The thought of flying with a baby or young child can often (read: always) send feelings of dread and panic through the bodies of parents. Any amount of time spent trapped in the air with an unhappy child and disgruntled passengers can leave you feeling exhausted and full of regret. But, if you’re looking at booking those flights to Australia it’s, unfortunately, a hurdle you need to face. Preparation is key here, if you want to survive a long-haul flight with little ones in tow you need to be armed for all possible circumstances and events. Here are a few top tips to get you started…
Fly at night
It’s simple, but effective. Booking a long-haul flight in the day can not only cause you a nightmare in trying to entertain your young travellers, but it will also mess with their routine and leave them out of sorts. Flying at night is ideal, your baby or child will hopefully be tired enough to fall asleep for at least a few hours, the dim lights also create a much more relaxing and calming atmosphere. Daytime flights are a different ball game, there just aren’t enough activity books in the world…
Bring a power backup
Ensure your devices are fully charged for when the time comes to board your flight. iPads are a fantastic distraction for young children, so don’t forget to pack this along with a pair of headphones. While many planes offer built-in USB sockets, it’s always wise to pack a power bank just in case you end up with a faulty USB. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when 30,000 feet in the air with a crying 2-year-old…
Walk the aisles
For adults, taking a short walk up and down the aisle of a plane on a long flight is recommended in order to avoid any health complications such as deep vein thrombosis. While children are not at high-risk of this, it’s still a good idea to stretch their legs and walk them up and down. Likewise, with babies, often the feeling of movement will calm them down and set them off to sleep, so don’t be afraid to leave your seat – just try to avoid meal serving times.
Nab a spare middle seat
Bagging the good seats on a flight is an art, when going through the seat selection process, try and seek out a row where you can book an aisle and a window to leave the middle seat free. During the high season, you may find this will backfire – but you can always change your seats if needed. If, however, you’re travelling in low season, there is often a good chance you’ll end up with a free middle seat and extra room for your small human to play, relax and (hopefully) sleep.
Pack all the snacks
Airplanes carry a very limited and expensive selection of snacks, so don’t forget to bring your own supply of your children’s favourite crisps and treats. The last thing you want is a hungry tummy, and you can also use sweets as an incentive to encourage good behaviour. Sometimes in life, bribery is the only way, and that ‘sometimes’ is when you’re on a 12-hour flight.
Now you know the secrets to flying long-haul with your little ones, you can book those flights for you and the kids with confidence.
