Best US Airlines for Family Travel – Top Kid-Friendly Carriers 2025

Amy Lancelotte

By:  Amy Lancelotte

11 minutes read

Last Updated:  9 February 2026

Reviewed by:  Joanna Teljeur

Anyone who’s traveled with kids before knows that it can be daunting. Kids add additional complexity to situations that can be challenging anyway. When you’re planning a flight, if there are airlines that support family-friendly travel, why not take advantage?

Whether you’re traveling to visit relatives or friends or taking a family vacation, several factors contribute to having a positive overall experience. We set out to determine the best airlines for families as part of a larger study on the overall top 10 airlines in the US. Here’s what we reviewed:

• Family seating policies
• Availability of kid-friendly meals
• Free stroller check-in
• Entertainment systems
• Family-friendly options like pre-boarding, use of car seats, and lap seat policies, among others.

To delve deeper, we also took into account whether or not airlines allow pre-boarding for families, the age ranges for children to fly on a parent’s lap, and both car seat and luggage flexibility. In all, we have a comprehensive guide to the top USA airlines for family travel in 2025 and beyond.

Here are the country’s top 6 airlines for families, all scoring the highest number of points in our study:

American Airlines

From our extensive research, American Airlines is definitely one of the leaders for family-friendly flights. It has all the things parents typically value when traveling with kids. As the largest airline in the USA based on scheduled passengers, it’s good to know that flying American with kids is relatively easy.

• Kid-centric meals upon request, which should sound tasty to children between the ages of 2 and 5. Baby food is also available, though both types of meals should be requested at least 24 hours before your flight. 
• The in-flight entertainment system has many options that will appeal to children.
• Families with kids under 2 years old can request pre-boarding once at the gate.

When you fly domestically, American Airlines allows children under 2 to fly free seated on your lap. International flights incur a small charge of 10% of the adult fare for lap seats, which is standard in the industry. Parents can also check in their stroller and car seat free of charge. Another perk of American is that they offer bassinets on select flights, although they are not reservable ahead of time.

Since it’s a terrible thought to be separated from your kids while flying, American Airlines makes sure that your kids won’t be alone, even if you don’t pay to select seats. The system will automatically allocate seats together the day before departure, and if the whole family can’t sit together, they guarantee each kid will be seated next to at least one adult. Just ensure you’re all on the same reservation!

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United Airlines

We know that American Airlines ticks all the family travel boxes, but United Airlines does, too. Children under 2 can either fly on a parent’s lap or book their own seat to any destination. It's up to you to bring an approved car seat, but chances are good that you’re traveling with one anyway. You can also use a CARES harness in place of a car seat.

• Allows pre-boarding for families with kids under the age of 2.
• No seat selection charge to book seats together (1 adult and up to 2 kids) if your kids are under 12. 
• If something changes and you can no longer sit together as a family, United permits you to change to another flight free of charge.
• Bassinets are available in economy on some international flights, and you can even pre-book these. 

United offers a children’s travel kit complete with a puzzle, an activity book, and crayons to keep the young ones occupied on the flight. Plus, there are kid-focused programs available on the seat-back entertainment system.

Kids feeling hungry? Aside from child-friendly meals, United also has free snacks. Although they can change on each flight, the mini natural fruit bars are usually a hit. As for drinks, the only options for children would be water or orange juice, so there’s a little room for improvement here.

Delta Airlines

With its impressive status as the most comfortable airline in the US, Delta is another good choice for traveling families. 

• A comprehensive entertainment system to keep the kids occupied.
• Lap seat policy for kids 2 and under, with some discounts for kids who need their own seats, depending on the destination.
• Snacks and meals tailored to children.
• Infant seats or bassinets you need are not part of the standard baggage allowance on board. The same goes for a breast pump or an associated cooler bag.
• Offers SkyCots on a first-come, first-served basis.

As for pre-boarding, Delta gives anyone who needs extra time to board early access to the flight. Additionally, families traveling with a stroller or car seat (or both) are also given advanced boarding. Either way, as a family, it’s likely you’ll get on the plane ahead of the masses.

Car seats are welcome on board with a few limitations, but are not required as long as your child can sit upright by themselves. Delta takes family seating seriously and honors requests to seat everyone together whenever possible. Contact them ASAP if you don’t have seats assigned together.

Delta recently revamped its kid-friendly meal options to include lots of colors, textures, and overall variety. Breakfast is typically French toast (syrup included), scrambled eggs, a small blueberry muffin, and fruit. Lunch and dinner, on the other hand, favor cheese tortellini, carrots with ranch for dipping, fruit, and graham cookies. Just add these meals as part of the special meal selection when you book your flight.

Hawaiian Airlines

Aside from its status as the most reliable airline in the US, Hawaiian Airlines is also a good option when flying as a family.

• Kids 13 and younger are guaranteed to sit next to an accompanying adult for free.
• No charge for a lap child under 2 on domestic flights; 10% fee of seat fare internationally.
• Parents can book a bassinet on most international routes.
• Strollers are always accepted without a fee as checked baggage; you can carry them on as well if they meet the size requirements when folded.
• Early boarding after the premium, zone 1, and zone 2 sections have boarded.

While on your Hawaiian Airlines flight, it’s easy to keep everyone entertained. The In-flight entertainment will delight younger audiences as the airline has a “Keiki Pack” (Keiki means child in Hawaiian) with age-appropriate content. 

As for dining, you can also request kid-friendly meals that need to be pre-ordered at least 48 hours before the flight to complete the positive family travel experience.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines also ticks all the boxes to earn a top spot on our list of the best airlines for kids. All the food options are available at a cost and can be pre-ordered to guarantee availability. Kids will be delighted with the Kid’s Choice Picnic Pack, which contains favorites like turkey, white cheddar puffs, applesauce, and a granola bar. Plus, the gummi bears are sure to be a hit.

• Children under 13 are guaranteed to be seated with one adult.
• Free stroller check-in.
• Families with kids under the age of 2 can take advantage of pre-boarding.
• Families can also all board together using the highest boarding group, even if everyone isn’t seated in the same section. 

Alaska Airlines offers a decent in-flight entertainment system, but the one catch is that you need to bring your own device. Their streaming service has over 800 options for TV shows and movies to keep both kids and parents occupied on a flight.

You can use an approved car seat onboard for safety, subject to a few restrictions based on where you’re sitting. For example, aisle seats, exit rows, and any rows ahead or behind exit rows don’t permit car seats or booster seats. There are no bassinets available.

JetBlue

JetBlue, with its roomy seats and high position on our list of the most comfortable airlines in America, is another worthwhile (and low-cost) option for family travel. They focus predominantly on domestic trips but also have routes to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

• The system will automatically seat children 13 and under with an accompanying adult as soon as you book, with no additional fee.
• Stroller and car seat check-in is free.
• Car seats or booster seats are permitted as long as your child has their own seat booked.
• Lap infants are accepted for children up to the age of 2, and this same age limit applies to pre-boarding for families.
• No JetBlue bassinets are provided.

JetBlue has in-flight entertainment that kids will enjoy, with plenty of cartoons and even live TV on all flights. The airline offers free snacks and drinks service, including juices, water, granola bars, and animal crackers, although the choice of snacks does vary by flight.

Note that if you’re planning to use a child restraint during your flight, you must select a window seat, as these can’t be used between two occupied seats.

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USA vs. the World: How do US-based Airlines Stack Up?

It’s a shame that not all airlines are created equal when it comes to family-focused travel. US-based airlines can actually learn a lot from others. Here are a few of the best airlines in the world for traveling with kids and their extras:

• Emirates – This UAE-based airline really caters to kids on board. In addition to the usual perks, kids get toys, over 100 channels, and other goodies to spark their imagination.
• Lufthansa – Recognized by Skytrax as the world’s most friendly airline in 2025, Lufthansa focuses on traveling with kids rather than just making them an afterthought. They are continually developing new kid-specific programs, and they have dedicated family check-in policies and lots of great food and entertainment.
• Air Canada – On the same Skytrax list, Air Canada is the top airline for families in North America for 2025. There’s no additional charge for kids under 14 to sit close to an adult, families with children 5 and under can pre-board, and free activity packs are available on board for extra entertainment.
• Singapore Airlines – With free advanced seat selection for families, a toy or activity pack, and a whole channel geared towards children’s programming, travelers can do a lot worse than Singapore Airlines.

Summary

Our Criteria and Methodology

To determine the best airlines for kids, we asked the following questions of the 10 airlines we reviewed:

• Family seating policy – Does the airline guarantee that children will be seated next to at least one accompanying adult on the flight, even if you don’t pay to select seats?
• Free stroller check-in – Does it cost money to check your stroller? What about a car or booster seat?
• Child meals – Is it possible to request a kid-friendly meal or snack? 
• Entertainment system - Is entertainment available on the seatbacks or as part of a free streaming service?
• Pre-boarding – Will the airline permit families to pre-board? If so, under what circumstances?
• Bassinets – Can families use a bassinet while on board to avoid bringing their own?
• Lap seats – Are children permitted to sit on a parent’s lap at no additional cost? What are the age ranges?
• Safety – Does the airline allow the use of car seats or other child safety restraints on their flights?

Plan Your Family Trip with the Most Kid-Friendly US Airlines

When looking for the best airlines for kids in the USA, any one of these 6 has some great things to offer. American, Delta, Hawaiian, and United hit the mark in all our categories, but others, like JetBlue, can offer excellent value. 

The best advice is to pre-book as much as possible to keep your journey kid-friendly, such as your seats, meals, and lap seat tickets. Then, you can have a stress-free experience on the day of travel. And if you run into any stress related to canceled flights or delayed flights, remember that AirAdvisor can help ease the burden.

FAQ

Author:

Amy Lancelotte

Job/Position: Senior Writer & Content Creator

Amy Lancelotte is a Senior Content Writer and editorial contributor at AirAdvisor with more than seven years of experience producing research-driven articles for global audiences. Her work focuses on travel, aviation, and air passenger rights, with an emphasis on factual accuracy, verified data, and clear, reader-first explanations.

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