Hacks for stress-free flying with kids, no matter their age
From getting through security easily, to keeping your kids entertained, make holiday plane travel a breeze with these expert tips.
While travelling by air can be fun for kids, it can also be very stressful for mom and dad, especially when flying with younger children. We chat with Luane Lavery, Brand Communications Manager for kulula.com, for her expert advice for enjoying air travel with youngsters.
Ensure your documents are in order
If you’re travelling internationally, familiarise yourself with any requirements around documentation around birth certificates and visa requirements, with the Department of Home Affairs site www.dha.gov.za as a starting point. Airlines have no control over visa requirements, so it’s important to clarify all your needs before you arrive at the airport.
Reduce queue time by going online
Use online check-in and use bag-drop to decrease your time in queues. If your kids have toys, weed out any weapons when packing: however harmless and cartoonish they look, that rubber Pirates of the Caribbean sword is likely to be confiscated by airport security.
Take advantage of family concessions
Familiarise yourself with the concessions offered to families, like being allowed to take push-chairs to the door of the aircraft when you’re boarding, and being able to wait until other passengers have disembarked before you do with your family.
Stop your child from getting sore ears
Most adults know how to swallow and equalise pressure in their inner ears when the aircraft they’re in ascends and descends, but children can find it very uncomfortable. Age-appropriate food like biltong or dried fruit helps stimulate the child’s swallowing reflex and equalise pressure in their ears.
Keep your child hydrated
Airliner cabins tend to be dryer than the air outside and that can lead to your airways drying out and a feeling of dehydration. While it’s good to sip water, too much can lead to sodden nappies or many trips to the toilet. Lavery also suggests rooibos tea mixed with watered-down fruit juice rather than carbonated drinks loaded with sugar and caffeine.
Remember that devices aren’t a vice
Many parents are conscious that kids risk spending more time on their mobile devices than is good for them. But air travel is a pretty good excuse for allowing them to indulge in MineCraft or whichever their latest favourite game or app is, as it’s a good occupier of time. Headphones help too, as well as power-banks to ensure the devices don’t run flat. And while you might usually insist on games that help your kids develop motor skills and visual-spatial reasoning, toys with small parts, like Lego and Duplo, are best stashed until you reach your destination.
