Life changes when you have a baby on board…literally

Life changes when you have a baby. There are so many things to think about, which you would have not thought about before becoming a parent. You’re suddenly concerned about safety, comfort and the general wellbeing of your little one. For us, booking a flight used to be simple. Now that we have Kayden, there is lots more to think about. Not just his safety, which of course is our priority, but also his comfort and entertainment on-board. It goes without saying, that if he is taken care of in these areas, the chances are that other passengers will be at ease as well. After all, no one likes to have a crying baby on board. Booking a flight isn’t just about the price, there are various factors to consider and through this post, I’d like to share some of those with you. Let’s just also say I’m putting pen to Paper, so that I can refer to this when booking Kayden’s first flight!

Emirates – an award-winning brand

Thanks to South African Mom Blogs, we were humbled to be hosted at the Cars 3 Movie premier, by Emirates, at Hyde Park Corner last week Friday, to celebrate Emirates being named the Best Airline in the World at the TripAdvisor® Travellers’ Choice Awards for Airlines 2017.

Users of TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site, also voted Emirates as the Best Major Airline – Middle East & Africa, Best Economy Class, Best First Class and World’s Best Airlines – Top 10. The awards highlight the world’s top airlines based on the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings gathered worldwide over a 12-month period.

After listening to the very down-to-earth Fouad Caunhye, Emirates Regional Manager, Southern Africa, speak at the event, we could understand why Emirates received this honourable accolade. Fouad included in his message, “We are honoured to be named the Best Airline in the World at the TripAdvisor® Travellers’ Choice Awards for Airlines 2017. The accolade confirms that families and kids that travel with us believe in our dedication to being the best, for them.” His sincerity and passion for the Emirates brand could not go unnoticed, and for me personally, this is something that is a huge contributing factor to whether I would support a brand or not. It was therefore a huge pleasure to have met him.

Emirates cares about families

The dedication mentioned above, is clearly not something that only happens on board, as we experienced the same dedication in this event as well. We received a red-carpet welcome, that made us feel special and valued. There were Emirates cabin attendants’ uniforms in kiddie’s sizes for them to wear and take some photos against an Emirates A380 backdrop. As you can see in the featured image above, some of us mummies took advantage of the head gear.

Each of the tables had a display of the Emirates A380 model. It was a hit amongst every child that attended! The snacks provided were carefully selected, with children in mind, a sample of what to expect on board. Each child was given a “Fly With Me Animal” toy, which you could see them all enjoy – unpacking them into blankets or bags, children were running around joyfully with their new fluffy friends.

The ambience of this event was volubly “family” – it was so nice for us to be able to take our child to a movie, his first one by the way – and not have to worry about other people complaining if he cried, as there were other mummies and daddies and babies around too.

Do you know that Emirates has customised offerings for families and kids?

Here’s a few of them…

• An international cabin crew drawn from 135 nationalities who speak over 60 languages.
• More than 2,500 channels of on-demand entertainment, with 90 channels exclusively dedicated to kids on the award-winning inflight entertainment system.
• Ice Digital Widescreen complete with a kids menu and Fly With Me Animal toys.
• Pre-boarding when travelling with kids, as well as free use of strollers at the Dubai International Airport.
• On board, Emirates crew are on hand to take instant pictures of kids travelling with the parents.
• Young adults receive a Lonely Planet inspired kid’s pack, complete with travel journal, a magazine packed with puzzles and activities, colouring book and an eye mask.

Emirates cares about the Environment:

Emirates recently introduced new sustainable blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. These blankets are available on Economy Class on all long-haul Emirates flights including South Africa.

Each blanket is made from 28 recycled plastic bottles and is part of Emirates’ continued commitment to product innovation and sustainability.

We were given a blanket at the event and I could hardly believe that they were made from recycled plastic bottles! Each, impressively made from 28 plastic bottles! They were soft, cosy and warm and very nice to use at the cinema, giving you a feel of what you can expect on an Emirates flight.

Emirates already runs a green programme on board recycling aluminium cans, plastic and glass bottles, and clean paper products such as newspapers, magazines and cardboard cartons where possible.

Emirates A380 back in South Africa

At the beginning of 2017, Emirates’ also brought its popular A380 aircraft to South Africa. The Emirates A380 is renowned for its on-board lounge on the upper deck for First Class and Business Class customers where they can socialise or relax, while those in First Class enjoy the added benefit of exclusive use of the on-board shower spas to freshen up during flights.

The flagship A380 recently underwent a multi-million-dollar cabin interiors enhancement including upgrades to its on-board lounge, all set to debut next month.

As with all Emirates’ flights, customers enjoy regionally and internationally inspired cuisine as well as the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-national cabin crew, including South African nationals.

Emirates – our preferred airline of choice

My husband and I have previously flown on the Emirates A380 and other Emirates airplanes. The service was always impeccable. The huge variety of on-board entertainment, the meals, the service, the booking process and the flights itself was always a reason for us to remain loyal customers. Kayden hasn’t had his first flight yet. After attending this event and having an overview of what to expect for a child flying, there isn’t a doubt in our mind, that we would choose Emirates, our precious son deserves nothing but the best! It is comforting to know that Emirates has such dedication and commitment to ensure your little one is comfortable. I’m so excited blogging about this that I am already wondering where our next flight is going to be to….?

Regardless of where your destination may be, one thing we shouldn’t take for granted, is the journey to get there. Sometimes, it’s easy to be so focused on the destination, that you forget to enjoy the journey along the way. Create magical moments. Have fun!

Thank you Emirates for a fun filled and insightful afternoon!

I’d love to hear your thoughts; what’s important to you when making flight bookings for your child/children? What do you look for? Or have you already travelled with kid/s – if so, what do you think could be changed?

 

 
Check out my post on: My Irreplaceable Son