5 ways to handle hangry kids when flying
Pre-order kids’ favourites
Children's meals are complimentary for children aged two and over on all Finnair intercontinental flights and in Business Class on flights within Europe. Order the kids' meal at least 24 hours before departure through Manage booking on our website.
“We always have a meal specially created for children in our menu. It's thoughtfully designed for young palates – food that's easy to approach, tasty but not too spicy. You'll often find dishes like meatballs and mashed potatoes or Pasta Bolognese on our kids' menu, familiar flavours that taste great even at high altitude. Each component on the tray is selected to be child-friendly, and we include a special dessert that brings a sweet touch to the journey”, says Elina.
"If you're travelling with children on holiday flights to destinations like the Canary Islands or the Mediterranean, or on European flights in Economy Class, I recommend pre-ordering from our onboard dining selection so your children get a proper meal on the way”, advises Elina. "For these flights where meals require advance booking, you'll find options like pizza and different kids' combos on shorter European routes and flights to Northern Finland."
Snacks save nerves
“Tummies can start rumbling at any stage of the journey. This is why I always pack some snacks in my carry-on baggage when I travel with my children. Granola bars, crackers, cookies or raisins are handy because they don’t take a lot of space or need cold storage and can be carried through security,” Elina says.
“On flights where warm meals are served, our cabin crew starts the service 30–45 minutes after take-off. Children are usually among the first customers to be catered to. But when you’re starving, half an hour can feel like an eternity, and this is when snacks save nerves.”
On our intercontinental flights with two meal services, there can be several hours between the meals, so a little snack may be needed during a long flight. We also provide suitable snacks between meal services to keep young travellers comfortable throughout their flight.
“If you didn’t bring snacks with you onboard or you need more, you can always buy some from our onboard menu”, Elina says.
A tasty start in the lounge
Would you like to start your family holiday with style? Finnair Lounges at Helsinki Airport offer some peace and quiet before the flight – and a generous breakfast, lunch or dinner buffet where children can fill their plates themselves. There is always a warm meal, snacks, desserts and a selection of beverages available.
Finnair has lounges both in the Schengen and non-Schengen side of Helsinki Airport. If you don’t have a lounge access included in the ticket or based on your Finnair Plus tier, you can purchase it as a travel extra in advance from Manage booking, the Finnair app or during online check-in.
Remember to drink
The low humidity inside the aircraft can dehydrate you. It’s important to drink lots of water before, during and after the flight. This also applies to children; remind your kids to drink water throughout the flight.
Although you can’t bring bigger amounts of liquids through security, you might want to bring an empty water bottle with you. At Helsinki Airport, there are several water faucets where you can refill your bottle for free.
We also serve complimentary water and blueberry juice on all flights, excluding Tallinn.
With a baby onboard
When you travel with a baby, we recommend you bring your own baby food. You can bring milk and baby food into the cabin in its original, unopened packaging. It is good to know that due to the limited storage space onboard, there is no cold-storage available. There are no microwaves on board, but you can ask our cabin crew to warm the baby food in hot water.
Read more about travelling with kids on our website.