( CNN ) June ushers in the busiest season of air travel , which typically means snaking security lines , thunderstorm delays and cabins packed to the gills with vacationing families . But take heart fliers , we dug up some bright spots that can make sitting in coach more bearable on long-haul flights . Snacks on demand . When your blood sugar is plummeting or you 're craving that cup of joe that eluded you in the rush to get to the airport , the food and beverage cart can take an eternity to make its way down the aisle to your seat . Enter Red , Virgin America 's entertainment system . Passengers enter their choice from a menu of cold snacks and drinks on their personal screen , swipe their credit card , and hello artisan cheese box ! `` Ordering food from your seat is incredible , '' says Bob Albert , founder and CEO of new flight rating and review site Routehappy.com . `` You feel totally empowered . '' 14 outstanding airport amenities . Family friendliness . Traveling with children on long flights can be an ordeal at best . Luckily , more and more international carriers are offering kid-friendly perks designed to keep tots -- and those seated around them -- content . British Airways has a `` Feed Families First '' policy , which can do wonders to keep peace in the cabin . Lufthansa provides baby food and special menus for children developed by German Chef Stefan Marquard , with appetizing and nutritious meals like fish fingers with potato and cabbage puree , as well as games , puzzles and coloring books that feature the antics of airline crane mascot Lu . But nothing can top the specially trained sky nannies aboard Bahrain carrier Gulf Air , who make sure kids are fed and occupied so mom and dad are free to enjoy the flight . Amazing first-class air cabins . A civilized way to fly . Forget the VIP pass , Canadian airline Porter invites all passengers to enjoy its lounges in Toronto and Ottawa , where free cookies , Starbucks coffee , Tazo tea , Wi-Fi and newspapers await . Onboard , Canadian craft brews and wine are served gratis , in real glasses . Bonus : no middle seats . JetBlue also deserves kudos for its roomier leather seats , snooze kits on red-eye flights and Dunkin ' Donuts coffee . Saving knees everyday . Few things can make a flight more uncomfortable than the passenger in front of you reclining into your precious space , crushing your knees and likely your mood . Hong-Kong-flagged carrier Cathay Pacific , however , has come to the rescue with its `` fixed-back '' economy class seat that reclines six inches within its own space and cradles your head and neck with adjustable side wings . Tasty airline fare . `` Can you imagine there is airplane food that people love ? '' asks Albert . Indeed , Routehappy reviewers rave about nasi lemak , a Malaysian rice dish , sold aboard Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia flights for $ 5 . `` The airline 's become famous for this dish . '' Kudos also go to Turkish Airlines for the national dishes -- shish kebab , karniyarik ( stuffed eggplant ) and manti ( dumplings ) -- served in coach class , earning it a `` Best Airline Food '' nod from Skyscanner recently . Hire a guide , business travelers . Top-notch entertainment . With 1,200 channels of on-demand entertainment , including 200 movies , 500 audio channels and 100 video games , Emirates Airlines has you covered for in-flight entertainment . The much-lauded system has recently been upgraded with a new `` graphical user interface , '' making it easier to navigate the vast collection by swiping and scrolling , as well as send SMS and e-mail messages . Starry , starry night . Your flight is cruising at 35,000 feet above the Atlantic , the lights in the cabin dim , and as you settle in for the night , constellations of stars appear on the ceiling . This evening phenomenon occurs on United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways , Emirates Airline and Egypt Air . Gentle wake-up . Is a burst of harsh florescent lighting any way to wake up ? Virgin Atlantic does n't think so . The airline employs soft lighting to wake passengers gently before landing . Complimentary eye masks , blankets and pillows do n't hurt either . `` It was definitely the best I felt waking up on a red-eye , '' says Lauren Sullivan , travel expert for Cheapflights.com . `` I went straight to the office because I felt perfectly refreshed . '' Do you remember the best flight you ever had ? Why was it so good ? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below .
These amenities make air travel a little nicer . Some airlines have services to keep kids entertained ( and their neighbors happy ) AirAsia serves a Malaysian rice dish that passengers rave about .