(16 Oct 2008)
Airline policies for families differ greatly and in some cases may be quite different on the ground where the gate staff has discretion. Many airlines will call themselves family friendly however their policies may not be consistent with this. Most airlines have changing facilities, seatbelts for toddlers and where food is provided, children's meals - but standards do vary. Some long haul airlines will say they provide nappies and food but just in case they are out or they do not suit your child we always suggest you bring your own.

Rating airlines and their family friendliness is very subjective and policies change on a regular basis. Generally the long haul higher end of the market tend to be most family friendly and our favourites would be.

Gulf Air

Virgin Atlantic

British Airways

Qantas

Singapore airlines

Emirates

Charter and budget airlines tend not to provide many of the extras that make family flying that bit easier but you are generally flying shorter distances and paying considerably less for your flight.

We have prepared an article on checking in and reserving your seats and lots more tips for flying and here are a few more pointers. Some are relevant only for haul. Points to consider when choosing your airline would be:

Can you pre book bassinets or sky cots and if so to what age and size?
Can you pre-book or pre-reserve your seat or check in online?
Is pre-boarding an option? (if you want it, we tend to stay off the plane as long as possible as young kids can get very hemmed in)
Is there a discount if a child is under the age of two? This is usually the case if you'd like to pay for a seat rather than holding them on your lap during a flight. If so, how can they sit safely?
What are the discounts for children aged two and over?
Do all of the rows have sufficient oxygen masks? This is important as you could be travelling with a child who does not have his/her own seat i.e four people in three seats.
Can a baby's bottle be warmed during the flight?
Are there changing facilities and other child friendly facilities on board?
Is there in-flight video or audio entertainment for children and is it in a seat back or overhead? (little people find the overhead ones very hard to see)
Can assistance be provided if families are in transition when changing planes or terminals?
Are kids activity packs available? If so, do pre book them.
Are there kid’s meals which are healthy including fruit? If so make sure you pre book them.
Are there Care Chairs for children aged between six and thirty-six months available?
Can you bring a car seat on board and is yours compatible?
Are there in-flight games?
Is there a kids feed first policy?
Can medications or baby milk be stored on board?
Can bulkhead seats be booked with extra room?
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.
Sign up for our free newsletter to be kept updated with all of the latest special offers for family holidays and family travel news. Remember to enter our fantastic competitions which have super prizes and best of all are free.