Flying with Babies, Toddlers and Kids

The idea of flying with kids is probably the biggest single cause of stress for traveling parents. Nobody looks forward to lugging a lot of luggage through the airport with a tired and unhappy child (or children) in tow, and the prospect of keeping them seated, quiet, and happy for hours on end can be terrifying. While we can't promise that your kids won't have a melt down, our travel tips will help streamline your air travel and keep everyone in a better mood! We also have helpful advice for making travel with infants easier. Getting Ready The first step is to get to the airport early. It is time consuming to get through the airport and security in any circumstances and you won’t be as able to make a last minute dash to your gate as you would without a child (or children) in tow. The extra time at the airport will give your child a chance to exercise (find an empty gate area or ask if there is an airport play area) in between the long car ride and the flights. E at the airport When possible, check in and secure your seat assignment online before you leave for the airport. Don’t forget to print the boarding passes & put them in your carryon! Be sure to pack your itiniary (including any phone numbers you'll need) and a map of your destination in your carryon. Nothing is worse than struggling to find your hotel with tired children in tow. Airport Security With Kids The most important thing you can do to ease your trip through security is to have everything organized in advance. Having lots of loose items, stuff hanging off the stroller and in the basket underneath will make it take forever to gather everything and you will risk leaving something behind Explain to your child exactly what will happen. It can be scary for them to put their shoes and lovey on the conveyor belt and say goodbye to them. Put everything on the security belt and remove everyone’s shoes before you remove your child from the stroller, then wait until you can get your child back in the stroller before gathering up your other items If there is a family lane, use it! At most airports, the family lane has extra agents to help families gather their belongings and often there is a little bit of extra space where children can put on shoes. Keep your tickets and ID easy to get to until you board the plane. Babies and children are not required to have ID for US domestic flights If you’re travelling with an infant, it’s often easiest to get through security with the baby in a metal-free sling. They can sleep without being disturbed, and on my most recent flights I have not been required to remove the baby from the sling. I have been told that this is the new regulation, but it seems likely to vary from airport to airport. Note that you will be required to remove the baby from the sling before takeoff. Takeoff Babies and young children do not know how to clear their ears to reduce the pressure during takeoff and landing. Unless your child is asleep, you will need to help them. For older children, gum is a good aid. For babies, nursing, a bottle, or a pacifier will work. In addition to helping with ear pressure, milk also acts as a mild sedative, so feeding your child can set the stage for drifting off to sleep. If your child is tired, consider going through as much of your sleep routine as possible during takeoff (reading stories, singing quietly) and tell them that you’ll be sitting for a long time, so this is a good time to sleep. Young babies often sleep well in flight with the motion of the plane and the engine noise providing a very soothing environment. In Flight Set expectations about what behavior you expect before your child gets into trouble. Acknowledge that it’s really hard to sit still for so long and tell them that you know they can do it and that you will help them when it gets difficult. Remind them about all the fun things you will get to do when you land. Here are more Tips for Keeping an Active Child Calm on a Plane You need to make your travel toys last, so try not to bring them out until your child asks for them or gets bored. They’ll probably be amused for quite a while with just looking around, talking to the neighbors, and having some one-on-one time with you. When you do get out toys, get out one at a time so that each has a period of novelty. It’s fun to have some (or all) wrapped as gifts. The wrapping won’t add significantly to your load, but it will provide a little extra excitement and entertainment for your child. When possible, choose toys that work well together. For example, I might start with a Playmobil person and horse. When that gets boring, I could add a stroller, or a wheelchair or a car to the mix. Not sure what to put in your in-flight busy bag? Check out our helpful tips for: Keeping a Child Occupied on a Plane Ten Great Travel Toys You Already Have at Home Our Favorite Travel Toys In turbulence, the FAA recommends that "Adults holding infants should provide as uniform support as possible to the infant's head, neck, and body, and lean over the infant to minimize the possibility of injury due to flailing." Baby noses sometimes get stuffy during flight. Consider bringing along some saline drops (available at the pharmacy) and a small syringe. You can drip a few drops into baby's nose during or after the flight to clear things up. Some sources also say that cleaning the nose helps reduce baby's chances of getting sick Others recommend using expressed breast milk (if you have it) because it is non-drying and antibacterial. Will you be nursing on the plane? Check out our helpful guide to Nursing and Pumping On an Airplane Landing As with takeoff, you’ll have to help your child with pressure in their ears during landing (if they are awake). If you need milk, water, or juice, get it from the flight attendant before the landing process begins. After landing, it is easiest to wait until the other passengers have de-planed to gather your belongings and children. Despite your best efforts, some of their toys will be scattered on the floor or around the seat, and you won’t want to lose anything. If you’ve gate checked a stroller, it won’t be available immediately anyway, so you might as well wait in your seat instead of at the bottom of the airplane door. Best of all, not being part of the crush of passengers exiting the plane will also give your children a chance to peek in the cockpit. Read Our Blog for More Tips and Advice on Traveling With Kids