
A recent trip to the west coast is prompting me to post this, in addition to all the nervous travelers who come on here looking for tips.
I’ve been a frequent air traveler my whole life. I know the unwritten do’s and donts of travel and how to minimize your impact on your fellow travelers and the flight attendants. Still, every year I find the whole experience a little less enjoyable despite being more prepared than ever before. I now have 2 kids under the age of 4 and figure we travel by air every 3 months or so. I’m actually getting good at this whole air travel with kids thing and most of my trips are without my husband which add a whole other level of planning and stress. I have come to the conclusion, however, that the most stressful part of air travel isn’t the kids – it’s the inconsistencies in security/airlines and airline personnel. So, now I take the approach to expect the worst and hopefully you’ll be surprised in the end. In light of all that, here are the things that I’ve done that make my trips tolerable (I don't know if they'll ever be enjoyable!): 1. If flying solo, see if you can get a pass for someone to escort you to the gate. It is up to the airline/airport as I recently discovered because at Dulles it was no problem but at San Francisco they looked at me like I was nuts. Those extra set of hand are invaluable when helping pull shoes on and off the little ones and you even get to pee without an audience. 2. Use the easiest stroller possible to get through security (or no stroller if at all possible). I use my Phil & Ted’s for my two and at Dulles they make me completely disassemble it to get through the x-ray (I have to take off the wheels to get through!) but on the west coast they have always let me go through the wheelchair entrance. Since I don't know exactly how each airport is going to treat me I take a deep breath and pray for the best. I always second-guess whether or not to take it but being able to restrain both kids always wins out in the end. I’m counting down the days until I can just travel with an umbrella stroller and know I’m not going to lose my toddler. 3. Apparently pre-boarding for people traveling with children is a thing of the past so I’ve also tried to fly without a carseat as I’ve come close to injuring “premier” early boarders hauling it on board. Instead I use the Cares harness which weighs nothing. It works best on kids over the age of 2 but I chanced it with my 18 month old and he handled it fine (not great, but enough to give me a break). Since my kids don’t tend to sleep on the plane it has been a fair trade for some sanity. 4. Pack enough snacks to survive a week on a desert island. Seriously. Toys and games get thrown on the floor but a sour cream and onion pringle or an oreo cookie turns my 18 month old from a nightmare into a giddy fool. Maybe the toys work for an older one but if you’ve got two, you don’t have the focus to help them at all. My 3 year old uses the portable dvd player instead. I have tons of episodes of the Backyardigans, Tom & Jerry and other favorite short cartoons packed to keep him busy. Better yet - fly JetBlue which has the built-in TV's. I fly them whenever possible. 5. Murphy’s Law: if you pack a change of clothes for your child, they will not have an accident. Elect to pack them in the suitcase to make room for more snacks and someone will have a blow-out and will have to exit the plane wrapped in an airline blanket. Enough said. 6. Do not expect the flight attendants to help you or have pity on you at all. I was denied a bottle of water that had maybe an inch in it because it was against airline policy to give it in the bottle but they’d give me a cup with a squirmy baby in my lap. If you happen upon a friendly flight attendant, be grateful. I was actually moved to tears recently when a flight attendant (male, no less) offered to watch my baby while his big brother had to use the restroom. His fellow-attendant had gone out of her way to be nasty to me - pissed that I refused to lay my 18 month old across the filthy toilet seat to change him as the plane did not have changing tables (boo to United but that’s another story) . I've actually had some very nice attendants but when you get a nasty one it really goes a long way to make the flight a rough one. 7. Keep a sense of humor when at all possible. It’s tough at times but it will certainly make the trip a lot more enjoyable and is better than locking yourself in the bathroom with 2 kids and crying your eyes out. Trust me, I’ve done both and smiling at the nasty man who keeps mentioning how he hates kids is a much better alternative. Thanks for letting me ramble - Bon Voyage! |
What a great and useful post. Thank you! |
Totally useful. Thanks for taking the time! I'm saving this one right now. |
Airbus aircraft usually have changing tables in the lavs--at least my experience on America West/USAir
Frontier is kid-friendly! |
also a thank you from me OP, thank you for sharing! |
Amen on the snacks, food does wonders on a long flight |
I have a question about the DVD player as DS is getting old enough to enjoy one. Do they come with headphones? How do you adjust the volume to be sure its not too loud for their ears? (obviously, i've never even seen a portable dvd player . . .) I just can't imagine that the rest of the plane wants to hear his episodes of Clifford . . . Thanks! |
The player we have has 2 outputs for headphones. I bought some big "old style" headphones that don't rest inside the ear and it seems to work. I also test the volume myself before placing them on his head. |
For entertainment options, fly Virgin America - you can rent movies or watch tv on the the screen. Plus you can order actualy food - not just snacks by just touching your screen. We just flew to the West Coast with our kids, and we all agreed Virgin beats Jet Blue for us. |