Navigating Air Travel With Kids – Regardless of your child’s age, that first flight—from navigating airport security to watching tiny houses fly by miles away—is a major milestone. Some children enjoy the adventure of flying without much trouble, while others feel a little more nervous. Whatever your children’s moods, preparing for the flight will literally and figuratively help your trip go smoothly, especially during this time when airports are crowded. To make your task easier, here are some tips and recommendations on how to prepare your child for his first flight on an airplane.
Your kids have probably only seen flying in the movies before getting on a plane. At its best, the film simplifies flying. At worst, they emphasize and dramatize events such as turbulence or even accidents.
Navigating Air Travel With Kids
Fear often stems from discomfort with the unknown – so before getting on a plane, help your kids understand what flying is like in real life; not the Hollywood version. There are many resources available to parents to help teach children the normal, safe realities of flying. Depending on the age of your children, you can also visit your local library and ask for books suitable for your children. Take the unknown element out of flying to boost your kids’ confidence.
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TSA procedures don’t feel intimidating to adults who have flown before, but the hustle and bustle and large metal detectors can scare kids going through security for the first time. Explain in advance what will happen when it’s your turn to put things through the X-ray machine. In fact, your kids might find it fascinating that this machine can scan through their bags – focusing on the ‘cool factor’ of x-ray technology is sure to melt any nerves! Basically, let your kids know that there is nothing to fear and all security checks are standard operating procedures at airports.
Flight is only a means to an end; the most exciting part of air travel is where you land. Spend a lot of time showing your children pictures of the places you will visit. Tell us about how you will spend your time there, what you will do and what new places you will discover.
If you’re flying to see family, tell a few stories that give context to the visit. Ask your children to share what they are most looking forward to on the trip, or who they can’t wait to see and why. Discuss fond memories and joyful anticipation of all the exciting things that lie ahead. Focusing on the end goal can reduce some of the problems associated with flying and help keep your children in a positive frame of mind.
There’s a lot of advice on what to bring kids on a flight, but this point is more about expanding your options than the actual items in your suitcase. You can help your kids look forward to the adventure by letting them take on some of the preparation. If they are old enough, ask them to help you pack their bags.
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More importantly, encourage your kids to pack their own carry-on bag — something that’s considered a personal item, like a wallet or small backpack — with whatever they want to have on the flight. This can include items such as snacks, coloring pages, and personal electronics. Simple things like a deck of cards or a travel journal can help keep the time fun. Choosing what to bring and choosing fun items gives kids a sense of independence and responsibility – plus they’ll feel even more excited about the flight so they can use the fun things they’ve packed!
Do not assume that your seats are assigned together because you are a family or purchased tickets at the same time. Most airlines require you to select seats during online check-in (this usually starts 24 hours before departure). Choose seats closer to the front of the plane if possible for easier boarding and disembarking.
Decide if you want to upgrade the space before choosing a bulkhead, and how many bags you want to carry. Some airlines will even let you pay extra for priority boarding. Don’t wait until you arrive at the airport to make these decisions. You’ll have a lot of work to do as you just make it through security and to the gate in time. Make sure in advance that your seats and other options are what is best for your family.
I know it can seem like a lot of work to call an airline these days, and you can count yourself very lucky if you actually get someone on the phone. That’s why a new campaign, Call Care, is taking a better look at the customer service levels of some of the UK’s best-known airlines, including the time it takes to reply to an email and whether the airline can be reached by phone. .
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I think this is very useful to read, especially before you decide to book your flight, that way you can make an informed decision and be sure you can contact the company in case of an emergency.
Most parents feel like pack mules when taking their kids anywhere, and flying is no exception. Avoid the tendency to overpack, especially when it comes to hand luggage. You’ll need your hands to help the kids, and simplified luggage means more space during the flight.
It’s easy for parents to identify the information they need to know, pass on a bunch of knowledge to their kids, and get it over with. However, your child may have questions that go beyond typical flight explanations. Take the time to ask what questions your kids have about the flight process and then find the answers.
Don’t forget to take some photos and videos both at the airport and on the plane. The flight to your destination is part of the overall travel experience and deserves to be in the scrapbooks and online albums. Ask the flight staff or other passengers to take a picture of you and your children together (or at least take a selfie). You are part of your children’s first flight experience, so get photo proof.
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Your first flight could pave the way for many trips together across the country or abroad, so enjoy the start of a new family tradition. By anticipating what your children might need or fear on their first flight, you can increase the chances of a successful trip from takeoff to landing. When it comes to redirecting during a flight, never give your child everything at once, but wait until he or she becomes restless. Only then is it time for the next toy or snack. Nadezhda1906 / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Flying with small children is rarely easy, no matter how often you do it. Sure, it gets better as you get older, but by then it’s usually useless.
However, who wants to stay at home? Not many are talking about the latest news, especially American millennials, who are traveling with their children in record numbers and spending more time on vacation than any other American generation.
While millennials are more travel-savvy than previous generations, just like Gen X, that doesn’t always mean smooth sailing when kids are involved. What really matters is the ability to plan and prepare.
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“It’s very important,” says Liz Portala, a sales representative from Massachusetts who flies more than 50,000 miles a year. “With kids, you definitely can’t wing it.”
Although Portala travels mostly for business, she also flies frequently with her three children and has had her share of hiccups. “Even when things are going smoothly, traveling with young children can be very challenging,” she said. “So be prepared. Make a detailed itinerary and share it with your family, go through TSA or Global Entry pre-screening to make the security process easier, make a list for each family member and pack ahead of time.”
Other strategies Portal recommends, as do other parents, include traveling at the right time, sitting in the right place and packing the right things.
While you may not always be able to fly at the optimal time (depending on your child’s age, that is), it’s great if you can. The best time, most agree, is between three and nine months, when babies are still mobile, and anytime after two or three years. The idea here is to bypass the baby phase and more importantly avoid flying with small babies.
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The latter is especially risky, says Dr. Mark Waltzman, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a pediatric emergency physician at Boston Children’s Hospital.
“Unless it’s an emergency, I’ll wait until the baby has had their first set of shots, so they should be at least two months old,” he said. “The reason is that the air in airplanes is recirculated in a limited space, so there is a greater chance of getting sick during the flight. Newborns’ immune systems are not that strong, and if they catch a cold or run a fever, it can be very
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