@johnd All toddlers are different and I’ve had both experiences good and bad. My first was the perfect travel baby/toddler. We did five 6+ hour flights his first year so when he hit the toddler stage it was a breeze! He was always a lap child until required to get his own seat at 2, and never screamed or cried. Always listened and just chilled or slept in my lap. He’s no longer a toddler and still the perfect travel companion.
Just got off a 6+ hour international flight with my 22 month old yesterday and OMG it was so so hard! He’s been a terrible traveler since he hit 10 months, and much better on night time/red eye flights. Our flight yesterday was late afternoon and he screamed very loudly for the first 2 hours, squirmed and was so busy. I was exhausted and prayed for peace lol he finally fell asleep and stayed that way for 3 hours. He woke up happy and chill.
Even with my annoyance, exhaustion and frustration with the screaming, I would still take him on another flight tomorrow because our trips are always so worth it! It’s like child birth to me… few bad hours/pain and then I completely forget when I think about the overall great trip with him. And he’s a toddler doing what toddlers do! Completely normal. I think most adults expect a fussy toddler/baby and know to bring earplugs or headphones.
I agree, take the trip and don’t be afraid to fly with your babies/toddlers. This time is so short so just enjoy everything that comes with it - good, bad & stressful!