The best family-friendly international airlines

We recently flew London to Sydney in business class and as soon as people saw we were flying with an infant (15 months at the time) we received looks of disdain and utter disappointment, one passenger even swore under his breath (but loud enough for all to hear of course)! Flying with children can be an all-round nightmare for parents, not only because of the challenge of having to keep young children suitably entertained for hours, but also from fellow passengers who are silently asking ‘why this flight? Why did you have to pick my flight?’ or ‘kids shouldn’t be allowed to fly!’

Term break is here again which means packing up the family for a well-deserved summer holiday. Stay ahead of the game by knowing which airlines are best to fly with if you are travelling with babies and young children, just to make your life a little easier, and start your holiday as soon as you hit the airport! You can’t control the reaction of your fellow passengers, but the crew and services provided by some airlines for families, can keep everyone happy at 35,000 feet.

Virgin Atlantic

Once you get the airport check-in formalities out of the way, you can start your holiday at a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. If you’re travelling in Business Class, you have automatic entry using your boarding pass, if not you may be able to purchase access to the lounge or a general airport lounge (please ask your travel agent). At London Gatwick airport for example, they have the V-room which is a family dedicated area. The babies/toddlers room has a TV and plenty of toys to keep the young ones busy. The area has a glass enclosure with automatic sliding door and nice comfy carpet that even you would want to relax on!

For the older kids and the kids at heart, they have sectioned off rooms with comfy bean bags or sofas where you can play Wii or PlayStation, or just watch TV. Attentive staff comes around if you need a beverage and you can order directly from them.

That’s just the lounge. On the flight, they usually have back-packs filled with goodies which include baseball cap, colouring books, sunglasses, toys, and games. Meals have kid-sized options served on child-size plates and silverware. Like many airlines, Virgin Atlantic offers cots for babies and also complimentary diapers, bottles, baby food, and changing facilities on all flights.

British Airways

BA’s ‘feed families first’ policy is like a breath of fresh air for parents during a flight. Children receive their tray of nutritious food first, which includes plenty of fruit and vegetables as well as treats like chocolate-covered fruit. This gives parents some quiet time as well as the opportunity to enjoy their own meals!

The ‘Skyflyers’ activity pack buys more quiet time, filled with games and activities, crayons, puzzles and sudokus. It also features a fun log book that allows kids to record their travels and collect a signature from the captain of the flight. There are different packs for different ages.

Skycots and Britax infant seats are available, as well as baby food supplies and on-board bottle warming. BA also has the great policy of charging 10% points for lap children on award bookings, as opposed to 10% of the dollars.

Emirates

Emirates’ frequent-flier program for children ‘Skysurfer’ enable kids ages 2-16 to start racking up miles. These miles can go towards anything from future flights to bookstore gift certificates to Wild Wadi Water Park tickets in Dubai. They have the same benefits as ‘Skywards’, the adult frequent-flier program.

The ICE entertainment system on-board can keep kids amused for hours. It has hundreds of channels, which includes new release family movies, Disney classics, audio stories and interactive games.

For infants, there are bassinets available and baby formula on board, as well as toys. The baby and toddler kit come with wet wipes, cream, bib, teething ring, and puppet as well as baby food, formula, bottles, and diapers available on request. The goodie bags are generous which come as a colourful bag with stuffed animal, story book, colouring book with puzzles and games, and child eye mask.

Gulf Air

It’s not such a new concept anymore, but Gulf Air was the pioneer of the ‘Sky Nannies’. On long-haul flights, parents can enjoy the service of specially trained nannies that will help with boarding and disembarkation as well as do puzzles and games, help with bassinets, offer snacks or even serve children their food. Parents will relish a few moments to eat their own meals, or watch a film (or at least parts of a film) or just sit back and enjoy some of the flight with a drink.

Gulf Air also has family check-in counters that give priority check-in, boarding, and baggage claim for families. There are also on-board toys as well as children’s entertainment system with dedicated channels for all age groups.