United introduces complimentary child amenity kits on all mainline flights
While some international airlines have historically offered family-specific amenities including "flying nannies," inflight toys, dedicated play areas in lounges, complimentary strollers in airports and more, the same hasn't always been true when flying within the U.S. When flying with kids in the U.S., you might receive early boarding for very young children, but beyond that, you were usually pretty much on your own to meet your kids' needs and keep them entertained at 36,000 feet.
But United Airlines is now bucking that trend and giving parents a little help by providing kids with extra fun (and safety) while onboard.
After a successful trial within select markets, United Airlines now offers complimentary children's activity kits on all mainline flights. United tells TPG that flight attendants will offer the kits to children during the inflight service.
The children's activity kits include:
- Child-sized mask.
- Travel journal activity book with crayons.
- Origami paper airplane activity.
- Sanitizing wipe.
- Eco-friendly, recyclable paper bag.
Little things can feel like big things when traveling with kids strapped into a seat in a small tube in the sky for hours on end.
When my kids were younger, there were times that even the pictures in the inflight magazines provided a few minutes of backup entertainment when we'd been through our bag of tricks. While United's children's activity kits are simple, sometimes simple is all you need in the sky. Getting something made especially for kids can be a welcome and exciting break during the flight for both kids and parents alike.
Related: AA introduces new amenity kits
And of course, given the current times and protocols, having an extra kid-sized mask and sanitizing wipe on hand is also an asset.
Related: 9 ways to use your amenity kits
United Airlines is also in the process of retrofitting aircraft to again have personal built-in inflight entertainment screens and has made its inflight entertainment complimentary. These are also both great moves toward providing a more pleasant inflight experience for passengers of all ages.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app