Travelling With Children This Summer? Make The Airport Easier And Part of The Fun

Anyone who has travelled with children knows that the holiday starts long before you get on the plane, and how you navigate the airport can set the tone for the journey and family time. Before boarding, there is check-in and security to get through, bags and pushchairs to manage, children to keep fed and entertained, and often a few hours to fill before the flight even leaves. During the summer holidays, when UK airports are at their busiest, getting this part of the journey right can make the difference between starting a holiday already exhausted and arriving at the gate feeling relatively prepared.

Fortunately, much of the airport experience can be made easier with a little planning. Giving yourself enough time, packing your hand luggage around what you'll actually need and thinking ahead about where you'll spend the time before boarding can make travelling with kids considerably easier.

For many families, that includes spending some of the pre-flight wait in an airport lounge. In fact, Dragonpass research found that 35% of UK lounge users typically visit airport lounges when travelling with children under 18. With somewhere to sit, eat and take a break from the main terminal, a lounge can be less of a luxury and more of a useful part of the family airport routine.

And for younger travellers, that time can become part of the holiday experience too. This summer, No1 Lounge is giving children something of their own to enjoy before take-off. Throughout August, every pre-booked child under 12 visiting My Lounge at Gatwick North, Gatwick South or Luton will receive a Little Loungers Picnic Box to enjoy while the family spends time in the lounge before boarding.

A little organisation before leaving home can save a lot of unnecessary scrambling once you reach the airport. When travelling with children, keep passports, boarding passes, a letter of consent to travel with a child or any other documents you may need together and somewhere easy to reach. It is also worth checking your airline and departure airport requirements in advance, particularly if you are travelling with a pushchair, car seat, baby milk or other items that may need to be handled differently at check-in or security.

Think about your hand luggage in much the same way. Snacks, medication, wipes, spare clothes and something to keep children entertained are worth keeping within reach, particularly if you have time to fill before boarding or your flight is delayed. It is a small bit of planning, but having what you need when you need it can go a long way towards stress-free airport travel with children, especially during the busy summer holiday period.

Travelling through an airport with kids usually takes a little longer, so build more time into your journey than you would when travelling alone. There is no single arrival time that works for every family or flight, but your airline's recommended check-in time should be the minimum starting point. From there, allow extra time for checking in bags or pushchairs, getting everyone through security and dealing with the inevitable toilet, food or last-minute stop along the way.

During the summer holidays, that extra time becomes even more useful. UK airports can be busier, queues can take longer and rushing through the terminal with children is not the best start to a holiday. Anything that can help make getting through the airport feel smoother and more predictable is worth understanding before you travel. Arriving with enough time to get through the necessary parts of the airport without watching the clock also leaves you with more choice over what you do before boarding, whether that's finding somewhere to eat, letting the children settle or spending some time in an airport lounge.

Airport security can be one of the more fiddly parts of travelling with children, particularly when you are managing hand luggage, a pushchair and everything a baby or young child needs along the way. Knowing what will need to come out of your bags, what can stay with you and how your airport handles pushchairs can make the process much easier when you get there.

If You're Flying With A Baby

Milk, formula and baby food can be subject to different security rules from the liquids in the rest of your hand luggage, so check the requirements for your departure airport before you travel. The same goes for pushchairs. Some airports will let you keep them until the gate, while others may require them to be checked in earlier.

If you're packing snacks for older children too, it is worth checking what types of food you can bring through security at UK airports before filling your hand luggage. Keeping anything you may need to remove at security somewhere easy to reach also means less unpacking while you're trying to keep an eye on the children.

Make The Queue Part Easier Too

You cannot plan away every airport queue, especially during the summer holidays, but you can check what options your departure airport offers before you arrive. Some airports have family or assistance lanes, while Fast Track may be available depending on the airport and your access.

If you're weighing up whether Fast Track would actually help your family, understanding how much time Fast Track can save compared with standard security can help you decide before you travel.

Once you're through security, you may still have an hour or two before boarding. With children, that time can either drag or give everyone a chance to eat, recharge and settle before getting on the plane. One of the most useful family travel tips is to think about how you'll spend that part of the journey before you arrive, rather than waiting until everyone is hungry, bored or tired.

Airport lounges give you a more comfortable place to spend that time, and some also have entertainment facilities to keep younger travellers occupied. Depending on the lounge, this could include table football, game rooms, or even a cinema, giving kids something to do while parents have a chance to recharge before boarding.

Plan Food Around Your Flight

If you'll be at the airport over a usual mealtime, decide whether you'll bring something with you or eat once you're through security. Familiar snacks are useful when travelling with kids, particularly if there is a delay, while having a proper meal before boarding can mean one less thing to think about once you're on the plane.

Airport food does not necessarily have to mean an expensive last-minute meal either. There are ways to eat healthily at an airport without spending a fortune, particularly if you know what options are available before you arrive.

Keep The Waiting Time Interesting

For younger children, variety tends to work better than relying on one activity for the entire wait. A book or colouring might work for a while, followed by a small game or something downloaded to watch before the flight.

If you're flying with a baby, the priorities may be different. Feeding, changing and finding somewhere comfortable to sit can matter far more than entertainment, so checking where the baby-changing and family facilities are at your departure airport and what is available at your selected lounge can save you from searching for them when you need them.

Find Somewhere The Family Can Reset Before Boarding

Not every minute before a flight needs to be filled. Sometimes the most useful thing is simply having somewhere the family can sit together, eat and take a break from the main terminal before it's time to head to the gate.

An airport lounge can give families that breathing room. Instead of spending the entire wait moving between shops, restaurants and the gate, you have somewhere to settle for a while and grab something to eat. Depending on the lounge, children may also be able to watch TV, charge a tablet before the flight or find a quieter space to rest. For parents travelling with children, having everyone fed, occupied and comfortable in one place can make a noticeable difference to how the rest of the airport journey feels.

There is no need to plan every minute of your time at the airport, but knowing where the pressure points are likely to be can make travelling with kids considerably easier. Give yourself enough time, keep the things you'll need within reach and think about where the family will eat, sit and spend the time before boarding.

It is also worth thinking about which airport experiences would genuinely make a difference to your family. Fast Track can reduce time spent waiting for security at participating airports, while a lounge or discounted dining options can give everyone somewhere more comfortable to eat, recharge and settle before the flight. The best family travel tips are often the simplest: make the airport work around your family, rather than spending the start of your holiday rushing through it.

Make your next airport experience when travelling with kids easier with Dragonpass.

Explore the Dragonpass membership options available for lounge access, Fast Track and other airport benefits. You may also already receive Dragonpass benefits through your bank, payment card or another eligible programme, so it's worth checking what you have access to before purchasing.