When we flew to Mexico (only 4 hours and at 15 months old) and to London (8 hours and at 19 months old) both times the flight attendants encouraged us to let him walk around or come hang around the back!
On the flight home from London they even took him to the cockpit to meet the captain and see the controls etc...and gave him some wings! (pin of captain wings to put on his shirt)
We flew Air Canada to Mexico and British Airways to London BTW. I must say the trip to Mexico although shorter, was harder for us to keep amused and in his seat, I think it was an age thing, sorry Kristi,:( I found this the toughest age so far, 3 months and 8 months were a breeze) With the flight to London on the way there it was an overnight flight which was tough at first as the flight left at 9pm but by the time the drinks, meal service, duty free etc..were finished, the lights were not off until 11:30pm. I got up and held him on my shoulder and walked and bounced him at the back and he fell asleep on me and lay him on the empty seat between DH and I and he did not wake until the decent for landing. On the way back to Toronto it was an 8am flight and we did the same thing for his nap and he slept for about 1hr and 40. He does not watch TV so we used singing, books, colouring, stickers, his tool box and doctors kit and eating as activities. DH and I took shifts letting him go for a walk down the aisle to the back as we were in biz class and it was a nice long walk. Most people are up walking on long haul flights for circulation as long as you don't get up during meals or duty free. We also played in the bathroom for a bit!
At this age compared to the last time, he also grasped the concept of seating in our seats and wearing seatbelts, so I often would say when I needed a break, it's time to do it, here comes the lady and once the flight attendant did a fake check for us, she was great. He also would stand in front of his middle seat and put his toys or books there and hang out, so at least he was standing. He was really good on that journey home and the looks we got at first like you are bringing a toddler in biz class!? (hey, we had an upgrade and it was not 1st class!) For the decent and landing he had to be in my arms and that was the hardest part, so we sang the wheels on he bus with 55 different verses to keep him amused! At the luggage carousal a proper British elderly gentleman came up to me and said: "He was jolly good for such a long flight!" I blushed.
HTH,
Aisling x
Ps. I have a few more tips re time change etc... but my monster beckons to go outside! I'll be back.
