Flying with Kids: The Complete Family Guide (Babies to Teens)

Discover Tips Every Parent Should Know Before Flying With Kids

Flying with kids can feel daunting, whether it’s your baby’s first short-haul flight or you’re planning a long-haul journey with restless toddlers and moody teens.

We are based in Scotland, and find that flying is the quickest way for our family of five to travel. Over the years, we’ve taken flights across more than 40 countries and six continents.

From back-to-back connections across multiple time zones to overnight flights that tested everyone’s patience, we’ve done it all. Our teens now love flying as an excuse to catch up on the latest movies, but it was definitely more challenging when they were younger.

When flying with kids, being prepared makes all the difference, even when faced with unexpected delays. The secret to a successful flight is packing snacks, having on-hand entertainment, and deciding who sits next to whom.

Tips for Flying with Kids

Having a stress-free, enjoyable flight when flying with kids isn’t luck. Here are our tried-and-tested tips and tricks for flying with kids that will set you up for a calm, and maybe even enjoyable, journey.

1 | Plan Before You Fly

Preparation is the secret to stress-free family flights. Don’t overthink it; perfection and children rarely go hand in hand.

Choose flight times wisely: Early mornings mean fewer delays, but they can be tough with children and impossible with teens. Overnight flights can work well if your kids can sleep, though we’ve had journeys where they were wide awake the entire time. Consider the effects of jet lag depending on where you fly.
Book direct flights: Skip the tempting, yet often inconvenient, cheap flights that involve a layover and choose direct flights to your destination for a less stressful travel day.
Pick your seats carefully: Bulkhead seats give extra legroom (great when travelling with babies). Window seats can keep younger kids entertained, while aisle seats make bathroom trips easier. Seat selection matters when travelling with children. Separating younger kids can avoid arguments. We never pay for seat allocation, but 90% of the time, our random allocation results in us being seated together.
Check your airline’s family perks: Many airlines offer bassinets, priority boarding, buggies to the gate or special meals for children. These little extras can make a big difference with excited or tired kids.
Book your airport transfer or parking: Avoid arriving at the airport stressed or late for your flight. Always double-check the terminal and arrive with time to spare. In Egypt, we were dropped off in the wrong location, a considerable distance from where we needed to be.

A family boarding a flight from the runway when travelling in South America.

2 | What to Pack in Your Carry-On

Travelling with only carry-on was a game-changer for our family. Not only does packing smart make trips more budget-friendly, but it also makes transiting the airport with kids much easier. Once hold luggage is away, these essentials have saved us on countless flights:

Plenty of Snacks: Even if our flight includes food, we pack a mix of healthy options and treats. Airline food isn’t always child-friendly or frequent enough, so family favourite snacks will stave off hunger, boredom and reduce tantrums. A few food options each might be enough for a short flight, whereas a whole carry-on may be required for long-haul travel. Best Snacks For Flying include crackers, dried fruit, granola bars, cheese sticks, rice cakes, sandwiches, and veggie sticks.
Entertainment: While some planes are stocked with child-friendly movies, multiplayer games, and kids’ activity packs, this is not a reliable option, as young children often prefer familiarity. Our kids love binge-watching the in-flight screen, but we also load tablets with kids’ shows, audiobooks, and games as a backup. Small toys, puzzles, books, colouring and sticker packs can also keep younger children busy. Having a few travel games that double up as gate entertainment are our boredom busters. Monopoly Deal and Uno are our go-to card games.
Comfort essentials: A back-up of hand wipes, travel blankets or jumpers (planes get chilly), favourite cuddly toys, headphones, and spare clothes can be the magical items needed to prevent a stressful situation.

Low-Key Relaxing Activities: Reading books, colouring books, card games, notepad & snacks.

3 | At the Airport

Airports can be overwhelming for kids, but a little preparation goes a long way:

Arrive early to avoid stressful dashes. We would rather walk straight on to a plane, but that doesn’t happen. Our kids stretch their legs exploring the terminal, and have a snack before boarding. Some airports have outside areas and playgrounds.
Prep for security by explaining the process. While each airport has its own rules, generally, pockets should be empty, bags on the belt, and strollers folded. Some allow liquids, while others do not. Be prepared for lengthy queues and random bag searches.
Give kids responsibility. Toddlers to teens can manage their own backpacks.

A selection of boxed family travel card games and scattered uno cards.

4 | In the Air

There is no place to hide on an aircraft; this is where our preparation for snacks and entertainment pays off. Maintaining calmness during a flight can be challenging if your child is not feeling it.

Ears and pressure: Healthy snacks during flights can help prevent pain buildup. Babies can feed; toddlers can sip a drink; older kids can chew sweets to relieve ear pain as the plane changes altitudes.
Stick to routines: For overnight flights with younger kids, we tried to mimic bedtime by wearing pyjamas, reading stories, and using blankets to create a comfy space. Lights are often dimmed and interruptions minimised.
Keep moving: Encourage physical activity, especially during long flights. Kids can stretch their legs from time to time during the flight.
Turbulence: Prepare kids that flights can get bumpy and there is no need to panic.

An airport runway with sunset view through airplane window. The screen shows the adventure from Australia to Indonesia.

5 | After the Flight

Whether you are disembarking after one hour, twelve hours, or to make a connecting flight, take a moment to reflect on the journey.

Celebrate your wins: Even if things weren’t perfect, praise your kids (and yourself) for travelling well. Reflect on what worked and keep those strategies in mind for next time.
Stretch and reset: Allow kids to run off built up energy, whether it’s while you wait to collect luggage at a nearby park or hotel lobby.
Honour their time zones: For long-haul flights, try to adjust your sleep times gradually before flying and adapt quickly upon landing. It will be a long day with kids if you have lost out on sleep, but sleeping all day isn’t going to help.

Kids waiting for airport transfer before flying in Dubai.

Flying with Babies

Our first flights as parents were both exciting and nerve-wracking. It was a non-eventful one-hour flight from England to Scotland. Babies don’t care that you’re at 35,000 feet—they want their needs met.

What worked for us:

Feeding during takeoff and landing to ease ear pressure.
Packing a change of clothes and extra nappies.
Booking a bassinet for long-haul journeys.

While our babies slept better on planes than we expected, we have been passenger on flights where a baby has cried for hours. Babies pick up on stress making the situation worse, so try to relax.

Flying with Toddlers and Young Kids

Toddlers have boundless energy, even in a confined cabin. Flying through time zones, where our toddler refused to nap and woke his baby brother due to a sudden bout of tiredness, was a stressful flight.

Tips that saved us:

Pack surprise toys. A mixture of new and old works wonders to entertain toddlers. Sticker books, cars, fidget toys or colouring sets bought us precious quiet time.
Walk the aisle. A quick stroll to the bathroom or galley became a mini adventure, giving out cheeky grins along the way.
Stock up on snacks. Toddlers often prefer familiar foods that may not be available on airlines. Just like going on a day trip, our bag would always be packed with favourites—rice cakes, fruit pouches, or sandwiches.
Turn their seat into a bed. Some airlines permit inflatables that fill the foot gap of a seat, allowing kids to lie down. We have been lucky on a couple of flights to have a spare seat where a child can relax or sleep.

Flying with Teens

These days, flights with our teens feel almost easy. They treat flying as downtime, a chance to zone out and watch new movies, listen to music, or catch up on sleep. That said, our teens don’t appreciate early starts, and long flights can still test their patience.

Our go-to teen tips:

Let them choose snacks, seats, and entertainment.
Download backup shows or films in case the in-flight entertainment isn’t working.
Encourage independence: our teens doing their own packing for a trip can navigate security and entertain themselves mid-flight.

When Things Don’t Go to Plan

We’ve had flights where everything went smoothly, and others where meltdowns lasted hours. Here’s what we learned:

Stay calm. Kids feed off your energy. If you are stressed, give yourself a break.
Meltdowns happen. It’s almost inevitable. Use distraction (stories, singing, games) or give them some space by going for a walk or switch seats with your partner.
Tag-team parenting. On long flights, taking turns to entertain or switch children makes it manageable.
Delays happen. Always pack extra snacks, nappies, and patience.
Kindness counts. Smiles and apologies to fellow passengers and cabin crew when things get noisy.

Helicopter waiting to fly with snowy mountains in the background.

Our Most Memorable Family Flight Moments

We have clocked up quite a few flights over the years, all over the world. Airports are fascinating places. Each one is unique from the next, with some being far more memorable than others, but they all allow us to experience the joy of flying and witnessing something new.

Sunrise takeoffs – We love taking early morning flights to have more time at our destination. Waking off the plane and chasing joy instead of heading straight to bed.
Overnight flights across continents – Mostly peaceful, sometimes chaotic, but always memorable as we fall asleep in one country and wake up in another.
Crossing the International Date Line – En route from Hawaii to Australia, we instantly lost a day mid-flight.
A delayed takeoff – Our kids were delighted to be invited into the cockpit.
Landing at Lukla, Nepal – one of the most dangerous airports in the world, but our kids loved the thrill of it!
Helicopter Flight from the Barrier Reef– A fantastic experience to see from the sky.
Hot Air Balloon Flight over the Valley of the Kings – Sunrise flight over the desert, featuring iconic archaeological sites.

FAQ | Flying With Kids

Flying with kids doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning, packing smart, and keeping a positive attitude, aeroplane travel with kids can actually be enjoyable.

How do you survive a long flight with kids?

The key is to pack plenty of snacks, entertainment, and items for a comfortable journey. Dress kids in comfy clothes or pyjamas and read bedtime stories on night flights. Encourage movement with aisle walks.

What’s the best age for kids to fly?

There is no perfect age to fly with kids. Every stage has its challenges; babies often sleep more but can be unsettled, toddlers can be restless but are easily distracted by toys and snacks, whereas teens entertain themselves. The more you expose children to flying, the more manageable and familiar it becomes.

How do I stop my child’s ears from hurting on a plane?

Pressure changes occur during flights, which can cause pain in children. Feeding babies and giving toddlers and older children a drink or a sweet to suck during takeoff and landing can help.

Is it okay to use screens on a flight?

Screens are a great option to entertain children on a flight. Whether used for hours or just as a distraction, screens can be a great way to entertain children, especially during long flights.

Final Thoughts: Flying with Kids Gets Easier

Flying with kids isn’t always easy – babies cry, toddlers fidget, teens have attitude, but that happens regardless of being on a plane. With some preparation, snacks, entertainment and a positive mindset, a successful family flight is doable.

The more you fly, the smoother it gets. Every flight is part of a family adventure and a story you’ll never forget. So next time you’re boarding with kids, don’t dread it – let flying with kids be part of the joy of family travel.