Once you arrive at your vacation destination, you have to get the children off of the plane, collect the luggage, arrange for travel from the airport to the accommodation, and then begin your vacation. How you handle these duties, can quite conceivably set the tone for the entire vacation.
If at all possible, keep the carry-on bags to a minimum. Trying to disembark with several bags ad several children can be difficult. Try to take advantage of the children on first and the children off first courtesy that some airlines offer.
If one of the children is sleeping, if at all possible, let him or her keep sleeping. Younger children often have the mistaken idea that when the plane lands at the hotel that he or she can jump in the pool right away. Let the baby sleep as long as possible especially if the trip to the hotel from the airport is lengthy.
If a car has been rented, and if at all possible, have only one person go to get the car and then pick up the rest of the family. Dragging the family to a rental car lot after a long flight is not a wise idea. And if a car was rented, make sure the trip directions from the airport to the accommodation has been carefully plotted and jotted down or put in your phone. The first memorable vacation move should not be getting lost on the journey to the hotel.
Children who fly early and often are usually polite flyers. They also tend to have less fear of bumpy rides and extreme heights. There is such a thing as flight etiquette. Teach your children to stay in their seat area not bumping the person beside or in front of them. Teach them how to excuse themselves from their seat properly to go to the bathroom and how to say thank you to the flight attendant. If you start flight etiquette at a young age, it will become second nature to them.
Consider flying in the evening, so the children will sleep through the flight. Being confined to a seat in a plane is difficult for an adult, imagine how a child feels. If the child is sleeping, he or she will require less attention and you will not need to handle a restless or misbehaving child.
Having a small entertainment bag with snacks and a small drink included is a must for plane travel. It should not be a large bag, just a small one with a few amusements and a snack or two in it. Big bags are too difficult when embarking and disembarking from the plane. If your child is attached to a particular stuffed animal or toy, make sure you put that item in the entertainment bag in case the child needs reassurance, comfort, or security. The older children can bring on a tablet or game device for entertainment. As a courtesy to other passengers, remind them to bring their ear buds.
The post At the Airport, When Arriving for Your Destination After a Long Flight appeared first on FlyingKids.