For our most recent multi-generational trip we headed to Abu Dhabi and were invited to review Gulf Air from London via Bahrain to Abu Dhabi. Gulf Air is the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain and was founded in 1950, making it one of the oldest airlines in the region and it synonymous with Middle Eastern hospitality. This was the first multi-generational long haul trip we’d taken so it was great to know we were in experienced, safe hands – I’ll be doing two separate posts on our Falcon Gold experience and multigenerational travel with Gulf Air.
Long haul travel with children – get it right and it can be one of the best things you can do as a family; miss the mark and it’ll have you tearing your hair out before the seatbelt sign is off. Middle Eastern carriers have for a long time been the front runners when it comes to giving great service.
Travel with Gulf Air requires an onward connection to your final destination in the Kingdom of Bahrain; transiting with children has its good and bad points but it all comes down to how comfortable you feel travelling and how well your experience is. I’m a big advocate for factoring ground time if you’re anticipating long flight being a challenge – it’s definitely something to consider. The transit times can be as short as jumping off, grabbing a snack stretching your legs and marvelling at a few runway take-offs before it’s time to head to the gate or you can schedule a stopover in Bahrain for a night of two. Bahrain airport is compact and easy to navigate, they have a new terminal set to open later this month which looks from plans a great upgrade.
Sky Nannies are where Gulf Air really come into their own when travelling with small children. On every long haul flight, there is a member of cabin crew dedicated to young travellers. The Sky Nanny service for the youngest of flyers begins at the gate where they can meet you and help you board the plane, which when I remember travelling with Boo on my own when she was one would have been a huge help, an experienced extra pair of hands when travelling with children are always welcome.
All flights from London to Bahrain with Gulf Air are on the Boeing 787-Dreamliner and having flown on these a number of times I do have to say that when it comes to travelling with children they possess this magic about them that just seems to work (the part-time av geek knows it’s not ‘magic’ but instead a myriad of contributing factors).
Boo wasted no time in checking out the in-flight entertainment; I was impressed and she loved ‘Just for Kids’ section perfect for letting them have free reign without having to approve everything they want to watch. In case you were wondering Boo settled on Aladdin on both the outbound and inbound making it now 5 times she’s watched it, just to be sure she hadn’t missed a millisecond!
Whilst Boo is that bit older and doesn’t need much in the way of help it was great that her food was served first and without me having to ask; meaning that I could ensure she’d eaten enough and settle her for the night before it was my turn for dinner. It may seem like such a small thing but it’s the small touches and attention to detail that makes a big difference when traveling with children – Gulf Air don’t just think about children, they get children and it shows.
Boo being 8 means she’s at that funny age where she thinks she’s far too old for things like a children’s meal but when it arrived she was glad that I’d pre ordered her one (remember like all other airlines, you need to pre-book a children’s’ meal as you would any other special dietary requirements at least 24 hours before you travel, they don’t just assume because of the child ticket). I think Gulf Air’s children’s’ meal has to be up there with one of the best in-flight meals Boo’s ever had: a mixture of great tasting, well cooked chicken that I would genuinely eaten (and did steal a cheeky mouthful of… all in the name of work!) and branded snacks that are perfect for little hands, and for saving for later on throughout the flight.
As Gulf Air is a full-service carrier – meaning that they provide food and drink appropriate to the timing and duration on all flights I wanted to share the ‘snack’ that Boo was served on our 40-minute flight from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi – the same level of presentation and care and great value. It’s these touchpoints that make Gulf Air work for families. And she now has a renewed love for Kit-Kats, winner!
Boo’s meal was being cleared as ours was being served and it meant that whilst I was a real life pillow for her, I did get to enjoy my delicious dinner of kebabs – a first at 39,000ft in peace. Night flights will always be my preferred choice, going to sleep in the clouds over Europe and waking up as the sun rises over Arabia is the stuff of dreams… literally. The seat for economy class was surprisingly comfortable.
Gulf Air’s long haul economy offering is not just family-friendly it has families at the heart of it and it shows not just in the service they offer but how you feel throughout your journey with them – they’re an obvious choice to trust to look after you and your family and my own regret is that we didn’t schedule a stopover in the Kingdom of Bahrain to explore – oh well, there’s always next time.
We were guests of Gulf Air for the purpose of reviewing their family-friendly offering
This sounds like a fab experience for a family, the food looks good too!
It looks like a great family friendly option. Hope you had a fab trip!
My dad used to fly Gulf Air lots, and he rated them highly. A Sky Nanny is a genius idea!
I think this is the first time I’ve looked at plane food and thought ‘that looks yummy!’ Well done Gulf Air!