4 Practical Tips And Tricks For Flying With Kids

It probably wasn’t a parent who said getting there is half the fun.

Travelling by plane can be tough when you have kids—tough on them, tough on you and tough on everyone your immediate vicinity.

From disastrous diaper changes in cramped bathrooms to take-off tantrums to endless cries of “I’m bored!”, all parents have heard the horror stories. It can be enough to make you swear off airports until your kids are 18.

And yet for some families, flying is no big deal. What’s their secret?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to flying with kids. What works like a dream for one family could be an utter nightmare for yours—however, here are four tips and tricks to think about when planning your next trip: 

1. Timing is everything

You won’t always be able to choose your flight’s departure time—but if you have the flexibility, it pays to think about your family’s rhythm and schedule when picking flights.

Some parents find it’s best when the flight leaves just past naptime, or that a red eye is the way to go. Other parents know their kids are better off being rested and happy before boarding.

There are families who swear by direct flights because takeoffs and landings can be tough on little ones (lollipops or pacifiers can help with the pressure changes) and they just want to get to their destination as quickly as possible. Others don’t mind switching planes because stopovers give children a chance to stretch their legs and use a real washroom.

“We just returned from two weeks in France. Our five-year-old daughter was content to be zombified by the in-flight TV offerings, but our three-year-old son was a...rocket on wheels. All those fancy activity books we bought lasted for about three minutes,” says Vancouver’s Sarah Payne.

If you have stopovers, make sure you have lots of time to get to your next gate: running through a strange airport with unhappy kids is not a great way to kick off a family vacation.

2. Toys and tech and other things to keep eveyone sane

Many parents have rules about screen time at home, but that can change when you’re trying to keep everyone happy at 30,000 feet.

As long as your kids understand this is a special circumstance, you shouldn’t feel guilty about a digital device binge-fest, says Nel McIlveen, a mother of three kids under six. She lives in Sydney, Australia, but returns with her family to Toronto—a 28-hour trip.

“For my older ones, we had an amnesty on TV for about two weeks before our recent Canadian trip. Once they got on the plane, they basically just watched Minions on repeat for...10 of the 16 hours to Vancouver,” she says.

“I also had my mother-in-law give the big kids new backpacks for Christmas, filled with new colouring books, pencils and all sorts of things they could play with—this came in handy, especially in the airport. We also bought them decent headphones, which helped enormously.”

Hamilton’s Nicole Campagna has also used a similar tactic—presenting your kids with brand-new gifts each hour or so. Not only does it keep them busy, but it also gives them something to look forward to.

“The first time we did this, our son was two-and-a-half years old. We were headed to Hawaii and there were two flights each way. I wrapped up new toy cars, new books to read, colouring books and things to do with our trip—stuff about flying or our destination. We also bought him new episodes of shows he already loves.”

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3. Keep calm with your carry-on

Choosing what to bring aboard is tricky, especially as airlines tighten rules about what you’re allowed to take in your carry-on. 

A change of clothes for the kids is obvious, but parents need a replacement ensemble too (after all, you’re the likely target of your toddler’s big accident and no one wants to sit in a soiled shirt for six hours). Bathing suits for everyone is also a good idea—if your checked luggage doesn’t arrive when you do, you’ll still be ready to hit the hotel pool or beach ASAP.

Bring snacks! Many airlines still give out free snacks, but there’s no guarantee your kids will like them, or that they’ll be handed out when you need them most (i.e. as bribery).

If your little ones use sippy cups, bring multiple—at least one will hit the floor and roll away.

If your kids are bringing their own carry-ons, backpacks you can sling over your shoulder are better than pull-luggage—they’re easier for parents to carry if kids refuse to haul their own gear.

Finally, while it’s not carry-on per se, consider bringing a small stroller as a gate-check item. It can make it way easier to cross a seemingly-endless airport (even if your child normally walks), plus it gives you more storage space.

4. Be proactively polite with passenger pals

First rule of travelling with kids: be super-nice to the airline attendants. Most of them are sympathetic to your plight and they can often help you out during the trip (plus, yours probably isn’t the worst kid they’ve seen).

If you want, you can go further with your non-family neighbours, as Diana Smyth recently experienced.

“I was coming from London and I was handed a little care package by the dad holding a baby in my row. There were earplugs, jujubes...and a little note introducing Geoffrey and telling me it was his first flight,” she explains. "It worked so well. I held [the baby] many times while dad got settled to eat, or got the cot table out. They were pros!”

If you’ve come prepared, are polite and empathetic, and are doing your best to keep kids calm and controlled, you're in good shape. That’s all anyone can really expect on an airplane.

And if none of this works—if your kids have multiple meltdowns and strangers across the aisle give you dirty looks, remember this: you’ll probably never see those people again.