinion better than virtually any other airline; and I believe they provide baby cots which strap onto the floor, take a look at their website or give them a call. Cathay Pacific would also be a good choice.
I would not hesitate to go business or first with a child, you see them all the time, and I personally never mind them in any class. People just have to get over that.
You have received some good advice above about how to survive the flight. I personally love these long flights, as no one can reach you by phone, you get to read for hours, or watch movies and people bring you food and regular intervals. I totally agree that if you can afford it, fly business class versus coach. First class is nice as they would have seats that fully recline into flat beds, but these are not strictly necessary; and also many airlines now offer full recliners in business class. Even just in business class you will have a lot more room around your seat, and a baby carrier could fit on the floor in front of you and you would still have legroom. If you have the choice of upper or lower deck, I would take the lower, as I always think there is more room (the aisles are definitely wider which may lend that impression); plus I think people tend to take an upper if they plan on sleeping, and you may disturb people less on the lower deck if you have a restless infant.
If you have any possibility of going on Singapore Air business class or first, I would take that flight. Even their coach class may have roomier seats. Their service is by general opinion better than virtually any other airline; and I believe they provide baby cots which strap onto the floor, take a look at their website or give them a call. Cathay Pacific would also be a good choice.
I would not hesitate to go business or first with a child, you see them all the time, and I personally never mind them in any class. People just have to get over that.
Mar 15th, 2004, 03:43 PM
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Agree with everything Cicerone says, except I don't think SQ's Y-class have any more room than other airlines. Better food and service, yes; more room, no. For more legroom, I think the only choices are UA's E+ or American.
Another choice for trans-Pacific service, though not applicable here, is EVA's deluxe class. They are 2-4-2 in their 747's, and are only about $150 more than regular coach, not 3 times coach. However, you won't be flying a Taiwanese airline to mainland China, at least not yet.
Another choice for trans-Pacific service, though not applicable here, is EVA's deluxe class. They are 2-4-2 in their 747's, and are only about $150 more than regular coach, not 3 times coach. However, you won't be flying a Taiwanese airline to mainland China, at least not yet.
Mar 15th, 2004, 03:49 PM
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The flight comfort depends HUGELY on the airline you choose.
I agree with an earlier poster that business or First on Singapore Airlines would be the best choice but even thought they fly direct from LA to Singapore, it is still a fair distance out of your way since the flight from Singapore to Beijing is about 6 hours.
My advice would be to fly Cathay Pacific business class. Their food is good, service is great & entertainment is very good. You could fly to HK & then on to whatever mainland Chinese city you choose on a partner airline. (Dragonair from HK is pretty good & this is only a shorthaul flight)
Whatever you do, I would stay away from Air China, Korean & Japanese airlines and the American carriers in particular. You may want to fly on an American carrier if you are from the US, but seasoned travellers, almost without exception, will tell you that the better Asian airlines are infinitely better than their US counterparts. Believe me, 10 hours into a flight - it makes a huge difference!
If you can fly business, I would advise you to for at least the long haul sector. My personal feeling is that First Class is not worth the extra expense if the alternative is business on a good carrier.
Congrats on the adoption! Are you also going to spend some time in China - probably a good idea to get an idea of the country/culture....
I agree with an earlier poster that business or First on Singapore Airlines would be the best choice but even thought they fly direct from LA to Singapore, it is still a fair distance out of your way since the flight from Singapore to Beijing is about 6 hours.
My advice would be to fly Cathay Pacific business class. Their food is good, service is great & entertainment is very good. You could fly to HK & then on to whatever mainland Chinese city you choose on a partner airline. (Dragonair from HK is pretty good & this is only a shorthaul flight)
Whatever you do, I would stay away from Air China, Korean & Japanese airlines and the American carriers in particular. You may want to fly on an American carrier if you are from the US, but seasoned travellers, almost without exception, will tell you that the better Asian airlines are infinitely better than their US counterparts. Believe me, 10 hours into a flight - it makes a huge difference!
If you can fly business, I would advise you to for at least the long haul sector. My personal feeling is that First Class is not worth the extra expense if the alternative is business on a good carrier.
Congrats on the adoption! Are you also going to spend some time in China - probably a good idea to get an idea of the country/culture....
Mar 16th, 2004, 05:40 AM
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I am so glad I posted here as I am getting exactly the help I was looking for! Thanks for all the congratulations. The child will probably be around 10 months to 1 year when we adopt her. We will be spending about 10 days in China to finalize the adoption. We live in PA so will start the first leg of the journey here; my husband just found out that its possible to fly direct to HK from Newark and the flight time seems shorter due to the route which is via the north pole. We don't know which city/province we will be going to in China as we haven't been matched with a child yet. We are just dealing with the preliminary anxieties about the trip. This is so exciting!
Mar 16th, 2004, 06:23 AM
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Lisa - My parents flew EWR-HKG on CO twice a year so I know a lot about that flight and the 777 they use on this service. It is the fastest way to get to Hong Kong (Cathay's also starting JFK-HKG on July 1) from the East Coast, but if you're going to Shanghai or Beijing, going to Hong Kong first means a longer trip, and you still need to fly from Hong Kong to your destination (though flights are plentiful and relatively cheap). NW and UA both flies directly to China. [UA: Beijing from Tokyo, Shanghai from San Fran; NW: Beijing & Shanghai from Tokyo.] Air China also flies JFK-Beijing non-stop, code-shared with UA.
CO, like other airlines, block out the bulk-head seats (row 16 & 32) in economy. If you don't have Onepass Elite status, you probably can't get row 16 anyways, but do emphasize that you're bringing a baby back and see if they can release seats on Row 32 to you early - if that's the route you've decided on. They also should have bassinets available on this plane - again request early.
CO, like other airlines, block out the bulk-head seats (row 16 & 32) in economy. If you don't have Onepass Elite status, you probably can't get row 16 anyways, but do emphasize that you're bringing a baby back and see if they can release seats on Row 32 to you early - if that's the route you've decided on. They also should have bassinets available on this plane - again request early.
Mar 16th, 2004, 01:55 PM
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Congratulations on your adoption! You've gotten terrific advice, but I wanted to add some comments about flying with young kids.
The bassinets the airlines provide are very, very small. Our daughter was 2 months old when we brought her to the states from Japan for a visit to the grandparents. She was too big for the bassinett! She was big, but based on her weight and length she should have fit - she didn't. I would guess that even the smallest of 10 month olds would have a very tight squeeze, if they fit at all.
Check with the airline and see if they will allow you to use a child restraint (car seat). You'll need one for vehicle travel anyway. Keep it in the original box and gate check it on the way to China so it is treated more gently - you know how counter checked luggage is treated! Using the carseat will be far safer and much more comrfortable for everyone than holding a baby in your lap for a transpacific flight. You might find this site very useful. http://www.cpsafety.com
and the page specifically about air travel http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplanetravel.aspx
Do check with the airline about careats on the flight originating in China, though. Flights that originate in the US always allow carseats, but flights that originate elsewhere are not under FDA jurisdiction and therefore may allow or not allow them.
Also, you'll need a carseat that can be used rear-facing...actually, if you need more information about this, you can either e-mail me directly (I'm a certified child passenger safety tech in Japan) or post to the excellent bulletin board http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv...ats?redirCnt=1
Congratulations again and safe travels!
The bassinets the airlines provide are very, very small. Our daughter was 2 months old when we brought her to the states from Japan for a visit to the grandparents. She was too big for the bassinett! She was big, but based on her weight and length she should have fit - she didn't. I would guess that even the smallest of 10 month olds would have a very tight squeeze, if they fit at all.
Check with the airline and see if they will allow you to use a child restraint (car seat). You'll need one for vehicle travel anyway. Keep it in the original box and gate check it on the way to China so it is treated more gently - you know how counter checked luggage is treated! Using the carseat will be far safer and much more comrfortable for everyone than holding a baby in your lap for a transpacific flight. You might find this site very useful. http://www.cpsafety.com
and the page specifically about air travel http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplanetravel.aspx
Do check with the airline about careats on the flight originating in China, though. Flights that originate in the US always allow carseats, but flights that originate elsewhere are not under FDA jurisdiction and therefore may allow or not allow them.
Also, you'll need a carseat that can be used rear-facing...actually, if you need more information about this, you can either e-mail me directly (I'm a certified child passenger safety tech in Japan) or post to the excellent bulletin board http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv...ats?redirCnt=1
Congratulations again and safe travels!
Mar 16th, 2004, 02:20 PM
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Congratulations! I'd ask your doctor about getting some sleeping pills for the flight. Ambien worked wonders for my husband and I. It is way cheaper than 2 business or first class tickets! I like to bring nasal saline along too, when my nasal membranes get dry I just squirt a few sprays in my nose.
Mar 17th, 2004, 01:35 AM
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Just to throw some more confusion into the mix, I will suggest on picking the shortest/fastest way to Beijing. Forget the roundabout ways of flying to Singapore/Hong Kong. You will have a baby with you and no matter how great any particular airline is, you want to get home as quickly as possible. Fly direct or through Tokyo. A direct non-stop is 6250 miles. A connection through Tokyo is 6900 miles, through Hong Kong it's 8500 and finally the most ridiculous suggestion of going through Singapore will put you in the air for 11,500miles. Do you really want to put your baby through this? And as witnessed by this poster, flying first class does on an Asian airline, in this case Cathay Pacific does not mean a flawless journey. I did 4 long haul First class flights and 2 left me with a realization that they too make mistakes, run out of menu choices, lack in service, although the other 2 segments were just what you hear about Asian airlines in first, fanulous. I also flew 2 business segments on CX and again it was 50/50, so it's not great all the time folks. Some good friends that fly Singapore in F and J also report problems, so it's not all bed of roses.
Anyway back to the subject. JAL business is very good. You will get pampered, although as noted above it is a crap shoot. A 12 hour bad flight is still better than a 15/16 hour bad flight, and regardless, with a baby, the shortest time possible IMHO.
Comgratulations on your adoption> Have a wonderful trip!
BTW, living in LAX you should be able to find some good condolidator fares. Try to find a Chinese travel agents in town. There should be a good number of them. They usually will save you a nice chunk if you fly in J or F. Buying from the airline directly or a regular TA should be your last resort.
Anyway back to the subject. JAL business is very good. You will get pampered, although as noted above it is a crap shoot. A 12 hour bad flight is still better than a 15/16 hour bad flight, and regardless, with a baby, the shortest time possible IMHO.
Comgratulations on your adoption> Have a wonderful trip!
BTW, living in LAX you should be able to find some good condolidator fares. Try to find a Chinese travel agents in town. There should be a good number of them. They usually will save you a nice chunk if you fly in J or F. Buying from the airline directly or a regular TA should be your last resort.
Mar 17th, 2004, 02:13 AM
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I would agree with the above poster that the shortest flight with the least changes in possible. If you are going to complete the adoption in Ghanzhou (which I understand is becoming quite a regular route and the US embassy has opened a consulate there which specializes in adoptions) I would note that Delta has non-stop service from LAX to Ghuangzhou. You could fly non-stop from Newark or another east coast airport to LAX and connect there. Not a bad option, although I am sure many posters here will not have a good thing to say about Delta. . . .
Mar 17th, 2004, 02:32 AM
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You don't know about your final destination, so let's just assume it will be Beijing. You have few direct non-stop flights from New York available. UA and Air China comes to mind. I would take UA in this case. If you do make a connection, I would still consider JAL hrough Tokyo. They fly to just about everywhere in China from Tokyo, and they are a world class airline.
I missed the fact that you are on the east coast, but my original suggestion still stands. Air consolidators/wholesalers in NY will save you bundles.
If you do go through Hong Kong you are adding about 6-8 hours into your journey as you will fly over Beijing on the way to Hong Kong, just so you could backtrack few hours later. The difference is 2500 miles total.
I missed the fact that you are on the east coast, but my original suggestion still stands. Air consolidators/wholesalers in NY will save you bundles.
If you do go through Hong Kong you are adding about 6-8 hours into your journey as you will fly over Beijing on the way to Hong Kong, just so you could backtrack few hours later. The difference is 2500 miles total.
Mar 17th, 2004, 04:41 AM
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Delta's service to Guangzhou is a codeshare with China Southern. China Southern uses a 777 on that route, but on their website, it shows a 10-abreast seating. All major US and European airlines use a 9-abreast on 777, so you can imagine...
I'd say if you're going to Guangzhou, fly CO nonstop to HKG, and get a car service, train, ferry or bus to Guangzhou instead. [Some coaches even depart from HKG airport, so you don't need to go into the city, though CO's flight arrives pretty late, so that may not be an option.]
I'd say if you're going to Guangzhou, fly CO nonstop to HKG, and get a car service, train, ferry or bus to Guangzhou instead. [Some coaches even depart from HKG airport, so you don't need to go into the city, though CO's flight arrives pretty late, so that may not be an option.]
Mar 20th, 2004, 04:05 AM
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Great advice from all here. I would echo a consolidator for business class with the shortest route to your mainland china destination. If you are somewhat flexible in your travel: ie midweek they may be able to land some tix in the $2K range. If in coach rear facing car seats are not allowed as they do not allow your fellow passenger in front of you to recline their seat.
Mar 20th, 2004, 12:39 PM
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Two years ago we flew UA nonstop from Chicago to Beijing. Great arrangement. We live in NYC and so took the short flight to Chicago first. Yes, the flight is looong, but you have so much to look forward to that you'll hardly notice it!
I used to live in Taipei and flew with my little ones once a year back to the States. It was interminable, I must admit. My eldest never slept! Most babies, though, are lulled to sleep eventually. On one China Air flight, the attendants were so entranced by my baby that they held her and rocked her for most of the trip.
Congratulations.
I used to live in Taipei and flew with my little ones once a year back to the States. It was interminable, I must admit. My eldest never slept! Most babies, though, are lulled to sleep eventually. On one China Air flight, the attendants were so entranced by my baby that they held her and rocked her for most of the trip.
Congratulations.
