As any parent who has travelled with children on a long-haul flight will tell you, I spy can wear a a bit thin when the only thing to see outside the airplane is clouds.
Charter carriers have finally woken up to the fact that a happy child is a happy client and improved their service and facilities accordingly.
All charter airlines now offer in-flight entertainment specifically geared towards children, including both audio and visual entertainment channels, goody bags and special kids’ meals.
But some carriers have gone further than others to take the hassle out of flying for parents by introducing measures such as priority boarding for families with infants and additional baggage allowance to cater for those flying with such items as car seats and nappies.
While some carriers provide all these elements, including children’s meals, for no additional cost, others charge a supplement.
We take a look at what the major UKcharter carriers offer for families:
Airtours International
Children’s goodie bags are handed out on all flights and the Airtours International service to Florida has a Disney theme with Disney goodie bags, Disney-style entertainment, and a Disney in-flight competition.
On the Airbus A330 flights, which are now operating most of Airtours International’s short and long-haul routes, there are children’s movies and game handsets.
Children’s meals can be pre-booked but there is a charge of £5 return on flights under 6hrs and £10 return on longer flights. Seats can be pre-allocated at the same time for no extra charge.
Airtours Premier Gold service provides children’s magazines, such as Beano and Top of the Pops in addition to the goodie bags. Families flying Premier Gold are also offered late check-in.
Pushchairs can be taken on the aircraft and are not included in the family’s baggage allowance. Skycots can be booked in advance. Children’s clubs for children aged two to eight are available at Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Leeds/Bradford, East Midlands, Humberside, Stansted, Norwich and Teeside Airports. These are play areas with toys, TVs and videos.
Monarch Airlines
Kiddies’ packs containing colouring books and crayons are handed out on both long-haul and short-haul flights, and there is a children’s audio channel on all flights, which includes a quiz.
Children’s meals are available on request for no extra charge, but these must be ordered in advance.
Cabin crew will warm baby food and bottles. Parents can keep their children in pushchairs as far as the gate, after which the pushchairs are loaded into the hold.
Car seats and bags of nappies are carried free of charge and do not form part of the family’s baggage allowance. These must be checked in and carried in the hold of the aircraft, not in the cabin.
Air 2000
Rucksacks with games, puzzles and books are handed to kids on all flights. There is one for those aged three to seven and another for eight to 12-year-olds.
There is a children’s cartoon and a kids’ audio channel with musical stories. On flights to Florida there are Disney-themed films. Disney tickets are sold on board.
Parents can pre-book a children’s meal, but these cost an extra £5 each way. Parents travelling with infants can keep them in their pushchairs until boarding, at which point the pushchairs are put in the hold. Cabin crew can warm bottles or food.
Flying Colours Airlines/Caledonian Airways
(To be renamed JMC in April 2000)
In-flight entertainment packs are given to children on all flights. These contain a travel log book, puzzles, sweets, a toy and a games card. Kids’ meals are available at no extra cost but must be requested 24hrs in advance.
Pushchairs can be taken to the gate and handed to crew prior to boarding for storage in the hold. These are not included in the baggage allowance.
Bassinets are available for babies, but must be booked in advance. Changing facilities are provided in toilets. Flying Colours is one of the few charter airlines to offer priority boarding for families with young children. Free pre-bookable seats are available to passengers travelling with Flying Colours/Caledonian Airways’ in-house tour operator JMC, but passengers who book through Flying Colours Airfares will be charged for this service.
Britannia
On all long-haul flights children get OnBoard Kids backpacks containing an inflatable beach ball, magnetic game and a make-your-own postcard set with crayons.
Children also receive a kids’ magazine on all outbound flights, and on all inbound flights they are handed fun packs.
Britannia has a dedicated kids’ radio channel, OBK FM, plus dedicated children’s programmes.
Children’s meals, including main courses like chicken nuggets, are provided free of charge but must be requested in advance. The airline’s duty-free range includes pocket money-priced goods such as Barbie and Star Wars funfax organisers.
Britannia has bassinets for infants up to six months old, which must be pre-booked, and prams and pushchairs can be kept until boarding, after which they are put in the hold. These are not included in the family’s luggage allowance.
Nappy-changing facilities are provided in designated toilets on the aircraft, and cabin crew will warm milk and baby food.