Child's play to help pay

By MONIKA FRY

Travelling by plane is very much an adult pastime, it seems. Air New Zealand and Ansett Airlines have both decided that 12-year-olds are adults and must pay the full fare.

This decision may deter families from taking their "children" on long-haul flights, but if the kids are going to cost, you can always put them to work. They could gen up on their information skills and you could save time by getting them to do the research. Give them a list of things you want to find out about, such as accommodation, child-minding, fun things for kids and getting around the area.

The Internet has an increasing number of child-tailored sites, such as Yahoo's Yahooligans.

Once the basics have been researched, a few phrases in the language of the country you are visiting could prove useful. The Travelang site provides everyday phrases which children can read, listen to and memorise.

If your children are not old enough for research, there are Internet sites available with information about taking a baby on holiday. I haven't yet found any New Zealand ones, but the American Baby Center site has a useful comparison of baby facilities provided by 10 American airlines, which would serve as a guide. Another American site, the National Safe Kids Campaign , will enable you to download a hotel safety checklist of baby facilities.

Links


Yahooligans

Travelang

American Baby Center

Safe Kids (site may be experiencing difficulties)