Extra tips for aeroplane travel with children

Posted On June 11, 2017

Aeroplane travel with children.

Most aeroplane travel tips are the same when travelling with or without children however from experience there are a few other things you need to think about.

To check out our basic aeroplane travel trips click here otherwise read on to find out more.

Aeroplane travel

Pack EVERYONE spare clothes.

To really appreciate my first tip you need to take a trip with me to our magical journey home from L.A travelling with four children, A 21-month-old, a 3-year-old, a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old.

Our flight back was late in the day and after a long, busy day at Disneyland, and a nice 3-hour wait at the airport we were off and ready to go. Now I don’t know why it happened but only minutes into our 13-hour flight, our beautiful daughter started to feel a bit unwell and was sick. All over me, my top. Now whilst wipes are great at cleaning stuff up, nothing apart from a change of clothes can really take the smell away.

Now after being sick she felt fantastic, in her fresh change of clothes she enjoyed the rest of trip, however, I spent the next 12 and a half hours with the lovely smell.

Back when my children were babies I always packed a spare top for myself, but I didn’t this time as my children were older, big mistake.

Now the trip wasn’t over yet. Like a comedy over the rest of the flight, I had drinks spilt on me, a nappy accident that almost brought me to tears. I walked into Auckland airport with my baby covering me so it didn’t look like I was the one who had an accident, waiting for our next flight home I had one choice.

I walked into the nearest store and had to buy an overpriced pair of merino tracksuit pants, and t-shirt for myself and my toddler. A very expensive mistake.

Pack some snacks

Children are often fussy, and will often find aeroplane food a little interesting. Keep them happy by packing their own food. Or they will serve yoghurt, yes yoghurt at 10,000 feet, imagine the mess that brings.

Toilet

Set an alarm for 45-50 minutes before you are supposed to land, to make sure you take your children to the toilet. Once the seatbelt lights go on, you cannot leave to go to the toilet. And children often can’t last 30-40 minutes it might be between the seatbelt light going on and landing.
Young children wear pull-ups just in case. So much less stressful than an accident in the aeroplane, or dramas with in-flight turbulence and waiting for the light seatbelt light to turn off.

Clothes

Skip laces, buttons, zips and anything that could prevent them getting you them to the toilet on time.

Choose a Middle or window seat for your child.

Aisle seats are dangerous for younger children, little hands reaching for the trolley, elbows or legs hanging over the side.

Hydrated

Keep them hydrated, pack a non-spill cup, a water bottle. When the flight attendants come around get them to refill your bottles.

Pack light

We have found that our children will often stay awake for most of the flight. But with only moments left in the flight will fall asleep. We then are faced with a major problem how we can get all our and our children back of the plane. Often juggling carrying children, carry own luggage back off the plane.

Think of worst case scenario, can I carry my children and my luggage off this plane?

Remember

Not all classrooms have four walls
Not all Classrooms have walls