Tips for travelling with young children on a plane

When you have to take flights for work, or without the kids, you get used to flying through the airport. Most of us have the whole travelling with young children nailed to a tee. We only take carry on luggage, we know our passport numbers, and we know to take our liquids and electricals out ahead of time and to store them in an easy to reach place. We don’t wear any over the top jewellery or metal belts; it is easy, right?

Then we have the other scenario. The one where you are travelling with your family and kids. Instead of waltzing through the airport with just a whisper-light carry-on, you are now carrying three full-sized suitcases, one nappy bag, two backpacks, and a husband who won’t stop moaning. After the recent earplug lawsuit against 3M, you cant even block the noise out.

It can be one of the toughest and most exhausting experiences of your life, and after just one hour, you’re ripping your hair out and questioning why you even planned the trip in the first place.

Luckily for you, we have had lots of experience dealing with this, so we have decided to write down and impart our knowledge on you in this article. So, if you are nervous about your first family trip through the airport, don’t be, we have you covered.

Early Boarding Is Worth Every Penny

Trust us on this one – early boarding is worth every penny. It’s essentially a great way to enjoy being treated to luxury for 5 minutes before 5 hours of hell in a cramped tin car thousands of miles up in the air.

Make Friends with Other Parents

Looking after children on a plane is like going to war, so you are going to need allies. Whilst you are waiting to board or when you have sat down, try and strike up conversations with other parents. It is great to feel some solidarity. Especially when a 1-foot gremlin has been screaming down your earhole for over an hour, it is nice to be able to share a glance with someone across the plane that says, “I understand your pain.”

Bring Activities

Make sure you bring enough activities to keep your children occupied. Buy every book they want, pack every board game, every game console or sticker book. Trust me, keeping them occupied is going to be the only way you keep your sanity, especially on a long haul flight.

Bring Snacks

Airplane food is notoriously bad. When you have a gang of fussy children with you, then chances are one of them will not eat their food. Cue the moaning. Make sure you pack lots of different snacks to keep your kids fed. We all get a little hangry sometimes.

If you follow these tricks, your journey should be less troublesome then it was going to be. Travelling with children can be really hard. Just remember, the holiday that follows is going to be incredible.