May 28

Kids on a plane?!?!

Joan Cetera

by Joan Cetera
Category: Where in the World

Kids on a plane!

New York Times illustration

My son turns three years old today and he has yet to fly on a plane.  As someone who flies at least three times a month - albeit, mostly for business - and who works with travel clients, you would assume I’ve taken him everywhere.  However, flying for me is an oasis in the sky - despite the proliferance of mid-air Wi-Fi  - a time when I can relax and not be reached.  Why on Earth would I ruin that by taking my son along?

I recently read that I may not be alone in this sentiment and that many people have even toyed with the idea of banning children from flights.  I’m all for people flying with their children - heck, how else are you supposed to get to Disney? - but for me, I think I’ll wait until at least age five, even if these tips could be infinitely helpful.

Our clients range from international destinations to hotels and travel content providers, many of whom provide advice and tips on how to best travel to their locations with children.  To these experts, even a road trip with the family can be challenging and they’ve devised products that will help make it more enjoyable.  We will be trying those out this summer and I’ll be sure to report back on our road - not yet plane - trip fun! 

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 4:20 pm and is filed under Where in the World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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One Response to “Kids on a plane?!?!”

  1. John C. Havens Says:
    June 18th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

    As a parent and frequent traveler, I can sympathize here on both sides of the fence (or aisle, preferably the exit row).

    But ban kids from planes? As hard as it can be to get a direct flight from A to B in the first place? I think the better answer is to get startup funding for the businesses that could surely proliferate where there is such a need.

    Here are some ideas:

    -Portable DVD players stocked on flights parents can rent. If I forgot my iPod or computer and was staring at my Dora DVD and a peeved four year old daughter, I’d pay some serious coin to have a stewardess hand me that DVD player. This would also be a feature I’d pay for to join an Airlines special club; have the movies and player available so I can pick it up in Newark and then return it when I land in Nashville.

    -Healthy baby food options. Milk alone won’t cut it; stock some formula or other items that Moms/Dads trust. Be aware of getting items that have no widely known allergens.

    -Offer me a reduced parent fee to get bumped to business or first class. When I traveled from Hawaii to NYC with my one year old son, I would have paid $100 or more for an upgrade when he cried nonstop for two hours (my wife eventually unpacked a suitcase, put his blankie and toys in there and laid our son at our feet which worked like a charm).

    -Stock noise-canceling headphones on a plane. I’d get those now (have you ever tried to watch a movie if you’re seated near the wing with that engine noise?) Make sure to also provide a Purell handy wipe when I get them so I feel good about wiping away months of other user’s ear goo.

    Where others hear crying (babies), I see commerce.

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