(30 Sep 2008)
Checking in with your kids
Before you travel it's a good idea to find out whether your airline has a check-in option online. This cuts out hassle and waiting in line and you can usually join a fast-track queue to handover your checked luggage and your bags. In some cases you can also check in your luggage the day before your flight although this does involve two trips to the airport.
If there are two parents travelling together, try to split up tasks such as toilet trips and the like so that one parent can focus on checking in and getting through the queue and security system as soon as possible.
Family flying reserving seats and bassinets
Where at all possible try to reserve seats in advance so that you can all sit together as a family and perhaps get some extra space. Until your children are teenagers the chances of an upgrade are slim so do not set your heart on this. At the time of booking and at check-in it is always worth asking for an empty seat between you and your children to allow for maximum stretching out space if at all possible. Reservations staff are generally accommodating particularly if you make a good case for needing the extra space.
Opt for a window seat and middle seat if possible as you may get the aisle seat left free although there is a school of thought that you should not disturb the passengers on the aisle seat particularly on long haul flights when they may be sleeping. It must be said however that children do love the window seat.
For safety reasons children will never be seated next to an emergency exit for risk that they may fiddle with buttons. If you were hoping to sleep try to avoid sitting near the galley or the toilets which can be noisy and get smelly. Spreading your party out over a row of adjacent seats rather than in front and behind one another can mean that it is easier to catch each other's attention
If you are breastfeeding, ask to be seated either on your own or with another woman.
Passengers travelling with infants can pre-book bulkhead seats where you have more legroom and a pull-down table designed to accommodate a bassinet. Remember to book your bassinet while booking your tickets and note that these are only available on long haul flights and are subject to availability. Airlines differ in key criteria that they use to judge the age range and what qualifies babies for a bassinet. In some cases the cut off is as early as six months and in others up to two years. In other cases the guideline is a weight guideline of up to 10 KG or 22lbs. From experience we know that a large 10-month-old would certainly be too heavy and probably too big for a bassinet even though the cut off point is 12 months so you should prepare yourself for this eventuality. Some airlines will insist on using their own bassinets and others will expect you to use yours so again check this carefully.
You should note also that for safety reasons airlines will ask you to take the children out of the bassinet generally when the fasten seatbelt sign is on and for takeoff and landing whether or not they are asleep. It might be good idea to bring something dark to cover the bassinet from bright light. Sometimes there can be an issue with the number of suitable fitting for oxygen masks and if you are flying with more than one child under two, you should specifically ask about this. Charter flights and budget airlines generally do not have the option of bassinets due to cost constraints.
The down side of the bulkhead seats is that the armrests are usually immovable which means that toddlers cannot stretch out, there are sometimes no pockets in front for book and drinks, there can be poor visibility or sometimes no visibility of the entertainment screens, the tables are detachable and unstable and you cannot use the space under the seats to store belongings. This means that your baby travel bags need to be stored in the overhead lockers and this is not great for getting bottles/snacks and entertainment options. Once you have passed the bassinet size therefore we would recommend you go for regular seats.
Budget airline that have a free seating policy can be difficult for families as there is a chance that you may not get to sit with your family.Where possible get or pay for priority boarding so that you can sit together. If you are really stuck the flight attendants will usually accommodate you so that children are not alone.
Toddlers seating
Toddlers who do not have their own seat are secured by means of a lap belt which attaches directly to your own seatbelt. Where at all possible you should try to either buy or blag a ticket or a seat for your toddler as the adult seat belts are more secure than the lap belts. They may then need a car seat or a care chair and if so see if there are any available or should you (or can you) bring your own. During and landing whether they are asleep or not toddlers will always need to be seated and you will need to have lots to occupy them as this can take half an hour either way.
You should note that if you have not paid for a seat for your toddler or your infant you are expected to seat them on your lap throughout the trip, they do not have a baggage allowance and strictly speaking are not entitled to a meal.
CARES is a child harness that weighs less than a pound and provides extra support to children on an airplane who weigh between 22-44 pounds. It replaces, happily, the need for parents to lug a bulky car seat around the airport and onto an airplane. Plus it assures parents that their child will have the proper harness protection they need, as car seats, which were designed for the back seat of an automobile, often don’t fit properly on airplane seats.
Always prebook in writing kids pack and kids meal as they do make a difference and can entertain little people (even for a little while).
Check that the seats you are booking can avail of any in flight entertainment. Little people find looking at the screens over seats hard. In seat screens are always a big hit.
You will find lots of family friendly travel
tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the
right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and
travellers in our parents
forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real
parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for
your family holiday.
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