Last Minute Deal

Well we have all been there the long waits, the uncomfortable chairs, the screaming tired kids, the angry spouse and the valiant attempts to keep cool and keep the family focused on the fact that this is in fact a fun and enjoyable experience. 

We travel frequently. So frequently in fact that our first child filled her passport by her 2^nd birthday, and we had to apply for a new one for her.  So over the years we have had a lot of time to find out what works. And what doesn’t. So here is our collective knowledge of how to make air travel with your lovely little monsters as pain-free as it is possible to be.

Top Ten Tips for Travelling with Young Kids

At the Terminal

1. At the terminal ask if there is a playground – there often is, and for some airports there are normally kids shops nearby as well.
2. For night flights, get your kids ready for bed while you are still in the terminal. Teeth already brushed, sleeping clothes already on – there is nothing wrong walking through an airport in your pyjamas if it means a good nights sleep! 

Where to sit?

1. The best seats are the rows at the back of the plane.  These are close to the toilets, service and food, but also if your kids get up to explore, you can watch them all the way down the plane. 
2. Don’t sit in the final row as the seats don’t recline and there is no overhead luggage space. You will also have people next to you queueing for the toilet and watching you play candy crush. 
3. If you have a baby, then get the front row on long haul flights with the bassinets which can be a great provided there is no turbulence. 
4. If you are a family of four, and there are three seats next to the window, book the window and the aisle seat for two rows, and leave the middle seat.  There is a good chance no-one will choose the middle seat, allowing the kids to sleep and have more space.  If someone does, they will always swap with you on the aisle seat.
5. If seats are limited, then obviously try and sit together, but always put an adult in the aisle seat – preferably one tall enough, and strong enough to constantly get things out of the luggage bins and put them back again.

General Tips and Tactics

1. If there is no luggage space above your seat, always put it forward of your seat. It is better to put it in business class (always space) rather than behind as then you will be waiting until everyone has disembarked before being able to get it.
2. For a long haul night flight treat it like a night in a hotel. Wear something comfortable, bring your toothbrush and toothpaste, and ear plugs and face masks, so as to block out the attempts at airline staff to torture you with announcements, lights in your face and forcing food inside you at 3am.

Airline Dirty Tricks

Budget airlines offer great prices, but watch out for their dirty tricks to make you pay more, and unnecessarily add considerably to the annoyance of travelling on the cheap. 

AirAsia deliberately separates your family into different seats, even if the plane is empty, and then asks you to pay to sit together, despite the fact you have young kids that must by law sit with an adult.  Plus point is your unruly child may actually end up sitting on its own with a perfect stranger in an Emergency exit seat (it happened to us!)

Discounts on seats often only apply to adults.  This is a favourite RyanAir trick! If you buy a discounted adult seat and try and put a child in it, they will stop you boarding and insist you pay for a full priced child seat. You also lose the luggage allowance as well, despite paying more.

Virgin Australia has a baggage allowance of 20kg, but it is per bag not per group.  They will charge you excess if you go above that on any one bag, even if all your other bags are below.  Many is the happy hour spent with screaming children re-sorting bags in front of the check-in desk to get each bag below Virgin Australia’s 20kg limit.

Top Ten Tips for Travelling with Older Kids

1. Free wifi is a god send, and at almost all airports now this is provided – just ask at the nearest information desk.  Failing that make sure you have a hotspot they can use.
2. THE best seats are the second row of seats by the Emergency exit. The first row cannot recline, whereas the second row can.
3. Worst seats are the final row at the back by the toilets and the row before the Emergency Exit rows as both do not recline. 
4. If there is no luggage space above your seat, always put it forward of your seat. It is better to put it in business class (always space) rather than behind as then you will be waiting until everyone has disembarked before being able to get it.
5. If you are a family of four, and there are three seats next to the window, book the window and the aisle seat for two rows, and leave the middle seat.  If you are near the back (see 2)) then there is a good chance no-one will choose the middle seat, allowing the kids to sleep and have more space.  If someone does, they will always swap with you on the aisle seat.
6. If seats are limited, then obviously try and sit together, but always put an adult in the aisle seat – preferably one tall enough, and strong enough to constantly get things out of the luggage bins and put them back again.
7. For a long haul night flight treat it like a night in a hotel. Wear something comfortable, bring your toothbrush and toothpaste, and ear plugs and face masks, so as to block out the attempts at airline staff to torture you with announcements, lights in your face and forcing food inside you at 3am.
8. For kids get them ready for bed while you are still in the terminal. Teeth already brushed, sleeping clothes already on – there is nothing wrong walking through an airport in your pajamas if it means a good nights sleep! 
9. Budget airlines offer great prices, but watch out for their dirty tricks to make you pay more, and unnecessarily add considerably to the annoyance of travelling on the cheap. 
   1. AirAsia deliberately separates your family into different seats, even if the plane is empty, and then asks you to pay to sit together, despite the fact you have young kids that must by law sit with an adult.  Plus point is your unruly child may actually end up sitting on its own with a perfect stranger in an Emergency exit seat (it happened to us!)
   2. Discounts on seats often only apply to adults.  This is a favourite RyanAir trick! If you buy a discounted adult seat and try and put a child in it, they will stop you boarding and insist you pay for a full priced child seat. You also lose the luggage allowance as well, despite paying more.
   3. Virgin Australia has a baggage allowance of 20kg, but it is per bag not per group.  They will charge you excess if you go above that on any one bag, even if all your other bags are below.  Many is the happy hour spent with screaming children re-sorting bags in front of the check-in desk to get each bag below Virgin Australia’s 20kg limit.

Finally if you are experiencing the joy of travelling on your own…

1. Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can.
2. Long haul and particularly night flights always choose the window seat so it is you doing the disturbing to go to the toilet, not the other way round.
3. Short haul flights choose the aisle seat so you can stand-up and get your stuff and get out easily when it comes to leave the plane.