7 Tips To Get You Through A Long-Haul Flight With A Baby

7 Tips To Get You Through A Long-Haul Flight With A Baby Jennifer Polland Oct. 23, 2014, 4:14 PM 33,822 3 facebook coachoutletonline linkedin twitter email print Flickr/gregglesworth While planning a trip to Italy with my almost 1-year-old baby, I was dreading the 8.5-hour flight more than any other aspect of the trip.  The idea of packing a car seat, stroller, suitcase, and diaper bag full of toys and then entertaining my very active daughter for hours in a confined setting was a completely daunting task. But in reality, the flight was one of the easier parts of the trip.  Here are 7 tips to get you through a long-haul flight with a baby:  1. Schedule the flight time to coincide with nap or bed time Ideally your baby will sleep for much of the flight. To help him do that, book a flight that coincides with nap time or bed time. There's a good chance that the ambient noise on the plane will lull your baby to sleep anyway, but it helps if the flight is during a time that your baby will be sleepy.  I took the red eye to Italy and my daughter slept for almost the entire duration of the coach purse outlet flight, since she would have been asleep for the night anyway.  2. Choose seats strategically Infants under two years old can fly for free if they sit on an adult's lap. That said, if you can afford the extra airfare, it might be worth it to buy your baby his own seat. (You can bring an infant car seat on board and strap your baby in to the seat.) If , however, you don't want to shell out the money for another seat, then you should carefully select seats that will give you the most space possible.  Consult SeatGuru to see the layout of the plane and find the seats with the most legroom. In coach, this usually means the bulkhead seat, though some airlines also have select seats where you can pay a little more money for extra room.Call the airline to request a bassinet.Flickr/wwhyte For long-haul flights, most airlines offer bassinets that hook into the wall in front of the bulkhead seat—this is the most ideal option, after getting a seat for your baby. Though there are no guarantees; you need to call the airline as soon as you book your flight (you can't request it online) and put in a request for the bassinet. You should also get to the airport early and reiterate your request. If you're flying with someone else, you may want to book a window and aisle seat (leaving the middle open) in the hopes that the middle seat won't get filled. And even if it does, there's a good chance that the person will switch with you as no one wants to sit between two people who are passing a baby back and forth. Just before boarding, ask the gate agent if there are any empty seats. You might just get lucky and get a seat for your child. 3. Bring a stroller, baby carrier, or car seat through the airport Bring a baby carrier or stroller through the airport. Flickr/criminalintent You'll want to keep your hands free in the airport, so bring a stroller or baby carrier, like the Bjorn or Ergo. It might make sense to bring the car seat too, since you'll want it on the flight if you can snag a spare coach purses outlet seat for your kid. You can check the coachoutlet.com stroller and car seat at the gate. 4. Be prepared for the flight Bring more diapers, wipes, food, and spare clothing (for both you and the baby) than you think you'll need. You coach factory outlet online do not want to run out of the essentials on the flight.  Also bring enough toys and books to entertain your baby during the flight. You always want to have a backup plan to distract the baby if she starts to melt down.  5. But don't overpack It's hard enough to chase after a baby or toddler, so the last thing you want is to be weighed down with tons of luggage. Of course that's easier said than done, since babies come with tons of stuff. But try to pack the least amount possible—at least for the carry on.  While you'll want to bring enough toys to keep your baby entertained, don't overdo it. Before the flight, I packed a bunch of toys and loaded my iPad up with all sorts of baby-friendly apps, but we barely touched them since my baby occupied herself with basic items like empty water bottles and magazines. 6. Plan for takeoff and landing Your baby will probably have the toughest time during takeoff and landing, since her ears may bother her when the air pressure changes. To prevent the baby from crying, make sure that she is either feeding or sleeping during that time. Any sort of sucking motion will help, so give her a bottle or pacifier during the ascent and descent. 7. Be courteous to the other passengers on the plane Some parents apologize to fellow passengers in advance, while others even offer gift bags with ear plugs and candy to passengers. That's a nice gesture, but it's not necessary. Still, a basic modicum of courtesy will go far with your fellow coach purses outlet passengers. If all else fails and your baby melts down, just take a deep breath and stay calm. Unfortunately, babies cry. That's what they do. Just do your best to comfort and quiet your child as quickly as possible.  NOW WATCH: We Put The iPhone 6 Time-Lapse Video To The Test — Here's 6 Hours Of Sleeping Baby In 26 Seconds Please enable Javascript to watch this video SEE ALSO: Here's A Great Way To Find A Cheap Flight If You Don't Care Where Follow us! Business Insider Is On Instagram More: Babies Travel Airplanes Travel Tips

Less Is More as Vuitton Stays Top Luxury Brand in Ranking

Less Is More as Vuitton Stays Top Luxury Brand in Ranking Less is more in luxury. The value of the top 10 luxury-goods brands surged 16 percent to $111 billion as companies from LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA to Burberry Group Plc made exclusivity a priority over ubiquity, research company Millward Brown said in the 2014 BrandZ study published today. The Louis Vuitton leather-product label’s value jumped 14 percent to $25.9 billion, placing LVMH’s biggest and most profitable brand atop the luxury ranking for the ninth straight year. Hermes, the French maker of Birkin bags that’s part-owned by LVMH, also rose 14 percent to place second at $21.8 billion. Kering SA’s Gucci, a direct competitor to Vuitton, gained 27 percent to $16.1 billion was third on the list. Vuitton is among luxury-goods makers introducing more expensive products with fewer logos and tightening sales networks as wealthy shoppers switch to brands they perceive as being more elite. First-quarter fashion and leather-goods revenue at Paris-based LVMH rose at the fastest pace in two years, indicating that the Vuitton revamp is working. Hermes’s goal of 10 percent annual revenue growth is almost double Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd.’s industrywide estimate. “If you lose exclusivity, you lose your luxury status,” Anastasia Kourovskaia, vice president for European, Middle East and African operations at Millward Brown’s Optimor consulting arm, said in a phone coach purses outlet interview. Many coach outlet stores companies in the category are shying away from an overt focus on increasing market share and distribution to highlight their high-end appeal, she said. 13 IndustriesThe luxury ranking coachoutletonline is part of a broader annual study commissioned by WPP Plc, the advertising-company parent of Millward Brown, that measures brand values across 13 industries. Clothing brand Prada, watchmaker Rolex, jewelry producer Cartier, and fashion labels Chanel and Burberry placed fourth to eighth in the luxury list, respectively. Burberry’s value surged 42 percent to $5.9 billion, the fastest growth in the segment, as the London-based company halted some promotions on rainwear and leather goods, Millward Brown said. Coach and Fendi rounded out the top 10 luxury list, though both brands lost value. Coach, in ninth place, declined 4 percent to $3.1 billion as its handbags lost cache in the U.S. amid product discounting, Kourovskaia said. Fendi slumped 17 percent to $3 billion as a lack of investment by owner LVMH led to the fashion house being seen as less relevant by new luxury consumers, she coach purse outlet said. While both labels seem to have arrested the negative momentum in brand coach outlet stores perception, winning back customers “is a very long journey,” said Kourovskaia. The Millward Brown study, which ranks brands’ value by their earnings and revenue potential, is based on interviews with more than 2 million consumers and an analysis of companies’ performance. Google coach purses outlet Inc., owner of the most-used Internet search engine, overtook iPhone producer Apple Inc. as the world’s most valuable brand with its estimated value rising 40 percent to $159 billion, according to Millward Brown. Apple fell 20 percent to $148 billion, placing second. Vuitton ranked 30th in brand value across all industries. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. LEARN MORE