Flying with youngsters

[LdnCpl]

Does anyone know the cutoff age for getting a pre-board when you have kids? Our DS will be 4 when we fly out of DTW in January.

 

[Nicki828]

Does anyone know the cutoff age for getting a pre-board when you have kids? Our DS will be 4 when we fly out of DTW in January.

When we flew last year with my 5 and 8 year old we went on when they were pre boarding - I don't think they really check.

 

[encinc]

It totally depends on the airlines. Many airlines have stopped preboarding families. I have occasionally been able to preboard when traveling with carseats to install, but even then, it has been at the mercy of the gate agents.

TBH, I prefer not to preboard with the kids. It just gives them more time to have to sit around on the plane. When we have a carseat or two to install, I usually like to preboard with the seats to give me time to get them installed, then DH waits until the last possible moment to bring the kids on board.

 

[mommytodarlings]

Who are you flying with?

We just got back on Saturday, flew down with Airtran and flew back with NWA. Neither one of them had preboarding for families.

NWA even announced that they do not preboard families as the majority of their customers are families.

We have 4 children ages 2-6.

 

[MikeyNS]

It totally depends on the airlines. Many airlines have stopped preboarding families. I have occasionally been able to preboard when traveling with carseats to install, but even then, it has been at the mercy of the gate agents.

TBH, I prefer not to preboard with the kids. It just gives them more time to have to sit around on the plane. When we have a carseat or two to install, I usually like to preboard with the seats to give me time to get them installed, then DH waits until the last possible moment to bring the kids on board.

I agreee. When we travel with our now 3yr old I would go on first and install his seat, get all the bags settled, etc and my wife would come on the plane at the last possible minute so that he's not sitting there getting impatient. Worked like a charm!

 

[Luhts]

We just flew NWA out of Detroit and they did not pre-board families. We usually prefer to board last with our fidgety 9 y/o anyway as the less time he is confined to the airplane seat the better! On our way home, we kinda wanted the preboard tho as we hadn't had lunch and wanted to gobble some sandwiches we were bringing onboard before takeoff, but we still managed to get time to eat even with general boarding.

 

[grantclaire]

We never preboarded when the kids were young. In fact sometimes we waited at the end of the line. It can be a long flight for the under 4yr old crowd!

 

[Jaymie]

Spirit in Jan 08 and NWA in July 08 didn't preboard families because most of the passengers were kids.