Taking your kids on their first flight during the December holidays?
Take a deep breath, it’ll be just fine … especially with the help of these four preparation tips from Flight Centre:
Booking: Be meticulous when planning for the flight you will take. Select a time of departure that fits in with your child’s daily routine. Consider the times when the children get sleepy. For example, if they are used to taking a nap at 2pm, get onto a flight that is in the air by that time, after first tiring them out with multiple activities (preferably outdoors) during the morning! A good night’s sleep before the flight is recommended for everyone, children, and adults alike.
Seat reservation: When it comes to deciding on where to sit, there are only two good options available:
- The first is to book your seats towards the rear of the plane. The back of the plane is usually where toilets are situated, making frequent toilet trips with kids and for yourselves convenient.
- The other option is to see if you can book seats in the very front row, because certain airlines reserve these seats for families with young children. If you have a baby-in-arms, check with the airline if has facilities for nappy changing.
Prepare your kids: Tell your children about the security screening process, why it’s in place, that it will not damage any of their stuff and that Teddy or Dolly will be given right back to them once through the airport screening process.
Be ready for the worst-case scenario: Take a photo on your cell phone of each of your children (individually) – it might be useful for tracking a lost child among the masses milling around the airport, for example. Keep photographic evidence of passports, boarding passes, and other travel documents in the event one of these items gets lost at any point of your trip. Point out persons in authority your children could turn to for help if need be. Make sure the kids fully understand the importance of announcements made on the plane and following the flight staff’s instructions.
For more on kids, visit Get It Magazine.
