Sherman's Travel

Hotels chains across the industry have spent years vigorously trying to one-up each other when it comes to who can provide the best amenities, freebies, and services for families, and one of the best side-effects of this competition is that some airlines are beginning to follow suit.

Warren Chang, vice president and general manager of Fly.com, recently compiled a list of some of the more creative kid-friendly perks being offered by the airlines. Here now, a few of his findings.

In-Flight Nannies
With services like Nanny in the Clouds permitting you to search any given flight for passengers who also happen to be nannies available for hire during the flight, Gulf Air is shrewdly borrowing the concept, introducing their complimentary Sky Nanny service that provides a nanny to escort your family on board. While in flight, Chang says, the nanny can suggest dining times and “keep an eye on children while parents sleep or watch a movie.” And should you find yourself in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways’ first and business class lounges also have nannies available to help you watch your kids.

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Get an early start on your winter vacation plans with airberlin‘s rock-bottom rates on flights to Europe. Ski in the Alps or spend the holidays in Berlin with round-trip airfare to Austria, Switzerland, and Germany for as low as $627 from the U.S.

Sample round-trip fares from New York City include:

• Dusseldorf: $597
• Berlin: $627
• Zurich: $636
• Hamburg: $679
• Dresden: $679
• Vienna: $721
• Munich: $727
• Salzburg: $782

Low fares are also available to the same cities from Miami (from $687), Fort Meyers (from $712), and Los Angeles (from $796).

Travel is valid on select dates from November 1, 2012 through February 28, 2013, though we found the lowest rates from mid-January through late February. Visit airberlin.com and enter your cities and dates using the booking engine on the left-hand side. This sale ends August 31, so lock in your flights while these low rates last.

For more trip-planning information, see our Europe destination guide.

It’s not nice to play favorites, and with airberlin’s EuropePass, you don’t have to! Visit four cities in Europe now through September 30, and get all of your European flights for just $249 – that’s just $62 per flight, including taxes! You could start in Barcelona and work your way west, stopping in Nice, Rome, and Vienna, or go north to Oslo, Manchester, or Berlin – the possibilities are endless! This pass is valid for dozens of cities in 13 countries, including Russia, Germany, Spain, and Italy.

THE VALUE: Save over $100 on each flight, for a total savings of over $400.

THE CATCH: You must book your international flight (from the U.S. or Canada to Europe) on airberlin, or an airberlin partner.

THE DETAILS: To book, visit airberlin’s website.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the best hotel deals in Europe. Can’t decide which city to fly to? Check our Travel Guides for inspiration.