Editorial Team
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7 min read
10:15 PM, Düsseldorf Airport. Our three-year-old was lying face-down on a suitcase, screaming because he couldn't find his stuffed animal. The five-year-old asked if we were there yet. The flight to Cancún was boarding in 80 minutes.
That's how a night flight with kids starts when you get it wrong.
And we got it wrong. The first time, at least. I'm going to tell you what we changed for our second long-haul flight with kids, what actually worked, and which mistakes we made again anyway. If you want honest long-haul tips for families (Coming Soon) from a different angle, we have those too. But first, our story. Because honestly? A flight like this never goes perfectly.
Why a Night Flight with Kids on Long Haul?
Plenty of parents swear by the red-eye when flying with kids on long haul. The logic sounds great: kids sleep, parents watch a movie, everyone arrives somewhat rested.
Reality? Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.
As MutterGeisslein honestly writes: whether a night flight is more relaxing depends less on the departure time and more on the child. Our three-year-old? Sleeps anywhere. (11 hours to Cancún, in case you're wondering.) The five-year-old? Needs total darkness and her blanket. Two kids, two completely different situations.
We still went with the night flight. Reason one: 11 hours during the day with two small children strapped into seats. I felt nauseous just thinking about it. Reason two: the connection was simply better.
The Luggage Strategy: What Goes Where
This is where I made my biggest mistake on the first trip. I packed a separate suitcase for each kid. Sounds logical, right?
It isn't. As we explain in our family packing strategy, family flights are won or lost in the details.
22places.de puts it best: when flying with kids, you always need at least one free hand. Anyone who's done a long-haul flight with kids knows the luggage logistics determine the stress level at the gate. Three rolling suitcases plus stroller plus two kids at the gate? That's not a family vacation, that's a logistics nightmare.
Our system the second time: two checked bags instead of three. Clothing for all four family members mixed across both suitcases – if you want to know how to pack this way while saving space efficiently (Coming Soon), we've got that covered too. If one bag gets lost, everyone still has something to wear. Paranoid? Maybe. But Lufthansa actually recommends pooling your family baggage allowance, and what happens when a bag really doesn't arrive is something you really don't want to find out with two tired kids in tow. Kids aged two and up get the same baggage allowance as adults, which I didn't know before.
Starting the night flight with kids right means starting with the luggage.
The Sleep Pouch: Our Night Flight Trick
The best tip I ever got came from a colleague: pack a separate "sleep pouch" inside your carry-on. A small bag you can find in the dark without emptying half your luggage.
Ours had:
Pajamas for both kids (yes, we actually changed them on the plane)
Two stuffed animals
The iClever Kinder-Kopfhörer mit LED & 85dBA Lautstärkebegrenzung, Faltbare Kinderkopfhörer mit Kabel with 85 dB volume limiting, because cabin noise sits around 100 decibels according to Alpine Hearing Protection
The FLOWZOOM Nackenkissen Kinder ab 6 J., Memory Foam Reisekissen, Ergonomisches Kinder-Nackenkissen für Flugzeug, Auto und Zug for the five-year-old
A toothbrush each (not joking, brushing teeth is part of the routine)
While the volume-limited headphones were non-negotiable for the kids, it's also worth checking our guide on noise protection for adults on long haul (Coming Soon). Sleeping with noise-cancelling headphones is a completely different experience.
The idea came from a sleep consultant we once read about via Ergobaby: mimic the home bedtime routine as closely as possible. Sounds simple, but it worked. Pajamas, stuffed animal, lullaby – and our three-year-old was asleep within 40 minutes. The five-year-old took about an hour and a half. For a red-eye flight with a toddler, honestly, that's the best result you can realistically expect. I think the pajama change was the thing that made it click.
iClever Kinder-Kopfhörer mit LED & 85dBA Lautstärkebegrenzung, Faltbare Kinderkopfhörer mit Kabel
4.6
(12,755)
EUR 24.99
Amazon
Entertainment on Long Haul: What Kids Actually Stick With for 10 Hours
I'll be honest: without a tablet, we wouldn't have survived a night flight with kids. I have zero guilt about it.
What helped:
Downloaded movies and games offline beforehand (not every plane has Wi-Fi in flight mode)
The TRYONE Schwanenhals Tablet Halterung, Flexibler Tablet Ständer für Bett, Auto und Flugzeug Sitz clipped to the seat in front, so the tablet stopped falling down
The Lutz Mauder Lunchbox Zoo mit herausnehmbarem Obst- und Gemüsefach, Kinder Snackbox für Unterwegs und Reisen with separate compartments. Snacks as entertainment. Sorting gummy bears by color. 20 minutes. No joke.
The Flugzeug Sitzverlängerung Kinder, Fußstütze Auto, Fuß Hängematte, Tragbare für Flugreisen, Kleinkinder Reisebett as a seat extender. The three-year-old could actually lie down somewhat flat
Not every airline allows seat extenders. Ours was fine with it, but ask ahead. According to leben-und-erziehen.de, the cabin crew makes the final call on the day.
TRYONE Schwanenhals Tablet Halterung, Flexibler Tablet Ständer für Bett, Auto und Flugzeug Sitz
4.2
(336)
EUR 23.99
Amazon
The Biggest Mistakes (and What We'd Do Differently)
Flying with kids long haul teaches you the most from your own mistakes.
Mistake one: I buried the pajamas at the bottom of the carry-on. Digging through everything at 11 PM in a darkened cabin while the kid is whining? Never again. Second flight, the sleep pouch went right on top.
Mistake two: we booked bulkhead seats because "more legroom." True. But the armrests are fixed. The kids couldn't lie down sideways. Middle rows with foldable armrests would have been smarter.
Mistake three: no spare outfit in the carry-on. Guess who threw up. Right. The three-year-old. At 3 AM. I ended up putting my own T-shirt on him because his change of clothes was in the checked bag.
Mistake four: way too many toys. The kids ignored about 80% of them. The snack box and the tablet were the only two things that consistently worked.
Would We Do a Night Flight with Kids Again?
Yes. But differently.
A night flight with kids will never be relaxing. But it can work.
What I'd tell other families: pack fewer suitcases than you think you need. Keep the sleep stuff within easy reach. And don't take it too seriously when things go sideways.
You know what the five-year-old remembers most? That she got to wear her pajamas on the airplane. Not the in-flight movie, not the gummy bears, not the seat extender. The pajamas.
Sometimes it really is that simple.
