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But do we like them all the time? What about at tantrum o’clock? When they haven’t had enough sleep, or worse, too much sleep and they’re bouncing off the walls. When they can’t find that one specific toy. Or during a repetitive and coordinated assault of “I’m bored, I’m hungry.”
Let’s be honest, there are a million little variables that can turn your pride and joy into an unhinged overlord. A possessed chaos goblin. A tiny terrorist. Now picture all that, 40,000 feet in the air, trapped in a metal tube with no escape and an audience silently judging your every parenting move. It’s enough to put most parents off long-haul travel completely.
But we’ve done it. More than once. Our personal best? A 25-hour journey from Heathrow to Sydney with a two-year-old and a six-months-pregnant partner. We survived, and we lived to tell the tale More recently, we clocked 16 hours of travel only to arrive in Japan, exhausted and sweaty, to find the taxi ranks closed for the night and learned the hard way why you shouldn’t rely on Uber in Japan.
Which is exactly why we made this guide. So you can book that flight without the fear.
Planning a long-haul with kids? Here’s what worked for us (and what might just save your sanity):
Planning a long-haul with kids? Here’s what worked for us (and what might just save your sanity):
I know it sounds counterintuitive. Surely an organised family would be first in the queue, go and get to your seats, stash the bags, sit down, and stay out of everyone’s way. Wrong. Once you’re on that plane, you’re trapped. No turning back, no escape hatch, just hours of containment. Let the kids run free for as long as humanly possible before the big sit-down.
And being anywhere other than the back? That just gives you a line of people behind you, huffing while you untie shoelaces, carry four rucksacks, and try to fish Batman out from under a seat. All while someone breathes down your neck like their seat is about to leave without them.
Same logic applies at the other end. You’ve got zero control over your position on the baggage carousel. So what’s the point in sprinting off the plane the second the seatbelt sign goes off, racing through passport control, and shouting at the kids the whole way? You’ll just end up standing around, telling them to stop touching things while other people collect their bags. No thanks.
Take your time. Stroll up to the carousel. Grab your bag on its fourth lap around. It’s a no-brainer.
Bring the tablet. The sky is no place for morals.
We’re not the type of parents who stick our kids in front of a screen all day. No beige food, only organic. Eco nappies. No raised voices. No bribes. Blah blah blah. Been there, done that, got the (ethically sourced) T-shirt. But believe me when I say: the sky is no place for morals. Everyone’s got their own parenting style and I’m all for it, but leave the ideals at the front door. I promise you can pick them back up again when you get home. There’s no judgement here.
Our weapon of choice? The Amazon Fire Kids tablet. Wrapped in a kid-proof case (ours has survived two years of drops, sticky fingers, and snack attacks), this thing was built for chaos. It comes with a library of age-appropriate apps and games, all of which can be downloaded in advance, no internet needed.
The price point’s around £130 for the latest edition. Trust me, once you’ve got a few hours of peace and you’re watching an in-flight film with a complimentary gin and tonic in hand, it’ll feel like the best money you’ve ever spent.
“Behind every great parent ,is a tablet quietly saving the day“
Book flights during the day (Yes, really)
“Book a flight at night so they can sleep through.” Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Except… nope. That has never been our experience. In fact, it’s been the exact opposite. What you actually get is an overstimulated child, fuelled with excitement and whatever treats they’ve had on the plane, just as your own body clock is tapping out. You end up battling a bedtime meltdown in a cabin full of people who are trying to sleep, while your little one decides now’s the perfect time to belt out “i’m still standing – by Elton John (no idea either, he just loves it).
A daytime flight has lower expectations. Distractions are everywhere, and there’s no need to whisper shhh every two minutes. Don’t waste your money on fancy neck pillows or inflatable chair beds. Trust me daytime flights are the way. Best case, they land ready for bed. Worst case, it’s daytime and you can bribe them with snacks and excitement until bedtime. Either way, you’re on track. What you don’t want is a kid who’s slept all flight and arrives at midnight wide awake and ready to party.
You won’t remember the flight. They’ll remember the adventure.
Noise-cancelling headphones for kids
Getting the tablet is half the battle but without headphones, it’s like going to the cinema and forgetting your glasses.
We made the rookie mistake of relying on the free headphones stuffed into the seat pocket. Those work fine for you, finally watching that film you’ve had queued since 2021. But for kids? Forget it.
Cue the moaning:
“These don’t fit properly.”
“They’re itchy.”
“I can only hear out of one ear.”
Or worse, the moment you have to sacrifice your own because the in-flight pair didn’t survive the pulling, twisting, and general toddler destruction. What you need is a proper pair made for small heads and sensitive ears.
Our go-to? The JBL JR 460NC. Over-ear, comfy, volume-limited for hearing safety, and they’ve got a 20-hour battery life — easily enough for even the longest flights and layovers. Bonus: they connect seamlessly with the Fire tablet, so your in-flight setup is sorted.
Pro Tip:
Bring gummy / boiled sweets for them to suck / chew on during take off and landing to avoid the ear pressure issue.
The ultimate charm hack: handmade drawings and sweeties
Honestly, this hack has worked so well I almost didn’t want to share it. If you want to get on the good side of the cabin crew before your kids start launching sweets down the aisle, arm them with a drawing. Seriously.
Before a flight, we get the kids to make a thank-you card or a little picture. If they’re brave enough, they give it to the staff themselves. If not, we hand it over with a smile and say something like, “They wanted to give this to the pilot or cabin crew.” You’d be amazed how far a bit of cute kid art goes. Suddenly, you’re getting extra snacks. Instead of a death-stare when your child stands on the seat, you get a wink. Sometimes, they even let them peek into the cockpit.
It’s not bribery, it’s relationship management. And it works. Worst case, you’ve made someone’s day a bit better and taught your kids a lesson in respect. Win-win.
It doesn’t have to be amazing, just the act alone is enough for brownie points!
A timeless classic: colouring pens and pencils
You just can’t beat the classics. Sure, the fancy bells and whistles of a tablet are great, but what if a tablet’s out of budget? I get it. You’ve saved all year for two weeks somewhere sunny, now’s probably not the time to splash out on more tech. Luckily, some things never go out of style, and kids with colouring stuff is one of them.
We like to live by K.I.S.S – keep it simple, stupid. A pencil case, a colouring book, or just blank paper. There’s tic-tac-toe, hangman, and that game where you fill boxes with your initials (no idea what it’s actually called, but you know the one). It works.
Pro Tip:
If you are going down the colouring pencils option. Don’t forget the sharpener!
Now, if you’re still in the toddler trenches and don’t fancy scrubbing purple felt tip off the lap tray with your last baby wipe, it might be time to upgrade.
Enter: Crayola Colour Wonder pages. The pens only work on their special paper — not on skin, not on windows, not on seat fabric. Add this cheap, cheerful lifesaver to your long-haul survival kit and thank us later.
We feel like we can speak with some authority here, we’ve actually withdrawn our kids from school and now homeschool while travelling full-time. If that’s something you’ve thought about (or even just daydreamed about), we’ve put together a starter post that walks you through how we did it and what it’s really like.
