Best flights/airlines for families

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The Best Airlines for Families

Discover the best airlines for those flying as a family including travel advice for families.

Flying with a family

family icon

If you are flying with your family, you may encounter some problems that mean you require additional planning, patience and cooperation from the airline. However, with our guide to the best airlines for family flights, you are sure to find an airline that suits you, whether you are travelling with a young family or large family.

Read on to discover what makes an airline good for families, and for the best airlines that provide the best service and experience for families.

For more tips and travel advice about flying with children, see our page on air travel with kids. Alternatively, for general information and FAQs about flying as a family, including information about what Alternative Airlines can do for family flights, see our page here.

What makes an airline
family-friendly?

Advance Seat Assignments

No Baggage Fees

Route Network

Family-friendly mileage policies

Early family boarding

Comfortable seats

Child-friendly food and drink

Child-friendly in-flight entertainment

On-time arrival rate

No lap fees

On-board cots

Taking a pushchair for free

The Best Airlines for Family Flights

Emirates

Emirates has been ranked as the best airline for families by a number of sources. Typically rated well for its fun entertainment options for children, with things like toys and goodie bags. They also have great child-friendly meals on board, with typical items including snack boxes, chicken bits and pasta. Emirates are also great for parents, with comfortable seats allowing for a relaxing flight, with also family services meaning travel at the airport is made a lot easier.

Qatar Airways

Onboard Qatar Airways flights, families can enjoy fun amenities, with crayons, puzzles and games there to keep children entertained on board. Qatar Airways also offer family priority boarding, options for bassinet seats and also amenity kits which help with infants such as bottles, baby food, diapers. The business class makes flying with Qatar Airways even more family-friendly, with adjusting moveable walls and screens meaning you can either have an individual pod, or transformed into a private family quad.

British Airways

British Airways is a great option for families, with both European flights but also transatlantic flights and also those further afield. Onboard, passengers can enjoy priority boarding, premium children's entertainment and priority eating for children. In addition, at the British Airways hubs of London Gatwick and London Heathrow Airports, there is a fantastic kids zone with play areas and other entertainment.

Lufthansa

This European carrier is the best airlines for families in terms of food offered. The children's menu is extremely family-friendly, even for fussy eaters, keeping both kids and parents happy when flying.

Southwest Airlines

Not only is this airline a great option for low-cost flights, but this is also a good option for domestic fliers in the US. The airline offers families priority boarding, no bag fees and no change fees. This priority boarding is particularly good for flights where there are no assigned seats, as you can choose your seats whilst the plane is still empty.

JetBlue

Another great option for families travelling domestically within the US, JetBlue offer a points pooling system, meaning that up to 7 friends or family members can combine flying points to reach awards quicker. In addition, the airline has great records for its on-time arrivals, and also have a wide route network.


Family Bereavement Flights

If you have unfortunately lost a member of your family, and need to travel last minute because of death of a family member, you may be able to find airlines which offer flight discounts for the family needing to travel. If you need more information on how to get bereavement flights or funeral flights, check out this link.

 

The Best airlines for death in the family

Typically, airlines don't really offer bereavement flights, as it is dependent on availability, price and demand. However, there are a few airlines still offering bereavement flights:

 

Delta Air Lines: This airline offers reduced-rate fares for passengers who are travelling due to the imminent death or after the death of a family member. Another discount they offer is a reduced service fare when changing the times or dates of a flight, although the fare difference will still need to be paid.

 

Lufthansa: Lufthansa has previously offered discounted bereavement fares for round-trips departing from North America.

 

Air Canada: Bereavement fares offered by Air Canada are not discounted, but offer families the chance to have more flexibility in their travels.