Flying with Children

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Tips For Air Travel With Children

Children can get restless and irritable while flying and in airports. There are strategies you can follow to ensure your children enjoy the trip.

Arrange entertainment
The best way when flying with children is to bring a portable DVD player, books, or anything else they can use to stay occupied with themselves. Be creative. Ipods and PSPs also play video these days, and are much easier to carry than a DVD player and DVDs. Kids don't seem to mind the fact that the screen is 1" square. The batteries last far longer than a DVD player for a longer flights. Click here for a review of the ifroz Tadpole Case that allows kids to use an ipod.

Have something to suck on and eat while ascending and descending
Don't give it to the child when you get onto the plane - wait until you leave the runway, or it will be finished before you take off. Similarly, wait until well into the descent. The key is to get them to swallow. Bring favorite snacks for fussy eaters. If children don't like the airplane food and get hungry, you're in for a wild ride!

Kids love the windows
Aim for a window seat for the child, and sit by the window at the airport. Airports are a hive of activity, usually enough to keep any child occupied for a little while.

Get an airport book
There are many picture books for young children that name the many things at the airport. For older children at a large airport, an airplane identification chart can pass some time.

Earplugs
If you are flying with a baby or young/loud child, consider bringing a bag of earplugs and offering them to your fellow passengers. They will certainly appreciate your consideration.

Consider safety
If you are flying with children who are less than three, have them sit in an approved car seat, not on your lap. In the unlikely event of an emergency, a lap child may be unsafe. Click here for more information on why you should bring your car seat. Be aware of whether there is an oxygen mask for infants on the aircraft/row.

Anticipate delays
Even the shortest flights can be delayed. Ensure you have sufficient food, clothes, nappies, entertainment, to avoid turning a couple of hours delay into a nightmare.
 

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