What is easier with a 4 y/o? 1 long haul economy flight, or 2 FC segments?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all, we ended up going with economy straight shot. I double checked and the first segment was coach so I chose a red eye with an 8PM departure. We will hopefully just get on the plane and snooze for the entire flight and wake up in Germany.

The idea of a delay or cancellation and being stranded in a hotel is what made me change my mind. Plus, the layout of the business class seats was wonky and my kid would have ended up in my lap anyways. They were pods kind of turned away from each other.

[Anonymous]

We have 3 kids and have been flying to Europe and SA since they were born and at least twice a year. I would absolutely chose the direct economy flight over the mess you described. It sounds logistically complicated and exhausting.
If you fly from the East coast, a direct flight to Germany is 8 hours. Usually those flight are at night and kids sleep (no matter where they are). They are super easy. The return flight on the other hand is longer and during the day so a bit harder, but I would still pick a direct economy over 3 flights with lots of layovers/hotels/bags/naps/taxis… I get tired just thinking about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 3 kids and have been flying to Europe and SA since they were born and at least twice a year. I would absolutely chose the direct economy flight over the mess you described. It sounds logistically complicated and exhausting.
If you fly from the East coast, a direct flight to Germany is 8 hours. Usually those flight are at night and kids sleep (no matter where they are). They are super easy. The return flight on the other hand is longer and during the day so a bit harder, but I would still pick a direct economy over 3 flights with lots of layovers/hotels/bags/naps/taxis… I get tired just thinking about it.

Agreed. Anyone who said to take the 2 segments with an 18 hour layover to Germany just isn’t an experienced flyer and is enamored with biz class.

[Anonymous]

We recently did the two flights in first with a layover instead of one long haul economy, with our 4 and 6yo and kind of regretted it. Our layover was 6 hours in London and it felt like the middle of the night to us so we were all kind of uncomfortable despite the lounge, good food, etc. Next time we'll just suffer harder but for less time!