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.
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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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