Sooner or later, every expat mum experiences the adventure of flying with kids. The longer the flight, the more adventurous the adventure, it seems ;-) I remember how many questions I had before I was taking the plane with Luca for the first time. He was only three months old at that time. I would have loved to talk to someone who could give me some tips and tricks for flying with babies at that time. Actually, nearly one year and several flights later, I am still open to every good advice that can make travelling with our little monkey easier. Well, this wish finally came true yesterday when Virgin Atlantic invited some Dubai mums to the Fairmont The Palm for a lovely afternoon of Q&A around flying with kids.

Here are some of the tips that I found particularly useful, shared by the super friendly ladies of the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew and Dr. Nawirah and Dr. Sridevi, two paediatricians present during the event. Of course, I’ll also throw in some of my personal experience :-)

But before I start, here’s the really good news about flying with kids: Are you afraid of flying? You will not be anymore. I was literally scared to death whenever I needed to take a plane. For work. For vacation. E-V-E-R-Y time. I would not do anything during the flight and, above all, I would not relax and enjoy it, as everyone told me to do. I have even attended a course to fight my fear of flying (for more information on Virgin Atlantic’s Flying without Fear programme, click here). Well, this certainly helped but my fear never totally disappeared. Until I was flying with Luca. Seriously: kids are the best medication when you’re afraid of flying. You simple have no time to worry anymore. You’re way too occupied :-P Taking the plane with our little Mr. L might be a challenge sometimes but I am certainly grateful that he keeps me busy before and during the flight ;-)

Obviously, I still want the flight to be as relaxed and pleasant as possible – for the three of us. So, here are some useful tips:

• Preparation is key. Well, you would not expect any other advice from a German having lived in Switzerland for the last years, would you? :-P But hey, the ladies from Virgin Atlantic have confirmed it as well: organizing your flight well in advance just makes it so much easier! So, start early to avoid running around like crazy the day before your departure.

• Book your seat well in advance, especially if you’re flying with a baby and require a seat with a baby cot as they are usually offered on a first come first served basis (click here to see Virgin Atlantic’s policy on choosing your seat in advance). The Virgin Atlantic baby cots for example are for babies up to 9 or 11kg depending on the aircraft and class, while older infants under 2 years will be able to travel on your lap (for more info, click here). Usually, the seats with baby cots also have a bit more legroom – a good thing when you have a toddler who wants to do nothing but play on the floor. Whenever possible, I would also avoid any seats indicated as particularly noisy on seatguru.com.

• Carrying a baby, plus a bag, plus a hand luggage, plus…. Remember that it is usually not allowed to use your stroller until the last minute. At the latest, you need to hand it over before boarding. So, a baby carrier can be very useful. I’ve forgotten it once and I can tell you that babies, as small as they are, can get heavy. At least toddlers do. Oh yes….

• Yes, you can bring baby food with you! I was nursing Luca until he was nearly 13 months. So, I never really needed to worry about bringing formula or cow’s milk on the plane. But, when Luca started with solids at around six months, I suddenly wondered if it was allowed to bring baby food jars and pouches on the aircraft (Of course, most airlines offer children’s meals that you can request in advance but little L was still a bit small to eat them at that time.). And yes, it is! It is also allowed to bring cow’s milk, formula and water (to prepare the formula) in reasonable quantities. Remember however to place all liquids for your baby / toddler in a separate clear bag. This will make it easier for security to identify it (well, you might still be asked to open the bottles and taste the content). Once on the airplane, I usually ask the cabin crew to warm up the food jar in hot water. They are always very friendly and happy to help. Here are two tips, one from the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew and one from a friend, that I also found very useful: 1. Always take more food than needed. Not only because one jar might fall on the floor or be damaged but also because your flight might be delayed. 2. Ask the cabin crew when they are planning to serve the food and plan accordingly. For example, if your little one is supposed to have dinner at 6pm and that’s exactly the time when the dinner is supposed to be served on the airplane, ask the cabin crew to bring your food at the end. This will give you enough time to feed your little monkey first. It’s also easier to alternate if you’re flying with your partner, for example.

• During take-off and landing. Take-off and landing might be a bit difficult for your little monkey as babies and infants don’t know how to reduce the pressure in their ears. And this can hurt. Usually, I was nursing little L but it might also be a solution to give your little one a bottle, a pacifier or something else to chew on.

• Bring extra clothes. Yes, for the baby/toddler. BUT also for yourself. At least another T-shirt or pullover. When we were flying with Luca for the first time we had a little bit of a poo experience that I would not wish anybody to have (especially as the changing tables in the restrooms on the airplane are small, very small….). Well, it happens that babies vomit as well, so you’d better be prepared.

• Everybody has a carry-on luggage. I thought it was a very nice idea to give older infants their own piece of carry-on luggage (max 6kg). There are so many nice ones (just check out the ones from Beatrix New York!) I will definitely do that when little L will be a bit older – I’m sure he will be so proud ;-) But even smaller infants and babies can have their own luggage (that you would carry obviously) with their nappies, second set of clothes, baby wipes (very useful on a flight and everywhere you go!!), maybe a blanket as it can get cold in the airplane, a thermometer and some paracetamol just in case (or any other medicine if your little one has pre-existing medical conditions), some toys etc.). By the way, psssst, most airlines have some spare nappies for emergencies – at least Virgin Atlantic does ;-)

• Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. I am already looking forward to our next flight when little Mr. L will probably be able to watch one of the kids movies or series on the plane hehe But for now, the most important thing to take with me on a plane were toys. His favourite toys of course but also some new ones. I think it is a great tip to reveal some new toys slowly throughout the flight, one after the other. That way, your little one always has something new to discover. And why not get some airplane-themed toys or books before the flight? This will allow you to explain to older infants what is happening and how the airplane is functioning. They might not understand everything but I’m sure little L would be captivated by the whole experience ;-) Despite all the toys, we usually get to a point when Luca gets bored. Oh so bored. When nothing works anymore, we usually let him crawl (well, soon, walk ;-) ) up and down the airplane. This always helps and, that way, he is getting a bit tired as well (at least, this is what I am telling myself).

• Sleep or no sleep, that’s the question. Despite all the crawling around Luca did not sleep at all during our last flight (which was an evening/night flight…). It was so much easier when I could still nurse him and he would just fall asleep. I’ve tried everything: taking his favourite cloth, taking a cushion to make it more comfortable, reading the book that we usually read at bedtime, playing the music box we usually play at bedtime…. Nothing worked for us. Having said that, it might work for you! At least, the lovely ladies from Virgin Atlantic suggested to do exactly that. Let me know if it works for you (or what does!!).

• Become friends with your fellow passengers. Especially the ones sitting next to you. I don’t necessarily mean to introduce yourself (even though we have had some really nice conversations with the passengers sitting next to us) but at least, give them a friendly smile. Cause your little one might be crying and crawling / walking around them. Cause there might be toys all over the place. Well, and food. Do I need to say more? I think they deserve a smile. And why not distribute a little goodie bag with some nice ear plugs? This pic certainly made me smile:

Wish you all a great and relaxing flight. And in case it is not so relaxing and great, here’s the probably best advice of all: no matter how challenging the flight, it will not last forever. After some hours, you’ll be at your destination and happy to be there ;-)

Xxx

Tani