Having recently taken our first flight with our three children (aged 9, 9 and 12) I thought it would be useful for me to share some of the things I learnt on this journey. You don't want to make the mistakes I did and end up with no sleep in an overpriced hotel when I could have secured cheap airport parking and driven after a good nights sleep!
1. Plan your flight times - OK of course it is cheaper to fly at 1.00 am
but can your child cope with that? You want your first day on holiday to be as
much fun as all the others, so book wisely.
2. Book your seats in advance - we made this mistake this year, having
not taken a package holiday for over a decade, I assumed very few people would
pay the extra to book their seats. I was wrong. Luckily I found this out and
was able to book our seats, if I hadn't the five of us would have been in
completely different areas and what child wants to fly alone for the first time
next to two strangers?
3. How will you get to the airport? - this year we opted to travel by
train and stay in a hotel at the airport. Yes the train fare was really cheap
as we booked a long time in advance but we had so much angst due to the strikes
and reduced timetables on Southern Railways. Then we also got no sleep at the
airport as it was too exciting for the kids and too hot in the room. Next time
we will definitely drive our own car so we are in control of our timings and
don't have to struggle with big cases.