Vacations can get off to a rocky start when airport delays leave parents frazzled and kids with nothing to do.
For families whose vacation plans include air travel, Cheapflights.com offers a free Kids Airport Diversion Guide - a handy reference for parents that can help turn 'delayed' into 'delighted'.
The guide, available at http://www.cheapflights.com/guides/, includes kid-friendly diversions at 22 U.S. airports - everything from Kidports at the Boston Logan and Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airports, to the Kids on the Fly exhibit at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport's Junior Flyer Clubs.
"Many airports offer activities to entertain children. Instead of feeling stressed over flight delays, try starting your kids' vacation at the airport," says Jerry Chandler, travel blogger for Cheapflights.
"The Kids Airport Diversion Guide features tons of fun activities - from 3,000 gallon fish tanks to live music stages - to keep kids entertained at some of the country's most frequently-traveled airports," he says.
Featured airports include: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Baltimore/ Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Boston Logan International, Charlotte Douglas International, Chicago O'Hare International, Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Denver International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Las Vegas McCarran International, Los Angeles International, Miami International, Minneapolis/St. Paul International, Milwaukee Mitchell International, Nashville International, New York John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, Orlando International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma International and Washington Dulles International.
As the father of five, Chandler has experienced the challenge of traveling with children first-hand. He offers this tip for avoiding the cabin-rattling screams that usually accompany a common in-flight problem for kids - ear pain caused by altitude changes.
"When the airplane is descending for landing, ask the flight attendant for a plastic cup and a paper napkin saturated with very hot water. Wring the napkin out and put it in the bottom of the cup. Place the cup over the child's ear to relieve the pressure on the ear drum," advises Chandler.
"My wife and I learned this tip from a flight attendant years ago. It really works," he notes. Cheapflights.com
