Long flights with kids: a practical packing list

Long flights with kids go best when you plan the carry-on bag, the seats and the meals before you leave home. A calm trip comes down to three things: a light bag with the right items, a seat plan that suits your family, and a clear idea of what you may carry through security. This list covers all three for families flying out of Australia.

Sources for this section: Australian Government, TravelSECURE, Liquids, aerosols and gels.

The carry-on packing list

Pack your carry-on as if your checked bag will arrive late. Keep everything your child needs for the whole flight within reach, plus a little extra for delays.

• Documents: passports, tickets, and any letters you may need, kept in one zip pouch.
• Changes of clothes: one full set for each child, and a spare top for you. Spills and sick bags happen.
• Nappies and wipes: more than you think. Plan on one nappy for every two or three hours, plus extras for delays.
• Snacks: dry foods such as crackers, fruit bars and dried fruit. They keep well and do not leak.
• Activities: a few small, new items, such as a sticker book, crayons, a small notebook, a deck of cards or a favourite soft toy. Wrap them and hand them out one at a time.
• Headphones: a child size pair, if you plan to use the seat screen or a music player.
• Empty water bottle: fill it after you pass through security.

Use a backpack for yourself, so both hands stay free. Give older children their own small bag.

Sources for this section: general family travel practice; Australian Government, TravelSECURE, Liquids, aerosols and gels.

Liquids and baby food at security

On international flights to and from Australia, liquids, aerosols and gels in your carry-on must be in containers of 100 millilitres or less. The containers must fit in one clear, resealable plastic bag. The Australian Government says the four sides of the sealed area must add up to no more than 80 centimetres, for example 20 by 20 centimetres.

There is an exemption for baby products. A parent travelling with an infant or toddler may carry a reasonable amount of liquids, gels and pastes for the child, for the flight and for any delays. The government lists baby milk (including breast milk), sterilised water, juice, baby food in liquid, gel or paste form, and disposable wipes. Baby milk powder is not a liquid, so it can go in the cabin too.

Two points matter at the checkpoint. First, exempt items do not go in the clear bag, but you must show them separately to the screening officer. Second, the officer decides what a reasonable amount is, so do not pack a week of supplies in the cabin bag. Carers may also carry the clear bags of the children in their care.

These limits do not apply to your checked bag, though rules on dangerous goods still do.

Sources for this section: Australian Government, TravelSECURE, Liquids, aerosols and gels; Australian Government, TravelSECURE, Liquid, aerosol and gel exemptions.

Seats and timing

Book your seats early. Families do better when they can sit together, so choose seats when you buy the tickets, or ask the airline as soon as you can. An aisle seat helps with walks and toilet trips. A window seat gives a child something to watch, but it traps you inside the row.

Ask your airline about a bassinet if you are travelling with a baby. Bassinets are limited, and airlines have their own rules about the age and size of the child, so ask when you book and again when you check in. Fares for babies and children also differ from airline to airline, and so do the rules for children who turn two during a trip. Ask for the airline's own written rules before you pay.

Think about the clock as well. For a night flight, a child who sleeps soon after take off gives you a quiet few hours. Change them into pyjamas at the airport, and keep their usual bedtime routine as far as you can. For a day flight, plan a mix of meals, games and short walks to break up the hours.

Sources for this section: general family travel practice; check your airline's published conditions of carriage and children's pages.

Meals and drinks

Ask for child meals when you book. Airlines often serve them first, which helps a hungry child early in the service. Even so, bring your own food. Meals can come late, and a child who is hungry is hard to calm.

Offer drinks often, because cabin air is dry. A baby may feed on take off and landing, and an older child may like a drink or a sweet to suck. Many families find this helps with the ear discomfort of a change in cabin pressure. This is general information only. For a child with a cold or ear trouble, ask your family doctor whether flying is wise.

Sources for this section: general family travel practice.

Prams and baggage

Airlines set their own rules on prams, strollers and child car seats, and these appear in each airline's conditions of carriage. Many let you take a stroller to the gate, then tag it so it comes out at the aircraft door. Check this with your airline before the day, and ask what size and weight it will take.

Also check the checked baggage allowance for each child. Some fares give a child a full allowance, and some give less. Read the rule for your own ticket, and keep a copy of it in your carry-on.

Before you leave for the airport, run through a short check:

1. Passports and tickets are in the pouch.
2. Baby products are packed where you can reach them and show them at the checkpoint.
3. Each child has a snack, a drink and one activity within reach.
4. A spare set of clothes is in the top of the bag.
5. You know your airline's pram and baggage rules.

Sources for this section: your airline's published conditions of carriage and baggage pages.

A calm arrival

Plan for a slow first day. Children who have crossed time zones are often tired or wide awake at odd hours. Keep the first day light, get outside in daylight, and move to local meal times as soon as you can.

With a good bag, a sound seat plan and a clear idea of the rules at security, long flights with kids become far more manageable. Rules and fares can shift, so confirm them with your airline or the airport before departure.

Sources for this section: general family travel practice.

Sources

1. Australian Government, TravelSECURE, Liquids, aerosols and gels: travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au (last updated 23 March 2011)
2. Australian Government, TravelSECURE, Liquid, aerosol and gel exemptions: travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au