Flying with kids in tow can be stressful for parents, any assistance or even understanding can go a long way. 
Flying with a family-friendly airline, like WestJet, can ensure your family vacation starts off on the right foot.
Recently I had the chance to experience WestJet’s family-friendly service when I flew with my 3-year old from Toronto to the Beaches Resort and Spa in Turks and Caicos. Some of the benefits of traveling with Westjet on this trip:
Web Check-In: Being able to check-in from the comfort of my own home, when I have the time, is a blessing for a family. I could choose my seats and print out my boarding passes without worrying what my daughter was up to. All we had to do was check our bag at the airport.
Polite and Engaging Staff: The woman at the baggage check-in counter was very friendly and engaging, with both myself and my daughter; she even gave my daughter and her travelling stuffy Westjet sticker badge to wear.
When boarding the plane the staff at the gate and on the plane itself were friendly and offered assistance when trying to find our seats. You would think that this would be a given with most airlines but lately it seems to be a chore for some flight attendants. There were no attendants barking order, instead requests were made politely.
Direct Flight: I was happy that our trip to Turks and Caicos was a direct flight. Although stopovers and plane changes might be cheaper the hassle of getting off the plane and waiting at an airport with kids isn’t worth the savings. The quicker I could get to our end destination, the better for everyone.
Fresh Local Snack Options: Unlike many prepackaged airline snacks, WestJet’s sandwich options are made available from local catering companies, depending on your plane’s point of departure. Flying out of Toronto we had fresh sandwiches from Scarlette House Catering. I tried the Turkey and Brie on a cranberry roll and it was delicious ($6.95 Cdn).
Free Snack Options: If you don’t want to purchase a sandwich of small snack, WestJet offered ups non-alcoholic drinks (juice, pop, coffee) and a small snack (Bits and Bites or cookies). On our trip we were offered snacks twice. These were just right for holding off my 3-year old’s hunger pangs.
Free Entertainment: Most of WestJet’s planes offer seatback satellite TV entertainment. All I had to do was plug in a pair of headphones for my daughter (or purchase a pair for $3.00 Cdn) and my daughter could watch Teletoon or CBC cartoons right in her seat. This was so much easier for my daughter to see than those in ceiling movie screens on other planes. And it was free (though you could purchase movies if you wanted).
I sometimes dread having to fly with my kids, especially my 3-year old, because 3 hours in a confined space can seem like a lifetime. But Westjet’s staff and in-plane services made the trip fly buy for both of us.