Our family of 8 took a plane ride to Hawaii in January. The pandemic has made vacationing to Hawaii a process of COVID tests and forms you can read about here.
In this post, I am going to share how 3 adults and 5 children ages 10, 7, 5, 5 and 3 made it from California to Hawaii without tears or many complaints at all.
Be Prepared
To be prepared is half the victory
Miguel De Cervantes
Airplane Rides +Kids = Snacks + Entertainment + Whatever Works
Snacks
The best advise is to be prepared and pray all goes well! Since some airlines are not providing as many snacks or meals, make sure to bring plenty of your own!
Our flight was 5+ hours so I knew I needed to pack hearty and variety. Keep in mind that many restaurants at the airport are also closed so grabbing a meal before boarding the plane is less convenient right now. I like packing snacks anyway because I know what my kids will and will not eat AND it’s much cheaper (and healthier) than airport food.
I’m a big fan of packing variety because just like adults, kids turn to food if they are bored. Variety comes in textures, flavors and by all means… bust out the novel munchies! My kids get all the character fruit snacks and fun shaped goldfish I can pack!
I also add fruit and some kind of protein to sustain them. Peanut butter + apples or pretzels for dipping is a hit! You can buy them in convenient single serving packs too!
Another win is bringing Instant Cup of Noodles or Instant Mac + Cheese and a plastic fork. Just ask the flight attendant to fill it with boiling water and *viola* lunch is served!
All snacks go into one gallon sized zip tight bag and I add a few napkins and plastic utensils.
For early morning flights I pack muffins or banana bread and some fruit. We always bring empty water bottles to fill once we pass security and it’s the best container to pour in-flight beverages in (if not carbonated) to limit spills.
I’ve included a Snack Packing List below with a free download to fill in yourself so you can be prepared.
We flew Southwest from California to Oahu and I was pleasantly surprised with their snack bundles. But for the record, my kids only ate the fruit snacks…
Entertainment
Books, Coloring Sets, Tablets… whatever entertains your child is non-negotiable. Moms, no one will judge you if your kids are on the screen the entire flight. This is called: Do what works!
Don’t forget to charge everything the night before + to pack headphones!
Bribes
In case you missed it, flying with kids is all about doing whatever works to keep them occupied.
Pack the lollipops.
Just trust me on this one!
Dress in Layers + Bring a Change of Clothes
If we have an early flight, we allow our kids to wear their jammies on the plane and bring a change of clothes. Also a good idea to bring a change if your destination has a different climate… like flying to Hawaii in January!
In-flight can have varying temps so wearing layers is key! Also, we’ve had full on lap spills so having a change makes life better when the unplanned happens.
Backpacks
If your kids are old enough, I recommend giving them their own backpack with everything inside they need (snacks, books, tablets, change of clothes, etc.). Once we started doing this (aka Mom + Dad are no longer pack mules) it was a game changer because:
- They loved the possession of all their things and the independence it brings
- Parents have less to carry (which means I have a spare hand to carry-on a grande coffee!).
Specific to the Pandemic
Our experience with Southwest was excellent! The flight attendants were kind and hospitable. I was nervous about the kids keeping their masks on for the whole flight but they did great!
It is most important to keep the mask on BEFORE take-off. Once in the air, our kids ate snacks, drank water and had plenty of mask breaks. The kids also wear gator masks which are pretty breathable and also, acceptable mask coverings.
I packed plenty of sanitary hand wipes and sanitizer but I do this regardless of a pandemic.
Only water was offered during the flight and their snack bundles were packaged individually.
The seats are spaced WAAAAAAY out! Even with no assigned seating, we didn’t have to worry about having a buffer seat (or buffer rows!). As far as I’m concerned this is a HUGE benefit to flying right now.
Non-Pandemic Tips
Get TSA PreChecked
This will save you many (many) minutes waiting in the security line. The average wait time is 5 minutes! Bonus: Experience a smoother screening process – no need to remove shoes, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, food or light jackets. Only adults need to be pre-checked and all minors 12 and under can join in the shortcut line. It’s not expensive at all and it lasts for 5 years!
Bring the Carseats
If your kids are used to sitting in car seats for longer periods of time, bring the carseat onboard. You can strap them in if it feels more familiar (and if it saves you trips doing laps up and down the aisle).
That’s it! I hope this is helpful for you! Please ask any questions below in the comments. Also, I linked a few of our favorite things below for easy reference. Happy Flying!
Family In-Flight Favs
