Need some top tips for surviving a long haul flight with kids?
Any journey with children can be a challenge. So cooping them up in a metal tube for hours to fly half way across the world might sound like the stuff of nightmares. However, such a feat is survivable.
Here, I've put together a list of top tips which worked for us during various transatlantic flights when our children were younger.
Maximise your hand luggage allowance
Once the initial excitement of travel day diminishes, ensure you have everything required to keep the children entertained and comfortable during your flight.
Items which have worked for us over the years include:
1. Activities (plenty of them)
Children have notoriously limited attention spans. Therefore, I recommend taking a variety of small activities for when boredom levels begin to rise.
Purchasing a few to hand out at intervals throughout the day helps maintain interest. Or, if the children are old enough to manage their own pull-along backpack, turn this into a lucky dip of fun with:
- Colouring, puzzle, sticker & reading books
- Pens & pencils
- Games such as Top Trumps, Dobble & Uno
- Plain paper - to play Hangman, Noughts & Crosses, Dots & Boxes, drawing etc
2. iPads and other devices
Although you may usually limit the kids screen usage (or try to), now is the time to relax the rules.
iPads, Tablets, handheld games consoles, and mobile phones are an ideal way to keep the children entertained.
During an 8 hour flight to Florida, a lovely 2 year old girl was sitting on the opposite side of the aisle to us. Napping in-between continuous episodes of Peppa Pig on an iPad kept her amused the whole time. Much to the obvious relief of her parents, who had the foresight to download as many episodes as possible before they left home.
Therefore, it's worth downloading movies and/or new games prior to your journey. Don't forget to bring a fully charged portable charger with you. Not all seats have the ability to charge devices, so make sure you're well equipped to keep everything running.
3. Headphones
If you're travelling in the Economy cabin, you'll likely be issued with uncomfortable earbud headphones - something many younger children won't wear. Instead, consider taking a cushioned, over the head style, for when the kids wish to watch a movie, or use the tablet/ iPad.
4. Blankets and pillow
Don't assume a nighttime flight means your children will sleep. Our youngest often remained awake throughout an overnight journey to watch movies. Although, when we switched off all devices, he fell asleep. Funny that.
However, if you're hoping to encourage them to have a nap at some point, they may not like the smell and feel of the plane issued blankets or pillows. Taking along a children's fleece blanket, neck pillow and cuddly toy should help them snuggle down a little easier.
5. Sleepwear and change of clothes
Having once experienced a missed connection, which resulted in an overnight stay with just an airline issued amenity pack, I always add a few extra items of clothing to our hand luggage. As a minimum, I would suggest pyjamas and a change of underwear for the children. If you have room, a complete outfit is best. Even if you make your flight, accidents do happen, so its best to plan for every eventuality.
6. Medication and wipes
Talking of preparing for every eventuality, we learnt the messy way during a long haul flight to California that one of our children suffers from airsickness. Despite being absolutely fine on every other mode of transport, this one caught us out.
Sickness tablets are now always included in our small bag of medication, along with pain relief and plenty of hand-wipes.
7. Snacks
A meal or two may be included with your flight, but I would still suggest taking favoured snacks with you, in case the meals are not to your child's liking.
Packets of sweets, or something to chew during take off and landing, should hopefully relieve the discomfort of popping ears. With more substantial snacks acting as meal substitutes if needed.
When choosing snacks to pack, check you've selected those which will be allowed through customs.
Stay Hydrated
The dry cabin atmosphere causes passengers to dehydrate at a faster rate than usual. So, as well as feeding the kids, keep them hydrated too.
Drinks will be served at various intervals throughout the flight, however, I still recommend purchasing a few larger bottles of water once you've passed through airport security. This way, you'll always have a drink to hand when required.
Wander through the cabin
We all know how nice it feels to stretch our legs when we've been sat for a while, so encourage the children to move around a little during the flight. I'm not talking allowing them to run up and down the aisles, but a few trips to the toilet, or going in search of the tuck-box which is supplied on some flights, will get the circulation moving.
Long haul flights with children needn't be the nightmare many of us envision. With a little bit of forward planning, preparation, and the right attitude, your journey will (hopefully) be the start of a wonderful few days of adventure.
Do you have any of your own tips for surviving a long haul flight with kids? Why not share them with others by adding them to the comments box below.
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