Traveling with kids is always a great chance to have a wonderful family experience. All the memories carved in the kid’s head will be a part of the sweetest history. However, flying with children isn’t flawless all the time. It’s a stressful event for a small child unless the trip is organized by professionals.
Do you want to have the best experience with your kids on board? It’s easy to organize if you put a bit of planning into the process. Airlines take care of their passengers, but taking care of the smallest of them is challenging work. But you will find the best way to fly safely with kids.
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Our guide will lead you through the most helpful tips parents can learn about before the flight. How to choose the tickets, what to consider before the flight, and what snacks to pack. We will answer all these questions and more in our article.
Top 6 Vital Tips for Parents before Flying With Kids
What should you think of first regarding the flight with a kid? There are plenty of things to consider, such as the choice of seats, food on board, entertainment, and comfort. If it’s a short flight, all these aspects may not be vital to the kid. However, taking care of every little aspect of a kid’s comfort is critical on long flights.
So, how much does it cost to fly business class these days? If you take children on board, using the best features business class can offer is better. So, let’s get started and see what tips can help you.
1. Start with the Choice of the Airline
How to choose the best airline for traveling with a kid? There are plenty of carriers offering exquisite services to passengers, but when it comes to kids, they are not the best in the niche. For this reason, your main focus as a parent is to consider these issues.
How to choose the airline that’s good for kids? When doing research, always go to the details section of every company and read about their policies. For example, do they offer family-friendly options? What about their board entertainment, and is it suitable for the kids? All these small things can make a huge difference when you fly for a long time with a small kid.
2. Choose the Right Seats
It’s a critical step in choosing a ticket for yourself and your children. The most valuable seats for small kids are those in the front rows. Why is it so? In most cases, the front area of the cabin tends to be quieter than the last rows or the middle of the plane. Furthermore, there’s usually more legroom so parents and kids can be comfortable during the whole flight.
If you travel with a very small or sensitive child, you may want to buy a bulkhead ticket. Usually, these types of seats have a wall separating the passenger from the whole aisle. In this case, the flight will be a much more comfortable experience. However, keep in mind that these types of seats are always in great demand and can cost more. So, make sure you order them ahead of time.
3. Don’t Forget about the Entertainment
If you travel with kids, you have to take their favorite type of entertainment. It’s impossible to keep the baby in the cabin during the whole flight engaged in something without entertainment. You should choose the entertainment of your choice. The flight attendants can have something to amuse your child, but the number of kids on board can be huge, so not everyone will get a toy or book to read.
4. Remember about Food
There are airlines offering food for families, so you can find something to snack on in the cabin. However, the food there isn’t always the most suitable for a child. If your kid has some special preferences, it’s best to pack all the necessary snacks beforehand and be equipped during the flight.
What problem can you face in this case? Not all food types are allowed on board, so checking the requirements beforehand is best. It can be a size issue or liquid-type requirements. In case of any dietary restrictions, you should find a way to have all the necessary things during the flight for a kid.
5. Sleep Planning Is a Must
If you travel with a small kid, it must be a very tiring experience for a child. Flying includes various pressure, altitude, or temperature differences. In this case, a small kid can feel overwhelmed and be willing to have some rest. And it’s best for you as a parent to plan for this sleeping routine to have a comfortable flight. Taking an extra pillow, favorite toy, or blanket can be a great idea.
If you plan to fly business class, you can always take advantage of the amenities the cabin crew offers. What are those? You can find hot towels, noise-canceling tools, or various amenities kits.
6. Jet Lag Is Real
Flying between different time zones is tough for adults, not to mention small kids. If you want your flight to be an enjoyable time for everyone in the family, it’s best to prepare the kid for the destination time zone and try to explain what will happen.
Enjoy Your Flights with the Kids
Is it complicated to fly with the kids? It’s an enjoyable experience if you know how to plan ahead and organize the trip. You will ensure the most comfortable flight by taking care of the airline choice and seats, entertainment, food, and sleep.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for this. Good pointers. One big tip I’d give, for parents of toddlers, and especially pre-verbal:
Bring a sippy drink and crunchy crisps or anything similar – NOT because they’re hungry…
Cabin pressure! You know when your ears go ‘pop’. and then it feels better. At that age it is difficult to explain the pain they are feeling build up and it is scary. This is often what causes the crying of babies on planes. They don’t yet know how to do that jaw-wiggle motion thing, to release the pressure build up, and cant yet verbalise and explain the problem.
So the act of them sipping a drink from a straw or teat-bottle makes their jaw wiggle and release the pressure. The same goes for crunchy crisps or similar. Our favourite was Pom Bears crisps. Not massively full of unhealthy rubbish and does the jaw-wiggle job.
Great tips I totally agree
The most valuable seats for small kids are those in the front rows. Why is it so? In most cases, the front area of the cabin tends to be quieter than the last rows or the middle of the plane. <