Essential advice before flying with children this year

For any family, flying with children is a test of our organisational skills. Good preparation makes all the difference when it comes to managing meals, travel documents, getting through security and keeping young children entertained in a cramped cabin. Dealing with the unpredictability of little people is part of the adventure, but a new rule this year is adding an extra layer of complexity for UK families travelling to the Continent.  

The European Union has introduced the Entry/ Exit System (EES), which is a new biometric registration requirement that records fingerprints and facial scans at the border. The system was fully operational across European airports and ports in April 2026, leading to families travelling in May half term reporting significant delays at border control. With the school holidays coming up, delays should be factored into travel time both between landing at the airport and onward connections and travelling home. 

Yvonne Moynihan, UK managing director of Wizz Air, told the BBC in May 2026 that passengers should arrive at European airports three hours before their return flight departs. "When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water," she said. "Because there is another passport check...that's where we see that people have again experienced longer waiting times than anticipated." 

Many of us find the typical two hour arrival window enough when travelling with a family in the smaller airports with limited facilities, but travelling at peak times from airports popular with British travellers means an extra hour (or more) is recommended because of EES. According to the airport trade organisation ACI Europe, these biometric checks have caused average queues of three and a half hours at some major holiday hubs. There is concern that this could get worse during the busy summer months. 

When Are You Entitled to Compensation?

With this extra potential for disruption, knowing our passenger rights in the event of a missed flight or significant delay is incredibly important. Under UK aviation law (which retains the protections of EU Regulation 261/2004), you have the right to compensation for delayed flights if your flight departs from a UK airport, or arrives in the UK on a UK or EU airline and lands more than three hours late and it's the airline's fault.

The amount of compensation payable is fixed and is not related to how much you paid for the ticket, but rather the distance of your flight. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sets fixed rates at: £220 per passenger for short flights less than 1,500 km, £350 for mid-haul flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, and between £260 and £520 per passenger for longer flights depending on the length of the delay. For a family of four that could mean between £880 and £2,080 in potential compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed more than 3 hours.

While the compensation can soften the impact from the frustration and expenses of a delay, it's worth looking at the performance data to alleviate concerns and provide context. The on-time performance data published by the CAA for January 2026 provides useful context for families choosing routes or airlines. Across all UK airports in January, 73% of flights were on-time, meaning they left within 15 minutes of their schedule, with an average delay of almost 16 minutes. Manchester had the lowest overall on-time rate at 65.1% with an average delay of nearly 21 minutes. In comparison, Heathrow managed 73.7% and Gatwick managed 74.8%. 

The differences between airlines are more eye opening. Air India’s on-time performance level for the same period was only 24.3%, with an average delay of more than 41 minutes. Pegasus Airlines was next at 51.7%. In contrast, Icelandair’s on-time performance level was 88%, and Italia Trasporto Aereo’s was 88.1% showing that some carriers are much more reliable than others. It's worth noting though that the percentage of flights delayed enough for compensation to be paid is very low.

Preparation Starts at Home, Not at the Airport

Documents need to be checked well in advance of travel, with the key documents being your passports. Passport requirements vary depending on where you are flying, but it is advisable to have at least six months of validity on your passport after your return date to ensure it is suitable for travel. Realising a passport is about to expire while standing at the desk is a nightmare that no amount of calm parenting can fix.  The problem that has caught many travellers out is that British passports are valid for a maximum of the issue date and this can be before the expiry date printed on the passport. Historically (before September 2018) passports rolled over up to 9 months of unused validity from the previous passport, but after Brexit these extra months are not valid for travel in Europe. This is likely to catch many people out over the next couple of years.

Getting comprehensive family travel insurance that covers cancellations and medical issues is vital. The chances of sudden illnesses, minor mishaps and unexpected changes multiply fast when you travel with children.

Hand luggage is the real secret weapon for a smooth flight and it deserves careful thought.  Packing a change of clothes for each child, kept in a separate zip bag, takes up minimal space and removes significant stress in case of spills, sickness or accidents. 

Airport food is notoriously expensive, choices are limited and managing hungry children in a long security queue is never a fun experience. I always make sure to pack far more snacks than we think we need to cover unexpected delays as well as the flight time. It's worth checking what food you are allowed to take into the country you are travelling to as some uneaten snacks might need to be thrown away before you leave the aeroplane eg you can't take meat, dairy or products containing them into the EU (including that ham sandwich you made).

For screen-based entertainment, downloading content before departure is a more reliable strategy than relying on in-flight or airport wifi, which is inconsistent across airlines and routes. Make sure all devices are fully charged before leaving home and a portable power bank is worth carrying. It is also a great idea to hide a few brand new small toys or activity books, only revealing them once you reach the airport for a welcome burst of entertainment. 

At the Airport With Children

With scanning improvements and developments at the larger UK airports at security you now don't always have to remove liquids or electronics from your bags, significantly speeding up queues. It's also worth looking out for dedicated family security lanes, although they might not be faster at peak times when many families are travelling. Some airports in the UK have a separate security queue for families with young children which have a wider lane suitable for pushchairs and staff that expect the delays that come with travelling with children. You can find these at London Gatwick, Heathrow, Edinburgh and Birmingham. If you have older children you might want to pay for security fast track which can bypass longer queues. 

If you haven't flown with your children before it is worth planning plenty of buffer time to allow for slower walking paces, unexpected toilet breaks, the distraction of duty free and the general speed of travelling with little people. The key to arriving at the departure gate still relaxed is planning for those delays.

Your choice of seats also has a big impact on how the flight goes. While you will have to choose your location in the plane long before take off, how you organise your family can make a difference to how everyone enjoys the flights. 

Bulkhead seats can be popular with family as they offer more space, but on budget airlines you will have to pay extra. They also require bags to be stored in the overhead lockers during take off and landing, which can be problematic if you urgently need something for a child.

Window seats are brilliant for keeping young children securely contained in one place, whereas aisle seats give you quick and easy access to the toilets. Families of 4 or more often need to decide how to organise everyone eg on budget airlines where seats are in blocks of 3 we either go for both sides of an aisle, or one row in front of each other so we don't worry about strangers seats getting kicked. There is no single perfect seating option, so it helps to think about what your family needs most before choosing.

When Delays Happen

Even with the best planning in the world, flight disruptions still happen and delays can be especially stressful when you have a family in tow. Fortunately, under the UK 261 regulations, airlines are legally required to look after you during a significant delay, no matter what caused it. This Right to Care is separate (and in addition) to the fixed compensation mentioned earlier. A key difference is that they need to look after you regardless of the cause of delay, but the fixed compensation only needs to be paid if your arrival (not departure) was more than 3 hours late (based on the time the plane stops at the gate and at least one of the main cabin doors opens) and it was the airline's fault.

For short flights under 1,500km (eg Northern Europe) delayed by two or more hours or for longer flights delayed by three or more hours, the airline must provide passengers with food and drink (usually via voucher). They also have to cover the cost of two phone calls or emails, along with hotel accommodation and transport if you are stranded overnight. If the delay reaches five hours or more, passengers have the right to choose not to travel and receive a full refund.

The CAA is clear that compensation is not paid automatically and must be claimed directly from the airline in the first instance. Airlines have up to eight weeks to respond. If they reject the claim or fail to respond, claims can be escalated to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider or directly to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team. 

Remember to keep all your receipts and documentation for food, drink or essential items during the delay if you have to pay for items beyond vouchers provided, as the airlines require these to process claims. Keep in mind that airlines will only refund reasonable expenses so luxury hotels and alcohol will not be covered. 

The practical lesson for families is that rights exist, but you have to take action to claim them. Knowing the framework in advance, carrying relevant documentation and keeping receipts during a disruption takes minimal effort and can result in meaningful financial redress for families.