As you all know, we recently flew to South Africa and back, with three kids in tow. We flew Delta from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa — a 15-hour flight each way!
The longest flight any of our kids had been on was a 5-hour flight, so I was a little concerned how they would do — especially since they were quite nervous about the flight.
As a result, I tried to do the best I could to prepare well for the flight. We learned a lot about flying with kids, and I wanted to share 10 things you should bring on long flights with kids. Or, at least 10 things we found were very helpful to have:
1) Backpacks for Each Person
We packed backpacks for each person with a change of clothes, Dramamine, socks, a neck pillow, a blanket, a few activities, snacks, headphones, and a few other items. This made it so nice for everyone to have what they needed with them. It also simplified things since every one was responsible for their own items.
2) Wet Wipes
One of my readers recommended this and it turned out that these were a lifesaver. We used them to wipe off our seatback trays, wipe down the video screens, wipe down dirty hands and mouths, and even to clean up a big bloody nose one child ended up having.
3) Extra Clothes
We had all of the kids pack an extra pair of clothes and socks in their backpacks, just as a precaution. We ended up not needing the extra outfit for anyone (gratefully!), but I was so happy to have them just in case.
We also had everyone bring a sweatshirt and wear very comfy PJ-like clothes for the flights. You want to be as comfortable as possible when you’re going to be on a plane for that long!
I had the kids take off their shoes as soon as they were all situated in their seats and put on comfy socks. This helps your feet circulate better and is just more comfortable, too! I also brought slippers with rubber soles for me to wear and loved having these on during the flight.
4) Dramamine
It’s possible we may have stocked up a little too much on the Dramamine, but I didn’t want to take any chances seeing as I had thought I’d be just fine without Dramamine on my January trip to South Africa and quickly discovered I wasn’t quite so fine.
We discovered that Dramamine actually sort of hyped the girls up, unfortunately. But it was perfect for Silas. And Jesse and I took some for the middle part of the flight, too, so that we were able to sleep and our upset stomachs were quelled.
5) Good Headphones
Good noise-canceling headphones were such a lifesaver. We brought a pair for each person and they were each a different color.
The kids not only loved having their own color-coded headphones, but they were great for listening to music and watching movies. Plus, they wore them to cancel out the noise so they could sleep.
6) Neck Pillows & Blankets
If you’re going to try to sleep on a plane, having a great pillow can make all the difference. This is my favorite travel neck pillow and it’s the only thing that allowed me to get hours of good sleep on the plane.
You have to fuss with it a little bit to get it situated just right and I propped a blanket up on it to help give me a little extra support, but if you get it just right, it’s SO comfortable.
You’ll get a thin blanket when you board a long flight, but it’s still nice to bring your own — in case you are really cold or to serve as an extra pillow. I love this blanket especially.
The girls being silly before our flight took off! 🙂
7) Eye Masks
Eye masks are another must. You never know what the people around you will be doing — they might have their light on for most of the night (as did the lady sitting next to Silas) or their TV or iPad might be shining right in your line of sight.
Eye masks helped our kids be able to fall asleep and sleep more soundly. By the way, they usually give them to you for free on longer flights.
8) Snacks
We found the food to be fairly decent on the plane, but it was nice to have some extra snacks for one of the meals that was less than appetizing. Plus, it was a nice treat to enjoy when the flight was feeling especially long.
9) A Sense of Humor
Do not try traveling with three kids on over 30 hours (total) on planes without a complete sense of humor. Laugh at everything you can laugh at — including yourself!
On the first flight, the last hour or so was grueling. The kids hadn’t slept much (more on that in a bit), everyone was so ready to be off the plane, and I was just tired of trying to redirect and correct bad attitudes.
I tried to come up with anything and everything we could to laugh about and distract ourselves from the fact that we had been on a plane for over 14 hours. And it helped make those last 60 or so minutes not drag by so slowly or painfully.
10) Lots of Patience & Empathy
You’re going to need lots of extra doses of patience to survive a long flight with kids. So pack as much as you can to bring with you. 🙂
I tried to get extra sleep ahead of time and come to the flights with very little expectations other than that we would make it to our final destination in one piece. I also went into the flights remembering that my kids were scared and anxious and that this would probably play into their attitudes… and it did.
So when they were reacting in an irritated way, I tried to remind myself that, yes, those attitudes were not good, but I needed to give extra grace to them because they were stepping way outside their comfort zone in this. So instead of correcting them as firmly as I may have in another situation, I tried to ask them questions like, “How are you doing?” “How are you feeling?” Because I knew that more than stern correction right then, they needed love, empathy, and reassurance.
Since this was our first big trip with kids in tow, we learned a lot. Here are three of the most important lessons:
3 Things We Learned
1) We needed to set boundaries ahead of time. On our first 15-hour flight, we sort of had an anything goes attitude. I just wanted to survive and I was happy with our kids doing whatever it took to make it through with decent attitudes.
The problem was that I didn’t set any boundaries ahead of time: like on when they needed to have lights out and movies shut off. So because we didn’t have boundaries set in place, they just wanted to watch movies for hours. Which meant that they didn’t want to sleep. And this made for very grumpy kids.
On the way home, we set the boundaries ahead of time, reiterated them, and took away the headphones and we turned off all of the electronics during a long stretch of the nighttime. This worked SO mu
ch better and the kids actually ended up sleeping well and the flight went very smoothly.
2) Delta has different rules than South African airlines. I don’t know why I assumed that an international flight with Delta would be exactly like it was with South African airlines, but I did. And I quickly learned that wasn’t the case.
When I flew South African airlines in January, they had a “blackout” time during the night — I’m not sure what it was officially called, but for what felt like 10 hours, no one was allowed to turn on their overhead light, talk above a whisper, or do anything other than sleep, quietly get up to go to the bathroom, or watch a movie or read on a device.
I wrongly assumed it would be the same on Delta. So I assumed it would be no problem at all for our kids to fall asleep and stay asleep for at least 8-10 hours.
Instead, Delta had no such “blackout” time and many people had their overhead lights on all night — including one lady right next to Silas — and people were constantly up, talking, congregating around the restroom, and so forth.
It wasn’t incredibly loud, but it was quite distracting for my kids and kept them from being able to sleep as much — especially on the first flight since they were already so nervous.
3) Always double-check your seat when you leave. Oh how I wish we had done this! My bag with all my medicines, vitamins, supplements, my contacts, my glasses, and deodorant didn’t make it out of the airport with us when we arrived in South Africa. And it made the first few days of the trip especially hard as we had to try to track down replacements for the can’t-live-without items.
We know that I had the bag on the plane and we think I possibly left it under the seat. I didn’t double-check as thoroughly as I usually do (probably because I was just so ready to be off the plane!!) so we’ll never know.
(The airline checked multiple times and didn’t find it on the plane, so we’re not sure what happened to it. But had I checked thoroughly around my seat before deplaning, I may have found it and saved us a lot of headache in the beginning of the trip.)
What tips and tricks would you add to my list? Anything I forgot or any other questions you have about the plane rides? I’d be happy to try to answer them, if I can.
Thank you for this post! We’re taking our three kids (12, 10, and 6) to Hawaii from NH this summer. Two-hour bus ride + two 6-hour flights with a quick 1-hour layover in between (and that’s just one way). I’ll be revisiting your list and the comments a lot before we go! Thanks!!
Thank you. I am flying to SA in a week with saa. Flying with a 8 and 12 year old . I am dreading the flight.
Thank you SO much for sharing.
My husband, kids and I are about to take this exact flight in just 12 days. We are flying from Orange County, CA to ATL and then ATL to Joburg all in one day. My kids are 5 and 16 months. This will be the first time back to South Africa for me in 10 years and the first time having to take such a long flight with young kids.
Wish us luck!
Do you have the brand of the headphones you purchased for your kids? We are going to SA in December and this post has helped me so much!
My husband and I headed up a tour of about 20 high schoolers to Europe. We had a signature color ribbon for all suitcases and bags. This helped us spot any bags belonging to our group. We also had designated colors to wear on travel days. I suggest choosing a bright color. Lots of travelers wear dark colors. My husband was group leader and chose to wear red every day. He was easy to spot and everybody knew what to look for. Take a power bank for your electronic devices. If traveling make sure you have appropriate adaptors. We only brought one. Next time we will take one for each of us.
THANK YOU for this!!! We are about to move from the Midwest to the west coast, and we’ll be flying with little 3 kids at least a couple times a year. I need to read all the comments to get additional tips. 🙂
I have been flying with my children alone since one was 1.5 and the other in belly… We travel 1 to two times a year from England to Michigan to visit my folks. We always have to have a connection. .so my tips for this esp alone with children. .. 1. Make sure you have at least 2 hour lay over once you hit international territories to give you enough time 2. When you first check I’m make sure they give you tickets for all connections as some don’t and this takes up alot of time..3. Fill out all paperwork on board..4. When trying to get thru immigration talk to people who are guiding you and say you are traveling alone with kids and they will pop you at front of queue esp if connecting flight. I found trunks not to be the best kid suitcases as the slowed thr kids up… 5. Also I traveled with all all having a backpack but mine had food in it. .. airline food isn’t the best esp for kids.. so you can take fruit etc bit you need to leave it on board if you don’t finish it.
I tie a distinct ribbon on all our bags, not just the checked bags, and we count each bag every time BEFORE we move from one location to another. I count them at home and then when we get them out of the car, when we walk in the airport, when we move from the airport counter, etc. Even when the kids were little they quickly caught on to which bags were ours and how many we had. It’s a little obsessive, but so far we’ve never lost a bag.
We had an unfortunate series of delays on the way back from our vacation this summer and, when everyone was melting(except my husband, he’s a rock!) I texted my sister and sent FB messages to two friends. My sister is the queen of dumb, clean jokes, so she started sending them to us and had us cracking up. The two friends shared adorable and funny pictures and videos of we hadn’t seen of their sweet baby girls. Just looking at their sweet faces got us through, even when I was so tired I just wanted to cry.
We have flown with our three boys since the first was a baby, and it helps that they know the routine. But when they were smaller, I’d get little dollar store things, wrap the, up, and let them open them one at a time. For instance, a tiny tub of play-do, then later a little truck they could drive through it, little animals they could stand in it and make tracks, pipe cleaners, lacing cards, coloring things, and of course, snacks!! Gummy type things that require a lot of chewing and swallowing are great for takeoff and landing (and soooo exciting when it’s a very rare treat!!) For babies, I love the puffs and pouches. Puffs are great because they can eat one after another, and they don’t fill them up very fast. Pouches are amazing for convenience and ease of feeding (you might want to practice beforehand eating straight from the pouch if they never have). I always save electronics for the very end (or hold it off for as long as possible) when we’re getting desperate!
I’ve been flying with my kids every year for the past 9 years. The flight is 2 hours but when they were really little (4 and 1) it felt like a 10 hour flight. I QUICKLY LEARNED to pack for every possible scenario.
1. I made an activity schedule that rotated to a different activity every 15-20 minutes. I made activity bags that corresponded with the schedule and wrote the time on the bag that the bag would be needed. The schedule included cheapo wrapped gifts. My kids are 13 and 9 and I know longer need to do this, thank goodness. It was a lot of work but worth it.
2. I bring a plastic shopping bag for garbage.
3. I pack anti-bacterial wipes to sanitize EVERYTHING in our row. I bring gum and ear plugs to depressurize ears. I bring a few paper towels from home.
4. When the kids were little, I would pack a complete change of clothes for them and a shirt for myself. I no longer do this.
5. I pack tons of snacks in case we are trapped on the plane for hours.
6. Each child brings their own backpack and packs their “comfort items” in case they get nervous. They also pack a few things from home.
7. I bought an organizer that slides over the tray table. This thing is great as I do not need to bend over as much to rummage for things under the seat in front of me. Many flight attendants have asked me about it and commented on it as great idea. I have to agree!
8. I make the kids (and still do) go to the bathroom at the gate. Plane bathrooms are nasty!
9. My husband gets an escort pass so he could go with us to the gate. This was a lifesaver when my kids were really little.
10. My dad would get his own escort pass and meet us at the gate. This was fantastic as my nerves were frazzled by the time we deplaned.
Do you have a photo of your organizer that fits over the tray table? Or a pattern for it? I would like to see it. Thanks!
Thanks for these insights, Crystal! We travel on airplanes a lot with our little ones, and these are all good, practical ideas.
A couple other ideas – We have found melatonin helps the kids sleep on long flights. We also bring along a few surprises such as new books or games (card games work well and don’t take up much space). One inexpensive surprise that was the biggest hit for our girls when they were ages 3 and 4 – post -it notes :)!
I always wear dark clothes. Nothing like spilling coffee at the beginning of the trip.
I have picked up a black alpaca shawl. It covers as a blanket on flights and in hotel,but is also able to be used In place of a sweater.
On one flight the person across from me had worn a hooded sweatshirt that they drew the drawstring around their head with the hood up only their nose and mouth were seen. I found a hooded sweater did make it easier to “settle” down.
I force myself to put everything back into my backpack when I am finished with it on a flight.
I knit and use circular needles on flights.
Put magazines through Zinnio on my IPad and start on my free books:)
Also put books, podcasts on my iPod.
Have an empty water bottle and also a reusable Starbucks like cup.If you bring your own tea bags you can get hot water on the plane
We travel half way across the globe to see our extended family almost every year so the kids are used to long flight. Thank you for sharing about no down time on Delta I didn’t know that I thought all flight have down time. I blog about Making long trip with little ones enjoyable here: http://www.chriskiki.com/2013/03/making-long-trip-with-little-ones.html
My only addition to your tips is to bring empty water bottle then ask the flight attendant to refill it on the plane that way we don’t have to call them every time we need water.
Having traveled a lot with kids I can share some ideas.
Pack at least something new (book, toy, puzzles, etc.) for each child. It helps if it takes a bit to get through and is relatively self-contained. Mr. Potato Head can be all packed inside the plastic potato.
For that extra set of clothes, pack them in a gallon resealable bag. In case of sickness or food + turbulence, being able to put away wet or dirty clothes is great.
When the kids were really little we’d “practice” or play at traveling so that they’d understand “going on vacation” meant driving to the airport, getting on the shuttle, waiting in line, getting on the plane, transferring through the airport and so on. As adults we know all that but little ones think “we’re going to the beach!” and that’s their focus.
If you fly on frequent flier miles, be sure to learn who is most likely to be bumped on a flight before you book your tickets. 🙂
Growing up, my mom “commuted” with my two younger sisters and I back and forth between WI (where we lived) and CA (where her family was) 5-6 times a year, by herself (my Dad couldn’t take all the time off work). So when I had kids and started “commuting” with them both between Australia (where I live) and the States (where my whole family is); as well as between States when we were blessed to live back there for 2 years I asked her “how did you keep us so well occupied on flights when we were young?” I remember us being told regularly, by both other passengers and flight attendants, as we got off flights that we were so well behaved.
Her answer: The plane ride was not time for me to read, or sew, or sleep: it was time for me to make sure three were entertained and happy.
Clearly 4-5 hours across the US is a bit different to the 24 hours of FLYING time we take to get from Perth to the US, but I have always used the same basic principle with my two kids and they are (almost) perfect each time. We are getting ready to try a new airlines, Emirates, for the first time in two weeks, flying the opposite way (West) than we normally do – and its two flights – 13 hrs and 15 hrs each way!
Each kid (7 & 9) has their own wheeled backpack and carries: noise-cancelling headphones, iPad, spare batteries, charge cord, colouring (book/paper/pens), one stuffed animal, pillow (convertible from neck to square), sweatshirt, pack of wipes, snacks and a book.
I have a wheeled carry-on with: 2 shirts for each of us, 1x comfy pants each, 1x undies each, Pjs for each of them, toiletries needed, more snacks, my Kindle (also with books for them on it), pens and paper and printed games i.e. dots and squares, deck of cards, travel docs, my pillow, my sweatshirt, more wipes, a few surprises I pick up from the dollar store – mosaic sticker packs, card making, etc.
We rotate seats a lot – as soon as they start to niggle on each other, I get in between them for a change, grab out a game and entertain. When its time for sleep I actually change them into Pjs, its like their bodies know that its time for sleeping. If all 4 of are traveling together (my wonderful hubby will be in Business Class in two weeks while the three of us are in the back!) we put the kids between us in a row of 4 and “top and tail” them for sleeping with one head on each of our laps. Its not the most comfortable for us, but we know that if the kids don’t get a decent sleep they won’t be able to regulate their attitudes as well and more melt-downs will occur.
We’ve also come to the conclusion after trying the whole “get on the new destinations time as soon as you land” theory that we just let the kids sleep when they want, and get up when they get up. Yes – that means some 3pm heavy sleeps and 4am wake-ups, but we find within 3-4 days on either side of travel they are pretty much sorted and everyone’s happier for it.
I prepare 200-400 kids to fly to Asia each summer for work, and fly with 50+ of them. Many of them have never been on a plane before!
These are all great suggestions, especially comfy and warm clothes. I would also suggest earplugs; travel versions of whatever meds you ever need (painkillers, etc); if your kids are older, make sure they have feminine supplies as periods can come on early on the long flight; a travel container of vaseline or vaseline-based chapstick for feet, lips, and inside the nose (stops those nose bleeds before they happen), and a ziplock bag for anything that gets leaky or dirty.
Also, compare airlines! Sometimes $50 or $100 more for a ticket is worth it if the airline has much better accommodations on the flight. We never fly Delta as a family because we’ve found the flights are always really bad, for example. It’s easy to just compare price, but sometimes you look carefully and see that a little more saves you a huge layover or whatever!
I also find it helps our kids (who are older) to have a journal and pen(s) to start writing about the trip – what they’re excited about, nervous about, etc. It takes up some time and gets them excited about the trip, so they remember why they’re going through this plane ride in the first place! We also give them some stuff to read about the place they’re going, which gives them a quiet activity that they really want to do and pretty much guarantees they’ll read it all because they’ll be bored! We encourage them to knock out any summer reading on the flight too and then they can trade books with a friend during the trip.
My suggestion is to not take your shoes off until the plane is at cruising altitude. If you have to deplane, you don’t want to be scrambling for your shoes. It’s happened to me, more than once.
Also, be aware that on some international flights you are not allowed to bring bottled water even if you purchased it in the airport. You can take an empty refillable water bottle and the flight attendants will fill it for you.
Empty plastic bags, like the kind that you get from the grocery store. Great for putting mess into, or soiled clothes, or a dirty diaper. Or the blood-soaked wet wipes.
I love how relieved you all look on the arrival picture!
We do a lot of road trips, and I saw on pinterest, where you get a small snack bin with dividers and I bought two of them (Walmart), has a bunch of small areas. And I fill them with candy and different snacks (fish crackers, etc). My kids love taking them out, and finding something they want to eat with out asking me every time when they are hungry.
They are the small snack bins (you can put nails in) – small enough it fits in my kids backpack. They love seeing all the new candy and other items, that they haven’t hand an awhile. When we get home, we always have left overs.
I bought myself and my kids ear plugs for landing. I can get mine at a local pharmacy. I had to buy my kids on amazon. But my son would scream during landing, know I put the ear plugs in 1 hour before we land, and everyone is happy, even mommy’s ears don’t hurt anymore. Its worth it, if you child has problems.
I’d love to know what type of headphones you all had and if you liked them. Thanks! 🙂
Also curious about this!
Here are the headphones we got: http://amzn.to/1PpG19i They worked well and we loved that they we could get a different color for each child + that they could be folded up and were so portable!
What kind of noise canceling headphones did you use for your kids?
I was checking the comments hoping to find the answer too!
Here are the ones we got: http://amzn.to/1PpG19i
In regards to Dramamine – have you tried ginger gum? My adult girls swear by it, especially the 27-year old, who has had airsickness as an adult. (Now she agrees that she possibly played her music too loud when wearing earphones). Ginger gum is available at Walgreen’s with the other motion sickness remedies. Other stores may carry it, but that’s where they purchase their gum. Perhaps crystallized ginger would also work.
P.S. If anyone else has already suggested this then I apologize for not reading the other comments.
Great list! My son’s family travels fairly often from Asia to U.S. with five children under the age of 8 years; they’ve learned a lot! Thankfully, the children are well-behaved and obedient but additionally, they’ve found It’s helpful if each of the children are dressed in the same color. Requiring the children to hold mommy’s or daddy’s hand (or onto the stroller) is a good idea, too, for little ones.
I’ve flown more times than I can count and have these tips for staying comfortable on long flights. My doctor told me that you can safely take both kinds of Dramamine (or generic) at the same time: one type works on your ears/equilibrium and the other type works on your stomach (I don’t remember which is which). I figured out that taking a whole original tablet every four hours will make me very nauseated, so now I take a whole tablet of each type an hour before the flight begins, then take 1/2 tablet of original Dramamine every four hours throughout the flight(s). I’m rarely at my destination before 12 hours passes, so after 12 hours, I’ll take another whole non-drowsy tablet. I’m an average-size female; you’d for sure want to check with your own doctor for dosing yourself or your children. 🙂 I used to get sick in spite of taking original Dramamine only; I do not get motion sick since dosing this way. However, it does take a day for the meds to flush out of my system (worth it to me to not be sick!). I also buy a large bottle of water *after* going through security and drink it throughout the flight. A bottle/can of saline nasal spray (the type sold for babies has sterile saline as the only ingredient) for each family member works wonders for dry noses (this is good, too, if you’re used to a humid climate and will be going to a dry climate)! A wet handkerchief or washcloth kept in a zipper plastic bag can be used instead (though not as effective); place it over your nose and breathe through it. An essential oil or blend known for anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties mixed with a carrier oil (or even Vicks vaporub) rubbed at the opening of your nose (not inside it) may keep you from catching a cold, though I wouldn’t use on young children because they might get it in their eyes. You’ll be glad (and so will others!) to have toothbrush and toothpaste in your carry-on bag, too!
Such great tips and advice! Thanks for sharing!
Packing extra set of clothes is a great idea, in case ones luggage gets lost. I would also suggest when packing (the checked luggage) to pack set of clothes but pack them up in each other’s suitcases. This is (again) for the case of lost luggage. If it is lost you will still have some clothes.
If there is ANY chance of swimming while you’re traveling, we also throw our swimsuits in our carry-ons. If our bags get lost, at least one adult and the kids could go blow off steam at the beach or pool while the other one is finding new clothes. I also have no desire to try to find a replacement suit for me or my teen daughter – the menfolk would, of course, not be a problem. 🙂
We had a family emergency and I had to jump on a plane with about 30 min of notice (from the time I booked the ticket until the taxi arrived to pick me up). I completely forgot my travel pillow and sleep mask. I usually bring a sleep mask along even on hotel trips so the kids and I can sleep well in a different envionrment. Thankfully I carry ear plugs with me in my purse. It was so hard to sleep on the plane! I bought a pillow at the airport and did without the others. I only got about an hour of sleep, which affected me the rest of the week. Anyway, I prayed a lot for your family to have a good flights.
Good tips and glad you made it make safely!
Oh! Only have 30 minutes’ of notice would be SO hard!
Always make sure you have chewing gum and hard candy to suck on in case the kids’ ears are not clearing as easily as they should. There are certainly other ways to help your ears clear (or “pop”), but little kids might not be able to do them (pinch your nose shut and swallow or blow out, yawn, etc.) but they can suck on hard candy (to cause swallowing) or chew gum (to cause yawn-like actions).
Great suggestion!!
You listed some great suggestions: snacks, entertainment, lots of patience, and a sense of humor. Thank you for sharing!
I wrote here about How We Entertained our Kids [Screen-Free!] on a 15 Hour Car Drive ( http://everydaymindfulliving.com/how-we-entertained-our-kids-screen-free-on-a-15-hour-road-trip/ ). We’ve used the same general ideas when we’ve flown and they’ve worked out well (my boys are younger than your kids, so they’re not quite so self sufficient with entertainment).
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Wish I had this list before we went to England this summer. Traveling in jeans was very uncomfortable, and my daughter ended up plane sick. It was our first time traveling as a family, we learned a lot! ( :