It wasn’t easy, but we survived. And that’s a parenting win.
Then again, is any redeye flight ever easy?
Whether you’re flying across the United States or internationally, choosing to spend your sleeping hours on a plane is not for the faint of heart.
Add in small kids, and it’s a daunting task indeed.
All things considered, our five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son did better than we expected on their first overnight travel experience – and notably better than some of the adults.
We departed Anchorage, Alaska at 12:55 AM, first flying to Seattle, Washington for a two-hour layover before our flight home to Atlanta, Georgia.
Would we do it all over again?
Without question, yes.
Creating core memories with our kids…you can’t put a price on that. Sure, we were tired all day, and there were times everyone was a bit cranky. But the journey is half the fun, right?
That said, in the future we will of course do things a bit different.
Tips for a Redeye Flight with Kids
Cashing in on some miles and opting for the redeye with a connecting flight saved us money.
And who doesn’t love saving money, right?
Throughout our near 16-hour travel day, the old saying “time is money” kept popping up into my head.
Having to connect mid-way through extended the journey and created a major challenge for our small children. They persevered, and Mom and Dad ultimately felt good knowing we’re helping mold little pro travelers.
Yes, the kids cried. They were exhausted. We knew tears were going to flow at some point. Parents should be prepared to handle that, and sadly also be ready to take on some scolding looks from fellow travelers. The looks we got from a teenage boy did not surprise us…but the looks from that boy’s mother kind of shocked us. The tears didn’t last long and were mainly due to the pressure change on the descent.
Toys, games and snacks (plus the screens on the seat backs) came in clutch when we needed. Keeping the kids active during the day and up and moving prior to boarding is also essential. Shoutout to the Anchorage airport for having some kid play areas and free books.
The two-year-old won’t remember any of this, and the five-year-old will probably just remember sleeping on the plane and the extra lollipops she got.
But Mom and Dad will never forget the experience and the memories made. Our camera roll is stacked, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
In the future, we’ll make sure any redeye flight we do is a direct non-stop flight. That’s the biggest takeaway and tip.
Of course, once they get older, we’ll be doing what we can to save money because flight prices I fear will never not be expensive. Our food budget will increase as they grow…we have to save money somewhere, right?
So, our future may include a redeye with a connection again when they’re bigger. We know we can handle it. But for now, they’ve earned the right to as many nonstop flights as we can provide them.
So, would you take your young children on a red-eye flight?
Let me know your thoughts and follow me on social media: @EricBowman_
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