The Best Time Of Day To Fly With Kids (According To Their Age)

If you’re considering booking flights for your family, you might want to think carefully about the times you book in order to try and swerve jet lag and the inevitable meltdowns that can happen when kids are overtired.

One badly-timed flight can end up with children refusing to sleep at 3am, emotional airport meltdowns and exhausted parents spending the first three days of the holiday trying to “fix” everyone’s body clocks.

Omar El-Gohary, CEO and superintendent pharmacist at IQ Doctor, suggested the time families choose to fly can have a bigger impact on children’s jet lag than most people realise. And while many parents assume overnight flights are always the best option, he argues that isn’t necessarily true for every age group.

Here, El-Gohary recommends the best time of day to fly with children depending on their age, plus practical tricks to reduce travel exhaustion.

The best flight times for each age group

0-2 years old

Mid-morning flights often work best (9am-12pm), said the expert.

“For babies and young toddlers, consistency matters more than forcing them into overnight sleep patterns they don’t fully understand yet,” he explained.

Mid-morning flights are often the least stressful as they avoid:

• Extremely early airport wake-ups
• Overtired evening travel
• Disrupted bedtime routines
• Pressure for babies to ‘sleep on cue’

“At this age, many children still nap unpredictably, meaning overnight flights can sometimes backfire completely. A baby who usually refuses to sleep on a red-eye can leave parents dealing with 10+ hours of overstimulation, crying and exhaustion in a confined space,” he added.

Morning departures tend to align better with natural wake windows and allow children to nap more naturally during parts of the flight.

He advises parents to:

• Keep naps flexible on travel day
• Avoid arriving at the airport too early
• Feed during take-off and landing to help ear pressure
• Pack one completely ‘new’ toy for mid-flight distraction
• Don’t try to force destination bedtime immediately after arrival

2-4 years old

Early afternoon flights (12-3pm) can help reduce meltdowns. 

“Toddlers are usually the hardest age group to travel with as they’re energetic enough to become restless, but emotionally sensitive when tired or overstimulated,” he said. 

“Afternoon flights work well because children have already burned energy during the morning, parents avoid pre-dawn wake-ups, children may naturally nap during the second half of the flight and arrival times are often easier to manage.” (As a toddler mum whose two-year-old is usually out for the count by 1pm, this makes a lot of sense.)

The expert warned that very early departures can be “especially difficult” at this age as disrupted sleep routines can trigger emotional dysregulation for the entire day. 

He advises parents to:

• Let them run around before boarding
• Avoid too much sugar pre-flight
• Download familiar comfort shows beforehand
• Bring snacks in small ‘surprise’ intervals
• Use destination daylight strategically after arrival

5-12 years old

Once kids reach school age, overnight flights start becoming more useful. El-Gohary said 6-10pm is your sweet spot.

Night flights work because their body clocks become more adaptable and overnight flights become more effective for reducing jet lag, the pro suggested, especially if you’re going long-haul. 

“At this age, children are more likely to understand travel routines, sleep for long stretches, cope better with delayed bedtimes and manage airport waiting times,” he said. 

That said, beware of treating flights like ‘holiday mode’ too early, as “overexcited children staying awake for films, snacks and games throughout the flight often arrive more jet-lagged than adults”.

He advises parents to: 

• Slowly change bedtime a few days before departure
• Encourage sleep shortly after meal service onboard
• Keep screens dim during overnight flights
• Change watches and devices to destination time immediately
• Prioritise sunlight exposure after landing

13-18 years old

Again, late evening flights usually work best. El-Gohary recommends 8-11pm flight times for this age group as “teenagers naturally experience later sleep cycles” so they “often adapt better to overnight travel than younger children”.

“Late evening flights tend to suit teens as they naturally stay awake for longer anyway, tolerate time-zone changes better, sleep more independently during flights and recover quicker from disrupted sleep schedules,” he added.

Teens can still be affected by hidden jet lag symptoms such as travel fatigue, irritability, mood changes, low motivation, headaches or poor sleep quality for several days.

To avoid this, he advises parents to: 

• Reduce caffeine before flights
• Encourage hydration before and during travel
• Avoid sleeping immediately after landing if arriving during daytime
• Limit overnight scrolling and blue-light exposure
• Keep first-day holiday plans light.

Happy travels!