Virgin Atlantic Flying With Kids Information

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All the Virgin Atlantic flying with kids information in one place. Including:

• Flying when pregnant
• Flying with a newborn 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
• Are Sleep devices and child ride-ons/leg rests permitted?
• Baby and child meals
• Inflight entertainment for children
• Other family services provided
• Current mask rules for children

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VIRGIN ATLANTIC FLYING WHEN PREGNANT

As long as you haven’t experienced any complications during your pregnancy, you can fly until your 28th week. Beyond the 28th week, you’ll need to take note of the guidelines below.

Single pregnancy

If you’re expecting one baby and want to travel between your 28th and 36th weeks, you need to travel with a certificate from your doctor. The certificate should state that you have had no complications and your estimated delivery date. This might be asked for at the airport or onboard. Travel may be delayed or denied if you do not have this if asked. It’s important to remember to include your return travel within these dates.

Multiple pregnancy

If you’re expecting more than one baby and want to travel between your 28th and 32nd weeks, again you’ll need to travel with a doctor’s certificate stating you’ve had no complications and your estimated delivery date. Travel may be delayed or denied if you don’t have your certificate available if asked. Please do remember to include your return travel date in this time frame.

Travelling after the cut-off date

For travel after the 36th week for single pregnancies, or after the 32nd week for multiple pregnancies, Virgin Atlantic can only carry you for urgent medical or compassionate reasons, and only on approval from our medical advisors.

Virgin Atlantic may also ask that a suitable medical attendant accompany you. Contact Virgin Atlantic’s Special Assistance team on 0344 412 4455 for more details.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC NEWBORN POLICY

Your baby must be healthy and at least 48 hours old to travel with us.

FLYING WITH BABY POLICY (INFANTS UNDER 2 YEARS OLD)

Lap infants and infants with their own seat.

Babies up to the age of 2 are classed as infants. They’ll usually fly snugly in the comfort of your lap, so Virgin Atlantic only charge 10% of the adult fare (plus any taxes fees or charges). 

If you do require a seat for your infant, please contact Virgin Atlantic to book. You must be 12 or over to accompany a lap infant, and it’s only one baby per lap, or things get a bit too wriggly.

FLYING WITH CHILDREN AGED TWO AND OVER

Child fares apply for children between 2 and 11.

Infants who become children while travelling

The age of your child on the day of travel determines which type of ticket they need.

FLYING WITH OLDER CHILDREN ON VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Young adult fares apply for children between 12 and 16.

KIDS’ BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE ON VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Children and seated infants get the same baggage allowance as grown up’s.

You can also bring one fully collapsible pushchair and a car seat in addition to your free baggage allowance.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CAR SEAT POLICY

If you’ve booked a seat for your baby (instead of travelling on your lap) they can sit in their car seat. They must be next to an accompanying adult or young adult age 12 or over. If you have two children in car seats, you’ll need to have them either side of you.

If you’re travelling in Upper Class your baby won’t be able to sit in their car seat because of the unique design and functionality of the Upper Class seats. The same applies for Premium seats on the A330 – 300 planes, apart from the front row.  For all of the other aircraft it’s safe for your child to travel in their car seat in Premium. 

Please make sure your car seat complies to the requirements below.

An infant is a child less than two years old. (Children aged 2 and over are not permitted to use an Infant car seat onboard)

If you would like to use your own car seat, it must:

• Be designed to be secured by means of a normal aircraft single lap strap 
• Have a separate 5-point restraining harness 
• Not exceed the dimensions of the aircraft seat, and should fit into an area of 43cm x 43cm (17.ins x 17ins) 
• Must be secured to its host seat at all times of the flight 
• Must not require the use of a three-point harness to secure it to the aircraft seat.
• Rear facing car seats are not allowed
• If for any reason your car seat cannot be fully secured, it may have to be placed in the hold. In these circumstances, your infant will have to be secured to your lap whenever the seat belt sign comes on
• The car seat must also display one of the following labels: EU approved labelling, FAA approved labelling, Australia/New Zealand approved labelling, Canadian approved labelling.

Other Child Restraint Device Policies

Booster seats

Booster seats are fine to use onboard, but they’ll need to be stowed away in the overhead compartments for taxi, take-off and landing, and when the Fasten Seat Belt signs are on.

CARES Harness.

The CARES harness fits around the back of the seat and attaches to the aircraft seatbelt to provide restraint for the upper part of a child’s body. It is suitable for children (both able bodied and disabled) age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds (10-20kg), whose height is 40” (100cm) or less and who can sit upright in their own aircraft seat.

The CARES harness can be used in the Economy and Premium cabins but must be fitted within the last row of a cabin zone. It also cannot be used in any seats fitted with an airbag-seatbelt, including our Upper Class suites.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC PUSHCHAIR/ STROLLER POLICY

You’re welcome to bring one fully collapsible pushchair and a car seat in addition to your free checked baggage allowance.

Pushchairs can be checked in or used up until the boarding gate, when they’ll be put in the hold. Once landed, the staff will have it ready outside the aircraft doors wherever possible. At some destinations, you may have to pick it up at the baggage hall due to local customs restrictions.

Alternatively, the following foldable buggies are permitted in the cabin with you instead of as your hand baggage:

• GB Pocket
• Britax Holiday
• SIlver CrossJet
• BabyZen YoYo

VIRGIN ATLANTIC BASSINET POLICY

Does Virgin Atlantic supply a bassinet/carrycot?

Yes. You can request a bassinet or cot, subject to availability.

How do I reserve a bassinet/carrycot on Virgin Atlantic?

You can contact Virgin Atlantic before your flight to request a cot or bassinet.

What is the size/weight limit for Virgin Atlantic‘s bassinets/carrycots?

Economy and Premium sky cots	Boeing 787-9, Airbus A330 and Airbus A350
Dimensions	28.6cm wide x 72.7cm long (11.25” wide x 28.6” long)
Maximum weight of baby	11kg (24.25lb)
Maximum height of baby	760mm (30”)

Upper Class sky cots	Boeing 787-9 & Airbus A330
Dimensions	35cm wide x 24cm deep x 76cm long (13.8” wide x 9.4” deep x 29.9” long)
Maximum weight of baby	11kg (24.25lb)
Maximum height of baby	750mm (29.5”)

What does the Virgin Atlantic bassinet/carrycot look like?

Are SLEEP DEVICES AND CHILD RIDE ON/LEG RESTS PERMITTED

The below devices are permitted to use for children onboard all Virgin Atlantic planes. Any other devices that are not present on this list aren’t permitted onboard at any time. 

1. Child body support 
2. Travel chair 
3. Cares harness 
4. Infant seat belts – these will be provided by the cabin crew onboard your flight 
5. Car seats – these must meet certain requirements. Please read more information below.
6. Canopy to be placed over infant’s bassinet
7. Trunkie/Bedbox that extend seat pan for children to sleep*
8. Plane Pal – inflatable cushion for children to sleep, please note that only the Plane Pal brand is permitted*
9. Small inflatable neck pillows

*Can’t be used if the child is in an aisle seat (middle and window seats are fine). Must be stowed away for taxi, takeoff and landing, and during turbulence. Can be carried instead of a cabin bag.

With the exception of the devices permitted to use onboard (as above), any other devices aren’t permitted onboard at any time. Examples of devices NOT permitted on board at any time:

1. Leg hammock for passengers to place their legs inside 
2. Inflatable foot rest that attaches to the seat in front 
3. Large soft or inflatable head pillow
4. Privacy band that attaches to the headrest 
5. Knee defender

BABY AND CHILD MEALS ON VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Does Virgin Atlantic provide baby food?

If you’re travelling with an infant on your lap (instead of their own seat), you can request a pureed baby meal for them by calling or texting the Customer Services team.  Virgin Atlantic doesn’t offer children’s meals for lap infants, so if your little one has moved on to solid food please bring something along with you for them to eat.

Does Virgin Atlantic provide child meals?

Yes. You’ll need to pre-order kids’ meals online in My booking at least 24 hours before your flight.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT FOR CHILDREN

TV for younger viewers

We have over 30 hours of action packed TV for kids of all ages. As well as already having a sleep genre on board Vera for adults, we also have one for kids too. To help the little ones snooze a little easier, you can find popular titles such as Baby TV and Story Time episodes within Kids sleep.

Baby TV

BabyTV features dedicated content for babies and toddlers created to address a spectrum of early learning skills and development milestones.

Headspace for Kids

This quick, easy breathing meditation is designed to help kids calm down.

Story Time

Titles include We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Bear Boo & Guess how Much I Love You

OTHER FAMILY SERVICES PROVIDED

Feeding your baby

Mothers are welcome to breastfeed onboard. Virgin Atlantic crew will make you as comfortable as possible, and can provide an extra blanket or a seat in the galley if you’d like some more privacy. They can’t store expressed milk, but have ice and ice buckets if you need to keep it cool for later use.

If you’re bringing baby food, milk or formula in your hand baggage, make sure you read about the airport security guidance on how much and what you can bring. Here’s the guidance for the UK.

If you’re flying from London Heathrow you can reserve your baby milk or formula and collect it at the airport

If you need milk warming up, just let the cabin crew know and they’ll be happy to do it, by warming it in hot water then leaving it to cool.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC FACEMASK POLICIES FOR CHILDREN

Routes where face masks onboard are a personal choice:

Services to or from the USA, Johannesburg, Pakistan, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, The Bahamas, Jamaica, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and Tel Aviv.

This list will expand as regulatory requirements for destinations allow.

Routes where face masks onboard must be worn:

For the following routes operating to or from the UK, masks are still required for customers aged 12 and above until further notice: Delhi, Hong Kong, Lagos, Mumbai and Shanghai.

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