This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Flight attendants give their tips so that the flights over the next few weeks go as smoothly as possible for everyone.
There is no indication that the chaos that plagued airports around the world last summer will happen again in December. On the one hand, airport authorities and airlines are managing the problems of the day better, the surprise effect having dissipated; on the other hand, inflation may get the better of the travel desires that the pandemic will have exacerbated.
The holiday season traditionally remains a period of high traffic, there is still reason to plan ahead. Four experienced flight attendants from four different airlines give their advice here for smooth departures in the coming weeks and greater comfort on board.
Upstream precautions
Travelers will certainly have learned their summer lesson, but Duygu Eren Tosya, purser at Turkish Airlines, refreshes their memory: choose direct flights as much as possible, especially if you are traveling with children, and avoid checking baggage in hold. “You’ll get faster through the airport,” she says, “and it’s also less stressful to have only one piece of luggage in view. »
In order to speed up the passage through the airport, Jean Stipanicic, steward at Air France, reminds us of the importance of checking in with your airline the day before departure – you then have more choice among the seats not yet allocated and we get our boarding pass right away. He also recommends finding out from the carrier about the size and weight of carry-on baggage that it authorizes and… complying with it! But whether you check in your suitcase or not, it must not contain any packed items. “If ever it were inspected, the Christmas presents would be unwrapped,” warns Mme Tosya.
By the way, should we take into account the duration of the flight when choosing our destination when we plan to leave with children? In the opinion of the purser, “the younger the children, the more they will sleep, but six hours is a maximum”. However, it specifies that the flight schedule counts more than its duration: in general, children sleep during a night flight.
In anticipation of a flight with toddlers, Mr. Stipanicic also has this great idea to prepare them for it and reassure them: “Associate their comforter or their soft toy with the family trip. »
It’s a start!
How far in advance should I arrive at the airport for an international flight? “Three hours before take-off, that seems imperative to me, affirms the Air France steward, and it’s not wasted time, quite the contrary: we will get through immigration and security checks more easily, and the level stress will be reduced. »
For parents or grandparents traveling with a young child, Mélanie Guilbault, flight attendant at Air Transat, advises to bring only the bare minimum on board. “When you have too many suitcases (in addition to the diaper bag), it becomes difficult to get out of the plane, especially when the little one is sleeping,” she argues.
But this minimum should always include snacks. “During turbulence, the food service may take longer, and when the little ones are hungry, they are hungry! says M.me Guilbault. In addition, according to Mr. Stipanicic, giving baby his bottle on takeoff and landing is a good thing: “It makes him swallow, activates the inner ear and prevents him from possible pain. »
But what to do when children start crying? “Some parents are so stressed by the stares of other passengers that it increases the child’s stress and often leads to more crying. However, calm and “zenitude” are behaviors to adopt for a successful trip,” says the Air Transat flight attendant, who is also a training instructor. An anecdote: “I remember a parent who offered the passengers around him earplugs in case his baby was too noisy. I found it funny and daring! »
Finally, a wise advice from Marie-Claude Bourgeois, flight director at Sunwing, to vacationers returning from a trip to the South: “We understand that you are returning from a tropical destination, but it is preferable to provide adequate clothing rather than shorts and sandals: it can be cold on board the plane…”
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.