Flying to the UK? Here are 18 more Travel Tips to make life abundantly easier!
PART II | Families
1 - Toys/books to take on the trip
Depending on your children's age, bringing toys is not just about timely distractions so we, the parents, can catch our breaths. It's also about meeting them at each juncture of their stage of development and keeping their mind stimulated yet not overstimulated. Here's what we found to be an absolutely essential list of toys/books:
First Time Travel Books (and any other favorite books of theirs)
Pop Tubes (they were particularly useful for us when passing the time at the airport)
Sticker pads/activity sheets
Small Duplo lego sets
Pipe brushes/cleaners
Small container of play dough (pack inside a reusable container with a few accessories for play)
2 - Airplane Bed
After taking a red-eye flight for 11 straight hours, with young kids sleeping (or should we say struggling to stay asleep), you may want to look into these innovative options:
Travel footrest for you and the kids (to extend their feet) to sleep more comfortably.
If you have the funds, the Jetkids Bedbox is an excellent buy for small children.
3 - Children's Suitcase
As your little ones grow in their self-awareness and independence, traveling is an excellent opportunity for them to learn practical skills and participate in the "activity" of travel. You can store their toys, activity books, and an extra set of clothes in your child's carry-on suitcase.
Trunkis are very useful for storing items, and your children can hitch a ride on them through the airport.
4 - Carseat and Stroller
Most airlines consider a car seat and stroller as free check-in luggage, so they aren't counted as part of your allotment of one 23kg/51lb check-in, one carry-on, and one personal item per ticket holder. This is handy when coordinating taxi services and transporting the kids on foot. Some airports will let you take the stroller all the way to the door of the airplane for departures and allow you to retrieve your stroller straight away on arrival at your destination.
5 - Infant on Lap tickets
Most airlines will give you an extra 23kg/51lb check-in, carry-on, and personal item (such as a diaper bag) if you're traveling with an infant. This additional set makes it more manageable when distributing weight evenly between your total allotment of check-in luggage to house everyone's wardrobe, shoes, and other items for the kids.
6 - Cutting in line/Jumping the queue
Depending on the airport, terminal, and sometimes the airline, a family with children younger than five years old will be allowed to jump the queue. It's happened a number of times now where we find ourselves at the security checkpoint, and the line is wrapped around countless interweaving rows marked with posts and retractable belts as far as the eye can see. Lugging around your personal bags/items and carry-on allotment for you, your spouse, and the kiddos while simultaneously holding or corralling your children at every turn is no easy task! Always ask airport personnel if you can jump the queue or if there is a “family queue/line” to use through security!
7 - Lap belts and Toddler harnesses
Airlines are usually good about providing lap belts for small children, but here are two other options if you want to bring one of your own, which you can personally size to fit your child.
*Don't forget to pack this up at the end of the flight
8 - Baby carrier/sling
Similar to a lap belt, we've found wearing baby carriers or slings on a flight beneficial to give you hands-free access to food, drink, toys, etc. You can face them forward for an awake time and face them inward to help keep them asleep on your chest during the flight.
Recommended brands: we have used the same HappyBaby carrier since Enzo was born and have loved it. Not only is it durable and is still in great condition, it is comfortable yet sturdy, made of wonderfully soft linen, and it has a small cover that snaps over their heads to keep the light out which is especially helpful when traveling.
9 - An extra belt
Bring a belt or strap to wrap carry-on luggage. It's best to take advantage of the allotment of carry-on and personal items during a flight, especially if you're limited in the quantity of large to medium-sized check-in suitcases and don't want to bother with boxes. We usually have a small suitcase or rolling duffle onto which we stack other bags. The last time we flew from SFO to Heathrow, I had to stack a diaper bag, backpack, and small duffle onto a small suitcase by strapping them together with an extra belt. I found it much easier to maneuver through the airport and security checkpoints rolling a stack of strategically placed bags/items.
10 - Opportune Screentime
Whether you have a wifi enabled or a data-equipped device (tablet) we recommend downloading some of your children's favorite shows/films for the long flight. My old iPad Air (circa 2013) has come in handy when keeping our son and daughter occupied to give us a breather or allow us the time to eat, drink, or (for one of us) to feel comfortable enough to take a nap. Our son has recently adjusted to wearing headphones, which allows him to fully immerse himself in the show or film he's watching (for a time).
11- Food and drinks for children
Drinks or snacks for kids are a must. Bring PLENTY. And definitely have them drinking or eating during takeoff and landing if possible (or nursing/bottle feeding if they’re still doing that) as it will help their ears adjust to the change in altitude.
Water (bring their water bottle and fill it up at the airport)
Purchased drink by terminal if needed
Homemade muffins packed with nutritious ingredients
Fresh and dried fruit
Organic sip pouches (we like to use these for takeoff and landing)
Crackers / pretzels
Sandwiches
Homemade gummies (good snacks for the whole family and gelatin makes them a good protein source)
12 - Garbage/Rubbish bag
We've formed a habit of bringing a disposable trash bag with us on a flight, which we usually tuck away in our diaper/nappy bag. We use it to collect all trash/rubbish accumulated during the flight and give it to a flight attendant before the plane makes its final descent. This practice helps when you're looking to avoid accumulating loose trash in your area or staying awake to catch a flight attendant on one of their trips down the aisle for collection. It's also very convenient when you want to get some sleep or try to keep your kids asleep.
13 - Oversized Luggage
Be careful about oversized luggage such as boxes. Airlines will look to charge you for anything that is considered an unconventional shape, even though it may fit within the guideline dimensions listed on their site. An example of this is when we used a large wardrobe box from Home Depot, which I cut down to size (increasing the size of the top flaps) to fit within the maximum dimensions (190 x 75 x 65cm = 74.8 inches x 29.5 inches x 25.59 in) of the box.
14 - Get the "wiggles" out in the airport
Do plenty of laps with the kids while waiting at the airport. Keep them active. We even run around with them a little bit and make it a fun game (of course, being mindful of space and others). They will be stuck in one place when on the plane and may have also had a long car drive before arriving, plus all the waiting through check-in and security, so they really need this time to move and be as free as possible.
15 - Cot Row
Book seats with a cot row, but be mindful of proximity to the flight attendants' area. We're not sure why but when all the lights are off and almost all passengers are asleep (during a red eye), this area is still as loud and active as if it were meal service time; bright lights still on (no curtain) and chit chat so loud it's easy to hear from several rows back. If you use a cot or a seat for your infant or toddler, make sure their head is facing away from overhead bins/storage. We had to wake up our daughter while she was sound asleep to ensure we followed the airline's rule, which they didn't tell us before we set our daughter down to sleep.
16 - Portable Potty
We got our son a My Carry Potty for toilet training on the go. Bringing this as well as a toddler toilet seat insert for larger toilets can definitely help with potty trips in public bathrooms or the lavatory on the plane. We usually bring wet wipes and sanitizing wipes to use for this purpose.
17 - Double check area
Before disembarking a plane, double-check the front seat pockets for any items. You most likely haven't slept well, and you're going to be eager to get off the airplane as soon as possible. We've had to gather so many items while simultaneously dealing with our children, who are either cranky or still asleep once we've landed, that we've forgotten food and a safety harness (which wraps around a seat). We haven't forgotten anything when we've traveled without kids, but having the little ones with you definitely makes forgetting much easier.
18 - UK Border and Customs
Children under 12 cannot use the E-gates so prepare to speak with a border agent. Thankfully, the family queue is usually not as densely packed as the other queues. At London Heathrow airport, when you clear this area, you will then make your way through an undeclared customs area, which is an unmanned corridor with double doors and a duty-free shopping section.
*When traveling with children (especially on international trips), the most important tip to remember is to go with the flow. Don’t hold any expectations too tightly, know that it will most likely be challenging, but you will all get through it together. It will build stronger relationships, increase resiliency, and make for treasured memories you will have always. Don’t say no to anything because it seems too hard and overwhelming. Take it one step at a time and allow yourself to enjoy the process. Have grace on yourself and your family and have fun!