Everyone knows that it is so very difficult to travel, especially to FLY on a plane, with young kids. It’s similar to being trapped in a cave with a screaming baby and 200 strangers (who are all wanting to sleep) lol. Yet we don’t want to give up traveling simply because we have kids, so hopefully some of these suggestions will help your trips to go more smoothly. Bon voyage!
Itinerary:
• Buy window seat tickets (as your kid will likely be more entertained looking out the window)
• Try to fly during nap times and not too early or too late in the day (as crankiness ensures)
• Ensure good sleep for yourself and kids the night before travel
• Check in online the night before (so that you can add “lap infant” to your boarding passes)
Airport:
• Transporting kids through airport: use baby carrier for under 1 year and collapsible stroller for 1-3 year olds
• Checking luggage: check car seat at ticket counter (free amenity)
• Gate: use the pre-boarding for small children (make sure to gate check the stroller)
• Carry-on: Maximize your carry-on or personal item by taking one backpack per person (can have 2+ year olds carry their own backpacks)
Plane:
Carry-on bag(s) for baby:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Ziploc bags (for dirty diapers)
- Formula (lots! You never know how long you’ll be without your luggage)
- Bottle (can go through security with warm water in bottle)
- Burp cloth
- Light baby blanket (to cover his eyes from light so he can sleep as it is very bright on the plane)
- Two pacifiers (in case one gets lost)
- Teether or rattle
- Extra change of clothes (you can be sure a blow out will happen)
Carry-on bag(s) for toddler:
- Lots of snacks (dry cereal, mandarin oranges, ritz crackers with cheese, string cheese, gummies)
- Ziploc bags (for dirty diapers and half eaten food)
- Water bottle with water (fill up at gate)
- Small books
- Small toys (finger puppets, cars/trucks, window stickers to put on airplane window)
- Electronic device (pictures, app games, or pre-downloaded shows b/c you can’t always get service on the plane)
- Headphones (outer ear cheap ones)
- Extra change of clothes (you can be sure a blow out will happen)
Carry-on items for parent:
- Snacks (may not have time to eat during layover)
- Bottled water (fill up at gate, difficult to have an open drink on a plane because of mobile children)
- Eye mask (in case you get five minutes to rest your eyes)
- Extra t-shirt (for any baby fluids that may end up on your shirt)
Extras:
- If you’d like to sit by or near your spouse, go ahead and ask the gate attendant to change your seat assignments. If this doesn’t work, ask another person on the flight to switch seats with you so that you can sit with or near your spouse. Most of the time people are happy to make this switch.
- Sometimes it’s actually better for you and your spouse to split up. One of you sits with the baby (in a different row) and the other sits with the toddler (in a different row). That way the toddler will not keep messing with the baby and keeping him from sleeping.
- Have the baby or toddler chew or drink during takeoff and landing (to avoid ears hurting)
- When baby is tired, go ahead and rock to sleep. Avoid an overtired baby as much as possible, as this is what leads to the screaming for two hours straight on the plane (in my experience).
Please leave a comment below with how these suggestions might have benefited you or with additional ideas you may have.
Amazing 😉