Here is a great guide to ensure the airport part of your holiday runs smoothly and becomes the start of your great family holiday!
Before you arrive
Download My Airport – your FREE travel guide - our free guides help you with:
* Driving directions on how to get here
* Check-in procedures
* Terminal facilities, shops and services
* Destination guide on where you are going
* The arrivals process Get your guide
Travelling when pregnant
Here is a useful website if you are travelling when pregnant.
Contact your airline
Contact your airline in advance to see what they offer onboard for children, such as sky cots, baby food, toddler meals, and children's entertainment. Ask whether you can reserve seats in advance, so that you can guarantee that you are all flying together as a family. If you can, book a flight that's not likely to be full. You may get an empty seat next to you or even a free row. To avoid accentuating tiredness, try and fly during reasonable daytime hours, so that your children’s daily routine isn’t disrupted too much.
At the airport
Where you can take your buggy
We know that you need your child’s buggy until you board the plane, so you can take it right through security to the departure gate where airline staff will take it from you and return it to you at your destination.
Baby changing facilities
Baby changing facilities can be found across all three terminals, either inside or nearby the ladies' toilets. Our baby changing facilities include chairs to make breastfeeding easier.
Lone parents
Contact your airline for support when travelling as lone parent and for advice on what items can be taken onboard the aircraft such as booster seat or buggies and policies for unaccompanied minors.
Baby milk pre-order service
If your child needs medication while you are at the airport or if you need ready to drink infant milk for your holiday, you can pre-order it before you travel and collect it from Boots after security check-in. Boots pre-order service
Where to eat and heating baby milk
Places that are popular with families are:
Terminal 1 - Giraffe - see kids menu
Terminal 2 - Frankie and Benny's - see kids menu
Terminal 3 - Trattoria Milano pasta and pizzas.
Many of our restaurants and cafes will warm up your baby milk free of charge - they will do this in hot water rather than in the microwave as commercial microwaves are too powerful for baby milk. Starbucks in Terminal 1 will heat baby milk behind the counter, as will Brodericks and Caffe Nero in Terminal 2 and Costa and Caffe Nero in Terminal 3.
Play areas
There are soft play areas in Terminals 1 and 2. In Terminal 1, the play area is suitable for under three years of age and is located next to Gate 21. In Terminal 2 the soft play area has a section suitable for under three years of age and an adventure play area for ages three to eight years of age, located next to Caffe Nero. Virgin Holiday customers can use V-Room with children's play area and (for all ages) interactive gaming.
More information
Other airport facilities
Other child-friendly services that the airport offers include free fast lane through security if you have a child in a pushchair, a wide range of restaurants and cafes offering kids meals and kids packs, Terminals 1 and 2 Escape lounges both have children facilities and in Terminal 1 there is a Wii and Playstation 3.
At your destination
Car hire
Be prepared and book your travel arrangements at your destination through our website to get partner discount rates.
Europcar - save up to 15% of overseas car rental
For a seamless transfer/chauffeur service you can book online with Tristar - baby seats and booster seats are free of charge.
* Driving directions on how to get here
* Check-in procedures
* Terminal facilities, shops and services
* Destination guide on where you are going
* The arrivals process Get your guide
Travelling when pregnant
Here is a useful website if you are travelling when pregnant.
Contact your airline
Contact your airline in advance to see what they offer onboard for children, such as sky cots, baby food, toddler meals, and children's entertainment. Ask whether you can reserve seats in advance, so that you can guarantee that you are all flying together as a family. If you can, book a flight that's not likely to be full. You may get an empty seat next to you or even a free row. To avoid accentuating tiredness, try and fly during reasonable daytime hours, so that your children’s daily routine isn’t disrupted too much.
At the airport
Where you can take your buggy
We know that you need your child’s buggy until you board the plane, so you can take it right through security to the departure gate where airline staff will take it from you and return it to you at your destination.
Baby changing facilities
Baby changing facilities can be found across all three terminals, either inside or nearby the ladies' toilets. Our baby changing facilities include chairs to make breastfeeding easier.
Lone parents
Contact your airline for support when travelling as lone parent and for advice on what items can be taken onboard the aircraft such as booster seat or buggies and policies for unaccompanied minors.
Baby milk pre-order service
If your child needs medication while you are at the airport or if you need ready to drink infant milk for your holiday, you can pre-order it before you travel and collect it from Boots after security check-in. Boots pre-order service
Where to eat and heating baby milk
Places that are popular with families are:
Terminal 1 - Giraffe - see kids menu
Terminal 2 - Frankie and Benny's - see kids menu
Terminal 3 - Trattoria Milano pasta and pizzas.
Many of our restaurants and cafes will warm up your baby milk free of charge - they will do this in hot water rather than in the microwave as commercial microwaves are too powerful for baby milk. Starbucks in Terminal 1 will heat baby milk behind the counter, as will Brodericks and Caffe Nero in Terminal 2 and Costa and Caffe Nero in Terminal 3.
Play areas
There are soft play areas in Terminals 1 and 2. In Terminal 1, the play area is suitable for under three years of age and is located next to Gate 21. In Terminal 2 the soft play area has a section suitable for under three years of age and an adventure play area for ages three to eight years of age, located next to Caffe Nero. Virgin Holiday customers can use V-Room with children's play area and (for all ages) interactive gaming.
More information
Other airport facilities
Other child-friendly services that the airport offers include free fast lane through security if you have a child in a pushchair, a wide range of restaurants and cafes offering kids meals and kids packs, Terminals 1 and 2 Escape lounges both have children facilities and in Terminal 1 there is a Wii and Playstation 3.
At your destination
Car hire
Be prepared and book your travel arrangements at your destination through our website to get partner discount rates.
Europcar - save up to 15% of overseas car rental
For a seamless transfer/chauffeur service you can book online with Tristar - baby seats and booster seats are free of charge.
For more information on Manchester Airport ; visit www.manchesterairport.co.uk, follow on twitter @manairport and like on facebook http://www.facebook.com/manairport