I have done several trips with my now 14 month son by myself, including several 7-8 hour night flights. I would try to book the bulkhead or any seat that allows extra legroom, this way while they are wiggly at the beginning of the flight you can let them stand/sit at your feet and play. I take an old blanket to put down so I am not at grossed out by the floor, like one of the ones from the hospital.
Things to entertain:
- the video screen. we don't let him watch tv at home so this is a novelty that lasts a few minutes.
- books, one or two new board books can be fun
- 2 new small toys. One for the flight there, one for the flight home. My son loves my cell phone, so I bought him the "pretend" cell phone by Parents, which looks realistic and the volume is low. I can barely hear it over the airplane engines, and no one has ever complained.
- finger puppets! I just discovered this one 2 trips ago. I bought a packet of finger puppets at IKEA and they were a huge hit! He loved playing with them, putting them on his finger, etc.
- snacks. Never underestimate the power of snacks. We spent a good hour going through pretzels. Of course he dropped them on the floor and then wanted to eat them, ew!
Good luck and safe travels!