Child on airplane - how to ensure their comfortable journey?
Reading time 🕗 4 minutes | April 5, 2024 | Material prepared by the portal Politykazdrowotna.com
Air travel is a tremendous convenience for families with children due to significantly shorter travel times, in comfortable and safe conditions. Flying with a little one also provides an opportunity to build strong family bonds and share the joy of travel together. How to prepare for a flight with a child and what to remember to ensure they love airplane journeys from the earliest years of life? We provide answers in the following material.
✅ From this article, you will learn:
- How to prepare for a flight with children, depending on their age.
- What to take care of when traveling by plane with children.
- Why travel is important for a child's development.
- What tips can be useful when planning air travel with the youngest ones.
Read also:
Preparing a child for a trip... but how? Tips for traveling with a child on an airplane
Traveling with a child from a young age is a tremendous opportunity for their development and to experience the world from a wholly different perspective. Children who have the chance to observe various cultures, unique nature, and architecture are more open-minded and find it easier to build relationships.
Moreover, the time spent on board an airplane can be truly enjoyable for a child, and it can motivate parents to embark on further journeys with their child, exploring the world together.
"Before flying with a child, it's worth carefully preparing the necessary documents, carry-on luggage with essential items for the child, choosing only comfortable, breathable clothing that is easy to put on and take off. A positive attitude is also crucial, a sense that an exciting experience awaits us and another opportunity to learn something new. Remember that good emotions are the best travel companions” says Magdalena Szołtysik, psychologist and sensory integration therapist from the We Can Do More Foundation.
A safe journey with a child up to the age of two - on the caregiver's lap
“Children who have not yet reached their second year of life travel on the lap of an adult caregiver on the plane. After taking a seat, a crew member provides an additional belt to ensure the child's safety during takeoff and landing. These moments can be challenging due to increasing changes in pressure, so it's essential to focus on making the little one feel that the closest person is constantly with them, watching over and providing a sense of comfort. During this time, it's also helpful to offer the child a bottle of milk or a pacifier to alleviate ear discomfort.
For the youngest children, it's advisable to start their flying adventure with flights lasting two or maximum three hours to see how they react to such an experience. Let's not forget to prepare necessary items to ensure comfort while traveling with a child on the plane.
What does a child need on a plane? Wet wipes, diapers, spare clothes, a blanket on the plane, and a favorite toy will be helpful.”
Traveling with a toddler - what solutions may work?
When it comes to toddlers, we must consider that they may have fears during their first flights, stemming from the fear of the unknown. Ensuring the child's psychological comfort before the journey should be our priority. Therefore, it's essential to prepare the child adequately for the trip well in advance. If the child is anxious about flying itself, it's a good practice to explain how airplanes fly and, most importantly, that it is the safest means of transportation. In this case, special books that present the principles of aerodynamics hastily can be very helpful in dispelling toddlers' anxieties.
We should also remember to prepare for the flight with a toddler by bringing a blanket, a cuddly toy, their favorite vitamin gummies, which can be helpful during takeoff and landing.
Airlines often offer special attractions for children on their flights, which will undoubtedly make the toddler's journey more enjoyable. On selected flights, we offer many engaging surprises — sets with activity books, puzzles, and coloring books, as well as crayons and mascots. We also don't forget about delicious and healthy children's menus. Cocktails, fruit yogurts, children's favorite spaghetti and chicken nuggets, and sweet treats are just some of our suggestions.
"A good idea is also to bring a sticker activity book or coloring book. When the child becomes restless, and there is no obligation to fasten seat belts, it's worth getting up occasionally, for example, to go to the restroom, wash hands, or count steps back and forth," suggests psychologist Magdalena Szołtysik.
What to pay attention to when traveling with an infant?
Traveling with a child requires a bit more logistics, but a good plan can really enhance the comfort of the journey. When purchasing a ticket, it's a good idea to reserve a seat near the restroom in case there is a need to change the child.
"If possible, it's always worth choosing a direct flight, as this will not only make the journey with an infant shorter but also reduce the number of takeoffs and landings, which are the most demanding aspects of traveling with a little one. For longer journeys with small children, it's a good idea to pick nighttime hours, as there's a good chance they will sleep through most of the flight," advises the psychologist.
Traveling by plane with a teenager - how to fill the flight time in an attractive way?
For older children, flying can be the perfect opportunity to indulge in their passions. It's a great moment to catch up on favorite teen movies or simply relax while enjoying beautiful views and great music. Perhaps it's a fantastic chance to study a guidebook describing the main tourist attractions and interesting facts about the destination they're flying to?
It's worth ensuring that on board the plane with a child (even an older one!), there's a book or magazine dedicated to their favorite hobby. On all our flights, we offer an e-press service containing 1000 titles from around the world. These are the most popular magazines in over 30 languages. Simply download the chosen magazine to your phone, tablet, or computer. The service is available 72 hours before the flight and up to 6 hours after it ends.
But that's not all. For our long-haul flights, on board Boeing 787 Dreamliner, we offer an in-flight entertainment system, providing over 450 hours of movies, TV shows, music, games, and podcasts. Access to LOT Entertainment is also available on selected flights operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Just connect one of your devices to the network and enjoy access to many interesting contents for children and teenagers. Thanks to them, even a teenager won't notice how quickly time flies by!
Summary
The perspective of traveling by plane with a child - especially for the first time — can be fraught with many uncertainties and concerns. Thoroughly preparing the child for the flight will help minimize risks and make it more comfortable, both for the traveling parent and the little one. The experiences children gather during travel, while shaping their personalities and values, will undoubtedly be a great reward in the future!
