How to Survive an 18-Hour (Ultra) Long-Haul Flight with a Baby

One of my favourite things in the world is to travel—the farther, the better. I’ve always loved long-haul flights: the excitement of the trip, the packing, the different time zones, the jet lag, the weather changes, the culture shock, the food… you name it, I love it.

Before becoming a mama, my husband and I often did spontaneous long weekend getaways. Sometimes we’d head to the airport after work for an overnight long-haul flight, enjoy a glass of bubbly in the lounge, check out the in-flight entertainment, have a quick dinner, and then—10, 12, or even 14 hours later—we’d be stepping onto a completely different continent.

Spoiler alert: long-haul flights with a baby are a little different.

This year, we’ve taken two shorter trips with Philip: Tenerife (4.5 hours from London) and Madrid (2.5 hours). Since I’m still on maternity leave, I figured, why not make the most of it? Why not go big? So… we decided to travel to Bali.

There’s no direct flight from London to Bali, so the “fastest” route is about 18 hours with a layover in Dubai. Sounds intense—but nothing’s impossible with the right preparation.

Here are my top tips for surviving an (ultra) long-haul flight with a 9-month-old, based on our recent London–Dubai–Bali trip.

1. Book an Overnight Flight

You won’t be able to recreate your baby’s exact bedtime routine at a noisy, bright, overstimulating airport or on a plane—but if you fly overnight, there’s a better chance they’ll sleep for most of it.

On our first flight (London to Dubai), Philip miraculously fell asleep on the boob during take-off and only woke up when the pilot announced we were 40 minutes from landing. It wasn’t his usual 11 hours of night sleep—more like 6.5–7 hours—but I’ll take it.

2. Carrier, Carrier, Carrier!

I cannot stress this enough! You’ll be walking up and down the aisles a lot, and your arms will eventually feel like they’ve been through a weightlifting competition. A good baby carrier is a lifesaver—especially when your little one falls asleep.

3. Toys and Entertainment —One at a Time

Our second flight (Dubai to Bali) was during the day, which meant Philip was overstimulated and very awake. We didn’t get a bassinet, which would have been handy (even though we had requested it) even just for storing toys and the changing mat. I laid a blanket on the floor so he could stretch and crawl a bit, but that was taken away too. Nine hours suddenly felt very long.

Introduce toys one at a time to keep things fresh. Once they’ve played with everything, you’re left with only so many rounds of peek-a-boo. Also—never underestimate the entertainment value of an empty water bottle. That bought us a solid 15 minutes.

4. Bring Your Own Sterilised Water and Food

I packed 500ml of sterilised water in a labelled flask (“Sterilised Water for Baby – 18-Hour Flight”), plus homemade veggie purées (sweet potato, and sweet potato & carrot) that could last a day without refrigeration. I did not prepare anything with meat, cheese or eggs. I also brought store-bought pouches as a backup, but never needed them.

Airlines often provide baby purées and formula, but usually can’t sterilise bottles—so plan accordingly.

5. Dress in Layers (For Both of You)

Airplane temperatures are unpredictable—either boiling hot or freezing cold. On our second flight, the air conditioning in our section was arctic. I spoke to the crew supervisor multiple times, but nothing changed. Philip ended up wrapped in a cardigan, snuggled in the carrier, and covered with my hoodie.

6. Let Go of the Routine

Your usual nap and meal schedule probably won’t happen—and that’s okay. Follow your baby’s lead. Philip is on three solid meals a day and I also exclusively breastfeed him, but during the flight he had only two purées and lots of breastfeeding.

7. Pack Extra Clothes—for Both of You

Spills, leaky nappies, poonamis… anything can happen. And it did.

At one point, Philip got a bit too excited while I was feeding him homemade purée from a pouch. He squeezed it—sending sweet potato and carrot flying all over himself, me, my hair, and the plane seats.

8. Snacks for Mama

You probably won’t get much sleep. I packed protein bars and chocolate, and also raided the galley for snacks. My husband and I took turns feeding, changing, and carrying Philip so we could each have moments to eat or rest—but it was still exhausting.

9. Accept the Chaos

Add a 7-hour time difference to an already sleepless journey, and you’ve got yourself a chaotic adventure. But remember: research shows family travel makes kids happier, teaches them resilience, and enriches their lives. These experiences become part of their emotional toolkit for adulthood.

At the end of the day, travel is one of the best ways to create lasting family memories. As I once saw on Instagram: You’re not going to sleep anyway, and you’ll still be changing nappies—you might as well do it in Bali.

Next challenge: the journey back home to London. My husband has just flown back, so it’ll be just me and a 10-month-old on an ultra-long-haul flight. Wish me luck—life’s an adventure!