Best Child-Friendly Flights
Travel In Comfort and Satisfaction
Read to find out more on what makes an airline child-friendly, the facilities and services it offers and what airlines offer the best child-friendly flights.
Child Friendly Flights
Where from?
Where to?
Departure date
Return date
Passengers
1 Adult, Economy/Coach
What makes an airline Child-Friendly?
Travelling can become stressful and tiresome when travelling with children especially when they are bored on short-haul and long-haul flights. However, airlines are now making this less stressful for you and are keeping kids entertained throughout the flight and they also offer added benefits prior to boarding.
If you are looking for more information on flying with a family, check out our dedicated page.
There are many ways an airline can be counted as being child-friendly, such as by offering:
Toys and Goody bags
Kids adore goody bags and toys. Goody bags packed with cool accessories, games and toys. It will help them to get to sleep faster and snore away with their new cuddly toy.
Kids meals
Comfort doesn't just mean a comfortable seat and full-on entertainment for the rest of there flight but also tasty kid meals with a choice, for those picky eaters out there to satisfy those tantalising tastebuds.
Who doesn’t like a yummy meal with a lot of to choose from? These child-friendly airlines offer menus that can be fancy and to the child's liking. Airlines choose to create colourful, creative and healthy meals for children to eat.
Please see the following pages on kids meals and special meals that meet their dietary requirements such as religious meals, allergy and vegan and vegetarians requirements.
Entertainment
Every child wants virtual entertainment whether it's playing video games or watching their favourite cool cartoons. Airlines go further and beyond to offer kids with colouring books and pens and origami and much more.
Nanny Service
Some airlines offer Nanny service where a flying nanny entertains your child while you can relax and enjoy the 'me time'.
If you're looking for tips and tricks for flying with children check out our blog on Tips for Travelling Long Haul with Kids.
The best child-friendly airlines that offer an exceptional service
Emirates
It's not a surprise to see Emirates here on this list. Emirates prides themselves on being the top child-friendly airline with offering a range of exciting age-appropriate kid-friendly programs. Each time a child flies with Emirates they will receive a cuddly toy made to look like an animal. The animals come with a magazine with puzzles, coloured pencils and cool games.
Flying with kids on Emirates means you can skip queues, go to separate family check-in and get priority boarding. Also, other perks such as extra baggage allowance for kids and you can send your bags separately ahead of time. At Dubai International Airport you can use online check-in and drop your bags between 6 to 24 hours before to make your travel to the airport very light.
If your child has any dietary requirement, not to worry Emirates will do their utmost best to assist you. They also provide baby meals. Apart from that, they will help you warm up your child's food and milk as well. Kids from the ages of two and 16 can get miles on every flight or trade-in their miles for benefits such as entry to Wild Wadi Waterpark among other experiences.
British Airways
Most child tantrums onboard are caused by hungry kids and this is why British Airways have come up with a great policy of feeding kids. Families are also given preference when boarding.
Age-appropriate goody bags are given to kids. All the accessories come in swimming bags which adds to the overall excitement. For children aged from three to five, the bag is packed with crayons and a colouring book that features Cuthbert, the Cat.
Older children will get a pen and a book that has interesting and fun facts about flying, Sudoku and puzzles. The best of all is that in-flight entertainment for kids can be controlled by parents.
Etihad Airways
To keep those rumbling little tummies happy your children will be served their meals first. Kids are given goodie bags full of games and fun activities such as origami-making, face painting and magic tricks. Kids three years and above will be given a pack of games, activity books and stickers to help them stay entertained. Older children may be given a tour of the galley during quieter times on the flight.
Etihad Airways offers expert flying nannies who have learnt the art of being a nanny trained at the prestigious Norland College in the UK. Flying nannies are available free of charge on all long-haul Etihad flights. Flying Nannies offer a great source of information and will recommend families connecting at Abu Dhabi about the many babies changing and child services at the airport, in addition to informing them that there is a children’s play area at Gate 32 in Terminal 3, and also in the premium lounges.
Air France
Air France has some great news for parents wishing not to check in their strollers or buggies. If it meets the requirements of the airline, you're permitted to bring it along on board. The strollers or buggies can be kept safely in the overhead compartments.
For babies, sweet and savoury organic food jars can be requested before your flight. Baby biscuits are also available on the flight. Children from the age of two to eight are served healthy, creative and colourful meals. Games and colouring books are provided for long-haul flights. Children can also keep themselves entertained with a variety of children's video games, movies and cartoons.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has a great in-flight entertainment, in addition to an amazing kids activity pack. Air New Zealand offers something other airlines don't offer and you won't hear kids screaming from the top of there lungs when the flight takes or lands. They've discovered the solution to earaches on planes, Olbas oil.
If you're happy to spend a little extra, you can enjoy the comfort of a 'Sky Couch', that are special seats. These seats extend over three seats in economy and turn into a bed for a comfortable experience for you and your little one. Air New Zealand also offer special kids meals designed to appeal to the pickiest of eaters.
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