Embarking on a family flight can be a hectic experience, with the risk of overlooking important details. To help you stay organised, we've compiled a comprehensive family travel checklist covering everything from booking to departure time, ensuring you're well-prepared for your journey!
Not everyone knows where they want to take their family's on holiday. Check out our blog for some destination inspiration, where we cover many topics such as cheapest countries, family travel hacks, National Parks, 2024 travel hacks and also lots of local’s guides from destinations around the world.
At Alternative Airlines, we recognise that arranging family flights can be anxiety-inducing and overwhelming, especially if you're unfamiliar with our services. Explore our exceptional Feefo reviews from satisfied customers to gain insight into our excellent reputation!
We love to provide our customers with choice. Not only on the numerous airlines we can ticket (over 600!) but also a choice on how to pay. We accept over 160 currencies, on over 25 ways to pay, including localised payment methods such as iDeal or M-Pesa and many finance options such as Klarna, PayPal Credit or Affirm.
Sometimes you may have strict dates of when you can travel, such as during school holidays, or perhaps you would prefer to fly during the night to fit in with your babies sleeping schedule. If you have a little more flexibility, why not find the cheapest day to fly using our best fare finder. Alternatively, read our blog on the cheapest day to find and book flights.
If you haven't secured your family flights yet, why delay any further? Utilise the search bar above to explore available flights and finalise your booking. For assistance on the booking process with Alternative Airlines, refer to our helpful guide available here.
If it has been a while since you made your family's flight bookings, be sure to double check the details of the flights. You can do this either on your booking confirmation or on your Alternative Airlines Account. Read our guide to using Your Account here, which includes details of how to view your flight details.
To make sure you're sat together as a family, choose to pre-select your seats on the plane. You can do this with Alternative Airlines, and can be done either at the time when you purchase your flight, or after via the My Account section. Find out the benefits of reserving your seat on a flight, and guides of how to purchase them here.
Travelling as a family often means you have lots of things to remember to bring with you on your travels, and this is where extra baggage comes in handy! You can check your flight details if your flight already includes baggage and how much. If this isn’t enough then why not purchase additional baggage for your flight. If you haven’t already, find out how to book baggage onto your flights with Alternative Airlines here.
If you think you or your children might want a meal on the plane but perhaps have any dietary requirements of preferences, book it before you go to avoid confusion on the plane and keep your flight as stress free as possible. Discover the range of special airline meals available, and which airlines provide them here, and how to add this onto your booking.
If you were impressed by the process of booking flights with us, then be sure to take a few minutes to review us. You’ll be sent a reminder by email after booking your flight.
Checking-in online can help save you so much time and stress at the airport, especially when there are children involved. Therefore, we highly recommend you to check-in for flights online, where the airline permits it. Read about how to check-in online, including more benefits here.
When travelling to certain countries, you and your family may require a visa or other travel documents to be granted entry. Discover more on our pages for travel documents you may require here.
Certain areas of the world are at risk of different diseases and illnesses, and many of these are preventable by travel vaccinations. Make sure you contact your doctor well enough in advance to ensure you are protected in enough time. If you would like to view the potential vaccinations you may require for each region of the world, check out our guide to travel vaccinations here.
If you think you may need special assistance at the airport or with the airline, please do not hesitate to contact us to see what we can do to help. Read more about health and mobility when flying here, or about Alternative Airline's passenger services here. It may also be worth researching into any extra assistance you and your family be able to get at the airport you're flying from.
Don’t forget you and your family's necessary travel documents and passport - or you will not be able to fly without them. For some airlines or countries, you may even require them for domestic flights, so be sure to brush up on the rules for your airline and country travelling in.
Airport security can be one of the most stressful parts of travelling with children so it's important that you have all documents to hand and you've allowed plenty of time to get you and your family through.
Make sure you pack efficiently, making sure your case or bag fits within the allowed dimensions and weight. Always weigh and measure it before you leave, as you don’t want to incur excess baggage charges at the airport. Also be sure to check you are not carrying any prohibited items, in either you hold or hand luggage.
There's nothing worse than forgetting you child's favourite toy or favourite book whilst travelling and it being their only source of entertainment. Plan ahead and remember to pack a few of their favourite things to help keep them entertained throughout the flight for a smoother journey.
It is always important to ensure you have enough medication with you incase of an emergency with either you or your children. You will often need to take this in your hand luggage, along with a doctors certificate, however these rules will vary depending on the airline and country rules. Read our guide on flying with medication here.
If you have time, and it fits in with your child's schedule, fill up at the airport with a delicious meal before you board. If you’re lucky, your airport might even be featured on our blog: The Best Airports for Foodies!
Bringing your own food on the plane with you is a great idea when flying as a family. Snacks act as an ideal distraction or reward for children which aids in a smoother travel day for your family. Remember there may be restrictions on what you are allowed to bring with you on the plane, so check these out before you travel.
Take a look at our page focused on maintaining wellness and health during flights, aiming to minimize the likelihood of common issues like DVT, jet lag, and dehydration. If you experience nervousness about flying, be sure to explore our tips designed specifically for first-time flyers.
We’re super proud of our Trustpilot rating, but don’t just take it from us. See why millions of others love booking their flights through Alternative Airlines
