Parent shares plane hack for parents boarding with kids

The travel influencer shared a great hack for parents flying with small children. Photo / Unsplash, Instagram

Picture the scene, you're standing at a crowded airport gate with your partner and child when an announcement comes on for priority passengers, disabled travellers and those with young children to board first.

Most people would grab their carry on bags and herd their little kid onto the plane to get settled before everyone else.

However, one travel influencer has revealed why this may be making things harder for parents and a genius method to use instead.

Samantha Brown, a travel influencer and mother of twins, took to Instagram recently to share a piece of advice for parents flying with children.

"My twins are now 9," Brown wrote in the video caption, adding that she had "been putting them in planes since they were 2 months."

"I learned the hard way so you don't have to."

In the video, which has more than 3.7 million views, Brown tells her 145,000 followers why they shouldn't board their child first.

"A lot of people like to pre-board with children under two they think its great you get o the plane first," she told viewers.

"Here's a better way to use the pre-board. Partner number one uses the pre-board to load all the stuff in, all the bags, the strollers."

Meanwhile, the other partners should stay in the airport with the children.

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A post shared by Samantha Brown (@samanthabrowntravels)

"Partner number two waits in the gate area with the kids, keeps them worn out, walks them around and does not board till the very last zone is called."

Then, she said, you can walk on last with your children, get them settled and the plane will ideally leave just 10 to 15 minutes later.

Those who board first with their children, however, can be stuck in a plane for far longer.

"If you use the pre-board, your child is sitting in the plane for a good 45 minutes more than the flight time," Brown explained, adding that this was a stressful time for children as overhead bags are loaded and people wrestle past.

What can happen, Brown said, is children will then 'release' the stress they feel once the plane hits cruising altitude.

"Use the pre-board only to board stuff, leave the kids last," she concludes.