Flying With Kids? These Are the World’s Best Airlines for Families

09.02.2024 - 14:12 / afar.com / Airlines

Flying with kids can be a stressful experience. But some airlines make the process easier by welcoming families with special comforts and conveniences. While it’s not always a given in the United States, most international airlines still offer early boarding for families with small children. Globally, on long-haul flights, most full-service airlines (versus a low-cost or charter airline) offer bassinets for infants, kids’ meals, and a kid-friendly category on the in-flight entertainment screen—at a minimum. For families looking for the smoothest in-flight experience, we’ve rounded up the airlines that offer the best services and amenities for people traveling with kids.

Best for: Infant seats

While offering a lie-flat bassinet for infants is standard on most long flights, most airlines have them available only to babies up to six months of age. So parents of infants who are 7 to 24 months old find themselves having to fly for six or more hours with a baby on their lap. But British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer special infant seats with five-point harnesses for babies up to 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs) and 11 kg (24.25 lbs), respectively. This accommodates most babies up to the 24-month mark, so parents can travel relatively comfortably without having to purchase an extra seat.

Has Air New Zealand started a (family-friendly) trend with its Skycouch? Now several airlines are offering a similar option in economy.

Courtesy of Air New Zealand

Best for: Lie-flat seating in economy

Intrepid traveling parents may be familiar with fly beds, the cottage industry of products that help to extend the area of an economy seat with a raised-footrest-style extension so that young kids can lie flat. There are two basic variations: the kids’ suitcase extension, like the JetKids by Stokke Bedbox, and the inflatable one, like the FlyAway Kids Bed. But Air New Zealand eliminates the need to carry a fly bed with you by providing the option to book a Skycouch, a row of economy class seats that are fitted with footrests that can lift up to extend the seat area, allowing smaller children to easily lie down in their seat. But the brilliant part is that with bigger children and even adults, you can lie down across several seats and have a bit more space.

Not flying to or from New Zealand? Other airlines have adopted the Skycouch design on some of their flights, including Azul (Brazil), Air Astana (Kazakhstan), Air Austral (France), and All Nippon Airways (Japan).

Best for: Friendly staff and a fan favorite

Among members of the Bébé Voyage community of traveling parents, Turkish Airlines ranks very high. Aside from kids’ meals and entertainment, Alena Gladilina de Covaria, a Russian Ukrainian mother currently based in Poland, notes