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Original poster

Flying with children - masks

71 replies

Ricepops · 17/10/2021 17:46

Hoping for some advice on this. We are considering travelling to the US at Christmas to see our family. It's a 7 hour flight and we would all be required to wear masks for the 7 hour flight, including my 4 and 7 year olds. Has anyone done this and how did it go? The masks for the kids are my main concern.

OP posts:
Mydogisagentleman · 17/10/2021 17:58

Not sure about the US, but me and DH came back Ryanair from Spain today.
Children under 12 didn’t have to.
Maybe contact the airline you are considering and ask them

Anothernamechange3 · 17/10/2021 17:59

In my experience children tend to cope better with masks than a lot of adults on the plane

Original poster
Ricepops · 17/10/2021 18:56

They definitely have to wear masks - all over 2s do on flights to the US

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whatsagoodusername · 17/10/2021 19:03

What airline are you going on? We went on Icelandair in summer and they really couldn't have cared less.

My dc are autistic and had exemption letters, and we made them wear masks as much as possible (when moving around, etc), but the airline never asked to see the letters, just said "Oh, they're exempt? Okay."

A US airline is probably going to be much less easygoing however.

Original poster
Ricepops · 17/10/2021 20:00

We would probably go with BA, but think it's a blanket rule on all flights to the US.

OP posts:
Tailendofsummer · 17/10/2021 20:24

You'd be allowed to remove them to eat and drink, surely?

Tigerwhocameforsupper · 17/10/2021 20:25

I wouldn’t go. I couldn’t enforce my 4 year old wearing a mask for hours on end.

Original poster
Ricepops · 17/10/2021 20:27

Yes you can rove to eat and drink, but otherwise have to wear them. I think kids can get used to wearing them as that's what they have all been doing at nursery/school in the US. But my DC have obviously not had that experience and aren't used to wearing them at all, so 7 hours would be quite an ask.

OP posts:
MrsFin · 17/10/2021 20:29

You could practice a lot before you go. And I expect the kids would sleep for a lot of the journey anyway.

Insertfunnyname · 17/10/2021 20:29

Just say they’re exempt. If wearing a mask causes upset, you’re exempt. That’s the definition I’ve seen everywhere.

Tickly · 17/10/2021 20:34

Your 7 year old should be OK if you explain why it's needed. My kids wear masks in theaters, shops etc at a similar age without any drama. 4 is a lot more tricky though!

EileenGC · 17/10/2021 20:39

Just say they’re exempt. If wearing a mask causes upset, you’re exempt. That’s the definition I’ve seen everywhere.

And this is why everyone in the UK is ‘exempt’. That’s now how it works. Upset doesn’t mean exemption ffs.

I’d slowly get them used to wearing a mask for a bit - get them excited about the fact that that’s how they’ll be able to get to the US (grandparents, holiday…?). That said, they can be snacking / drinking or sleeping for most of the flight. In which case they won’t need masks so hopefully it’s not a straight 7h.

Original poster
Ricepops · 17/10/2021 20:44

They do have to wear them when sleeping unfortunately! Think it would be a day flight on the way there, night flight back.

OP posts:
Farwest · 17/10/2021 20:45

It's a facemask, not handcuffs. As you say, hundreds of thousands of children are wearing them all day at school in various countries and surviving just fine.

Just practise at home before you fly - explain why, start with 15 minutes whe watching a favourite program. Your dc will mostly be distracted with movies and games and magazines on the flight, they will hardly notice.

SickAndTiredAgain · 17/10/2021 20:45

How does anyone get a child who’s just turned 2 to wear a mask for hours on end??

OP, I’d try practicing at home, see how they get on.

LuchiMangsho · 17/10/2021 20:46

As someone with a 9 and a 4 year old in the US who has been masked since April 2020 it will be fine. We also flew a few times. It was absolutely fine.
And yes you can remove them to eat and drink.

LuchiMangsho · 17/10/2021 20:47

How do they wear it? They see others wearing it and they wear it. But it’s not for hours on end. The 2 year olds were masked on the walk to daycare (5 mins) but not masked indoors. Masked on the wall back. And masked at the playground. I would say in April 2020 when DS2 was just 3 he was masked for less than an hour a day?

LuchiMangsho · 17/10/2021 20:48

Our local FB group has many links to good masks for kids that fit well etc. I’ll see if I can pull up some links for you although obviously I don’t know if they ship internationally.

Whstdoyouthink · 17/10/2021 20:49

I find the disposable masks so much easier to wear than material ones, do they have them for children?

LifeIsBusy · 17/10/2021 20:49

I don't think I'd get my 2 year old to last more than 5 minutes in a mask.... That's insane!

ducksalive · 17/10/2021 20:57

My dc and all the dc I know in my state in the USA have been wearing masks for months and months now.
Including all day at school.
Honestly your dc will be fine with it.

ducksalive · 17/10/2021 20:58

I would get them masks with their favorite characters on to practice, Disney have a good range.

MrsKoala · 17/10/2021 21:10

We flew EasyJet in August and their policy is over 7s. They were extremely strict on policing it and the only people who they considered exempt were people who’d contacted the airline previous to travel and they had the names and seat numbers of all those allowed to not wear a mask.

The pilot kept doing announcements saying that eating and drinking meant very quickly removing it to sip then put back on - not have the whole mask off for 20 minutes while you have a cup of tea on the tray in front of you.

There were some people who kept taking it off and saying they were exempt but the staff were very blunt saying they had the names of the only exempt people and they weren’t on the list.

We didn’t have the kids with us but will be flying about 5 hours at half term so ours will have to wear one - they also have to for the whole time in the airport and at the other side. It’ll be about 9hrs in a mask. I’m dreading it. Especially for my just 7 year old who has adhd and can’t stop fiddling with it/everything.

saltedcaramelanything · 17/10/2021 21:18

I just flew to/from the US with my 2yr old. Yes, you really do need to wear a mask the whole flight, the flight attendants are watching. My DS is quite small/looks young, so was only asked once to put his mask on - he managed about 45min. I would say a 4 & 7yr old will definitely be expected to wear their mask the whole flight.

I'd suggest getting some masks now to find the most comfortable type for you all - and get them used to it. I have fabric reusable masks that I normally use, but found the disposable ones were lighter/more breathable for the long flight

2018SoFarSoGreat · 17/10/2021 21:19

I'm in the US.

Little ones are so resilient! My 4 and 10 year old DGSs have worn masks for long periods totally without question or complaint, including at school and after care for 10 hour days.

Everything about a flight is new and interesting and exciting. Wearing the masks will just be part of that.