A former flight attendant has shared hidden rules and hacks that every parent should know when flying with children. Saskia Sekhri, who has years of experience in the air, advises parents to head to the galley if they need help with a baby, as crew can assist with rocking, warming milk, or entertaining children. She also notes that some airlines offer colouring-book-style passports for kids to keep them occupied.
For long-haul flights, Sekhri recommends booking a bulkhead row, where crew can provide a bassinet for the baby, freeing up space and allowing the child to sleep off the parent's knee. She suggests travelling with other adults to take turns holding the baby during meal service, and using priority boarding to settle in and learn about safety measures like extension seatbelts and infant life jackets.
Parents should pre-order child meals to avoid unsuitable options, and ensure seatbelts are visible over blankets or clothing to prevent crew from waking sleeping children. Sekhri warns against leaving USB devices plugged in while asleep, as this poses a fire risk. For children under two, it is a legal requirement that they sit on an adult's knee with an extension seatbelt during turbulence, even if they have their own seat.
Soiled nappies should not be handed to crew but disposed of in toilet bins, as they are a biohazard. Inflatables are generally banned on flights due to safety risks. Blogger Terri Brown advises pre-ordering baby essentials for terminal pick-up, renting items like travel cots and car seats at the destination, and buying supplies locally. Travel influencer Chloe Gunning suggests packing compact items like card games and balls instead of single-use toys.
