Everything You Need to Know When Planning flights with Kids

All the steps to consider before you get to the plane

Before you jump onboard a flight with kids, there are plenty of things to consider, from flight timing to pre-booking the best seats for a more comfortable journey.

We discuss getting through the airport with kids in more detail here—the advice on this page is all the advice you need in the early planning stage!!

When to fly with kids

Picking the right time to fly—not only the time of year but also the time of day—can hugely help make a long journey with children run smoothly.

Travelling at off-peak times (i.e. away from school holidays, long weekends, religious events, commuter hub times) and avoiding major hub routes will naturally increase your chances that the flight you book will not be full, and you will get the seating arrangements and travel times that you desire.

Day or night flights?

It’s not fail-safe, but try to book long-haul flights overnight when children usually fall asleep. It can cause some wretchedness when they are overtired and waiting for takeoff, but as soon as the cabin lights dim and the engine noise starts, you have a better-than-average chance that you might squeeze a few hours of blissful sleep out of them for at least the first few hours of the flight. (See also advice on our jet lag page regarding long-haul flight timing.)

My preference with infants on shorter flights is to time them for the lunchtime nap. It can cause some kerfuffle as they try to fall asleep, but it normally gives me an hour or so of the flight where I am not a constant entertainer, peacekeeper, hand-wiper, toilet monitor and can focus on my older child.

Of course, for every bit of parenting advice, you will find those who argue the opposite; for a short flight, some children find the excitement far too much, and they don’t want to miss a minute of the action by napping, so avoid the middle of the day (that was my daughter’s 10 hours non-stop from London to the Cayman Islands at 18 months).

I’m afraid you’ll only find out what suits your child best by trying.

Flying with kids - all in one hit or break it up?

Travel in one hit or break it up?

Again, this might be a case of you needing to experiment with your children and, depending on their ages, find what works best, but I would always suggest trying to do things in one hit with short layovers if required.

We made the dreadful decision once of taking two overnight flights with a six-hour layover in the middle thinking it would maximize the children’s sleep and we would “pop in and do a bit of sightseeing on the way” to tire them out before the next leg.

The kids may have slept fine for parts of the journey but my husband and I didn’t get a wink of sleep on the first leg; we ended up in a transit hotel in Kuala Lumpa with two highly wired munchkins insisting it was still playing time while we desperate fought the urge to break down and scream.

We learn from our mistakes. I will always take a direct flight option where one exists, even if it costs more. Alternatively, if arranging a stopover, make it for at least 24 hours so you can leave the airport, get some real fresh air, properly wear the kids out and sleep yourself before tackling it all again.

A direct flight also minimises any possible flight delays or missed connections that can throw a spanner in the works to your planning.

Again, those with extremely active children may argue that any layover, no matter how long or short, is required for children to burn some energy or get an infant off their lap.

If you elect this option, consider whether you are changing planes and must take all your carry-on luggage with you.

Where to sit on the plane flying with kids?

This is the million-dollar question that can make or break your travel experience. There is no one right answer, and it will really depend on the age and size of your child/children and how many of you are travelling together. No doubt, everyone you ask will give you a different answer, so these are merely my viewpoints to consider.

Using the Bulkhead/Bassinet Seats With Infants

Assuming you are travelling as a couple with one infant, it’s the bulkhead/bassinet row every time. You will get the extra legroom and somewhere to lay your child down while they are sleeping. As they get older, you might cheekily be able to get away with having them play at your feet as well (though this is against aviation regulations).

The main disadvantage of sitting in the bulkhead row with a lap infant is that that you will still need to hold your child during takeoff and landing and times of turbulence, which can mean frequently waking the baby. It can also be quite a bright, noisy area on the plane as people queue for the bathrooms and the stewards are busy in the galley—in which case something like the Cosigo Fly Babee bassinet cover might make things easier.

Fly Babee Bassinet Cover - great for helping baby sleep without distractions on long-haul flights | Planning Flights | OurGlobetrotters.Net — *Example of a Fly Babee bassinet cover being used on an airplane*

Seating For Older Infants – the Middle Seat Trick

When travelling with a larger infant who no longer fits the bassinet (you can push this to the limit!), or more than one child, I recommend finding a full row nearer to the rear of the plane.
It can be a risky move if the child doesn’t have their own seat (you can, of course, pay for one), but a gamble that has frequently paid off to book the window and aisle, or if sitting in the centre, both aisles with a spare seat in between.
Airlines tend to fill front to back, so the further back you are in the plane (but avoiding being on top of the toilets), the better the chances your gamble will pay off, and you’ll get that spare seat between you to spread out with the armrests up.
If someone is placed in the spare seat, the airline staff are normally pretty good about trying to move them if possible (and the passenger is normally more than willing to oblige!)

If you are still unsure on the advantages or disadvantages of a particular seat, ~~I am a big fan of Seat Guru that can guide you by airline and type of plane which are the best seats.~~ OK, SeatGuru is becoming so out of date now! I’d highly recommend you check out this new site AeroLOPA instead.

Persistence and double-checking can pay off

Don’t give up if you cannot get your seats of choice when booking. Keep ringing the airline to check, I always ask a few days out how full the flight is to try and work out my tactics!

Note that booking an infant ticket does not automatically book you a bassinet seat (we learnt the hard way), it must be requested.

There may simply not be enough bassinet seats at peak times (e.g., flying around holidays like Easter and Christmas). If you do not request them early enough, airlines can sell them for the extra legroom or give them away to their priority customers. They may also prioritise their distribution on the day to the youngest infant on the plane.

If you have pre-booked particular seats online, it’s always worth double-checking again a day or two before you fly.

I once refused to take my seat on a 12-hour flight until they switched our seats to the bassinet row after we had pre-booked and confirmed it. Despite checking over the phone two days out and having the right to pre-book our seats on our ticket, we were not allocated the right seats on arrival at the airport; they’d given our entire row away to customers on the domestic leg which departed a few hours before we joined the connecting international flight.

If you still haven’t received your choice of seating before the flight by phone or online, ask at check-in, plead with the gate staff, and resort to tears with the crew once you have boarded—it can really be worth your sanity to have the right seats on those ultra-long-haul flights.

Flying with kids- Airport transfers with kids

Being a member of the airline’s frequent flyer program can also work in your favour, so we always join up (free), even if it’s the only flight we’ll likely ever take with that airline.

Another point to note when pre-booking seats is that an infant seat only comes with infant food—i.e., baby puree, if you’re lucky! If your child is on solids, you will need to organise to bring their meal with you or share yours

(NB, did you know you can order a child’s meal on your adult ticket? They’ll deliver these special order meals in priority, then when the normal trolley service comes around, simply ask if they’ve got a spare of the main meal – they almost always do!)

Likewise, booking a child’s seat does not automatically get you a child’s meal; you must pre-order this with the airline at least 24 hours in advance (some airlines are 48 hours in advance) or risk disappointment.

You can see our post on 10 Toddler Flying Mistakes to see how we found these points out the hard way.

Don’t forget to think about some alternate seating arrangements as well

When you’re travelling with just two of you plus a baby, consider actually sitting apart, especially if the plane is not full and you can move about. This gives one of you a break so you are not both on duty for the whole flight, as long as you remember to rotate seats during the flight!
In fact, some people even deliberately pre-book their seats apart. Note, however, swapping people between cabins is frowned upon or, on some airlines, strictly not allowed (An infant can only sit in a row fitted with an extra air mask, which may not be available in Business).

With more than one child, the sitting apart trick can actually work really well too, depending on the plane layout. You can sit with a family member one behind the other, which can help eliminate ‘chair kicking’ issues (try as you might, all kids seem to go through a phase where they can’t resist this!)
We found when we travelled with toddlers and an infant, it was better to have one adult with the infant and the other with the toddlers further away so they wouldn’t be prodding/disturbing/moaning while the baby was actually doing well trying to sleep!

Are your children old enough to travel alone? That thought might terrify you now, but I do know parents who swear by this! Check with your airline about what age they can take solo flyers on, but when you feel your child/children are mature enough to sit quietly for a whole flight, why not put them in the economy cabin and treat yourselves to an upgrade?
Some of you are no doubt gasping in horror, but think about it – the parents are relaxed and ready to start their holiday, and the children get a huge feeling of independence and adventure from it in an environment where you know they will be looked after by the cabin crew.

Is it worth going Premium Economy With Kids?

If looking to upgrade to get some extra room, note that on most planes, the premium economy seats have a screen in the armrest, meaning that the armrests don’t fold out and you cannot spread yourselves across the row, something you may prefer to do as your children grow.

Of course, my ultimate solution is to fly up the pointy end of the plane every time, but back in reality-land, this is a choice only available to the privileged few among us! (But keep saving those frequent flyers!!)

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