Family friendly airlines to Disney destinations

I have been asked before what airlines are more accommodating for families with young children. The differences are rather diverse among the various domestic airlines, and international airlines tend to provide more accommodations and amenities. However considering the majority of people will be flying domestically, here are some tips:

Pre-Boarding: Most airlines still provide pre-boarding for families with small children, usually before or just after first-class and priority boarding. However American Airlines and United are the exception to this and typically do not pre-board families.

Seat selections: more airlines are moving towards unassigned seating (following Southwest in this style) and will often up-charge for the privileged of selecting a seat in advance. Check to see if the airline you are travelling with permits advanced boarding for families, and be sure to check in at the gate as such to verify their procedure for that gate. However, if pre-boarding is not an option, then you will definitely want to go the route of paying for seat selection in advance to ensure your family stays together during the flight.

Additional accommodation: international carriers tend to make special accommodation for children, just like many domestic restaurants do, however the profits are so slim on domestic airlines that they have stopped providing anything special for making a child’s flight more comfortable. At best, you can hope for a sticker or just some plastic “keepsake wings”. Otherwise they treat children just like adults — no frills. And on some airlines, United in particular, they will no longer warm bottles, so be prepared.

Special needs: If you have any special needs or accommodation requests be sure you bring them up to every person you encounter. Be sure to have a specific way for them to accommodate you in mind, don’t simply come with a problem, but offer a way they can accommodate your specific need. Avoid booking directly online, but work with either a Travel Agent or call the airline directly, let them know of your special need (medical conditions, special disability, young child flying alone, etc). Then bring it up at the gate, and with the flight attendants when first boarding.

Best airlines: We typically see a slight increase in service for all categories, but particularly for families flying coach, in the smaller or regional airlines, such as Jet Blue or Southwest. The larger United and American will serve you better if you’re flying first class, or will be options if you’re flying internationally for for business.

In all cases, be sure to read the fine print and understand the terms and conditions for each airline as they are subject to change at any point. Also, it is a good idea, if you are relying on any specific accommodation provided within the fine print, to bring it with you to help ensure you receive what you’re expecting.