To give families a helping hand when flying with children, Edith Garrard, an expert on travelling with children, who works as one of the airline’s aunties’, looking after children flying alone with British Airways, shares her top tips for travelling with infants and toddlers.
Parenting on Female First
1. If you’re travelling with an infant (under two) who won't be flying in a seat of their own, you can reserve a seat for your family and everyone in your booking, free of charge, at the time of booking.
2. You can use a fully-collapsible pushchair right up to the gate, where it will be collected by staff and loaded on to the aircraft.
3. Booking a flight time which coincides with your child’s bedtime can help them and give you a relaxing flight.
4. A child over two years old has the same checked and cabin-luggage allowance as yourself, which means you can pack more of your child’s favourite toys for the trip.
5. For flights over two hours long, cabin crew will give children ‘Skyflyer’ activity packs to keep them entertained.
6. If your flight is over five hours long your children can enjoy a selection of family friendly TV programmes and a dedicated kids’ channel.
7. Don’t forget to reserve a child’s meal before you fly. We will always feed children first, which allows you time to relax and enjoy your meal once they have eaten.
8. If you’re travelling at night, pack your child’s favourite pyjamas so they feel comfortable and more at home.
9. British Airways has a selection of baby food on board. However, if your child has a favourite food you can carry it on board in a sealed container.