Traveling by plane with children

In summer, the desire to travel by plane with children and family vacations multiply. Low cost flights and cheap fares allow many travelers, and especially families, to enjoy short trips to national or international destinations without having to make a large financial outlay. However, if you want to travel by plane with small children, planning the holidays may be essential for most families, especially if they plan to travel by plane. Preparing the trip as far in advance as possible means not leaving details or questions unknown to us at the last moment. Pre-planning is the key when flying with children, especially if we consider that regulations change very frequently. 5 tips for traveling with children by plane

1. Luggage.

What can and can not be taken on the plane when traveling with children? How much luggage is allowed on the plane? How to take advantage of airline offers to travel as a family with weight and luggage restrictions? It all depends on the airline you fly with, so we advise you to check the conditions before booking your tickets. The majority of the main airlines

low cost (such as Vueling, Ryan Air or EasyJet) allow you to check in a suitcase between 15 and 23 Kg per passenger with an additional cost that moves between 10 and 20 € maximum. Regarding the weight of specific luggage for children under two years old, some airlines, such as Virgin Atlantic or Iberia, allow a maximum of 23 Kg to be invoiced at no additional cost. However, most companies do not accept more than 10 Kg per baggage. billed for children under 2 years of age. 2. Special chair or seat for children on the plane.

Normally, it is advisable for the child to be insured in a travel chair, when a specific seat has been acquired for him inside the plane, a place that is usually mandatory in all companies from 2 years of age. In this case, most airlines allow a stroller or wheeled cart to come on board without incurring any additional economic charge. There are some exceptions, as is the case of Ryanair, which adds a charge of € 10 per seat and / or travel cot.

In any case, each company has different weight and size limits; for example, in the case of Easyjet, the car seat must not exceed 42 cm in width and must have a rigid metal or plastic structure. So the best thing, as always, is to call before to make sure that you will be able to upload yours on board. The light and folding chairs are much more comfortable to travel than those that are separated into two parts and are larger. The strollers of the McLaren brand, for example, tend to be lighter and could be a good solution to travel as little as possible.3. Baby crib during the flight.

Most airlines have cots, especially for long distance journeys, but they also set weight and size limits. In the case of a company such as Iberia, for example, cribs are for babies up to 8 months and 11 kg in weight. Of course, they offer the option to book it in advance (but not through the web), since the plane has only a limited number and runs the risk of running out of it. The best option is to reserve it at the time of buying the ticket.

4. Reserve a seat for the child on the plane. It is mandatory as long as your child is over two years old. In the case that the baby is smaller than this age, you can share the seat with an adult. Normally, airlines apply a minimum additional charge for babies who do not occupy their own seat. This is the case of several low cost companies, such as Easyjet, which has a fixed rate of € 25 per baby, Ryanair has € 20 or Iberia Express, which is 10 per cent of the price of the ticket.

5. Special bag to store the chair or baby cart at check-in.It is not mandatory, but it is recommended. This minimizes any damage during transport. In addition, virtually all airlines allow the stroller to be carried to the doors of the plane and then stored in the hold.

Luis MartíJournalist