Give airlines plenty of notice for special meals. Even if a travel agent does the booking for you, call the airline yourself to double check that the meals were ordered, it's not automatic. Those airlines that offer special children's food may serve it up and clear it away before other passengers eat so parents can dine in peace later. If you have a child under two years, there may be no food at all offered; this is more likely on shorter flights on Third World Airlines or US flights of under three hours duration when you will normally only be offered a drink and packet of peanuts ! (peanut allergies and choking spring instantly to mind).

I always order a vegetarian meal for myself, and then if Rory's meal is not met with great enthusiasm - and who can blame him - airline food is prepared on a massive scale and then heated up so is usually not that appetizing - at least he has the opportunity of trying mine instead. Most major airlines serve food that can be eaten without suffering any ill effects.

Smaller and poorly funded airlines may however serve food that is stale, chicken and pork dishes are the two worst types of food to eat if they are old. If the food smells or tastes unusual it is better to get your children to leave it and use your own snacks rather than spend the next three days wishing they hadn't eaten it.

Even if your children can eat pretty much on their own at home, on a plane they are going to need help. Be aware that removing the foil from the top of their meal will probably release some hot steam. Take your child's usual non spill cup with you and get the flight attendant to fill that up rather than one of the plastic cups on the tray.

Always take enough nutritious snacks and drinks to satisfy your child, not chocolate! chocolate = sugar = instant energy = disaster. Which snack doesn't need to be refrigerated, will still taste nice after 9 hours, does not make your hands sticky and can take a long time to eat - answer a Snack Trap full of Cheerios - Rory loves them, thank goodness.

Again you will have to check with the airline when you book, some will warm bottles etc for you. Why bother waiting for the flight attendant to answer your call button when you can take a bottle warmer with you and heat bottles to your hearts content. For ease of use after I stopped breastfeeding I always took some cartons of ready to pour formula and a Always take more formula then you think you will need to cover delays or spilled cartons. And always check the temperature of milk or food warmed by the flight attendant before giving it to your baby.

Complimentary Baby Milk, Nappies and Food

Some airlines do, some airlines don't.

Always, always change your baby in the relative comfort of airports changing facilities as close to boarding as time will allow.

Changing a baby is not easy, changing a toddler is far worse in the cramped, often unclean, noisy, wet, unnervingly juddery confines of an aircraft toilet. The Baby Changing Facilities by the way are absolutely as defined by the sign on the aircraft toilet door; a baby lying on a fold-down table; a hard plastic table; a hard plastic table with no harness; a hard plastic table with no harness or sides to stop him rolling off; a hard plastic table with no harness, no sides and not big enough for a little toddler to lie down on without hitting his head on the mirror - and you have absolutely no chance of washing your hands properly, you'll have to come back and join the queue again. you have been warned. Make life easier for yourself with the best changing bag around

The queues for the toilets are usually long, especially after a meal, if you try and take them to the toilet just before the meal you will find that your way is blocked by the flight attendant and his/her meal cart, so the best policy is to ask early on in the flight "how long until the meal?" and get your child to the toilet just before. Toilet Seat Covers

Pre-warn them about the very loud noise the toilet is going to make when you flush it, be careful too of the hot tap, hot water on planes does tend to be very hot.