Travelling can be a stressful activity even for the most well-organized family. Whether it’s packing, getting everyone ready in the morning before a flight or making sure everyone is fed and watered so that you don’t have to stop the car every 15 minutes, it’s safe to say that family traveling has the potential to test one’s patience. And the bigger the family, the higher likelihood that stress and incidents are likely to occur. That’s why it’s worth having a few travel hacks up your sleeve to ensure that you - the parents - as well as your kids are having the best possible time. We’ll look at a few of them below.
Stock up on entertainment
Flights can be long and road trips can be boring, and both of those attributes make for restless and irritable kids. It’s for that reason that it’s a great idea to stock up on entertainment the night before. Load an iPad with your kids’ favourite shows, pack a couple of books (bonus points here as your kids get to learn something as well) or bring a deck of cards along with you. Seriously, the last thing you want is to be caught without Finding Nemo to give you two hours of respite.
Bring food on the plane with you
Not many people know this - probably because they get frisked by security for carrying any and all liquids over 100ml on a plane - but you’re allowed to bring food with you on the plane. This is a godsend for families who are flying on a budget airline with the entire family. Rather than spending exorbitant amounts on substandard food, simply pack your own and keep your family full, happy and healthy.
Know your passenger rights
Every family that has ever booked flights and a hotel knows how expensive they can be, and every family who has ever had a flight delayed knows how frustrating that can be. Unfortunately, delays are sometimes an eventuality, but that doesn’t that you don’t have any recourse in that situation. In fact, all airline passengers enjoy rights that mean that in the event of an airline’s negligence they’re entitled to monetary compensation. Airlines, from smaller companies through to bigger ones such as British Airways, don’t openly advertise this fact, however, and they can be quite evasive when it comes to paying. It’s advisable to therefore go through a company like AirHelp who will do all the work for you and ensure that you receive your compensation in a timely manner.
Pack spare clothes in your carry-on luggage
It’s always good to have a spare change of clothes, especially on long haul flights. The reason for this is twofold. On the one hand, your flight might be so long that it warrants changing into a fresh outfit. On the other, if your luggage gets lost in transit, it’s always good to have a backup change of clothing.
Pack a decently-sized power bank
Packing a powerbank with a decent amount of charge is a must for ensuring that all your devices remain charged during your travels. For the parents this means being able to charge your phones, and for kids it means being able to keep your iPad ready to go.
