Most flights, at least the long haul ones, have a kiddie pack. It contains paper and pictures and a pencil or crayons or coloured pencils (depending on age), sometimes a badge or record book or information about planes.
I've also seen airline staff kneel down and distract babies and toddlers.
I confess I once fell asleep on a long haul flight accompanied by a son aged under ten. When I woke he had vanished!
I paced up and down searching for him. Eventually I heard his voice.
I was embarrassed to find he was sitting talking to a couple of Americans who could not escape. I was surprised but not surprised. In the airport lounge he had mesmerised a lady. I asked him what he had said. He had counted from one to one hundred in French whilst she listened amazed, to hear if he said it all correctly. It turned out that she was a teacher of French.
Now, on the plane, I found a couple of Americans were sitting entranced by his English accent, as he talked non-stop. They claimed he had entertained them for hours. The lady politely said something like, 'Gee, we're sorry to see him go. Ya'll have a great time.'
A very useful guide for parents and travellers from Cheapflights is here:
TAKE THE STRESS OF OUT FAMILY FLYING THIS OCTOBER HALF TERM
Cheapflights’ guide to avoiding mid-air toddler tantrums or teenage turbulence
With the October half-term holiday looming, global flight search and deals publishing website Cheapflights is sharing its top tips for stress-free family flying.
Research1 by Cheapflights shows just how fearful some parents are at the thought of flying with little ones, with a third (36%) saying it’s more daunting than a visit to the dentist, doctor or taking their children to have their injections. One in 10 say they’d much rather be stuck in a traffic jam, while 14% claim they’re more worried about flying with kids than doing the weekly food shop with toddlers in tow.
Parents who worry about the attitude of fellow flyers are rightly concerned, as 42% of travellers cite ‘crying babies and fidgety children’ as the least enjoyable part of a flight.
To make the whole experience less stressful for all concerned, Cheapflights is offering some guidance on how to make the flight fly by. Cheapflights’ travel expert and father of two Phil Bloomfield said: “Family time should be fun time, yet for many parents the thought of flying with their kids fills them with dread. A little planning and our top tips should help parents to travel trouble-free with their kids, whether they be tots or teens.”
For the youngest of fliers, avoid disappointment by checking with the airline about their minimum age policy as they differ between carriers. British Airways, for example, will accept a baby aged just 48 hours, if born without complications and once its parents have sought medical advice.
Infants must be seated on an adult’s lap. Yet there is a huge discrepancy between how much parents have to pay, with many of the UK carriers being put to shame by international airlines. For example, Air Canada and Air France do not charge for children sitting on an adult’s lap on their domestic routes, and Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Qantas, South African Airways and United Airlines all allow infants (regarded as a child aged under two years) to travel for free. By comparison, British Airways charges 10% of the accompanying adult fee; easyJet charges £22 whilst Ryanair charges £20, both one-way; Flybe charges 12% of the adult fare.
For older children needing their own seats, Cheapflights recommends checking out Delta or Swiss, which are much more cost-effective for families with Delta charging 50% and Swiss 65% of the adult fare.
Once the flights are booked, Cheapflights’ top-ten tips should help dissipate the dread:
The car seat-travel bag combo (available online from various retailers) is a life-saver for parents, which can be pushed or carried through Departures then transformed back into a car seat on arrival.
Parents of babies should consider flying with British Airways, which offers a bassinet - either a cot for tiny ones or a seat with harness for older babies - ensuring a much more comfortable flight for little ones. British Airways also allows parents of infants to take an additional bag into the cabin and as much food as their baby may need.
Don’t count on in-flight entertainment as the only distraction for older kids: regardless of how engaging it promises to be, it can break down! Have a back up plan. And tempting though it might be, hold off on the use of electronics until towards the end of the flight – perhaps as a reward for good behaviour - otherwise they won’t want to do anything else.
Pack earphones that fit: airlines’ free handouts rarely fit smaller heads or ears.
On that note: ensure magazines, colouring or storybooks are new to beat boredom: on long haul flights, try to something new for each hour in the air.
Pack sealable wet bags in hand luggage, which are great for soiled or wet clothes, keeping on-board snacks or treats (bribes!) fresh and for storing rubbish.
Avoid any food that can be smeared by sticky fingers – dry crumbs are less fuss to wipe up than wiping down a sticky small person. Adopt a ‘little and often’ approach to snacks or treats.
Stick to water: juices or fizzy drinks when spilled get sticky… (and have higher sugar content).
Flying can be a formidable milestone for little ones, so take the time to explain the process of travelling through the airport and what is expected of them. For example, going through security or the importance of the ‘seat belt on’ sign. Every aspect can become part of the fun of the trip if they are engaged and cooperative.
Layers of loose-fitting clothing (to avoid in-flight fiddling with bothersome buttons) that can be easily added or removed are ideal for aircraft with overly-efficient air-cooling.
Families seeking the best value flights this half-term still have the chance to find great value flights to their favourite holiday hot spots. Cheapflights suggests the following destinations that are proving most popular:
Alicante, Spain: Enjoy a sunshine break in Alicante on the Costa Blanca. Return flights start from £434 per family of four (£115 per adult and £102 per child) based on flights departing London Gatwick with Iberia and returning from with AirEuropa via Cheapflights.co.uk. Dates: 24 – 31 October 2016.
New York, USA: Get that Empire State of Mind with a family break to the Big Apple. Return flights to JFK start from £1,704 per family of four (£551 per adult and £301 per child) based on flights departing London Heathrow with Air Canada via Cheapflights.co.uk. Dates: 24 – 28 October 2016.
Milan, Italy: Jet off on a city break to Italy’s fashion capital. Return flights to Milan Malpensa start from £354 per family of four (£95 per adult and £82 per child) based on flights departing London Luton with easyJet via Cheapflights.co.uk. Dates: 24 – 28 October 2016.
Paris, France: Say bonjour to the Eiffel Tower and practice that schoolroom French. Return flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle start from £198 per family of four (£56 per adult and £43 per child) based on flights departing London Luton with easyJet via Cheapflights.co.uk. Dates: 24 – 27 October 2016.
Algarve, Portugal: Escape to the beautiful beaches of the Algarve for a week of sun with the family. Return flights to Faro start from £690 per family of four (£179 per adult and £166 per child) based on flights departing London Gatwick with easyJet and returning with Ryanair via Cheapflights.co.uk. Dates: 24 – 31 October 2016.
-ENDS-
I love the idea of rehearsing what will happen at the airport and on the plane. Asking an older child how they want to spend the flight and negotiating is a good idea.
I thought of sending you just the tips for parents then decided to send everything. Hope you found it useful.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
