Flying with kids and surviving long-haul flights with kids are totally different propositions. Flying with the little ones can be a real challenge for any parent. The challenge increase when you are flying long-haul 16 to 18 hours to reach a destination. You might consider reaching for the sedatives but there are some less drastic actions that you can take. Screaming children can make 10-hour flights feel like 20-hour ones. The odds of enjoying a long-haul flight when you are traveling with kids can be really low but you can following these tips to make the journey a little bit more enjoyable.
1) Pack some real good snacks
You may not pack in snacks when you are going on a 2 to 3 hr flights but the long-haul flights are a different ballgame altogether. Airline food in economy class is not very appealing to the children so it is very important that you bring enough supply of snacks in case your child refuses to eat or even sleep during meal service. Always tell them that they will get special treats if they behave properly during the journey. Of course, you need to carry special treats for them to coax them to put on their best behavior.
2) Walk the aisles
Children are never classified as high-risk candidates for DVTs on long-haul flights but it is a good idea to let them stretch their legs and walk the aisles during daytime hours. In this way they will never get bored and find this as a fun exercise.
3) Fly at night
A flight that lasts over 12 hours will surely have some daytime hours. We suggest that at the time of planning an itinerary you should schedule a chunk of your long-haul flight at night. Even if your child sleeps only for six hours you will still be thousands of miles closer to your destination. If you are flying to Europe from US then choose a flight that takes off at around 8 pm. There will be at least a couple of hours of meal service and then there will be lights-out till landing.
4) Take a battery charger
We all understand that all electronic gadgets should be fully charged before a take-off but even a fully charged gadget may not last more than a few hours. Now every airline does not offer in-flight charging capabilities for economy class passengers, so do pack up a battery charger.
5) Spend the miles
If there was ever a good time to spend the miles then you should do that when you are taking long-haul flights with your kids. When you spend the miles you will get good seats in the economy class or even may get upgraded to business class seats. This approach is way better than just praying for an empty middle seat in the back of the economy class.
