Our whirlwind trip out east came to an end as we hoped on a WestJet flight with the kids back to Toronto last Thursday. Honestly if given a chance the Little Monkey would have gladly said she’d stay back with her Nana and Papa but of course we didn’t give her that option! We had a very early 6:30 a.m. flight so we got the toddler and baby up at 5 a.m. From the moment we got to the airport the Little Monkey was an emotional mess.
From skowling at her Hello Kitty shoes going through the xray machines (it was in our suitcase!) to refusing to say goodbye to her grandfather it was a huge cryfest. Going through security is always chaos and even in the tiny Sydney airport it was equally nerve wracking. Not only did we have to pack and unpack our stuff as per usual but the hubs got pulled in for a random screening leaving me alone with Baby Boy and the ever so emotional Little Monkey who was still crying. Got to the point where she peed on me as we went through security! Yes it’s true. I had extra clothes but no shoes so we had to carry her (she didn’t want to sit in the stroller). Fun times eh?
However as soon as we got to our gate things got better. We were told we could board first. LOVE WestJet’s priority boarding for those with young kids. As we stood around waiting for the preboarding we caught a lovely sunrise…seriously it was very calming watching that. The Little Monkey calmed down and when the time came for me to carry Baby Boy ( I was baby wearing) and head to the airplane I left the hubs with the Little Monkey and the stroller.
I turn back and what do I see? There’s a WestJet agent pushing our stroller! Talk about service. Those ads they put on TV are really true…they are owners! …and owners really do care. Once we got to the flight everything was fairly smooth. We had no crying during the flight and both of them even took naps on our direct flight to Toronto. Perks of waking up early I reckon! I even remembered to bring taffy and avoided any ear issues.
WestJet does have a change table onboard though we didn’t need to use them (phew). The icing on our WestJet experience was the fact that they allow us to use our electronic devices on airplane mode even during take-off and landing. Bring on the Disney videos on the iPad. Great for when the little ones need that additional distraction entertainment.
After two weeks of being on the road we were definitely glad to spend the night in our own beds! #MurphysDoNS was quite the maritime adventure and we’ll continue to share our stories over the next month.
Melissa
September 26, 2014 at 1:04 pmHi Yashy! Taking at trip to Florida to see Nana and Papa and we are flying westjet. I forgot to ask about the change table so that’s good to know! Great tips and info as always. Great idea to bring the carrier – I am definitely going to do that. I am going to have to slim down our packing somehow …. any tips on that? Hope to see you soon! Melissa
Yashy
September 27, 2014 at 10:25 amYou could always buy baby supplies once you land (though I like to pack from here so I have space for shopping on the return). You’ll find that you really don’t need much.. gone are my days of travelling with extra shoes and handbags for myself! Just one outfit per day plus two extras is my logic now. Plus you have access to a washing machine so you’ll be golden! Enjoy Florida!
Diana Corlett
November 14, 2014 at 10:48 pmI am reminded of a time many years past when I travelled with my little ones to Auckland, NZ. It was an experience to remember, but not necessarily to repeat, but of course there was a return journey :).
Cathy C
December 18, 2014 at 4:50 pmI can totally relate to your story Had sick kid on plane and his brother 20 months younger and no more change of clothes. But in general in all my years of travelling without my hubby with my kids when they were young most trips went smoothly (lots of preplanning helps) They are teens now and sometimes have no idea how I used to do it.