Every parent of young children dreads the airport as flying with little ones can be stressful and exhausting. Whether it be a matter of comfort or entertainment, we’ve got some ideas on how to make the journey more enjoyable for all the family.

Words: Gabrielle Hernandez

Plane Pal

The extremely clever inflatable Plane Pal is the answer to parent’s prayers – particularly on long haul flights. It allows you to effectively extend your child’s seat, enabling them to stretch out comfortably and hopefully fall asleep. It comes with an air pump and folds into a small travel bag, making for easy transport and simple set up. A truly wonderful invention. From £47.99

KeepEmQuiet Packs

Taking in-flight entertainment to a new level, KeepEmQuiet rucksacks are a treasure trove of fun for little travellers. Each travel pack is filled with books, activities, snacks and various items that will keep your child content throughout the entire journey. Via the website you can tailor your pack to your child’s age and interests, even taking into consideration the duration of your trip. You’ll never hear ‘are we there yet’ again! From £9.99.

Little Life Child Carrier

Manage to carry all the essentials in one bag – including your little one – with the Traveller S3 Child Carrier from Little Life. Simply unzip the main compartment and find the hidden seat that allows you to pop your toddler in the back. Super comfy for both parent and child. Its compact size makes it ideal for air travel, and allows you keep your hands free when walking through the airport safe in the knowledge that your child is happily contained. £134.99.

The Acro Buggy

Any parent who has every flown with a bulky buggy will testify to how frustrating it is trying to fold it down at the gate and then wait for it at the other end as their child charges around the baggage reclaim hall. Well not any more. Mamas & Papas have introduced their lightest and most compact pram to date. The Acro, suitable from six months, can be folded away to carry in its own transit bag, meaning you can stow it in the overhead compartment and simply pop it up as soon as you clear the plane. If that’s not a travel game changer for stressed out parents we don’t know what is. £169.