Flying Nannies take off with Etihad
Taking your young family on long-haul flights can be a daunting task, both for you and for the other passengers. You try desperately to keep your child entertained with bags packed with paper and coloured pencils, soft toys galore which your child promptly throws to another aisle for the build up of a tantrum. Or else there’s a constant chorus of “I’m bored” and “are we there yet” from some of the older ones.
Etihad Airways has recognised these long and monotonous flights can take their toll on parents with young children and in response have developed the Flying Nanny who assists families in keeping their little ones entertained.
So far 300 Flying Nannies have been trained in child psychology and sociology, where they are taught how to recognise different developmental stages and types of behaviour, equipping them with the knowledge to handle possibly bratty children.
The training course from Norland College also covers many creative ways the Flying Nannies can keep the kids entertained. This all comes from a special kit containing stickers, straws, cardboard and a variety of other utensils which allow children to create cards for friends and family, hats from paper cups or fold paper into origami. All activities are designed to be completed by the child alone so the Flying Nanny can wander around and check on the others.
Sock puppets appear to be a bit of a highlight, using eye and mouth stickers from the Flying Nanny Kit and socks from the travel kit to craft animals and people.
If travelling with older children who may not be interested in creating sock puppets, the Flying Nannies can also teach your kids a thing or two about magic tricks or provide a variety of quizzes and puzzles for them to contemplate.
“Flying with a young family can be a daunting task, even for the most experienced travellers, and the Flying Nanny role demonstrates our understanding of our guests’ needs and our commitment to making the journey as relaxing and comfortable as possible,” Aubrey Tiedt, Etihad Airways’ Vice President Guest Services, said.
“The Flying Nanny will liaise with parents and use their experience and knowledge to make the travel experience easier. This includes helping serve children’s meals early in the flight and offering activities and challenges to help entertain and occupy younger guests.”
By the end of 2013, Etihad Airways aims to have 500 Flying Nannies trained and ready to roll on numerous long-haul flights.
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