Travel Hacks: Mastering Long Flights with Kids

This post has been sponsored by Alaska Airlines, the opinions expressed are my own.

Some may say I am an over-thinker when it comes to long flights with kids. But when your 18 month old son scream-cried 4.5 hours of a 5 hour flight, it pretty much makes you either never fly again OR become super prepared. I became the latter, because we really like taking family trips and knew we could figure out how to make it a smooth trip for all.

A Well-Stocked Travel Backpack for Each Child

Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post about creating the ultimate travel backpack and filling it with certain items sure to keep them engaged. You can read about it here. It was a success and we even used them at dinner! Double win!

Choose Your Airline Wisely

When we are booking our trips, we look for direct flights and in-flight experiences that suit our family. We flew to Maui this month and chose Alaska Airlines for a few reasons.

• Direct flight from Oakland to Maui (OAK-OGG). Alaska Airlines can get you to four Hawaiian islands from the Bay Area making it easy to find the flight that works for you.
• Outlets at every seat on most aircrafts. On a trip a couple years ago (the one where my son cried for almost the entire flight) we made the mistake of bringing an uncharged electronic tablet and one where none of the movies were downloaded from the cloud. The airline we took (not Alaska, a different airline which shall remain unnamed) did not have outlets nor plane-enabled-wifi. This is why we pay extra attention to the in-flight amenities and why we choose Alaska Air.
• Wifi, free entertainment and messaging. One of our favorite things about this flight was that with Alaska Beyond™ Entertainment, we had the ability to watch over 200 free movies & TV shows on our devices. Quick tip: Download the free Gogo^®Entertainment App on your device before your trip. That way you are ready to stream up in the sky! You can message for free using popular messaging applications like iMessage too.

Tablet or Phone Applications

Screen-time limits tend to get ignored when we are traveling on flights over three hours. That being said, I want to make sure my kids have apps that are going to engage them and be educational. Before our trip I polled some local mom groups about app recommendations and we tried them all! Here are my six and three year old’s favorites:

• Endless Apps by Originator Kids. We love these as they cover numbers, letters, wordplay and more! Some of the lessons were perfect for my six-year-old yet over the head of my three-year-old. He still enjoyed trying.
• Teach Me by 24×7 Digital LLC. They divide the apps out by grades, we downloaded Kindergarten for my daughter and Preschool for my son. Kept them engaged and learning!
• Stack the States (or Stack the Countries) by Freecloud Design, Inc. Both of my kids are obsessed with their globes and this app was a great way to practice geography. I mean, even I needed a refresher!
• Bob’s Books Apps are excellent for beginning readers.
• Alpha Tots by Little 10 Robot is great for the preschool-aged kids.
• Montessorium: Intro to Letters is a more soothing learning app (no bright color or light flashes ) with a Montessori approach. Both of my kids liked tracing letters on this application.

Plan for Snacks

We try to limit sugar consumption on flights. Mostly because it tends to make the kids restless and nobody needs more restlessness on a long plane ride. I typically pack a snack bag with a Larabar, Rxbar for Kids, almonds, dried fruit, etc.

Look up the in-flight menu beforehand if possible. On our Alaska Air flight to Maui, we ordered a Mediterranean plate, Fruit and Cheese plate and awesome kid’s snack box. The kid’s box had a great balance of nutrients to keep them full without the highs and lows of sugar. The kid’s snack pack also included Wikki Stix which keeps littles entertained! Quick tip: You can order and reserve meals and snacks online at Alaska Air. This way you can rest assured that you will most likely get your first choice.

Keep them Comfortable

There are three things that I like to bring in my carry-on for the kids:

• Pajamas
• Blanket
• Stuffed animal

During longer flights or trips where we are arriving later at night, I bring along the kids’ pajamas (or sometimes change them before we board). I also always have a blanket handy because the cabin gets so cold. My kids are still attached to stuffed animals and they like to bring along a special stuffed “friend” on their travels. It comforts them and the combination of the three items mentioned above usually guarantees they will nap for a bit. Translation: parents get to doze too or read through an entire magazine!

What are your favorite hacks for long flights with children?

With love,

Shahla