The Flight Before Christmas: Cotswold Airport's Santa's grotto experience gets a revamp

Promising to be 'bigger and better than ever', this year the experience has been extended from one hour to an hour and a half

Cotswold Airport’s unique Santa’s grotto experience, The Flight Before Christmas, has had a revamp this festive season — and SoGlos got a first look before it opens to the public this Saturday (23 November 2024).

Promising to be ‘bigger and better than ever’, this year the experience has been extended from one hour to an hour and a half, there are brand-new sections to explore, characters to meet and activities to enjoy.

Starting off at Elf Control, child ticketholders receive a boarding pass and customised North Pole passport at check-in, before passing through the ‘naughty or nice’ scanner and listening to a very important ‘elf and safety’ briefing from head elf, Peppermint, and their cabin crew on board the plane.

Then little ones have a variety of activities to try, including making reindeer food at Odin’s Forge, painting Santa’s sleigh, decorating gingerbread biscuits with Mrs Claus at Buckthorne’s Bakery, making teddy bears in the Toy Factory, exploring the Candy Cane Forest and, of course, meeting Santa Claus himself.

Father Christmas will provide a special gift for them to take home, plus little ones will also receive a wish token and a Letter to Father Christmas stationary set.

Grown-ups aren’t left out either, as there’s mince pies, mulled wine and even a gift from Santa included for them.

New for 2024, families will receive a photo with Father Christmas with every booking — with the option to buy additional prints on the night.

There’s even the option to book Priority Boarding, which gives families the chance to board the Negus 747 first; a seat in Business Class; an exclusive elf entertainment session; an ‘in-flight’ treat; and an exclusive Priority Boarding gift.

Cotswold Airport is also running special Northern Lights sessions designed for guests with special educational needs (SEN) on Friday 29 November and Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Saturday 15 December 2024, with lower noise and light levels, so everyone can enjoy the experience.

There are gluten free and vegan alternatives for the gingerbread for children with dietary requirements, too.

Standard tickets cost from £39, while Priority Boarding costs £48 and requires attendees to arrive 30 minutes before the allocated session time.

Babies under 12-months-old can attend for free, but won’t be able to take part in activities or receive a gift without a ticket.