Taking ASC son to Australia - arghhh!

Hi All,

I'm after any advice/ideas to help.

My 9 yr old has never been on a plane before (for too many reasons to list here). We have been given a gift of flights to Oz by my parents so I can see my sister and her family that moved out there 10 yrs ago. It's a mightily generous and kind gift but I almost wish they hadn't. My son has major anxieties around insects - getting him outdoors is a mild nightmare every sunny day. He has sensory issues around clothing and hates his legs exposed to elements (unless in swimming pool) so shorts are a big no-no every Summer. He hates hot weather and says over and over that he is a 'winter boy'. We will be in Queensland over Christmas when it is at its most sweltering.

He also has sensory processing problems with smells - especially food and so the airplane will be hard when all the meals come out. He often has to vomit for this reason. Babies crying and other children chatting cause him huge distress, so again, I am very worried about the flight for this reason! 

Things I am trying to do:

Youtube vids of airports/inside airplanes 

Focusing on things he'll love in Oz (like swimming pool in sister's back yard)

Investigating where indoor places are close by that I can take him to (cinema/kfc etc!)

insect repellent and netted hats

Airport Assistance from airline

Distractions/headphones/gadgets on flight to distract/de-stress

Plan to see gp to discuss possible sleep-aids as he has rigid routine and I suspect he will not be able to switch off on flights.

Taking Vicks Vaporub on flight to help with smells.

Anyone that's been in similar boat and found something that really helped - please let me know! Or any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks for reading. Em X