A long-haul flight with children can sound intimidating before you've even booked the tickets.
Several hours confined to an aircraft seat is difficult enough for adults. Add a toddler who wants to explore, a child who is bored after 20 minutes, disrupted sleep, unfamiliar food and the possibility of delays, and parents can understandably wonder whether the holiday is worth the journey.
The good news is that thousands of families successfully take long flights with children every day.
The secret isn't expecting children to sit silently for ten hours. It's preparing for the reality that they won't.
A successful long plane journey is usually built around variety: eating, playing, watching something, sleeping, walking around when permitted and changing activities before children become completely bored.
Here is how to survive a long plane journey with kids and arrive with at least some of your sanity intact.
Start Preparing Before You Reach the Airport
A successful flight begins at home.
Don't leave packing until the morning of departure.
Prepare children's hand luggage in advance and think specifically about what you'll need during the flight rather than simply what you'll need during the holiday.
Once your suitcase disappears at check-in, you won't see it again until baggage reclaim.
Anything essential during the journey therefore needs to be in your hand luggage, subject to airline and airport security restrictions.
This becomes particularly important when travelling with babies and toddlers.
Think through the entire journey from leaving home to reaching your accommodation.
What would you need if your flight were delayed for three hours?
What if your child spilt a drink over themselves?
What if your checked luggage didn't arrive with you?
Planning for those possibilities can prevent a minor problem becoming a major one.
Choose Flight Times Carefully
Parents sometimes automatically choose the cheapest flight.
With children, flight times can matter almost as much as price.
An overnight flight may work brilliantly if your children sleep easily on aircraft. They can eat, watch something and then potentially sleep through a large section of the journey.
For children who struggle to sleep anywhere except a bed, the same flight could result in an exhausting night for everyone.
Consider your children's normal routine.
You won't be able to reproduce it perfectly at 35,000 feet, but choosing a flight that works reasonably well with their natural sleeping pattern can help.
Also consider what happens after landing.
Arriving at your destination at 6am with exhausted children and accommodation that isn't available until the afternoon may not be ideal.
Check Your Airline's Family Rules
Airlines have different policies concerning pushchairs, car seats, bassinets, infant baggage and family seating.
Check the rules for your particular airline before travelling.
Don't assume that because one airline allowed something on your previous holiday, another will do the same.
If you're travelling with a baby, investigate bassinet availability as early as possible. These positions can be limited and may have restrictions based on the baby's age, size or weight.
Also check your airline's rules concerning child car seats if you're considering using one onboard.
Preparation here can make an enormous difference to comfort during a long flight.
Choose Your Seats Carefully
Where your family sits can affect the entire journey.
Families with children who frequently need the toilet may prefer aisle access.
A window seat can entertain younger children during take-off and landing and provides somewhere to lean when sleeping.
For a family of four, think carefully about whether you prefer sitting across one row or dividing yourselves between nearby rows.
If your airline allows advance seat selection, it may be worth paying for seats together rather than leaving something so important until check-in.
UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance says airlines should aim to seat parents or guardians close to children, although exact seating arrangements can vary. Check your airline's family-seating policy before departure.
Explain What Will Happen
Airports can be confusing environments for children.
Explain the process before you leave home.
You might tell younger children:
"We'll drive to the airport, give our big suitcases to the airline, go through security, find our plane, get into our seats and then fly."
Knowing what happens next can make unfamiliar situations less intimidating.
For children flying for the first time, explain that take-off can feel strange and that their ears may feel different.
You don't need to describe every possible problem.
The goal is simply to make the journey predictable.
Give Each Child a Small Travel Bag
Children old enough to carry a small backpack can have their own flight bag.
Keep it light.
A huge backpack becomes another thing for parents to carry approximately ten minutes after arriving at the airport.
Include a few carefully chosen activities rather than stuffing the bag with everything they own.
Colouring materials, sticker books, puzzle books, magnetic games, a small cuddly toy and headphones can work well.
Older children may prefer books, tablets, games or journals.
Avoid toys containing dozens of tiny pieces unless you particularly enjoy searching underneath aircraft seats.
Don't Reveal All the Entertainment Immediately
This is one of the most useful strategies for long flights.
Don't give children everything during the first hour.
A ten-hour flight requires pacing.
Start with one activity.
Later introduce another.
Then perhaps food.
Then a film.
Then another activity.
The novelty of something new can reset a child's attention.
Some parents even wrap inexpensive new activities individually so children can open something every couple of hours.
You don't need ten new toys.
A new colouring book, sticker set or puzzle can be enough.
Download Entertainment Before Leaving Home
Never rely entirely on aircraft Wi-Fi.
Download children's favourite films, television programmes, games and audiobooks before travelling.
Check that downloads actually work offline.
This is worth testing before you leave home rather than discovering the problem after take-off.
Charge all devices fully.
If your aircraft has seat-back entertainment, excellent. Treat your downloaded content as backup.
If it doesn't, you're prepared.
Remember headphones too.
Child-sized headphones are usually more comfortable than adult airline headphones and can be easier for younger children to use.
Screens Are Your Friend
A long-haul flight is probably not the ideal moment to worry about normal screen-time rules.
If a film keeps a child happily occupied for two hours while confined inside an aircraft, that can be extremely useful.
You can return to your usual routine after the holiday.
Try to alternate screens with other activities, meals and sleep rather than expecting a tablet to entertain a child for the entire journey.
But don't feel guilty about using technology.
Long flights are unusual situations.
The objective is to keep everyone comfortable and reasonably happy until you arrive.
Pack Plenty of Snacks
Airline food and children don't always form a successful partnership.
Your child may love pasta at home and suddenly decide that aircraft pasta is completely unacceptable.
Take familiar snacks.
Choose things that travel well and aren't excessively messy.
Crackers, cereal bars, dried fruit and other simple foods can be useful depending on your children's ages and dietary requirements.
Check current airport security and destination-country rules before packing food, particularly if travelling internationally.
Baby food and milk can have different security arrangements from ordinary liquids, but you should check the rules for the airports you're using.
Don't depend entirely on buying everything after security either. Airports can be expensive and may not stock exactly what your child wants.
Keep Children Drinking
Aircraft cabins are dry environments, and it's easy to forget about hydration.
Encourage children to drink regularly.
Take empty reusable bottles through security where permitted and fill them afterwards, or buy water airside.
Don't deliberately restrict drinks simply because you want to reduce toilet visits.
Yes, taking children to an aircraft toilet can be inconvenient.
Dehydrated and uncomfortable children aren't going to improve the flight.
Prepare for Ear Pressure
Changes in cabin pressure during take-off and particularly descent can cause uncomfortable sensations in children's ears.
Swallowing can help equalise pressure.
Depending on age, children might drink, suck or chew something during ascent and descent.
Babies may find feeding or sucking comforting.
Older children may manage by drinking water, swallowing or chewing something appropriate for their age.
If your child has an ear infection or significant ear problems before flying, seek medical advice rather than relying on general travel tips.
Take More Nappies Than You Expect to Need
When travelling with babies or toddlers, assume the journey will take longer than scheduled.
Pack enough nappies, wipes and changing supplies to cover the flight plus delays.
Keep them organised.
A small changing pouch containing one or two nappies and wipes can be easier to take into the aircraft toilet than carrying the entire changing bag.
Aircraft toilets are small enough without trying to squeeze a week's worth of baby equipment inside.
Pack spare clothing for the child as well.
Then pack a spare top for yourself.
A baby who manages to cover their own clothing with something unpleasant frequently manages to include the parent.
Take Spare Clothes
Spare clothing isn't only for babies.
Children spill drinks.
Food gets dropped.
Travel sickness happens.
Toileting accidents happen.
Luggage gets delayed.
A simple change of clothes in hand luggage can solve all of these problems.
For longer journeys, consider carrying at least underwear, a T-shirt and lightweight trousers or leggings.
A sealable bag is useful for wet or dirty clothes.
You don't want a juice-covered T-shirt sitting loose inside your hand luggage for the next eight hours.
Dress Children in Comfortable Layers
Aircraft temperatures can be unpredictable.
You may feel warm while boarding and cold several hours later.
Dress children in comfortable layers that are easy to add or remove.
Avoid complicated outfits.
Soft trousers, T-shirts, jumpers and comfortable footwear are generally much easier for long journeys.
For overnight flights, younger children may enjoy changing into pyjamas after the meal.
That can also provide a useful signal that it's time to start winding down for sleep.
Prepare for Airport Security
Airport security can become stressful when adults are simultaneously managing children, bags, pushchairs and liquids.
Prepare before reaching the front of the queue.
Follow the current rules displayed at the airport because security arrangements can vary between airports and can change.
Keep anything that may need to be removed or separately screened accessible.
Don't bury liquids or electronics underneath children's toys.
If you're carrying baby milk, formula, sterilised water or baby food, check the current UK airport security rules before departure.
Families may be allowed to carry quantities necessary for the journey under specific exemptions, but the items may need additional screening.
Let Children Move Before Boarding
If you've spent two hours getting to the airport, don't immediately expect children to sit quietly at the gate for another hour and then sit on an aircraft for eight more.
Let them move.
Walk around the terminal.
Find a children's play area if the airport has one.
Explore the shops.
Take younger children for a walk.
The objective is to use some energy before boarding.
If your airport offers family facilities or play areas, locate them before travelling.
Don't Necessarily Rush to Board First
Families are often offered priority boarding.
That can be useful when you need time to install a child seat, organise luggage or settle a baby.
But there is another side to it.
Boarding first can mean your child spends an additional 30 or 40 minutes sitting inside the aircraft before it even moves.
For active older children, waiting until later in the boarding process can sometimes be easier.
Decide according to your family rather than automatically assuming priority boarding is always better.
Break the Flight Into Sections
Don't think, "We have nine hours left."
That's depressing even for adults.
Divide the journey into manageable blocks.
For example:
boarding and take-off,
first activity,
meal,
film,
walk and toilet,
another activity,
sleep,
breakfast,
landing.
Suddenly the journey becomes a sequence of smaller events rather than one enormous period of confinement.
You can use the same approach with children.
Instead of repeatedly telling them how many hours remain, explain what happens next.
"After the film, we'll have something to eat."
"After you sleep, we'll be much closer."
Get Up and Move When It's Safe
Children aren't designed to sit still for ten hours.
When the seat-belt signs are off and cabin crew permit movement, occasional trips to the toilet or short walks can help break up the journey.
Don't allow children to treat the aircraft aisle as a playground.
Other passengers and cabin crew need to move around safely.
But expecting a four-year-old to remain continuously seated throughout a very long flight isn't particularly realistic either.
A short change of position can help.
Make Sleep as Easy as Possible
Sleeping on an aircraft can be difficult for children.
Bring familiar comfort items where practical.
A small favourite cuddly toy can help.
Some children benefit from a travel pillow or familiar blanket, although you should avoid bringing so much bedding that it becomes difficult to manage.
Reduce stimulation when it's time to sleep.
Turn off the tablet.
Lower the brightness around them where possible.
Change younger children into comfortable clothes.
Try to recreate part of their normal bedtime routine.
It won't feel exactly like home, but familiar signals can help.
Don't Force Sleep
One of the most stressful mistakes parents can make is spending several hours repeatedly saying, "You need to sleep."
Children don't necessarily sleep simply because adults have calculated that this would be the ideal time.
Create the opportunity.
Encourage them.
Reduce stimulation.
But if sleep isn't happening, becoming increasingly frustrated probably won't help.
Return to a quiet activity and try again later.
Even resting without sleeping can be useful.
Think About Other Passengers — But Don't Panic About Them
Parents can become extremely anxious about disturbing other passengers.
Be considerate.
Don't allow children to kick seats, repeatedly slam tray tables or run through the cabin.
Try to calm crying children.
But don't expect a baby to understand aircraft etiquette.
Babies cry.
Toddlers occasionally have meltdowns.
Most experienced travellers understand this.
Your responsibility is to manage the situation reasonably, not to guarantee complete silence throughout an international flight.
Concentrate on your child rather than worrying about every facial expression from another passenger.
Prepare for Travel Sickness
Aircraft travel can make some children feel sick.
Keep sick bags accessible and make sure children know where they are.
Pack wipes, tissues and spare clothes.
If your child frequently experiences significant motion sickness, speak with a pharmacist or doctor before travelling about age-appropriate options.
Don't wait until the aircraft is taxiing before thinking about it.
Surviving a Flight with a Toddler
Toddlers are often the most challenging age for long flights because they are mobile enough to want freedom but too young to understand why they can't have it.
Variety is essential.
Bring several small activities.
Use snacks strategically.
Walk around when permitted.
Use screens when useful.
Don't expect one toy to entertain them for hours.
Toddlers may also respond well to ordinary objects.
Opening and closing a small bag, applying reusable stickers or looking through family photographs can sometimes entertain them longer than an expensive travel toy.
Surviving a Flight with Older Children
Older children can take more responsibility for their own entertainment.
Let them help choose films, download games or pack their flight bag.
Explain the length of the journey realistically.
You can even show them the flight route before travelling.
Books, audiobooks, films, puzzle books and games can fill significant portions of the journey.
Older children may also enjoy following the aircraft's route using the onboard flight map.
Seeing the plane gradually moving towards the destination provides a sense of progress.
Surviving a Flight with Teenagers
Teenagers are usually easier physically but may still become extremely bored.
Make sure they have headphones, downloaded entertainment and charging options where available.
Allow them some independence in deciding how to spend the journey.
They may prefer watching films, listening to music, gaming or sleeping.
The biggest issue may simply be keeping devices charged.
Check whether your aircraft provides USB or power sockets, but carry a fully charged power bank where airline and aviation-security rules permit.
Power banks normally need to travel in cabin baggage rather than checked luggage, so check your airline's current battery rules before packing.
Long Plane Journey Packing Checklist
For a long flight with children, consider taking:
passports and travel documents
boarding passes or airline app
children's headphones
tablet or entertainment device
downloaded films and games
charging cables
permitted power bank
reusable water bottles
familiar snacks
nappies and wipes where needed
spare clothes for children
spare top for a parent when travelling with babies
medication
tissues
sick bags
small toys
colouring or activity books
stickers
comfort toy
travel pillow if useful
sealable bags for dirty clothes.
Keep essential items organised rather than throwing everything into one enormous bag.
The thing you need urgently will inevitably migrate to the bottom.
Prepare for the Arrival Too
Landing isn't necessarily the end of the difficult part.
You may still need to go through immigration, collect luggage, find transport and travel to your accommodation.
Children who coped brilliantly with a ten-hour flight may suddenly collapse emotionally while waiting at baggage reclaim.
Keep at least one snack and some water in reserve for arrival where permitted.
Don't use absolutely everything during the flight.
If you're hiring a car, make sure appropriate child seats have been arranged.
If you're using public transport, understand the route before landing.
Reducing decisions at the end of an exhausting journey makes life considerably easier.
Don't Plan Too Much for the First Day
If you've travelled long-haul, particularly across several time zones, resist the temptation to begin sightseeing immediately.
Children may be exhausted.
Or they may appear strangely energetic and then suddenly collapse.
Give the family time to adjust.
A swim at the hotel, short walk, easy meal and reasonably early night may be far more successful than trying to squeeze in a major attraction.
The holiday doesn't need to begin the minute you leave baggage reclaim.
The Flight Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
The goal isn't to create ten hours of perfectly behaved children.
That's unrealistic.
Someone may cry.
Someone may refuse the meal.
A drink may be spilt.
A toddler may ask to go home while you're flying over the Atlantic.
Your carefully prepared activity may entertain them for three minutes.
That's normal.
Preparation simply gives you more options when things start going wrong.
Pack familiar snacks, download plenty of entertainment, bring spare clothes, introduce activities gradually and divide the flight into manageable sections.
Most importantly, remember that the journey eventually ends.
The seat-belt sign comes on.
The aircraft descends.
Children suddenly become fascinated by the view from the window.
And after hours of asking "Are we nearly there?", you can finally give them the answer they've been waiting for.
Yes.
We're here.