We have dreamed of taking our children on bucket list trips for years. But I have to admit, I did have a bit of nervousness going into our first one. I am hoping I can help you prepare for your first long-haul trip with kids for a great experience. If this is their first flight, make sure to grab my free ebook, Flying with Kids.
Picking Your Seat is Important.
Bassinets might be offered on your flight. If you are going to be on a plane for several hours you will want to have a good seat. (United has them on their international flights on the 757, 767, 777, and 787 aircraft.) The bassinets will be set up by a flight attendant after the airplane has reached cruise altitude and will be taken back down before landing. If you will be needing a basinet you will need to call your airline to book it and ensure proper seat assignment for using it. You will need to reserve it early as there are only a couple available on flights. This is only available for infants weighing 22 pounds or less.
The bulkhead may not be your preferred seat. The bulkhead (seats with a wall in front of you) is a coveted seat on flights for those passengers looking for more leg room. Leg room is fantastic, but oftentimes on those seats the armrest between seats isn’t movable. This means if your sweet little one is in the seat next to yours, you will not be able to move the armrest so they can lay over in your lap. So, when picking your seats pay attention to those seats and avoid them if you are hoping for a movable arm rest.
I try and stay away from the galley. The flight attendants will be up and working throughout the flight. They attempt to keep it dark and quiet so as not to wake anyone, but keeping your distance from their hustle and bustle can help to keep your kids’ eyes closed longer. An eye mask would really come in handy here.
Be Ready For Illness.
When we were in Sydney waiting for our 15 hour flight back to the US my daughter went to sleep in my arms. On a normal day I might be alarmed, but I just assumed she was exhausted from jet lag and all the excitement from the trip. On the flight she felt warm, but I didn’t dare wake a sleeping baby. When she woke up she told me she felt sick. Thankfully we got some sick sacks in time and avoided any mess.
I always carry medication. I had carried children’s Tylenol on our trip. In our 7 years of traveling and always being prepared with it, this was the first time it was needed. But it was absolutely worth every single time I carried it and didn’t need it. With 14 hours left in our flight I was so glad to be able to bring her temp back down with the medicine. I don’t wish any other parent to ever be there, but if you gotta be at least you can be prepared. For more on flying with medication, check out this article.
Have access to extra clothes. Once our daughter’s Tylenol wore off and she woke back up she was hungry. After eating a couple of pretzels and having a couple of sips of water she got sick again… this time we didn’t get a sack out in time. We made quite a mess of ourselves, but thankfully we were able to change out of the sick clothes.
You May Want to Freshen Up
Having access to your deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, and chap-stick for long flights will be a huge plus. When you are on an international flight it feels like you are walking to a different country to even get to customs, then you will most likely be guided outside security and into the area with friends and family waiting to greet their passenger. If you are wanting to be freshened up when you meet someone you will need to do this on the plane as there are no (or at least very hard to find) restrooms before you meet them.
Don’t Forget These Items
We always carry water bottles with us and fill them up once we get through security. Make sure your bottle has a screw-on lid so that it doesn’t accidentally come open during flight and spill on your belongings.
We were so glad we had our wet wipes when we were cleaning up my sick little flyer. They come in so handy for so many things.
Snacks! My kids ate so much dry cereal on our last trip. Not all snacks will be allowed through customs, so don’t pack for the entire trip, but for the plane ride over if you are traveling internationally. Clif bars and granola bars have always been allowed through customs on the countries we have been to.
Inflatable pillows are awesome. We all had pillows, but my husband had an inflatable one that was much more comfortable than the ones the airline provided.
Phone/device chargers can often be used on international flights as those larger aircraft usually have power outlets. Our flights had outlets as well as USB plugs on our seat monitor. These were all awesome to have, and we landed with every device we owned on full charge. WINNING!!!
Tuck an ink pen near your passport! You will be given your customs form before you land. Being able to fill it out prior to landing means you hopefully won’t be at the back of the line to clear customs. Being able to get to your passport and address of where you will be staying will be helpful.
If you are preparing a long-haul or international flight with your kids and have more questions I would love to answer any questions you may have about your big adventure!
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