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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While packing for a Detroit trip this spring I made the tactical decision to sit on my suitcase to get it to close, in the process crushing two of the four wheels on the bottom.

The good news is that the bag still rolls on one side and I no longer try to sit on it. The bad news is that, because it’s quite roomy for a carry-on, I still tend to over-pack it and don’t organize its contents as well as I should. Hence, I end up doing lots of ironing once I reach my destination.

So, as I often do, I got some help. Here now, a few tips from some packing experts on how to pack a bit lighter and better.

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