Long-Haul Flights With Kids: 11 Tips From a Full-Time Travelling Family
Travelling long-haul with kids can feel overwhelming, especially if you're preparing for your first international family holiday.
After flying thousands of kilometres with our four children across Australia and Asia in recent years (and North America when our family was a little smaller), we've learned that surviving a long-haul flight isn't about luck—it's about preparation.
We've had flights where everyone slept beautifully and flights where nobody slept at all. We've navigated delays, immigration queues, lost sleep, missed naps, airport floor naps, long layovers, and all the ups and downs that come with travelling as a family.
The good news?
With a little planning and realistic expectations, long-haul flights with kids can be far less stressful than you might imagine.
These are the tips we wish someone had shared with us before our first long-haul family flight.
1. Choose Your Flight Times Carefully
One of the biggest factors in a successful long-haul flight with kids is choosing the right departure time.
If possible, try to select flights that align with your children's normal sleep schedule. Overnight flights can work particularly well because children are naturally tired and may sleep through a significant portion of the journey.
That said, every child is different. Some children can sleep anywhere, while others seem determined to stay awake for the entire flight regardless of the time zone.
Think about your family's natural rhythm and choose flights accordingly.
2. Consider Breaking Up Long Flights
One of our personal travel rules is that we rarely book flights longer than about 11 hours at a time.
Could we?
Sure.
Do we want to?
Not really.
If your schedule allows, consider adding a stopover along the way. I know many of us want to “just Get Their”, but having a stop does help. Getting a couple of hours off the plane before your next flight can also help if you have little ones that are struggling. It gives them a break as much as it does you.
AND! - often the flights with 1 or more stops work out more affordable. So, not so bad for your hip pocket.
Sometimes you might be able to turn one holiday into two! Getting an extra passport stamp and experiencing another destination is always exciting.
We've found that a few days exploring a stopover destination often leaves everyone feeling much more refreshed than pushing through an extremely long travel day.
3. Prepare Your Kids Before You Leave Home
Children generally cope much better when they know what to expect.
Before travelling, spend some time explaining:
Airport check-in and long queues
Baggage drop
Security screening
Boarding procedures
What happens during take-off and landing
Turbulence and seatbelt signs
Immigration and customs on arrival
Airport security can be particularly overwhelming for children.
Parents are often trying to remove devices from bags, organise passports, take off shoes, collect belongings, and keep an eye on children all at the same time.
We try and make it so each child is responsible for their own backpack (age appropriate of course), because if you are traveling like us, we have:
6x carry-on cases (we keep checked luggage to a minimum to save $$),
5x backpacks, and
1 or 2 tote bags with items we couldn’t cram in the checked luggage.
So, things can get a little crazy!
We also have a NO COSTUME JEWELLERY rule for the girls. When you are in a line of anxious travelers all wanting to get through the security checkpoint, unnecessary accessories can jam up the que, and spike anxieties with your children.
Backpacks should be:
Special toys,
Snacks & lollipops to suck on for sensitive ears, and
Books and / or devices for entertainment only.
We also remind the kids that cases go in the overhead compartments, while backpacks go under the seat in front.
One fun idea is to do a practice run in your living room before you leave. Try and simulate the experience around the kitchen table and backpacks with any devices.
There are also some fantastic YouTube videos that walk children through the airport experience step-by-step.
For younger travellers, simply knowing what will happen next can make a huge difference to their confidence and cooperation.
We often remind our kids that travel days can be challenging, but we're a team and we'll get through it together.
4. Keep Devices Charged for Long-Haul Flights
Technology can be a lifesaver on long flights.
Whether you're usually a screen-time family or not, long-haul travel may be the time to make a few exceptions.
Many budget airlines don't provide individual entertainment screens, so having your own devices prepared is important.
Before heading to the airport, make sure everything is fully charged, including:
Tablets
Phones
Headphones
Cameras
Power banks
Remember that power banks and laptops must be packed in your carry-on luggage and not in checked baggage.
Keep chargers and charging cables somewhere easily accessible.
You don't want to be digging through suitcases while boarding with tired children.
5. Pack Plenty of Snacks for the Flight
Never underestimate the power of snacks.
Many budget airlines don't provide complimentary meals, and even when meals are included, children don't always enjoy what's being served.
The last thing you want is hungry kids trapped on a plane for hours.
Food purchased onboard can also become expensive, especially if you're travelling as a larger family.
Some of our favourite travel snacks include:
Crackers
Muesli bars
Dried fruit
Rice crackers
Pretzels
Small packets of biscuits
Choose foods that are easy to eat, relatively mess-free, and familiar to your children.
A well-timed snack can solve a surprising number of travel-day problems.
We also like to pack a few special treats. Having something exciting to look forward to can make a challenging day feel a little easier.
6. Bring Comfort Items From Home
Airplanes can get surprisingly cold, particularly on overnight flights.
We always pack:
A lightweight jacket or jumper
Warm socks
Neck pillows
A small blanket if space allows
Many budget airlines don't provide pillows or blankets, so bringing your own can make a huge difference to your child's comfort and ability to sleep.
7. Consider Airport Lounge Access
If you have a long layover, airport lounges can be worth their weight in gold.
Many lounges offer:
Comfortable seating
Food and drinks
Charging stations
Wi-Fi
Showers
Quieter spaces away from busy terminals
We've found lounges especially helpful when travelling long-haul with children because they provide somewhere to reset between flights.
Some premium credit cards include lounge access, while others can be purchased for a day fee.
8. Be Careful With Self-Transfer Flights
This is one travel tip we wish more families knew about.
A self-transfer flight may look cheaper when booking, but it can create significant stress during the journey.
Depending on the airport, you may need to:
Collect your luggage
Re-check your luggage
Pass through immigration
Clear security again
Transfer to another terminal
Sometimes that terminal isn't even connected to the original airport building.
After a long flight with tired children, this can be exhausting.
Personally, if the price difference isn't substantial, we'd usually pay extra for a protected connection where the airline handles the transfer process.
9. Be Prepared for Long Immigration Queues
Landing isn't always the end of the travel day.
In many countries, immigration queues can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.
By this stage everyone is usually tired, hungry, and ready to reach their accommodation.
This is where parents often need to dig deep.
Stay patient, keep the kids encouraged, offer snacks if you have them, and remember that eventually the line will move.
A calm parent can make a huge difference during this final stage of the journey.
10. Organise Your Arrival Before You Fly
One of the best family travel tips we can give is to organise as much as possible before you leave home.
Before departure, make sure you've:
Applied for any required eVisas
Downloaded offline maps
Organised your airport transfer
Sorted your SIM card or eSIM
Saved your accommodation address
Checked local transport options
The less you need to figure out when you're exhausted, the smoother your arrival will be.
If you're travelling to a new country for the first time, pre-booking your airport transfer can remove a lot of unnecessary stress.
11. Decide the Window Seat Before Boarding
Trust us on this one.
Work out who gets the window seat before you board the aircraft.
Having this conversation at home is much easier than negotiating it while other passengers are trying to sit down around you.
It's a small thing, but it can prevent a surprising amount of family drama.
Our Long-Haul Flight Carry-On Checklist
Before every international flight, we make sure we have:
✓ Passports
✓ Boarding passes
✓ Chargers and power banks
✓ Tablets and headphones
✓ Snacks
✓ Water bottles (filled after security)
✓ Lightweight jacket
✓ Warm socks
✓ Neck pillow
✓ Spare change of clothes for younger children
✓ Wet wipes
✓ Tissues
✓ Basic medications
✓ Travel documents and visas
Frequently Asked Questions About Long-Haul Flights With Kids
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Every child is different, but many parents are surprised to discover that babies and toddlers often travel better than expected. Older children may find it easier to understand the journey, while younger children may sleep for larger portions of the flight.
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Downloaded movies, audiobooks, colouring books, travel games, fidget toys, snacks, and tablets loaded with offline content can all help keep children entertained during long flights.
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For many families, overnight flights can work well because children are more likely to sleep through part of the journey. However, it depends on your child's sleep habits and personality.
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In many situations, yes. Direct flights reduce the number of transitions, minimise the chance of missed connections, and make travelling with young children much easier.
However, if the direct flight is extremely long, we often prefer breaking the journey up with a stopover and turning the travel itself into part of the adventure.
Final Thoughts
The reality is that long-haul flights with kids aren't always easy.
There will probably be moments when someone is tired, someone is hungry, and someone is asking, "Are we there yet?" for the hundredth time.
But there is something pretty special about watching your children step into a new country, experience a new culture, and realise just how big the world really is.
The flight is simply the bridge that gets you there.
A little preparation goes a long way, and before you know it, you'll be making memories together on the other side of the world.
Have you flown long-haul with kids before? We'd love to hear your best tips in the comments below.
