Booking Flights With Kids
Booking flights with kids is a different job than booking a flight for yourself. The cheapest fare on the first search screen is almost never the one you want, because the thing that wrecks a travel day isn’t the price. It’s the 8 hour layover, the midnight landing, or finding out at the gate that your seats are scattered across three rows. Here is everything we check before we pay, roughly in the order we check it.
Booking Flights With Kids Starts With Research
A lot goes in to researching a flight. While some may be tempted to just purchase the lowest fare on their first search through a third-party website, there are a lot of reasons you should consider putting in a little more time and research before pulling the trigger. If you are a first-time traveler or if you are traveling with young kids it is especially important to try to eliminate the risk of unwanted surprises. Here are a few tips and considerations for how to find the best flights once you have chosen a destination.
Compare Prices Before You Book
Budget and cost are usually the first thing a person considers when they are ready to look at flights. Use online travel agencies and airlines’ websites to compare prices for different flights and routes. I tend to start with Google Flights to get an idea of price and routing. I like that the calendar, upon selecting dates, shows you the lowest price fare in case you can be a little flexible on your dates. I then head over to Momondo to search the same flight to see if there are any fare differences. Then on to Kayak, to do the same. But don’t book anything yet, there are still quite a few things left to investigate first.
Layovers and How Long Is Too Long With Kids
Long layovers can add up to extra hours of travel time, so be aware of any layovers and their duration when comparing flights on these sites. If you have littles in tow my guess is that you don’t want to be stuck at an airport for 8 hours. In addition to layover duration, you may want to consider the number of stops to get to your destination. We love booking a direct flight, when possible, even if it means spending a little more. Travel days with kids are always going to be stressful so the convenience of avoiding stopovers is often worth the extra money.
If you are wondering what destinations your airport(s) offer direct flights to, you can use FlightConnections. It is a pretty handy tool that I use frequently. If you can’t fly direct, a 3-hour layover is ideal. This gives you a little flexibility if there is a delay with your first leg and gives you and the kids enough time to stretch, eat and use the bathroom before you need to start boarding the next flight. Check out our page on layovers vs stopovers for more details on both and how you could possibly use them to your advantage!
Baggage Allowance and What It Really Costs
Most of the search engines above will also notate if the ticket you are looking at includes checked or carry-on baggage. You need to factor in any additional costs for checked or extra baggage if it is not included. Sometimes a base economy fare is worth it and sometimes it is not, so consider what your needs will be for the trip.
Consider the Time of the Flight
For me, how to find the best flights, is heavily impacted by flight times since I am traveling with small children. Look at the duration of the flight and the time difference of your destination; this will help you plan for jet lag and other issues. This may seem less important if you are not traveling with littles but could still be worth your consideration. If this is your first trip with kids or you are traveling with young children, you may not want to book a late night flight, or a super early morning flight. You are already going to be challenging their limits, so why set yourself up for more meltdowns? If you think that taking a night flight means your kids will sleep through the flight, you may be wrong.
Also look at the time of arrival in your destination. If you are taking a long flight between continents then this is more important. If your flight is within a few hours of your original time zone then this is less relevant. For example, you and your kids take a 9-hour flight and land at your destination at 8 in the morning. Your kids still must make it through that entire day after likely not sleeping much on the plane. If you let them nap after getting settled in, are they going to sleep that night? Adjusting to the destinations time zone sooner rather than later can make for a much more enjoyable trip.
Whenever possible, we try to land at destinations in the afternoon or evening. Afternoon is preferable so we are not landing at a new destination in the dark, and then we can usually push the kids to make it to an early evening bedtime. Evening arrival is also ok as we are all usually exhausted and ready for bed. But if you are a first-time traveler or traveling with kids, landing at night may add unwanted stress to your trip.
Check the Fine Print Before You Pay
Many airlines and travel agencies charge additional fees for things like seat selection and meal service. Be sure to read the fine print and factor in any additional costs, cancellation fees etc. When you do find the ideal flight using one of the sites mentioned above, I highly recommend going directly to that airlines website to book that flight. Sometimes there is a fare difference between the third party websites and directly through the airline. You may be tempted to book the third party option if it is lower, but be careful; there were a lot of people that learned the hard way during COVID that getting refunds or making changes to their flight were painstakingly difficult, if not impossible in many cases. If the third party website is offering a significantly lower price, you will have to make the decision that is best for your situation.
We had a trip booked to Japan and South Korea in April 2020. Luckily, I had booked all of the flights directly with the airlines (partly because I get 5x points on my Amex booking directly but that is a whole other travel consideration). I had full refunds from three different airlines within 8 weeks with either a single phone call, or in one case they just notified me of the refund. There was no gripe, delays or countless hours on the phone. Moral of the story here, if you think there is a chance that you may need to cancel or postpone the trip for any reason, booking direct through the airline is your best bet. The airlines are usually pretty clear about their change/cancelation options and fees depending on the ticket you are booking.
Seat Selection When Booking Flights With Kids
Super important if you are flying with kids. While most airlines will not separate a young child and a parent, because that is not good for anyone on board, I find that the peace of mind is extremely valuable. If you know you are going to be stressed the day of travel, then reserve a seat, even if it costs extra. One less thing to worry about makes for a smoother travel day. Many times seat selection is included in the fare, but you want to check when you are booking and if it is not, consider the cost of reserving a seat. If you are traveling with an infant, then ask the airline about bassinet options at the bulkhead. These are only found on international routing, not domestic, but they are fabulous for long trips. Below is a picture of Kaida at 3 months, sleeping on our 16-hour flight to Singapore. She spent most of the time in that bassinet and it was the best! Mom and dad’s arms and sanity were happy campers on that flight.
Use Fare Alerts to Track Prices
If you are researching far enough in advance then use fare alert tools to track prices for your desired flights and routes, so you can be notified when prices drop. Both Google Flights and Skyscanner are good resources for flight tracking. If you are way ahead of the game on researching your trip then this can be a valuable tool to help save you some money. If you are thinking of taking an international flight, then starting your search 10 or 11 months in advance is advisable. Doing so gives you time to track flight prices before you need to book and save for the trip as you now have a rough idea of fare cost.
When Should You Book Your Ticket?
There are several travel experts and bloggers that weigh in on this so you can google it if you want multiple opinions. For the most part, those experts recommend booking international travel between 3 to 8 months in advance, and domestic flights 1-3 months in advance. If you want to travel during a major holiday, then the going advice is book as early as possible!
Final Thoughts on Booking Flights With Kids
How to find the best flights is a bit of a science experiment that can differ for each consumer. The best flight for one may not be appealing for another. Hopefully the above information and considerations will help you figure out what flight works the best for you! Check out our layover vs stopover page for even more insight on how to make the most of your flight!
If you are newer to travel, make sure to check out our pages on where to start, hotel vs Airbnb and travel safety tips for planning your next (or first) adventure!
