Air New Zealand Flying With Kids Information
As a former flight attendant, and parent, I’ve flown many airlines – but only Air New Zealand short haul. I have, however, been in touch with parents who have flown with them long haul who have kindly shared their pictures and insight with me to help you. Air NZ is one of the most family-friendly airlines in the sky, but their safety rules for car seats and ‘sleep devices’ are strict. Here is my insider guide to what actually works on board.
- Flying with a baby, and baby or toddler under two
- Flying with older children
- Kids’ baggage allowance
- Car seat policy
- Other child restraint device policies
- Pushchair/stroller policy
- Bassinet policy
- Sky Couch and Are Sleep devices and child ride-ons/leg rests permitted?
- Sky Nest! Flat beds in economy – coming in 2026!
- Baby and child meals
- Inflight entertainment for children
- Other family services provided
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FLYING WITH BABY POLICY (INFANTS UNDER 2 YEARS OLD)
When you fly within New Zealand, infants travel for free. While you need to book their flight, they won’t receive a ticket or receipt as they don’t pay a fare or occupy a seat.
When you’re flying internationally, infant fares are 10% of the adult fare.
Lap infants and infants with their own seat.
- On all flights, infants sit on their adult’s lap and not a seat.
- A carer over 15 years old must accompany the infant, except for flights to and from Canada where the adult must be 16 years or older.
- If you’re travelling with an infant you’re unable to be seated within the exit row.
- Infants can’t be booked in their own Business Premier seat for safety reasons. You can book to share a Business Premier, Economy or Premium Economy seat with your infant and a bassinet, or book yourselves each your own seats in Economy or Premium Economy.
Travelling with more than one infant
You can only have one infant sitting on your knee. If you have more than one infant, you’ll need to purchase a child fare and seat one of the infants in an approved car seat.
FLYING WITH CHILDREN AGED TWO AND OVER
Children older than two years will have their own seat onboard the flight. They need to travel with someone who is at least years 15 old, or book as an unaccompanied minor.
Children’s fares are:
- Same as an adult fare within NZ, Tasman or the Pacific
- 75% of the adult fare on long-haul international flights
- Same as adult fares when travelling in Business Premier™
FLYING WITH OLDER CHILDREN ON AIR NEW ZEALAND
Children 12 years and older pay adult fares.
KIDS’ BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE ON AIR NEW ZEALAND
You can include two items from this list for every infant and child in your group, as part of your baggage allowance:
- Pram, stroller or buggy
- Car seat
- Bassinet or port-a-cot
This is in addition to their normal baggage allowance:
- Child fares have the same baggage allowance as an adult fare
- Infant fares include a carry-on bag but no checked-in baggage.
AIR NEW ZEALAND CAR SEAT POLICY
You’re welcome to bring a car seat for a child with a paid seat. Your car seat must:
- Be in a safe working condition
- Be able to seat your child with their arms and thighs within its frame
- Fit between your seat’s armrests, and allow the seat in front to recline
- Show a certification label approving it for use on aircraft
These are some of the main certification symbols:
For safety, your car seat can’t block access to the aisle. Be sure to use Seat Select to choose an appropriate seat for your child:
- A window seat
- One of the middle seats of a centre row
- The window end of an Economy Skycouch. Please remove and stow the car seat if you want to raise the seat footrest or lie down.
Car seats are not permitted in the Business Premier cabin.
Your flight attendant will help fit your car seat to the seat.
Flight Attendant Pro-Tip: Even if your car seat has the ‘FAA Approved’ sticker, Air NZ crew are trained to check it physically. Don’t wait until the doors close. Show the sticker to the crew as you board. Also, note that car seats are banned in Business Premier because the seats are angled -safety belts there can’t secure a standard car seat.
Other Child Restraint Device Policies
CARES Harness
A CARES Harness gives your child torso support. You’re welcome to bring one to provide extra protection for your child.
Your CARES Harness must be in a safe working condition, and be the right size for your child. It also needs to be FAA approved, and show a certification label. An AMsafe CARES harness can only be used for children meeting the FAA weight requirements of between 22 and 44 pounds. (This is usually around 1-4 years old)
Your flight attendant will help you fit your CARES Harness to the seat.
You can’t use a CARES Harness in an exit row seat, or in Business Premier.
Front Packs and Infant Slings
For taxi, take-off and landing, seat your baby on your lap with an infant seat belt. You’re welcome to put your baby into a front pack or sling only AFTER take-off.
If the seat belt sign illuminates, you must fasten an infant belt around your infant and the sling or front pack.
This postural support chair is for children aged 3-11 with a physical disability.
There are some restrictions for the MERU TravelChair. Talk to us as early as you can before travel so we can prepare for your flight. Email us at specialhandling@airnz.co.nz or call us on +64 9 255 7757.
You can use a MERU TravelChair on most seats, except for Business Premier lie-flat seats.
Prohibited equipment
For safety reasons we prohibit non-aviation certified products on Air New Zealand aircraft. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Car booster seats
- Inflatable comfort accessories e.g. Fly-Tot and Plane Pal
- Jetkids Bedbox bag
- LegsUp leg hammocks
- Knee defenders
AIR NEW ZEALAND PUSHCHAIR/STROLLER POLICY
You can take a stroller and a car seat on your flight for no extra charge. They don’t count as part of your baggage allowance. You can even take a pram or stroller if your fares do not include checked baggage.
You can bring a single stroller all the way on to the aircraft if:
- It’s completely collapsible and fits in the overhead locker. To fit in the overhead locker, strollers must not exceed the Air NZ carry-on baggage dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 23cm (21 x 16 x 9 inches) or weigh more than 7kg (15lb).
- You’re flying internationally
- You’re flying domestic on 777-300, 777-200, 787-9 and A320 aircraft
If the flight is full, they may ask you to check-in your stroller at the gate.
Prams, three-wheeled buggies and large strollers don’t fit in the overhead locker. Please check these in on all flights.
AIR NEW ZEALAND BASSINET POLICY
Does Air New Zealand supply a bassinet/carrycot?
Yes, Bassinet seats are available on many of Air New Zealand flights.
How do I reserve a bassinet/carrycot on Air New Zealand?
You can book a bassinet seat in Seat Select. Choose a seat with the bassinet icon.
What is the size/weight limit for Air New Zealand‘s bassinets/carrycots?
The bassinet is 73.66cm long and 34.29cm wide (29 inches x 13.5 inches). They are designed for infants up to 8 months old and 11.8kg (26lb).
Skycouch & Other SLEEP DEVICES
Air New Zealand have an award-winning Skycouch which gives you extra space to relax and spread out on your ‘couch in the sky.’ It’s essentially 3 seats which can slide out to become wider in width. You are given extra big pillows and a thin mattress. The huge bonus is it can be your bed, or at least the kids!
If you are flying with a baby, they offer a Skycouch infant harness, belt or pod. The pod is like a bassinet but slightly small with a length of 70cm compared to 72cm of their normall bassinet, so the harness may be a better option for you.
The Reality Check: The Skycouch is a game-changer for 1 adult and 1 child. However, if you are two adults and one toddler, it is incredibly cramped. I recommend one parent stays in the Skycouch with the child while the other parent uses a separate seat nearby to actually get some rest. There is the alternative option to purchase 2 sky couches but this is a better idea if you are travelling with two adults and more than one child. A huge benefit of the skycouch is that you don’t have to wake your baby when the seatbelt sign is on – a huge benefit over the normal bassinet!
Skycouch infant harness and belt
To secure your infant in their own seat, they can wear a harness which is then fastened by a belt to the window seat. You can adjust the belt for a snug fit to keep you child safe.
Secure baby on an adult’s lap by looping the adult’s seat belt through the back of the Infant Harness.
The harness comes in three sizes:
| Size | Weight | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Small | < 5kgs | < 65cm |
| Medium | 5 – 10kgs | 65 – 85cms |
| Large | 10 – 18kgs | 85 – 110cms |
Infant pod
The infant pod lets babies sleep comfortably and securely with you on a Skycouch. There are a limited number of infant pods on each flight.
Your baby will need to fit within the infant pod. Its dimensions are:
- 70cm long
- 32cm wide at the top and 220mm wide at the foot
- 15cm deep
Both the harness and belt, and pod are free for Skycouch customers.
Find out more about booking a Skycouch.
Prohibited equipment
For safety reasons Air NZ prohibit non-aviation certified products on Air New Zealand aircraft. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Car booster seats
- Inflatable comfort accessories e.g. Fly-Tot and Plane Pal
- Stokke Bedbox
- LegsUp leg hammocks
- Knee defenders
- Cozigo
Skynest – New for 2026
These will be the very first lie-flat beds in Economy. Skynest will allow you some time away from your seat in one of six pods designed for rest and relaxation.
Coming in 2026 on select long-haul flights between New York and Auckland.
BABY AND CHILD MEALS ON AIR NEW ZEALAND
Does Air New Zealand provide baby food?
If your flight has a meal service, you can ask for an infant meal on long haul flights when you book your flight. You can also add an infant meal on the Air NZ mobile app or online. Note crew cannot store food in fridge or heat food up for you.
Does Air New Zealand provide child meals?
Children’s meals are available on all long haul international flights and Pacific and Tasman flights (when your ticket includes a meal). To order, select the children’s meal option when you book. If you’ve already booked, you can request a children’s meal on the Air NZ mobile app or online. Typical meals could be:
Main meal: Mild butter chicken with rice and peas. Or penne pasta with beef bolognese. Served with Kapiti ice cream, cheese, fruit juice and a berry fruit bar.
Breakfast: Hotcakes with berry compote. Fresh fruit salad, muffin, juice and yogurt pouch.
Snacks: Available on long haul or to purchase on short haul – Rookie Cookie, potato chips and fruit juice.
There is also a Sky Pantry in economy for snacks on long haul flights.
Note crew cannot store food in fridge or heat food up for you.
AIR NEW ZEALAND INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT FOR CHILDREN
Kids’ activities packs
Sometimes you just need to pull out something new to keep the kids busy. When you book an international flight and order a children’s meal, they include a fun kid’s pack.
Inflight entertainment
Select the “Kids” button on our inflight entertainment screens. It gives your kids access to age-appropriate movies, TV shows, music and games.
OTHER FAMILY SERVICES PROVIDED
Travelling in a different cabin to your children
When flying Air New Zealand, you can travel in one cabin class and leave your children in another.
- Children must all be at least five years old
- You will need to pay the full adult fare for their seat
- You must collect and care for your children at the end of the flight, and during any stopovers
Some airlines don’t allow your children to fly in a different cabin. If you’re connecting to a codeshare or partner flight, please check with them for their rules.
Auckland Airport
if you are flying into Auckland and transferring to a domestic flight (e.g., to Queenstown), here are some of my tips to help you.
- The “Green Line” Walk: It’s a 10-minute walk between terminals. Use the free inter-terminal bus if you have more than two carry-ons or a tired toddler.
- The 3-Hour Rule: I would suggest a minimum 3-hour layover for international-to-domestic transfers to account for NZ’s strict biosecurity checks (where kids’ half-eaten fruit can cause a delay!). If in doubt – leave it onboard the plane!
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