British Airways Crew Shares Top Tips for Parents Travelling with Kids

October 14, 2016

British Airways Crew Shares Top Tips for Parents Travelling with Kids

Kuala Lumpur, 12 October 2016 – As thousands of Malaysian families prepare to jet off on their year-end holidays, British Airways has prepared – with help from its crew – a list of top tips for travelling with children.

Over 1.5 million children fly with British Airways each year, and during the peak school holiday period alone the airline flies an average of half a million young travellers.

Father of two and senior cabin crew member, Justin Cox says: “As a parent I understand that travelling with kids can at first seem like a daunting prospect, but it really needn’t be. After my 16 years as BA cabin crew I have found that flying can be made more comfortable and even fun for kids by following a few simple pointers.”

Before your child’s first flight in their own seat, sit them on the sofa at home with a cushion between you as the armrest, explaining how it’s going to be on board.

Take a small compact travel pushchair for easy cabin stowage onboard. Regular-sized pushchairs or strollers will normally have to go as hold luggage.
Pack their favourite teddy, pillow or comfort blanket to help them get to sleep more easily and make it feel more like home.
Sometimes waiting for take-off or leaving the aircraft can be boring for young children. A bag of treats or toys can work well at this point as a distraction.
While visiting the flight deck mid-flight is no longer allowed, if you ask the crew they are usually happy to arrange for children to see flight deck after landing.
If you are flying somewhere with a big time difference try to allow yourselves two days when you get back to give your children time to get back into Malaysian time and their normal routine, before they go back to nursery or school.
Keep your child entertained. British Airways’ in-flight entertainment system provides a great selection of programmes, movies and games for children. Let them choose what they want to watch! You may plan your children’s entertainment ahead at: http://www.britishairways.com/en-my/information/entertainment/in-flight-entertainment

Senior first officer and mother of two, Carley Lear, adds: “Many pilots, including myself, fell in love with flying at a very young age so we are usually pleased to share our enthusiasm with kids who want to learn more. Children of all ages are very welcome to come to the flight deck to meet the pilots. The best time is after landing when passengers are disembarking. We sometimes have stickers and postcards for children and will be more than happy to talk about flying and what all the controls and buttons on the flight deck do. Budding young pilots of the future can also ask their pilot to sign their junior flight log-book which they can get from the cabin crew for free during the flight.”

Pre-programme your tablet or smart phone with your kids’ favourites. British Airways prides itself on the levels of customer service it offers to families and children. On long-haul flights the airline has a special child friendly menu, which parents can book free of charge in advance.

The airline will also help to arrange seats in advance of check-in opening to ensure families can sit together on their holidays.