Share your tips for keeping your children happy on flights with Qatar Airways - £300 voucher to be won

[JustineBMumsnet]

Taking your children on a plane journey can lead to worries that they will be bored and miserable until you arrive. Qatar Airways have recently launched their new Oryx Kids Club programme, and want to hear your tips for keeping your children happy when you’re on a flight.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ehab Amin, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to announce the launch of Oryx Kids Club programme and loyalty programme for its youngest travellers, offering them the opportunity to enjoy exceptional benefits while travelling with Qatar Airways. As an airline that is committed to welcoming children and families on board, Qatar Airways is thrilled about this new opportunity to interact with our passengers, from the moment they arrive at the airport.”

Are you an expert in finding plane friendly toys? Maybe you have an ingenious and unique way of preventing boredom on long plane journeys? Do you use family friendly lounges? Perhaps you play I spy from the sky? Do you use films and games from in-flight entertainment systems or do you prefer to download favourites onto your own tablets to keep your children entertained?

Whatever you do to keep your children happy on flights, share this in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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I really like the previous suggestion of a family-friendly area, though on some of the flights I’ve been on (half were families!) I wonder how they’d stop it from getting overwhelmed.

• Divide and conquer, if you have more than one kid AND are lucky enough to be travelling with another parent (or willing adult). One adult sits with (or even just ‘takes charge of’, if all seated in same row) one/two kids, other adult with others... swap on another leg if needed. Agree before getting on the plane who is responsible for who, no standing in the aisle debating over it.

Alternatively, one parent has the kids for half a flight/one leg, and then other parent does it next. My parents used to do this to give each other a break on long trips.

• All your carefully stocked snacks/toys/meds/cleaning bits need to be in individual clear ziplock bags with MASSIVE LABELS, in one of your carryons. You might know exactly where you have tucked the flu tablets but when you’re asleep (ha) someone else will upend the bag contents trying to find it. I may speak from experience.

Practice for long flights beforehand with small children - strap them into a car seat, and then squeeze yourself into another child’s car seat next to them. Set a timer for 11hours, if you will be flying 7, or 18hours if the trip is 10.

Lots of variety is important, and not kicking the chair in front is key for neighbourly relations!

Suspend normal rules regarding snacks and screens.

A magic slate (99p in Waterstones) gave us a good hour of fascinated silence from a four year old. A card game, noughts and crosses, snacks, stickers all bought more peace. Usborne do some great holiday activity books. Favourite thing was one if those character pens that has ten colours in it that you slide colours up and down to draw with.

I always take a comic, colouring book, a tablet and also sweets.
Also pack wipes and a change of clothes.
I try to take the toddler for a run up and down the aisle a few times then place them near the window and point out things.

My son was 6 when we first flew abroad. We went with an airline that did children's meals he would eat, and gave him the choice of what meal. In the end he mainly ate bread rolls.

We practised sitting down for periods of time, so DS got the idea that he couldn't just wander about, and I had a few random happy meal toys from the charity shop and a couple of lego sticker books that I could produce every so often so he had stuff to do. Big tip - halve the toys you take and keep half in your case as you've got the return journey as well! For us, also don't be too ambitious about how far you go. A 4 hour flight was our limit for keeping DS occupied.

We're flying again in autumn with a small baby and I'm more concerned about the bby settling on the plane than big brother.

Snacks, snacks, small fiddly light snacks. Did I say snacks?

Our 9 year old daughter has never flown so her first flight will be a novelty. It’s only short haul but we will have her tablet plus books, wordsearches etc & definitely snacks. She would eat all day if we let her!

Babies: always provide a dummy (pacifier) or bottle when ascending or descending. Pressure changes in the ears are uncomfortable and frightening for little ones and this is why babies always scream after take-off. Sweets to suck work for older kids and you can teach kids aged 6+ how to equalize the pressure naturally. Kids below six- introduce one new surprise toy/snack every hour, so they don't get bored. Kids aged 6+, just let them enjoy unlimited screen time. Your fellow passengers will thank you for it. If possible ask for a bulkhead seat with a bassinet fastening for small babies.

Quite a few of the bigger airports have play areas for kids in the main concourse now, which is great for pre-flight. We packed a variety of favourite books and colouring stuff/stickers and like a pp the DC were allowed to choose a magazine to buy. We downloaded loads of stuff onto the tablet for them to watch with headphones. The other thing is snacks, snacks and more snacks. It irritates me beyond belief that you have to pay through the nose for every morsel of food and drink on a plane nowadays, so I bring plenty for everyone. I try to avoid too many sugary things for the inevitable mania and then grumpy crash though!

Always an IPad but headphones are a must! Sticker books will keep my girls occupied for at least 5minutes! Loads of snacks of course try and get the kids engrossed in a book or story too.

Stickers, snacks, books and keeping as much to a 'normal day' as possible. We gave our little one their tea on the plane and they fell asleep at usual bedtime, couldn't believe our luck!

Portable DVD player with headphones and a magazine with lots of things to do and make.

With small children I have to download apps and games on their tablets. Make sure it’s fully charged before I start my journey.
Makes the travel easy and pleasant along with plenty of snacks to keep them going.

we always take colouring books and pencils, and of course sweeties, and a wrapped toy as a gift so once across the halfway marker if they have been good they get a lovely surprise. too

Take your own meals and snacks for the kids (as plane food isn't always what your kids like!) Dairylea Lunchables are a good choice as are easy to throw in your bag and allow children to build their own meal, making it time-consuming. I also advise making snacks like sausage rolls, which keep well on a longer journey. Crew members will heat up baby bottles for you in a jug of hot water if you ask.

lots of colouring books, snacks and we mostly take our flights at night when thye generally sleep their way through along flight.

I take comics, colouring and if all fails the tablet with some games or a film!

We make regualr long haul flights to OZ and it's variety that counts. Play card games, let them have a bit of screen time and a bit of game time via their tablets etc.

Tablets to keep them entertained

We always bring their favorite toy and treats x

Her tablet is a godsend, I’ll also take a puzzle book, her reading book & plenty snacks

One of the many ways I entertain my DC is to take a roll of masking tape. They can use it to make stickers, and it won’t damage the plane. Hours of fun.

A tablet, a pack of cards and stretching their legs.

‘Circuits’ with lots of small activities that can be moved on from with ease
Realistic expectations
iPad with tv shows or films on it for when needed
Lots of snacks