Flying With Kids: Planning Ahead for a Stress-Free Trip with Children

Amy Lancelotte

By:  Amy Lancelotte

11 minutes read

Last Updated:  February 13, 2026

Reviewed by:  Joanna Teljeur

Flying with children isn’t always the most relaxing way to spend your holiday, but it doesn’ t have to be an ordeal either. Armed with the knowledge of what to expect and with some useful tips on how to lessen the stress (plus a little planning), families can make flying with kids seem almost effortless.

We’ll take you through what you should do before you depart in terms of packing and planning. Plus, the special requirements and information you need when flying with a baby or infant, how to get through airport security seamlessly, the best and worst UK/EU airlines for flying with kids, practical tips, and much more. Here’s a comprehensive guide for flying with children to ensure the best experience possible:

Planning Ahead When Flying with Kids

By putting just a little extra thought into booking your flights and packing, you can make flying with children as painless as possible.

Choose Your Flight Wisely

Timing is everything when you’re flying with children. The red-eye might sound like a perfect solution, as your younger children will likely be asleep at that time anyway. But that’s not usually the case, and a red-eye flight can disrupt everyone’s sleeping patterns for days.

Remember that flights can get significantly delayed, throwing off your entire family schedule, which may make all your planning irrelevant. But, if you’re worried about this, try to book the first flight of the day, as those are less likely to be delayed. And if your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more, we can help you claim flight delay compensation to lessen the blow.

Also, minimise layovers if possible and book direct flights. It means a lower chance of any kind of flight disruption.

Have you encountered a flight disruption that impacted your journey?Check today to see if you’re eligible for compensation.Check Your Flight

How to Pack Your Cabin Bag for a Kid-Friendly Flight

The key to packing the perfect carry-on when flying with kids involves a few easy tips:

• Pack extra clothes for everyone. Not only are your kids likely to spill on themselves, but they can also spill on you.
• Entertainment options: One of the best ways to have a peaceful flight with kids is to ensure they have ample entertainment choices. Make sure everything is fully charged, and bring power cords. Puzzles, books, and colouring supplies are all great choices, depending on preferences.
• Baby and infant supplies:m Don’t forget to pack your nappies, wipes, changing pad, and anything else your infant (or you) might need for the duration of the flight.
• Snacks: In addition to entertainment, snacks are one of the best ways to distract children when flying. Pack a few of their favourites, ideally pre-portioned in sealable plastic bags.

As a general rule, don’t put anything in your checked luggage that you can’t live without.

Luggage issues are surprisingly common, including bags that arrive late or never arrive. So, keep the toys or blankets the kids can’t sleep without, medication, ID documents, and anything else important in your carry-on or personal item. The good news is that if your child has their own seat, they’ll at least have one personal item to help carry all the essentials!

Book a Lounge

In cases of a lengthy layover or getting to the airport early when flying with children, booking lounge access ahead of time can really make things easier.

Airport lounges offer comfortable seating, kid-friendly meals and snacks, entertainment, nicer restrooms, and many other services. It’s generally much more enjoyable to spend this time in a lounge than at the gate itself.

Book Your Seats in Advance

Some of the major UK/EU airlines help families sit together, but that definitely doesn’t mean the whole family will be seated together. 

• British Airways will automatically seat children under 12 next to at least one accompanying adult on the same booking if you don’t choose seats in advance. Seat selection policies vary by fare, and families with infants often get free seat selection in advance.
• easyJet operates a family seating approach and will always try to seat children with their accompanying adult on the same booking. Also, booking early increases the chance of sitting together.
• Ryanair: When one adult purchases a reserved seat, up to four children aged 2–11 on the same booking will receive free reserved seats beside them.
• Loganair tries their best to seat children with their accompanying adult and provides guidance on travelling with children and infants.

To keep everyone together, it’s best to pay to book your seats in advance (if possible), regardless of what airline you’re flying. Also, it’s good to know your airline’s seating policy in advance as well.

A few other things to keep in mind when choosing your seats:

• Proximity to the restroom: For easier nappy changes, quick trips with kids new to potty training, and generally keeping an eye on availability, you may want to select seats close to the restrooms.
• Avoid the exit rows: Unless your kids are 15 or older, they can’t sit in the exit row. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to take advantage of the extra legroom if you are flying with young kids.
• Window seats: Try to book at least one window seat. The view will provide a welcome distraction. Additionally, aisle seats can be dangerous for little hands and feet that protrude into the aisle as the drinks trolley or a fast-moving flight attendant goes by.
• Bulkhead rows: If you’re pining for the legroom of an exit row but don’t meet the criteria, try to select one of the bulkhead rows. You’ll have extra room with no one in front of you, which means no seatbacks to kick or play with.
• Lap babies: Anyone flying with a baby should note that airlines only allow one lap baby per row since there is only one extra oxygen mask in each row. Basically, 2 adults and 2 lap babies mean will be seated in 2 different rows.

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Flying with an infant or baby can present its own set of challenges. On many routes, most airlines allow children under the age of 2 to travel as a lap infant, meaning you don’t need to purchase an extra seat for them. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t.

Like the lounge access, if your budget allows it, consider purchasing a seat for your infant or baby. Instead of being in your lap the entire time, they can alternate between that and their own seat with a car seat/booster seat to keep them safe.

More is more when flying with an infant. Bring more nappies, extra formula, extra wipes, etc. Basically, if you have the room, bring more than you think you’ll need. If there’s an unexpected cancelled flight or delay, you’ll definitely be glad you did.

Cancelled flights are never fun, especially when flying with a babyIf your flight gets cancelled, you might be entitled to compensation. We can help!Check Your Flight

It’s also a good idea to plan your baby’s feeding times to coincide with take-off or landing. At these times, the infant is most likely to experience discomfort due to the pressure changes. Eating or drinking (due to the swallowing aspect) can ease some of this discomfort. For questions about using a breast pump onboard, check out our post on pumping on a plane.

Aside from the essentials like breast milk, formula, and additional food products, don’t forget to pack toys, books, and other distractions. A combination of old favourites with a few new items is usually best.

Do Infants Need Identification to Fly?

For UK domestic flights, ID requirements vary by airline, so always check your carrier’s rules before you travel. 

For international flights, infants and children generally need passports (and sometimes additional documents). 

If the infant (or any minor) is not flying with both parents, a signed consent form from the other parent may be required. Adults may also be required to provide proof of age for lap infants, so call ahead to check with the airline or bring the child’s birth certificate to be on the safe side. Do infants need ID to fly? It depends on where you’re going and what airline you’re flying.

Navigating Airport Security

There are 2 facets to consider when we talk about navigating airport security: the screening of the child and the screening of bags containing baby or infant-specific items.

Screening of Children

Any kids who are 13 or over are typically subject to the exact same screening practices as adults. On the other hand, for those kids 12 and under, the screening is often modified to make the child more comfortable. Security officers will consult with parents on the best approach to alleviate any fears.

If your child is under 13, they can usually go through screening with light jackets, headwear, and shoes on. Security teams put procedures in place to decrease the chances of your child being the subject of a pat-down and will not separate children from their parents. Infants can be carried with a parent through the regular detectors.

Screening of Items

UK and EU airports are known for the 100ml rule prohibiting any liquids in larger quantities than these amounts; however, baby food, formula, and breast milk are permitted in larger quantities when travelling with an infant. Inform security officers you are carrying these items and remove them ahead of screening. Where possible, breast milk and formula may be placed in transparent containers for testing.

As for non-liquid items, they will all need to pass through the X-ray machine or be visually inspected. This includes breast pumps, car seats, pushchairs, and other kid-specific gear.

Tips for Flying with Kids

As parents, your goal is likely to make flying with kids as easy as possible. Here are some tips to increase the likelihood of a positive experience:

• Tire them out. There’s nowhere to go on a plane to burn off energy, so check ahead to see if the airport has a play area where kids can play before your flight.
• Opt for easy-to-grab items. Packing cubes, pre-packaged snacks, and anything that’s a compact and self-contained activity are great items for any flight with kids.
• Tie things to you or your baby. Planes are cramped, so if you drop a toy, an electronic device, sippy cup, snack, or anything else, it might be hard to retrieve it. Whenever possible, tether items to yourself or your baby to avoid losing something important under your seat.
• Dress in layers. Temperatures can fluctuate from the airport to the plane, so dress the kids in layers
• UseFast Track / Priority Security: Security is one of the main bottlenecks for parents. There’s a lot to worry about, and kids can become a challenge when they’re asked to wait in long lines. Consider purchasing Fast Track security at participating UK airports, which can significantly reduce wait times. Eligible families may also be able to use eGates for arrivals where applicable.
• Set expectations. If you talk to your children about what they can expect during the day of the flight, they are less likely to have anxiety. Explain what it’s like to ride on the plane, what the security process is all about, and even how to board the plane. For extra emphasis, many airports publish child-friendly videos on getting to know the airport.

The Top Kid-Friendly Airlines in the UK & Europe

British Airways

Policy at a glance: Family seating / Pre-boarding / Kids’ meals / Entertainment / Bassinets / Pushchairs included

If you have the choice, go with British Airways. Flying with children is easier due to:

• Family seating: BA aims to seat children under 12 next to at least one accompanying adult on the same booking if you do not pre‑select seats. Executive Club Bronze/Silver/Gold can choose seats for everyone in the booking for free.
• Boarding: Families with infants under two and young children in pushchairs are invited to board first, giving you extra time to settle in.
• Baby equipment & baggage: Children over two get the same baggage allowance as adults. Infants may have an allowance for essential extras such as pushchairs and car seats; small foldable pushchairs can usually be taken to the gate.
• Onboard: Complimentary carrycots (bassinets) are available on long‑haul where fitted; request in advance. Kid‑friendly meals and kids’ content available on many routes.

Lufthansa

Policy at a glance: Family seating / Pre-boarding / Kids’ meals / Toys/activities / Bassinets / CRS required if under-2 in own seat

• Bassinets: Available on long‑haul for eligible infants, but request this early. If a child under two travels in their own seat, a certified child restraint system is compulsory during taxi, take‑off and landing.
• Meals & kits: Children’s menus can be pre‑ordered on many flights and you can expect toys or activity packs for kids.
• Seating & boarding:Lufthansa works to seat families together and offers pre‑boarding for families at many airports.

Air France

Policy at a glance: Family boarding / Kids’ meals / Entertainment / Bassinets / Activity boxes

• Boarding: Priority/simplified boarding for families on many routes.
• Meals & entertainment: Children’s meals available by request on many flights. Long‑haul cabins provide kids’ activity boxes and kid-friendly entertainment.
• Bassinets: Available on long‑haul for eligible infants; request early.

easyJet

Policy at a glance: Family boarding (<5) / Seating together encouraged / 2 free baby items / Bring your own entertainment

• Early boarding: Families travelling with children under five are boarded early.
• Sitting together: You can pay to choose seats in advance to ensure you sit together, the airline aims to seat kids with their accompanying adult, but paying to reserve specific seats is the safest bet in busy seasons.
• Baby equipment: You can check two free baby items (e.g., pushchair, car seat, travel cot, booster, baby carrier) in the hold.
• Onboard: No built-in seatback entertainment, so bring your own devices and chargers. Breastfeeding is supported on board.

Loganair

Policy at a glance: Regional family seating / Pushchairs to aircraft door / Kids fly free promos / Friendly crews

• Family seating: Staff will seat children with their accompanying adult wherever possible; select seats early on busier flights.
• Baby equipment: Pushchairs are typically accepted to the aircraft door at many airports. Also, crews are used to helping families on regional services.
• Promotions: Be on the look out for seasonal Kids Fly Fare‑Free offers where children 11 and under pay no base fare with a fare‑paying adult (taxes/fees apply; limited windows and routes).
• Why it works for families: Shorter sectors, friendly crews, and convenient local airports reduce total travel time with little ones.

Has your flight been delayed by 3 hours or more while flying with kids? If so, you may be able to claim compensation.Get your claim started today

A Final Note

Flying with kids hopefully means you’re embarking on an exciting family trip and building lasting memories. What you don’t want to remember is how tricky it was to fly with the whole family. Using the tips we’ve mentioned, planning things like your flight time, seats, and lounge.

Author:

Amy Lancelotte

Job/Position: Senior Writer & Content Strategist

Amy Lancelotte is a Senior Content Writer and editorial contributor at AirAdvisor with over seven years of experience producing research-based articles for international 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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