Mum Shares Genius Airport Hack For Parents Flying With Children

TV host and traveller Samantha Brown took to Instagram to explain how she uses 'pre-board' privileges to help her family through the last - and arguably most difficult - part of the airport experience: getting on the plane itself.

Typically, this can involve long queues as you wait for your passport and tickets to get checked, and there can be added stress on the planet itself as you stow away any luggage and find your seat.

But this doesn't necessarily have to be the case, and she said it's all about how you use your pre-board privileges with a young family.

She said: "Partner number one uses the pre-board to load all the stuff onto the plane, the bags, the strollers etc.

"Partner number two waits in the gate area with the kids, keeps them worn out, walks them around and does not board until the very last zone is called. You then walk your children on board, get them settled, and the plane will hopefully leave 10-15 minutes later," she continued.

Explaining the logic behind the hack, Samantha said that it stops you forcing your children to sit in a potentially stressful environment for an extended period of time.

This will keep them calmer for longer and avoid any tantrums mid-flight, which is definitely something that your fellow passengers will thank you for too.

"If you use the pre-board, your child is sitting in the plane for a good 45 minutes more than the flight time. This is a really stressful time for kids, they have bags going over their heads, people are really stressed and they can feel it.

"What happens is once they get to a cruising altitude for 30,000ft, that's when the child releases that stress they've just felt." 

Instagram users were quick to praise Samantha's flying hack.

One wrote: "As a newly retired flight attendant for Delta, these are some of the wisest words written. Thank you for posting what I've been thinking for years."

"When my kids were little, we'd explain upfront to the airline our strategy so they'd understand why only one of us was boarding - they were fine with it," added a second.

Will you be using this hack the next time you fly with kids? Let us know in the comments!