Case Family in Hong Kong

Well we made it through another transcontinental trip, over 6500 miles, 3 airports/countries, and a 12 hour time difference. We really had a blessed trip this time (praise God!). We flew to Chicago on the 19th and spent the night (this allowed us a good nights sleep before the long flight). We flew 13 hours from Chicago to Korea, and we were fortunate enough to have a few empty seats between us so Ezri could play and stretch out for a nap. We had a 3 hour layover an another 3 hour trip to Hong Kong. Our trip was about 26 hours from Chicago to our door in Hong Kong which is about half the time it took to go from HK to the U.S. As soon as we came out of the airport we were greeted by the Hong Kong heat and humidity – 90 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity – Today we had a typhoon move in , most places and transportation (minibuses) were closed.

A few insights from our trip and travelling with children:

1. When travelling across the world, be sure to book all the way through to your destination. Going to the U.S. I only booked to Chicago and when our flight there was cancelled we had little help finding another flight.

2. When travelling with toddlers, travel during the daytime. As a single I used to like to travel overnight (because I would sleep), but as a parent it’s best to travel during the day because I daughter sleeps very little when travelling. Going to the states we left at 1am so we started out tired and after 50 hours without sleep Melanie and I were at the end of selves. Coming back to Hong Kong we left at 1 pm and we didn’t get crazy until 6am so it wasn’t until the very end of our trip. Literally, night and day, the difference it makes.

3. When travelling with toddlers, patience is a virtue. If your child is like ours and really does not like confined spaces then be sure to ask for a bulkhead row, and empty seat between (if possible of course). Even though the airline may ask parents of infants/toddlers if they’d like to board first, board the plane last, right before takeoff (you can save yourself almost a 1/2 hour of sitting by doing this). If your child is sleeping in a stroller before a security checkpoint, then just wait it out before the checkpoint (as long as you possibly can) because they will make you take the child out of the stroller even if she’s sound asleep.

4. Be prepared to distract and pacify and know that your child will most likely have some major breakdowns, so be prepared. Take some new toys they haven’t seen before (and a few favorites). A portable DVD player does wonders for us and all their favorite snacks.

5. If your child is less than two you will most likely get better service and more accommodations if you don’t buy a seat for your child. Our first trip to Hong Kong we bought our 9-month old daughter a seat. We were seated in the middle of a side aisle and the flight crew didn’t know how to handle a carseat that is backward facing. Planes aren’t accustomed to small children having their own seat so they really don’t know how to work with you. We could of gotten a bassinet if we hadn’t of bought the ticket which we highly recommend (even if you don’t use it it’s great for storage), and we would have been seated on a bulkhead row. Please learn from our mistakes. You can always ask for an empty seat between, and if the plane has one nearby they’ll most likely try to give it to you.