Travelling with a toddler

We are currently planning a family holiday to sunny Broome, which got me thinking of the last time we flew with Emily and if there was anything we could do differently to make it a little easier on all of us. You see we were one of those families!! the ones with the screaming child that starts just after take off and seems to go on forever. The family that when coming down the aisle to find there seat people see you have a child and and they think to themselves, please don't let them be sat next to me. Then when you find yourself next to them, you get that funny little smile, that says hi lovely to meet you just don't let that kid cry. The reason I know they are thinking that is because I have been one of them plenty of times.

Well last time we got an evening flight around her usual bedtime thinking she could have her bottle on take off to help with her ears and then she would fall blissfully asleep and stay that way until the next morning when she would wake up well rested in the hotel room. Well as you can imagine it didnt go to plan, in fact it went a little something like this, have bottle on take off, all good so far. Then it begun, Emily had no intentions what so ever of going to sleep, so for the next two hours we had to entertain one over tired child with an attention span of a fish!. There were tears and tantrums and escape attempts. Hubby and I were trying so hard to become invisible. which is a little bit difficult when you have a 13 month old that has legs and arms going everywhere. In fact if someone had of told me there was a parachute in the back I think I would of considered using it, just to clarify, the parachute was for me, not Emily, I'm not that mean a mother! Eventually hubby almost had her asleep and then the food trolley came and she was off again. I found myself not looking at anyone, as every time you would look up, someone would be staring at you and it made me feel like I was failing miserably as a parent. It wasn't supposed to be this way I kept telling myself she was supposed to be fast asleep cuddled up in my arms, the perfect child. We were so relieved when she did succumb to sleep, but I believe the mention of driving home from Adelaide instead of flying was on the cards at this point!
That was only the beginning for some crazy reason we decided to stay in four different places in the span of five nights and our return flight was at 8pm, what were we thinking??

So for Broome we have booked our flight for in the morning well before nap time, and her take on bag will have a couple of her favourite books, puzzles, crayons, stickers, flash cards and for back up in case of emergency we will have a couple of new episodes of 'Dora' and 'Charli and Lola' on the iPhone. She still has her dummy for sleeping, so we will have that packed as well for take off and landing to help with her ears and we will be staying in just one place this time.
Have you travelled with your toddler or baby, car or plane? do you have any tips you would like to share as I would definitely love to hear them.