London in 2007? Now what?
 

I posed this question over on the US board, and I'm going to post it here as well:

My husband and I have a huge decision to make. I have outbound FF tix to London for next July (2007), and I have to call tomorrow to secure the return flight. Do I want to fly with my kids without all DVD players, extra food? (No!!!!!) Do I still want to go to London (Yes.)

We are ticketed on Air Canada for the outbound flight (and flying through Toronto) - maybe that will give us a bit more protection? Although overseas USair flights have those built in TVs...

I was having a really hard time getting FF tix to London - I wonder if it will be as hard now?

Are you flexible with your dates? I booked 4 ff tickets back in February for our September flight...I called each week and there was always an option for the 4 of us to be on the same flight...just the dates changed....so once I got a good flight (timing arrivals for our sleep advantage and such) times I booked. It's only 8-10 hours...you can manage without the DVD players and extra food. They'll probably up the snacks for you if this continues next year. Doubt you'll have as much concern as those flying in the next 30 days like mua! :) But, I'm game, hey, you get lemons, work it out! :) But those DVD movies on the backs of seats would be preferable in this case! :)
Good luck!
Tara

I'm not sure what you are asking about the DVD players and food?

The rules "today" about carry on items, probably bear no resemblence at all to the rules next July.

Keith

mua?

Karens-go ahead and book your flights. This is over a year away and things change daily on overseas flights. CNN and others like FOX are having a field day on this but as you will remember the stories will change, go away,etc.
As far as the DVD players,etc.-in "ancient times" (read just a few years ago) children had to actually read,do puzzles,etc. on transatlantic flights to entertain themselves.Flights to London from the US and Canada are some of the shortest flights so I think that you could make it on the flight with what food they are offering you. Calm down!
Ironically, I have to go back and forth to London 3 times in the next 2 weeks for work.

I agree with Keith. What is happening now could completely change by next July. I wouldn't worry about it or make it change your plans for next year,.

We have travelled 3 times to Europe with our kids now ages 11(son) and 14 (daughter) and have never brought a portable DVD player, and only on this most recent trip had an ipod. If you have the screens in the back of the headrests your kids will probably be entertained watching a lot of movies. If not you will have probably at most 1-2 movies they can watch. Our kids do grumble more on those flights, but they manage. There is also sleeping, books, magazines and puzzle books (soduko, word search, etc.). We fly from the west coast so do 9.5 - 10 hour flights and they survive.

Yeah, seriously, go ahead with your plans, that's a year away. This all just happened today!!

Thank you, all.

The restrictions I have read about here on fodors are saying that flights originating in London to US can have NOTHING carried on...no books, no food, no electronics, just essential medicine, id, and baby formula.

Truthfully, without a book, I don't know *I* would make it through this flight!

there will be someone with another point of view, but the restrictions on books is just plain silly...
Oh yeah, someone could "cut out" the shape of a bottle and put it in their thick book, but security is gonna feel, see, check everything..that "book" is going to be suspiciously heavy.
Some of these restrictions will ease.
As to water, like the mothers bringing on formula, make everyone drink out of their bottles...if they don't turn green, let'em on the plane.

It's a year away - a lot could happen in a year. I find it hard to believe that the existing LHR clamp down on carry on will still be in effect in 12 months.

Even if it is still in effect YYZ-LHR is only seven hours. Surely they can manage wihtout DVDs and extra food for a mere 7 hours. You tend to get too much food on a plane anyway

Book it now and decide closer to the date what you want to do based on the restrictions in effect at that time. I'd view the potential of paying a cancellation fee as a reasonable risk when weighed against getting free tickets.

wombat - you are cordially invited to fly with my hyperactive younger son. Then let me know if you think the flight is a "mere 7 hours"...lol...never heard a 7 hour flight described quite like that!

And, I, too, really don't understand the restrictions on books.

Can you imagine a flight to Orlando with all those kids on board and no distractions?

dutyfree - let us know how your flights go.

Maybe without the DVD parents will actually talk to their children -- and children talk to their parents. What novel thought !! Wow conversation !! Imagine that ....

Sorry to sound harsh but many people could have died today and giving up a DVD is a small price to pay for being alive.

What I don't get is why the security people can't see some of these dangers through the x-ray process. I thought that's why they x-rayed carry-on baggage!

Karens, let's hope this eases by next summer. Go for it, honey!

Just be glad you were able to book the outbound and the return segments separately...or are you using a LOT more miles to do this?

Many programs require you to book both the outbound and return segments at the same time.

Lori, do you really think that TALKING to your kids will keep them occupied for a 7 hour flight? I have 11 & 13 y.o. boys - I can just imagine if I packed nothing for them to do - we're just talk! I don't even know how many adults that strategy would work for... (Plus, here is a typical conversation my boys have with each other: "Hi, dork". "I am NOT a dork". "Hi buttface". "Don't call me buttface". (Ah, don't you all wish you were seated near us?)

I know my son having a DVD player is not the biggest concern in London right now. (Heck, that I am able to worry about a vacation shows how truly fortunate I am considering all the problems in the world today).

I think in these sorts of issues parents are darned if they do, and darned if they don't. I've read soo many threads on unruly children on planes and complaints about parents who do nothing about it. Then, when I ask what we're going to do with no distractions, I'm scolded for letting them watch DVDs....

I understand that constant TV/DVD is not good for kids, but on a 7 hour flight, I'm really not concerned about too much TV. I do bring school work for them to do (even for summer vacation), and they have to do that work for at least 30 mins. My goal on plane flights is to have quiet kids that do not disturb those seated around them.

Dukey - if the agents get a supervisor's permission, they always hold the outbound seats until I can secure the return flight. Usually, they tell me, oh we can't do that, but when I ask them to please check with their supervisor, the supervisor has always said Yes.

Thankfully (although nothing is finalized yet), the outbound flight is for 50,000 miles, which is I understand is very, very difficult to get. (For 4 seats, no less). USAir has a direct flight PHL to London-Gatwick, but no seats were available. We are on an Air Canada flight from PHL - Toronto - Heathrow. I would prefer to fly direct home, but maybe it would be safer on a Canadian airline (the terrorists haven't targeted those - yet - have they?)

Good grief, how did kids manage on flights before DVD players? My daughter certainly did, my stepdaughter did.

I know life changes and we all become use to various way to keep ourselves entertained and occupied. But honestly, any child being flown to Europe is already so fortunate that I think they will "survive" without the gadgets they are use to. And some quiet time to think and reflect might even do them some good. And I say that as someone who really and truly loves children.

Figure it this way....if, by next summer, these restrictions are still in place, there's going to be plenty of room in the overhead bins. The airlines can then fill that space with bottled water, books, magazines, and other things to keep us preoccupied during the flight.

I've just reread the TSA website, and it appears that flights originating in the U.S., going to the U.K., will still allow carry-on luggage. Just no liquids or gels. You might still have entertainment on the way over.

Who knows how much it will change by next summer? Move forward! :)

What's the alternative - go somewhere else? stay home? Why would you assume that another destination will be safer? I personlly would prefer to fly to/from somewhere where stringent safety checks are in place - and the rest of us who live here are stuck with it.
Did the inhabitants of NY all leave after 9/11?
Sorry to whine- I am probably being very unfair. I wouldn't relish a 7 hour flight without a book or 6. Perhaps they will set up in flight libraries?

Even though "Buttface" and "Dork" (Karens words) may not be able to bring on DVD players, there's still inflight movies, audio, bothering other passengers, etc. for entertainment ;-)

If your kids can't understand that they are privileged to be doing what you propose to do - if they are going to cause havoc because they don't have DVD players ..

well, I'd leave them at home; or all stay at home; or give them a crash course in how it would be to live in Mali or Bangla Desh.

Sounds as if that might be a gap in their education.

Perhaps hotel rooms will be cheaper and tickets to the big shows will be more available.

Would you believe that people actually survived airplane trips without DVD players? 'Tis a real hardship, but it can be done, despite the deprivation of a Constitutional right.

We have a vacation planned for London in 2007 and are also traveling with children.

It is too soon to see what they will allow and won't allow in a few months so no need to worry about it now. If for any reason they still don't allow hand carried luggage then my kids will just have to do with the tv screen and games they have on the plane.

The only that worries me is the checking in my digital camera and laptop I don't think I will feel comfortable with thinking they will be safe in checked luggage but we will see what they will allow come January

I won't continue to drive home the point how sad it is that they can't go anywhere without a dvd player. Even WITH a dvd player 7 hours can be a long flight. Start weening them off the boob tube now so they'll have an easier time.

Ohmygosh people. I am not talking about constant TV watching at home, I am talking about bringing a convenience that I know keeps my kids quiet and occupied. That's a good thing on a plane, right?

My youngest son has high functioning autism and is hyperactive. Flying used to be very challenging with him. He had trouble sitting still, despite all the stuff we would bring along. Then we started flying with a portable DVD player and it made everything so much better. He was happy, we were significantly less stressed. He didn't talk until he was 6, so the suggestion to talk to my kids wasn't that helpful. He's come a loong way, but we have to plan a lot more before we do anything with him than we would a typical child, like my older son, who could easily "survive" practically any travel contingency.

We are very fortunate b/c many children with autism do not like changes to routine, but my son loves to travel. He's been all over the country and he's flown enough times that we think he's ready for an overseas flight. I want to make the experience a good one for him, for us, and our fellow passengers on the plane.

If any of you have any suggestions for keeping a child with autism occupied on a 7 hour plane flight with nothing to do, please let me know. (And since he still has issues with processing, talking to him for 7 hours won't really help).

Of course, my boys will "survive" without a TV on the plane. But when I plan anything, I hope that the experience is better than merely "surviving" it. If I can make plans to make things go smoother, I do.

I could "survive" without a dishwasher, but I don't want to. I could survive without the internet, and long ago people survived without electricity. I guess I'm overreacting b/c I'd prefer to have those conveniences.

fuzzylogic - please also let me know how to best educate my children, especially the one with autism. My school district isn't doing the best job; I've really had to help them with that.

Okay, I've just heard from my travel agent (from whom I purchased my airline ticket). I have interpreted the TSA website as saying "carry-on luggage is okay flying into the U.K., just no gels or liquids". My travel agent says I have interpreted the website correctly.

She also suggested that I "hang loose" (in these troubled times? :) ), because the code level could change after the summer season ends.

Karens, although we're looking way into the future here, it's possible that you might be able to use a DVD player on the way over, but not the way back. Have you thought about renting one? I haven't done that myself for trans-Atlantic air travel, but I hear that you can. Maybe that would simplify things.

Good luck to us all.....

Keep the kids up real late the night before the flight so that there good and tired. Maybe add a little Benadryl before boarding and hope for the best.

They should have a couple of movies on the flight, and maybe can also provide a deck of cards. There's always hangman and connect-the-dots, if you can bring or they can provide, paper and pencil.

Good luck! I certainly would not cancel a trip becasue of this.

karens,
I hope you'll be able to bring your DVD player for the kids. I bet that you will! Kids get restless very easy when they have to sit somewhere fo 8 hrs straight. It certainly isn't like travelling in a car where you can stop, get out, walk around and rest. I have a 10 year old and a 15 month old and I wouldn't even think twice about letting the 10 year old occupy himself with movies and a video game for whatever kept him happy and comfortable! We flew on a 4 hr flight with my son when he was 7 and did not have DVD or in flight movie or anything. We brought along some oragami and some string games (like cats cradle, jacob's ladder) and we made those little pincher fortune-teller things that you do with your hands (I had remembered how to do them from my school days, but I'm sure the directions are in an oragami book) that occupied us for most of the flight. Just throwing some ideas out for you. I don't know if 11 and 13 y.o. boys would think that was just totally boring (my 10 y.o would still enjoy it) but it was worth mentioning just in case. Good luck!

I think the people flying right now are the ones that have the biggest problem. You have some time so not only could this all change but the airlines will have time to prepare. I really can’t imagine that they won’t have cards and other things to help keep the kids busy with. There are also different channels to watch. Sometimes that entertains them even more than their own stuff. The Benadryl sounds good but it might be a tempting habit – mommy needs some quiet time, open wide. (kidding!!)

I can't wait for prices to drop!

Last year I was in London a few weeks after the bombings, practically had the city to myself..

Hi all. Thanks for your replies.

Well, I was able to secure round trip FF tix from PHL to Heathrow via Toronto on Air Canada for next July.
They are on a 24 hour hold and I have to confirm tomorrow or they get put back in the system.

I was able to get 4 tickets at the 50,000 award level, which from what I understand is not easy to do. (No direct flights were available). For tickets that cost $900/each, this is a remarkable deal. Especially considering that my husband will go from gold to silver level FF next year, and his mileage earning will signficantly be decreased. (Now on USAir silvers earn only a 25% v. 50% mileage bonus. That stinks).

I'm still not thrilled about the current ban on all carry-on items from the UK. We could survive without a DVD, but without books and other carry-on items, etc. I have no idea what we would do. Benadryl is not a sedative for me or my boys - it is for my husband, it knocks him right out. So, that's an option for him!

I'm not sure why I'm posting this; guess I'm still not sure what to do, and I really have to make up my mind fast. I suspect you all are like me - we want to continue to travel!

I feel bad for the poor flight attendants on the planes from the UK with a planeload of passengers with nothing to do and who are stressed out from the current situation.

Yay! Electronics are now allowed...for now anyway!