Family-friendly skies: five airlines that still go the extra mile

May 12, 2011 By

This past March, my sister flew to visit us for a spring break vacation. Since her husband couldn’t leave work, she traveled alone from one coast of the U.S. to the other with her two-year-old and infant. A daunting task? Of course. One guaranteed to encounter a few bumps along the journey (turbulence notwithstanding)? Sure. In fact, she was pretty much betting on it. What she wasn’t counting on–what no traveling parents should have to count on–was the lack of hospitality or effort of any sort by the airline personnel to make her multiple flights comfortable. Actually, forget comfortable–she would have settled for bearable. Instead, she was met with a mixed bag of rudeness, apathy, and downright hostility from check-in to the final tarmac.

Unfortunately, I’ve suffered similar experiences while flying with kids. We all know that the going will be rough at times: you may encounter the odd grumpy passenger or the universal nightmare of delays and cancellations. But families spend an average of 30% of their vacation budget on the air travel portion of their vacations. While doing so, it’s not unreasonable to expect the simple (and free) courtesy of a smile, a helping hand (when possible), and a dash of understanding from the airline being patronized.

The Pit Stops family can wholeheartedly endorse the following truly family-friendly airlines, and am happy to explain why.

Southwest Airlines: Southwest Airlines’ motto is ‘fly Southwest to be treated like a person’, and they stand by it. Carrying an infant, folding a stroller, and controlling a toddler at the same time? I’ve been there…in a Southwest Airlines jet way. They notice (and are pros at folding any type of stroller). I love their flexible seating arrangements, and the fact that their reward program truly has no blackout dates. We also love their boarding groups system. Get Southwest Airlines tips!

Alaska Air: If you have the opportunity to fly Alaska, don’t hesitate. In our region, they offer the most family travel deals by far, including their recent ‘kids fly free to Disneyland’ promotion. They also feature regional wines and coffees on-board (complimentary) to help you get through those kid-centric flights. Many of their terminals feature special ‘family’ security lanes to ensure you won’t feel rushed while fiddling with strollers, diaper bags, and babies, and guess what? If you call customer support, you get a real…live…person. I know…crazy, right? Find out how to travel Alaska Airlines with a minor, or get tips for your teen traveling solo!

top airlines for family travel
Allegiant Air: Best for bargain-basement prices when you just need to get somewhere (preferably non-stop). I love that Allegiant makes it easy to price flight options on their one-way calendar pages, where it’s possible to scroll over dates to see listed prices before committing to a flight date and time. They also list pretty tempting vacation packages that compete with all the major airline search engines in price and value.

Frontier Airlines: Finally, an airline that makes itinerary and name change fees more customer-friendly by reducing them by as much as 50% (as of December 2011), a very welcome improvement in the airline fee arena. On an unrelated note, who doesn’t like flying in planes with such cute and cuddly images on the sides and tail? Frontier Airlines expert advice!

Jet Blue: Did someone say ‘free snacks’? Yep, they’re still free on Jet Blue, as is the DirectTV (on personal screens for each passenger) and wi-fi in Jet Blue terminals. Plus, is it just me, or is there more leg room on Jet Blue flights? My kids don’t seem to be kicking the seat in front of them nearly as often as usual.

Is it coincidence that our favorite airlines are not among the heaviest hitters? I think not.

In our experience, smaller, regional, and/or niche airlines consistently offer more costumer-service perks, and regularly go the extra mile for their travelers. Though this post was based on first-hand, personal experience (my favorite kind), I found it interesting to note that this month’s Consumer Reports is in agreement with my findings, siting Jet Blue and Southwest at the top of the airline industry list in terms of overall satisfaction, check-in ease, and comfort.

And for those interested, internationally, our favorites (and those of Pit Stops for Kids reviewers) include RyanAir (seriously cheap for saving money) and Qantas (seriously luxurious).

Have an air travel experience with kids, good or bad? Share in the comments. While you’re at it, what’s your favorite airline for family travel, and why?

Great Wolf Lodge MagiQuest: Step by step guide for parents!

April 15, 2011 By

Great Wolf Lodge MagiQuest, the resort’s signature live-action adventure game, is one of the best things about the fun of Great Wolf, but first you have to figure out how to play. Tweens and teens can usually figure it out on their own, but for younger kids, adult participation is required…at least at first. Anyone who’s ever stepped into the controlled chaos of a MagiQuest shop with an over-excited kid in tow knows what I’m talking about, and if you don’t…well, I hope to make it a bit easier for you when your time comes.

First off, what is Great Wolf Lodge MagiQuest?

MagiQuest is one part video game, one part scavenger hunt, and one part imaginative play. It can also be considered homework writing help at some point. The purchase of one game and one wand grants your quester unlimited play for the duration of your Great Wolf visit. And what exactly are you playing? MagiQuest is a series of quests throughout the public areas of the first five floors of the resort, with your final goal being to slay a dragon in its lair. Along the way, you’ll find interactive computer screen stations, ‘enchanted’ paintings, talking animals, and riddling fairies, who, when your wand is pointed at them, will offer clues to help you to this end. (Notice how I keep saying ‘you’? At this point, your child is basically just tagging along, eyes big as saucers.)

How do you get started?

In MagiQuest headquarters (the wand shop located on the ground floor of all Great Wolf Lodges), your game is activated (after your child picks his or her wizard name, of course), and you’re sent off to begin your quest with your brand new wand, probably with a special magic wand top, which can come home as a souvenir. The MagiQuest staff is amazing, and the expert ‘Magi’ really do try to explain the game to everyone, but it’s at this point that most parents stumble out the MagiQuest shop doors in abject confusion. Allow me to save you some time:

  1. First, find a tree. Yes, you read that correctly. Depending on your Great Wolf location, these fake trees will be located on the first or second floor, and they’ll have a computer screen embedded in the trunk.
  2. Point your wand (er, I mean your kid’s wand) at the screen and follow the first set of instructions. You’ll have been given a booklet back in the shop: get that back out of your pocket where you stuffed it…you’ll need it.
  3. Pick a quest at the tree (you’ll need to hit ‘accept quest’ for the computer system to ‘know’ which one you’re doing), find the same quest in your booklet, and get going.

Once you’ve completed all the quests (this can take days, depending on how often you play the game during your stay), you’ll be deemed worthy to fight the dragon (featured on a large, interactive video screen). But don’t worry, no matter how long you stay, you’ll get your money’s worth: fighting the dragon unlocks an entire new series of ‘adventure’ quests, and after that, they can try their hand at Great Wolf’s new CompassQuest.

How to wean yourself from the game:

After running up and down five flights of stairs two or three dozen times and fighting your way through mobs of kids in swimsuits waving wands in your face, you might be ready for a well-deserved break. Your child probably isn’t. If he or she is young (under age eight or so), you may need to tag-team it with your spouse or a energetic grandparent, but we felt comfortable allowing our older kids to continue playing in pairs (and judging by the amount of kids swarming the halls, other parents felt the same way). Once kids understand how the game is organized, they can continue working their way through the quests on their own. (Being able to read helps, but isn’t crucial…the clues are spoken as well as typed on the screen.) Remind them that if they get confused, they can ‘check their status’ at any time at any tree to see what they’ve accomplished and what they still need to find for any given quest, and MagiQuest staff are always on-hand to help in the shop. See? Now you don’t need any MagiQuest online cheats!

For more tips and an overview from a QuestMaster, check out the Pit Stops for Kids’ Kid Cam:

But wait, there’s more: Final tips to get you through the game!

  1. If in doubt, ask! Down in the MagiQuest shop, staffers can field any questions, from general inquiries to specifics (i.e. ‘I can’t find the pixie watching the stars by night’), and are happy to give answers (‘Third floor landing, past the elevator to the right’). Other kids are also very helpful. They are occasionally rewarded for helping fellow Magi with extra points added to their scores down in the Magi shop, so feel free to ask a staffer for a ‘guide’ as needed.
  2. Always ‘accept’ quests before taking off to find clues.
  3. The MagiQuest game ‘activates’ at a set time each morning and turns off at a set time each night. These times vary slightly by season and lodge, but are generally posted as 9 am and 10 pm. The evening shutdown seems strictly adhered to, but often, however, the game is turned on earlier than posted in the mornings. If you have an anxious gamer, they may be able to play as early as 8 am.
  4. When fighting the dragon, only one player at a time is allowed in the lair. This is because additional wands can mess up the game settings. Be prepared to wait as long as 15 minutes in line when the lodge is full, and use your time waiting wisely: study how the other kids get into the lair…I won’t ruin the fun for you, but it involves a series of wand waving at various fixed points in the doorway.
  5. Check your standings on TV at night! Kids love seeing their Magi names listed each night on the lodge’s information channel. My kids always check how much gold they have before climbing into their KidCabin beds. Sweet dreams!
  6. MagiQuest seems to be busiest in the evenings after dinner. If the lodge is near or at capacity at the time of your visit, yoMagiQuestu’re much better off visiting the water park at this time and playing MagiQuest during or near mealtimes or in the morning.
  7. Keep your wand for next time. You can use the again and again! After our first Great Wolf visit, my kids brought their wands hom
    e and played with them (roughly) for almost two years before we went back. When we presented their wands for approval at the wand shop, they worked perfectly! And their games were still stored in the computer chip, allowing them to continue where they left off as long as we purchased the game again for $9.99. Remembering to bring wands back is a major money saver.

CompassQuest: CompassQuest is Great Wolf’s newest addition to the MagiQuest game. Players need to purchase another tool (a plastic compass that attaches to their wand with a clip). The challenges are timed, which adds an element of excitement for older players, but keep in mind that when the resort is full, this will mean longer lines at the ‘trees’ and lairs. Kids can get frustrated watching their time run out while they wait! Be sure to play at off-peak times (right when MagiQuest activates in the morning or during mealtimes.)

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Great Wolf Lodge water safety: why you don’t need to worry

April 10, 2011 By

As a family travel expert, I’ve experienced many family resorts with my kids, and can sum up Great Wolf Lodge’s water park safety measures in one word: impressive. During our recent stay at the Grand Mound location, we enjoyed the water park under the supervision of literally hundreds of lifeguards during our three days at the resort, and observed only professional, polite, and friendly interactions with guests. Guards manned (and womaned) their stations with diligence, rotated responsibilities on a frequent and regular schedule, and enforced rules with confidence.

Great Wolf

What makes Great Wolf’s water park staff such a well-oiled machine? I learned that each Great Wolf property is partnered with Jeff Ellis & Associates (E&A), a private, outside consulting firm specializing in aquatic risk management. I really like that an outside organization polices them, ensuring that standards remain the highest possible. In fact, Great Wolf lifeguards are training all the time: you may even see drills during operating hours (don’t be surprised to see a guard suddenly dive into the pool after a practice dummy). In addition to this, Ellis & Associates performs four unannounced operational audits per year at each resort, testing them in areas of professionalism, diligence in scanning techniques and rescue skills, as well as their ability to manage an aquatic emergency.

I could list stats all day long, but offer a visual instead: count how many times a lifeguard passes in front of my camera as I take a 30 second video of my son.

Great WolfRules you should know before you go:

1. All height requirements for the various water slides and features at Great Wolf are carved in stone. They’re clearly posted on-site, but we recommend checking them out before you arrive to prevent disappointment. I saw kids who did not meet the height requirement of a slide try to ride more than once; without exception, they were politely but firmly turned away. Oh, and tippy-toes are not allowed (see photo)!

2. U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets are permitted (and can be borrowed free of charge on-site), but no other floatation device or toy may be used in any part of the water park. Same goes for snorkels and flippers; leave them at home…it’s less to pack!

3. Outside food and drink are not permitted. For what it’s worth, this rule does not seem to be enforced. I wouldn’t make a show of rolling a large cooler into the water park, but extra waters and snacks in a tote bag seem to be ok (and will save you a bundle at the concession stands).

4. Lap-sliding (sliding with a child on your lap) is not permitted (though I wish it was). The slides on Fort MacKenzie are built for the smaller guests but are still quite intimidating, and I know many toddlers and preschoolers would be braver on the lap of a parent.

5. The lifeguards, though great, are not meant to take the place of a parent. Kids are not allowed into the water park without adult supervision. I’m not sure how heavily this rule is enforced, but its just practical; every parent knows to watch their kids around any major body of water.

At the time of our visit, no Great Wolf Lodge water park personnel were aware of our visit, or had any pending knowledge of this review.

Disney done right: Making the most of your Disney vacation

January 16, 2011 By

At Pit Stops for Kids, we’re big fans of Disney, but we know planning (and enjoying) a Disney vacation with kids can be overwhelming! In our upcoming series of articles, Disney Done Right, we offer our (kid and parent tested) tips for making the most of your time in the happiest place on earth!

1. Plan an extended visit. If possible, book at least one week at Disney World or three days (This is especially beneficial if the most expensive single cost of your vacation is getting there and back.) You just can’t do these massive theme parks justice with less time, and you’ll only exhaust yourself trying. (You can’t see it all in a week, either, but a month or more isn’t an option for most families!) A longer visit equals more downtime, and while you may think R&R is hardly the goal at a theme park, without it, you’ll be miserable by Day 3. We made sure to rest every day, and reserved one entire day for simply exploring and enjoying our resort. More time also leads to more inter-family harmony: if you have two days to devote to Animal Kingdom, for instance, you can focus on rides one day and dining and shows the next. It’s simply more relaxing when you’re not sprinting through the Florida humidity, agreed?

2. Stay on-site at a Disney property. Yes, I know it’s much cheaper to stay half a block awayfrom the main gates. And yes, I happily advice families to take advantage of the price and convenience of rental properties such as HomeAway whenever possible,  but in the case of Disney, I am a purist. Why? Because never is the adage ‘time is money’ more true than during a Disney vacation. And I’m not talking about Extra Magic Hour: when you stay on-site, you’re simply closer to all the action…and to your hotel room should someone (you, most likely) need a nap, a snack, or a dip in the pool. Plus, you can use Disney transportation and have the opportunity to add the Disney meal plan, not to mention the fact that most Disney resorts are like additional theme parks in themselves. When we stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, we did our own laundry, ate all our breakfasts in our room, and returned to the hotel every day of our vacation to rest and swim mid-day. I like to think staying on-site kept us sane. (Extra tip: if you have very young children in strollers, consider staying on the Monorail Line at the Disney World resort–the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, or Polynesian–so you don’t have to disturb sleeping kids and babies to fold strollers!)

3. Make (and follow) an itinerary utilizing planning tools. I admit it: I’m a schedule Nazi. But even a generalized itinerary for your visit helps you to make the most of your day. We’ve all seen people wandering the happiest place on earth, grumbling about what to do next, and we certainly don’t want to be them. Start by looking up the exact hours each park will be open for each day during your visit, figure out what shows and parades you want to see, and which restaurants you want to try. It makes a difference: the parks open earliest will fill up the fastest but also empty the fastest in the later afternoon, as everyone who attended the morning Extra Magic Hour jumps ship for another park later in the day: consider taking an alternate path from the masses. If you’re very ambitious, I can personally recommend Tour Guide Mike, an online planning tool and wealth of park information that will change the way you look at touring Disney parks. ‘Mike’ will give you the ideal days to tour each park during your visit based on a scientific-(ish) using factors such as time of year, projected crowd levels, park hours and events, and more. The small membership fee is well worth your money.

Expedition Everest4. Take advantage of shopping opportunities. No, I don’t mean you should get out your wallet every time you’re fed through a souvenir shop, although that’s up to you. I mean that Disney’s shopping areas signify two things: crowd control and extended hours. For instance: Disneyland and Magic Kingdom‘s Main Street typically stays open up to an hour after official park closing. If you were planning on browsing the shops (or even having a late dinner or evening dessert) at the end of your day, don’t make the mistake the other thousands of visitors will do: there’s no need to hit the shops an hour before closing. Use that final hour to ride attractions, then shop and eat during your ‘bonus’ hour…the same hour everyone else is filing onto buses and into parking lots.  Concerning crowd control: you know how Main Street (and Disney’s other parks’ equivalents) become jam-packed before and after parades and fireworks? So does Disney…which is why all their shops connect. That’s right: there are no walls between 99% of Main Street’s stores, which allows savvy visitors to walk straight through (in the comfort of air conditioning) instead of elbowing through the crowds on the street.

5. Visit with characters at the table, not in the parks. You can spend half your day chasing down Piglet and Pooh in Fantasyland, or you can meet-and-greet in style at the Crystal Palace while dining on stuffed french toast. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Same goes for those princesses your preschooler is bugging you for some face-time with. It’s a huge time-saver, and you and your family almost always get extra attention than if you’d waited in line in the Florida sun. (Extra tip: for dining venues inside parks, schedule your character breakfasts for approximately one hour before park opening. You’ll finish eating and be released into the park right before opening, giving you the jump on all the rope-droppers.)

Read more Disney tips on our Disney Done Right page!

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Introducing an Alternative to Hotels

November 4, 2010 By

Halloween is over, and for me and my family, that means one thing: the holiday travel season is upon us! Instead of staying home for the holidays, the Pit Stops family is excited to be reviewing >this beautiful HomeAway property near Lake Tahoe, CA during the week of Christmas, and can’t wait to share the experience with Pit Stops for Kids readers!

Does your family travel for the holidays? If so, where do you stay? With extended family, sharing a guest room or the living room couch? In a hotel room, cramped for space? I’ve done both, and needless-to-say, I’m looking forward to trying something different in vacation rental site HomeAway. I recommend checking it out if you, too, plan to travel this holiday season (or any time at all!).

Why rent a home for holiday travel?

It can be cheaper. Whether you find yourself on the road to visit family this holiday season or to get away from it all, you’ll probably want to stay in one location more than a day or so. Vacation homes are ideal for multi-night and weekly stays. I always look for one because my family of five usually requires two hotel rooms per night. Two rooms x seven nights = a hefty hotel charge on our hands! In contrast, most HomeAway rental properties rent weekly for less. And don’t forget about the cost of eating meals out: the price of your weekly rental property includes the built-in money-saver of your own kitchen!

It’s more relaxing. Cramped hotel rooms mean more noise, more kids underfoot (ok, the kids don’t multiply, but it sure feels like it!), and less sleep for everyone at night. In a rental property, we can spread out, cook our own food (or at least pour our own cereal…a savings in itself), do our own laundry, sleep in separate bedrooms…you get the idea. It’s more like home. And there’s a lot less of ‘get off of that!’, ‘stop that right this minute!’ and ‘So-in-so’s hogging the bathroom!’.

You’re given personalized attention. Forget a concierge. HomeAway rental properties offer something better: independent owners who know their properties (and locations) inside and out (quite literally). In the process of reserving my HomeAway property, I was put in immediate contact with the property owner, who was (and continues to be) an invaluable resource for me as I plan our vacation. She knows the community, the best local restaurants, and the most popular activities for kids. She’s been able to explain not only the trash pick-up schedule and how to work the thermostat, but where we should plan to ski and which local holiday celebrations are not to be missed.

You’re in good hands. HomeAway is the world leader of vacation home rentals, and with more than 425,000 rentals offered in 120 countries, travelers are bound to find an ideal property almost anywhere. In addition, by renting through HomeAway, you have the option of signing up for their first-of-its-kind Carefree Rental Guarantee, which provides up to $10,000 of payment protection.

Find Vacation Rental Deals!

Stay tuned for our next Home (Away) for the Holidays segment and details on our HomeAway vacation rental experience this holiday season!

How to Choose the Right Backpack for Family Travel

August 6, 2010 By

I won’t carry the kid, but I’ll carry the pack!

I can’t travel without a trusty backpack, so while on our most recent road trip, I paid close attention to the types of bags and packs other families carried in and out of restaurants, museums, picnic areas, and on hikes and tours. As you’d guess, I saw a vast assortment of styles and solutions ranging from fanny packs to Camelbaks to messenger bags, and for good reason: the family pack is an important and personal choice!

Whether you opt to outfit every member of your family with their own packs or stick to one family pack for which you share the load (our choice), there are several features we’ve learned we can’t get by without:

1. Size matters. You don’t want a pack too big or heavy for the intended wearer. We’re not talking about backpacking here: you only need to carry the essentials. Likewise, not having enough space in your pack means you’ll be spending too much time searching for things squished inside or worse yet, leaving important items in your hotel room or car.

2. Lots of zippered compartments are good for more than just toddler diversion (although it’s good for that, too). A pack with multiple compartments means the difference between finding the sunscreen or the car keys quickly or trying to corral kids in the baking sun or a parking lot (or both simultaneously) while you search. Since we carry one family pack, I also make sure our pack has water bottle compartments.

3. Price isn’t important, but comfort is…and they often go hand-in-hand. I’ve yet to use a cheap backpack that doesn’t hurt my shoulders, neck, or back. (If you’ve found one, please let me know!) Mid-priced packs work great for us. Remember, you can use backpacks for much more than just hiking as a family: we like the hands-free convenience of them on planes, in museums (where permitted), and in the car (slung over a seat back to be off the floor), too.

For more tips on packing and luggage, see the other articles in our Travel Tips section!

When Pit Stops are Far and Few Between

March 30, 2010 By

Photo taken on the valley floor of Death Valley, CA

When we first planned our recent spring break trip to Death Valley, CA (more on that to come!), I knew pit stops en route would be in short supply. I’d noted the lack of places to stop and play on Google Maps, and I thought I’d planned accordingly. Even so, I was concerned anew once we’d turned onto lonely I-95 shortly after our overnight in Reno, NV. For hundreds of miles, there’s simply…nothing. Nowhere to stop. Next to nowhere to eat.

At least, no place that we could consider…’family friendly’. Traveling down the center of Nevada, the only colorful landmarks we passed were, shall we say, very colorful indeed. (It did prompt one lively conversation that started like this: “Mom, why is that motel called a ‘playmate house’? Who plays there?”)

The boys and my dad standing under I-50\’s \’Shoe Tree\’ during a long car trip.

In a nutshell, not exactly where you want to pull off the road to let the kids run around.

So what do you do when confined largely to your car on long stints, whether due to weather conditions, lack of eminities (or lack of non-‘adult’ fare, as was our case)?

1. Plan ahead when possible. If you know you’ll be driving a particularly desolate stretch of highway, plan accordingly. For this trip, we bought car adaptors for the kids’ beloved Nintendo DS consoles to ensure hours of game play, and I brought along a bag of hands’-on activites, including the kids’ favorite action figures and a My Busy Kit, which was worth its weight in gold. (More on that in an upcoming review!) I helped myself to the hotel ice machine before pulling out in the morning, dumping a copious amount into our cooler filled with drinks and snacks. We also packed a loaf of bread, some cheeses and lunch meats, and a selection of chips, veggies, and hummus (all in the cooler) so we would not be reliant on restaurant fare on the road.

2. Be wary of rest stops in very rural locations. Once, while traveling solo with my three kids, I stopped at a clean (but empty) rest stop. Everything was fine until another person pulled into the complex…and the lone driver sat in the idling car watching us for too long for my comfort. Suddenly, I felt volnerable in the isolated location, and hustled my kids to our vehicle. Since then, I don’t rule out simply pulling over on a safe road-side turn-out. I let the kids take that much needed potty break (shield them with a beach towel if you must) and at least stretch their legs, all while I’m very close to my car.

3. Think outside the box. What may not look like a good pit stop to you might be your kids’ idea of heaven. We’ve stopped at fish hatcheries, dams, off-season state parks, and even a tree filled with shoes (a local landmark) when traditional pit stops have been in short supply.

4. And when all else fails, just focus on getting to your destination. The kids have all gone to the bathroom? Have enough snacks to last the distance? Have their books or games at the ready? Just GO. And don’t look back. We all know the feeling! (Just watch for speed traps!)