child on a plane

Christmas is fast approaching, and for a lot of families that means flying domestically and internationally to visit family. As fantastic as the Christmas spirit is, the amazing Christmas feast awaiting on the other end may not be worth the predicted horror of flying with children. Fearless friends, we have a few flying tips for you this holiday season!

The flight you book can really change the way the kids respond. You don’t want the flight to be too busy. The first and last flight of the day are the fullest flights. This makes it harder to get the right seats. When booking flights, also consider your children’s sleeping patterns. If you can get a time close to nap time, you might be lucky enough to catch a break on the flight yourself! Allowing your kids to play around before the flight and burn some extra energy also helps, and even if they don’t sleep they shouldn’t be too fidgety.

The location of your seat can be just as important as the time you fly. The front rows of the aircraft are normally designated to families as they have more space. A window seat is also better then an aisle seat. Having something to look at can really make time ‘fly’ for children and it also makes it harder for them to escape their seat!

The more organized you are, the less stressful the situation will be for the children. Make sure everything is packed in advance, and leave plenty of time to get to the airport. Keeping everyone calm can make a real difference to your kid’s mood once on the plane.

If you children need to fly alone, make sure to note this when you book the flights. That way cabin crew on the flight can take extra care to look after them and ensure they arrive happily and most importantly, safely to their destination.

Flying with children can be unavoidable and with the correct thought and planning, it won’t be a bad experience.

Happy travels, and happy holidays!