The last time you flew with your kids you vowed never to do it again. But short of keeping your travels to a drivable distance, eventually you will have to hop a plane to see Grandma ... or Mickey Mouse.
While the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration both list requirements for safe airplane travel with children, what they don’t provide are the tips and tricks that will get you to your destination safely — and with your sanity intact. For that, frequent-flying parents have the best advice.
- Book an early, direct flight for less chance of delays. Or schedule a flight for naptime or bedtime.
- Check in online and print out boarding passes at home. This also helps guarantee you won’t get bumped from the flight.
- Everyone should wear slip-on shoes to make it easier to go through security.
- If you are flying alone, get a gate pass for your partner so they can help get you and the kids to the gate.
- Do running or chasing games at the gate to tire them out before boarding the plane. Finish with stretching exercises to calm them down.
- Push your child in a stroller as long as you're allowed to, and then gate-check it. You'll be able to pick it up again as soon as you get off the plane.
- You can purchase an extra seat for a car seat, though it's not required for up to age 2. Consider how well they’ll do strapped into the seat for the flight and whether you need one at your destination.
- Bring a child-size backpack filled with favorite toys and snacks, but leave crayons and small toys at home. They fall and are hard to retrieve. Wrap up stickers and never-before-seen toys for extra fun.
- DVD players, iPhones and iPads can be great for downloaded videos and child-friendly apps. Just be sure the devices are fully charged — and don’t forget headphones comfortable for little ears.
- To help cope with air pressure, nurse infants on takeoff and landing. Toddlers should drink something; older kids can chew gum.
- Remember during takeoff and landing, when you can't get up, everything needs to be at arm's reach. Pack bags with many pockets so you know exactly where things, but don’t carry anything so big that you can't easily grab it when it's under the seat.
- Ask for extra blankets and pillows to seal up space in between seats so toys don’t get lost. They can also help pad hard armrests.
- When sitting next to an adult, always apologize in advance for any possible annoyances and assure them that you have the technology and games to keep your toddler happy. This seems to keep the stranger both relaxed and sympathetic.
- Bring wipes for any messes and a change of T-shirt for you and clothes for the kids. Airplanes can be notoriously chilly, so even in hot weather dress them in long sleeves and pants.
- Bring double the diapers you think you’ll need in your carry-on to be prepared for an extended wait on the runway or during connections.
- Rent baby gear at your destination. Google your destination plus “baby rental” to find local providers; check local Craigslists and sites like www.babysaway.com and www.babytravelpros.com.
- Prepare for delays, tantrums and other problems. You’ll worry about 101 things, and 102 things can go wrong, but if you approach the trip through a child’s eyes — with a sense of fun and adventure — everything will feel much more manageable. And no one will fault you for that big glass of wine once you arrive.
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