first time abroad for family

pluryhb

im after some advice please, i still need to get travel insurance and with 3 weeks to go im cutting it close but can anyone recommend a good (not expensive) company that has good cover?? also any other tips or hints with flying for us as we are first time on a plane with me,hubby and 7yr old daughter?

Much appreciated

carebear13

hi always use esure for our family insurance- very reasonably priced and although we have never had to claim through them for travel insurance we have had to claim for home and car insurance and had no problems with them.
how long is your flight?
if your daughter has a ds she can use that on the plane.
if you are not having a inflight meal, buy drinks/crisps/choc once you are through security.
make sure you go to the loo before you get on the plane.
dont forget your daughter gets the full luggage allowance+ hand luggage.
and dont do what we did on the way home and leave her behind at airport security- the security guards really dont like it.

Bob_the_Saver

carebear13 wrote: »

make sure you go to the loo before you get on the plane.

Any particular reason?

carebear13

airplane toilets are not the easiest for a 7 yr old to negotiate, sometimes flights get delayed for a bit before take off, kids get nervous and tend to want the toilet, on shorter flights the opportunity to get to the toilets with the trolley in the way are few. the toilet when it flushes is very loud and can be a bit scary and then it can take a while to get through immigration etc and there is usually a huge queue for the loos in baggage claim.
so lots of reasons really.
these are just my personal recommendations/findings from what we have learnt/experienced from taking 3 kids abroad over the years.

eezer

My lot find airplane toilets great fun!! They still believe that all the wee gets sucked out and dropped on France and that if they stand too close when flushing, they'll be out too.

newbutold

carebear13 wrote: »

and dont do what we did on the way home and leave her behind at airport security- the security guards really dont like it.

What a bunch of miserable security guards! Ha!

carebear13

miserable security guard and a very angry hubby- oops. still couldve been worse and not noticed til we got the plane he he.

wish mine had found them fun- not much room to be standing there whilst your child has a pee

zagfles

carebear13 wrote: »

airplane toilets are not the easiest for a 7 yr old to negotiate, sometimes flights get delayed for a bit before take off, kids get nervous and tend to want the toilet, on shorter flights the opportunity to get to the toilets with the trolley in the way are few. the toilet when it flushes is very loud and can be a bit scary and then it can take a while to get through immigration etc and there is usually a huge queue for the loos in baggage claim.
so lots of reasons really.
these are just my personal recommendations/findings from what we have learnt/experienced from taking 3 kids abroad over the years.

You can use the toilets while the plane is waiting at the gate before takeoff (which is often a long time!). Done it loads of times!

zagfles

pluryhb wrote: »

im after some advice please, i still need to get travel insurance and with 3 weeks to go im cutting it close but can anyone recommend a good (not expensive) company that has good cover?? also any other tips or hints with flying for us as we are first time on a plane with me,hubby and 7yr old daughter?

Much appreciated

Take a lollypop/sweet each (or something to suck on) to avoid earache on pressure change on takeoff. Read up on the daft liquids rules (airline or airport website will have them). Get your daughter a window seat if possible so she gets a good view. Cross pack clothes in case a case goes missing.

mum2one

tyravel Ins - I used Insure and go, I had no problems with them, as I had to make 2 claims in the year, (1st dd got chicken pox 2 days before we were due to fly, rescheduled the holiday, 2 days b3 we were due to go fractured my knee), had ni problems with the claiming, they were reasonably priced.

This time I went with the AA - got great price, and DD was insured for free, mine was 1 adult, 1 child, I paid for a yrs ins for EU (included Tunisia), and paid £35 for the year.

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Flight - re toilets - I normally go about 40 mins before were due to land, as the plane starts decending about then, all trollies are generally out of the way, and then about 10-15mins later the seatbelt signs go on.

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Get a small activity pack - colouring book, few crayons, DS - both handy for the flight plus the transfer

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when your told what gate you have to board at, when you make your way down, it may be worth asking if you can go on with the wheelchair passengers as DD 1st flight, so you can get her seated and settled before everyone gets on.

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sweet, lollip pop even chewing gum for take off - saves the pressure on the ears

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once you passed security control pick up a drink and snacks for the place, (I usually find Boots cheaper than WHSmith).

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Toilets - usually set by luggage reclaim - if theres been a big q getting through all passport controls - use the loos in luggage reclaim - more if there is a transfer time

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Security - double check all pockets of dd, as the 1st time dd flew she was bit wheezy (suffers from asthma) gave her the inhaleur, she forget to give it me back, so when she went through the barriers she set them off and had to be padded down, she was worried about going through by herself...

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have a fab holiday, and enjoyyourselves xx

ps = when doing travel insurance don't forget cashbacksites I used topcashback and get about £7 back in cashback.

pluryhb

thank you everyone all very helpful comments, just picked up our tickets today! we are all so excited x