Flying with children on a private charter: what to arrange

Charter removes most of what makes flying with small children difficult. There is no queue, no long wait at the gate, no boarding sequence, and no stranger in the adjacent seat. The flight is usually shorter door to door, and the cabin is yours, which means a toddler having a bad half hour is nobody else's problem.

What charter does not remove is the planning. Small aircraft have fewer standard arrangements than airliners, so things that are automatic on a scheduled flight — an infant seatbelt extension, a bassinet, a spare seat — have to be asked for. This article covers what to arrange and when.

Tell the operator the ages, early

The single most useful thing you can do is give the operator each child's age, and for infants an approximate weight, at the time of enquiry rather than the day before.

This is not administrative fussiness. Seating and restraint arrangements on a small aircraft depend on the specific type and its approved configuration, and the answer genuinely differs between aircraft. An operator told early can confirm what is available or propose a different aircraft. An operator told late may have to work with whatever is already committed.

It also affects the seat count. Policies on whether an infant travelling on an adult's lap occupies a seat vary, and so do the rules on how many lap-held infants a cabin may carry. If your party is near the aircraft's seating limit, this can decide which aircraft you need.

Infants, seats and restraints

Expect to confirm three things for each child under about two years.

First, whether the child will be held or seated. Lap-held infants are normally secured with a supplementary belt, and whether the aircraft carries one is a per-aircraft question. Second, whether a child restraint system can be used. Many aircraft can accept an approved child seat, but it depends on the seat fittings and belt arrangement, and the operator has to confirm it for the specific cabin. Bring the restraint's approval markings when you ask. Third, whether a bassinet is available. On most charter aircraft it is not, and the practical alternative is a divan or a reclined seat where the cabin has one.

For older children, the question is simply a seat with a working belt, which is straightforward. What is less obvious is the cabin layout: club-four seating facing each other works well with children, side-facing seats less so, and a cabin with a divan is markedly easier on a longer sector. If a layout matters to you, ask for it specifically rather than accepting a type name. Aircraft of the same class differ considerably, and the fleet listings set out seats and cabin type by aircraft.

Documents for minors

Children need identity documents, and this is the most common reason a family is held up at a private terminal. For domestic flights, carry proof of identity and age for every child, including infants, in the name that appears on the passenger list.

For international travel, every child needs a valid passport in their own right, plus any visa the destination requires. Where a child is travelling with only one parent, or with a grandparent, relative or staff member rather than a parent, additional documentation is frequently expected — typically written consent from the non-travelling parent or parents, and evidence of the relationship. Requirements are set by the countries involved, not by the operator, and they should be checked well in advance.

Our documents and identity checklist for private charter sets out what to carry. The rule of thumb is that a child needs the same paperwork an adult does, plus proof of who is responsible for them.

Timing the flight around sleep

This is where charter gives you an advantage worth using. You are choosing the departure time rather than accepting one, so choose it around the child rather than around your own convenience.

For a short sector, departing at the start of a normal nap usually means the child sleeps through most of it. For a longer sector, an early evening departure that overlaps bedtime often works better than a mid-afternoon one that interrupts a nap and then stretches into fractiousness. A sector such as Delhi to Goa (1,504 km) is long enough that the departure hour makes a real difference to how the flight goes.

Two practical constraints. Very early departures are harder than they look, because the reporting time at a private terminal, although short, still means waking a child well before the flight. And late arrivals can run into airport operating hours at smaller destinations, which may remove the option entirely. Ask about the destination airport's hours before you commit to an evening plan.

On a short hop like Mumbai to Ahmedabad (444 km) the timing matters less, because the flight is over before most children get restless. Short sectors are the easiest introduction to charter for a nervous family.

Cabin comfort and what to bring

Charter cabins are quieter than an airliner's but not silent, and smaller aircraft fly lower and can feel more of the weather. A few things help:

• Ear protection or something to suck or chew during climb and descent, which is when pressure changes bother small ears.
• Your own familiar snacks. Charter catering can be arranged to request, but a child's preferences are better served from your own bag.
• A layer more than you expect. Cabin temperature is adjustable, but it takes a few minutes to settle after a hot apron transfer.
• Entertainment that does not depend on connectivity, which is not guaranteed on every aircraft.
• A change of clothes within reach, not in the hold. Baggage goes into the hold at the terminal and you will not see it until arrival.

Ask in advance whether the aircraft has a lavatory. Light jets, turboprops and helicopters vary, and on a sector of any length with a child who is newly out of nappies this is a question you want answered before departure rather than during.

At the terminal and on board

The process is short, which is the main benefit. You arrive at the private terminal at the reporting time, baggage is taken and screened, everyone passes through security, and you board on foot across the apron. A pram or stroller can usually be taken to the aircraft steps and stowed in the hold; confirm this when you book.

Tell the crew the children's ages when you board. The safety briefing will cover how an infant is to be secured, and if a restraint is being fitted the crew will want to do it themselves. If a child is anxious, most crews will happily show them the cockpit before the door closes, which tends to settle the whole flight.

If this is also your first charter, our first-time private charter guide covers the booking stages. Families often travel with pets as well; the arrangements for that are different and are set out in our piece on flying with pets on private charter in India.

The most useful next step is simply to include the children's ages and any restraint you intend to use in your first enquiry. Aircraft can be matched to a family easily when the requirement is known early, and barely at all when it arrives at the terminal.