One thing to consider when flying with a child, is purchasing a seat for your under 2 year old, obviously the advantage of travelling with an under 2 is that you don’t have to pay for a seat but if you do have that option it can sometimes be useful especially if they are nearing 2.

Our last two trips before Teddy needed a seat were to Florida and Paphos, and we purchased him a seat for both. Florida as it’s a 9 hour flight and he was 20 months at that stage and he’s not a huge fan of sitting on mummy and daddy’s knee, he likes his own seat and a bit more freedom. It meant that he could lie down and have a sleep and also that he wasn’t stuck on our knee for the whole 9 hours.

By booking a seat they will be entitled to a piece of luggage to put on the hold so if you are travelling a long distance it can give you that extra luggage you probably will need with a child! We named our seat ‘free seat’ as told to by the airlines but I would recommend checking with who you are flying with as to what their policy is.

Since we have travelled with a child over the age of 2 who requires a seat of their own. We have occasionally, again, bought an extra seat so he can stretch out and sleep comfortably. We are fortunate that he is a great sleeper, so for ease we
try and get a night time flight wherever possible. This has worked out for us very well when we have flown in the evenings/over night.

It’s not always easy to get your little one off to sleep as they would at home but with familiarity like their usual baby grows, sleep suits or blankets, whichever you use at home they will help your little one settle as it’s what they are used to. We also take a bottle (or a few) and some ready made milks to mimic the night time routine and that should hopefully help with getting children off to sleep. As I mentioned on the previous page an extra seat may help with this if they are under the age of two to ensure they can lie down fully.

As your child gets out of the baby stage, it can be beneficial to take pyjamas on the flight so they are comfy and take a toothbrush and tooth paste as they used to the bed time routine they have at home. Taking a favourite blanket/stuffed toy is also a great idea.

Most airlines allow you, when flying with a child or infant to being two pieces of equipment for free, one I would say is a pram and the other you can usually select from a list including travel cot or a car seat. I have sometimes travelled with a travel cot as the hotel cannot always guarantee one in the room so it can be beneficial to bring your own (if you use a hotel one that’s fine I would just recommend bringing your own sheet from home.

If you are relying on buses/trains other forms of public transport or in cases like Gibraltar, literally walking from the airport to your hotel, these items for kids can get heavy to transport whilst also battling suitcases/prams/small children so check your transfer options beforehand.

We bought a Samsonite pull along suitcase for our Florida trip for Teddy (Mickey of course) and that was great for keeping him amused going through the airport, it can be a bit awkward to carry if you have a lot of luggage already, as opposed to a rucksack type bag, but he really did enjoy being pulled round the airport on it and they do provide really good storage. Samsonite

Plane tips for flying with a child to keep them occupied are snacks, snacks and more snacks!!! This honestly seems to best way to keep them occupied, Any snacks that are small and easy to open are great, our favourites are…

Packets of biscuits

Cereal/fruit bars

Bananas

Boxes of dry fruit

Just make sure you have enough (and then a whole load more) if your child gets fussy and hungry on the flight particularly if as meal isn’t provided. Also take enough milk and bottles, or cups, if you have moved on from bottles, as your child gets older. Make sure you have enough pre-made bottles for the flight in case yout little one gets sleepy or has problems with their ears on takeoff or landing.

Colouring books and crayons are a staple and I will often buy a comic that he hasn’t seen before. They usually come with some small toys and have activities to do within them.

Make sure you take a change of clothes for the flight. Comfy joggers and extra layers are also great to carry with you. We just used to fly with Teddy in a baby grow when he was really tiny as he was most comfy in this. Now he’s older I tend to go for comfy joggers with a t-shirt but also loads of layers as you just can’t quite always predict how warm the plane will feel.

A selection of spare clothes is always a great idea, incase of any accidents, or spillages which seem to always happen more frequently on a flight! Sticking with accidents make sure you have a big enough supply of nappies and wipes just to be on the safe side!

There are a couple of check lists provided to make sure you have forgotten nothing.

Packing with a child checklist 🗺

Flying with children checklist 🛫

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