Our recent trip to Miami highlighted that while having "elite" status might not mean as much as it used to for an individual flier, it certainly does have tangible benefits for a family travelling with three little ones. When going through the airport rigmarole with children, the waiting is indeed the hardest part. Having access to shorter lines to check in and get through security did much to prevent meltdowns and misbehavior and helped preserve a measure of parental sanity.
However, even while enjoying such "perks" air travel with young children is a chore. You take all the usual hassles and inconveniences of flying and multiple them many times over. The lack of space, the restricted access to food and bathrooms, the inexplicable delays, etc. are all exacerbated when it's not just one antsy, impatient individual but four. It will likely be some time before we embark on another such family journey by air. Maybe we need to look into this whole Greyhound thing we've been hearing so much about...
UPDATE: Forget to add that one of the reasons that air travel (travail) with youngins is difficult is because of all the temptations that it provide for them. In the mind of a little boy, the zipper on the suitcase of the person in front of them in line is just begging to be opened. The divider ribbon that helps organize and separate the queues is just begging to be detached. The tray table latch on the plane is just begging to turned. The seat belt is just begging to be unfastened.
No comments:
Post a Comment