Flying wit my toddler questions

[Anonymous]

I am taking my toddler on a short plane trip in the summer. She will be 18 months old. I have flown with her several times before but always with my spouse. This time its just me. Please help me with some logistics. I bought DD a seat because there is no way she will sit on my lap even though its a short flight (1.5 hours). Am I supposed to put her in a car seat on the plane? I have to take the car seat for use at our destination but I was planning to check that. Can I check a car seat curbside or can I only check it at the gate? I also need her stroller, can that be checked curbside or only at gate. Im trying to minimize carrying stuff through security other than my toddler and diaper bag. When she was smaller we gate checked both stroller and carseat but now I don't know. Plus its just me having to handle all this bulky stuff through security and manage a very active toddler!
She is a big kid and I can't put her in a carrier so I either need to hold her or keep her in stroller to get through security. Or do I buy one of those rolling adapters for the car seat, put her in that through the airport?
Sorry this is rambling. My husband and I have flying travel down to an art when with are together with kid...but doing it on my own is giving me a lot more anxiety. Any tips on the logistics would be most appreciated.
thanks

[Anonymous]

You'll be fine! If you fly with both parents, it's not THAT bad of an adjustment to do it on your own (I've done it a lot!).

You can put her car seat on the plane. Or you can get a CARES harness instead. Or occasionally I had a seat for DS and didn't bring the car seat. Since she's still of an age to be a lap child, you can hold her for take off and landing and then let her play more freely in her own seat during cruising.

You can check the car seat at the gate or curb-side. Very strict car-safety people will tell you to never check a car seat because of the risk of damage. I've done it occasionally, but only with our cheapo travel car seat (it didn't even come in a box when we bought it from wal-mart, so I imagine the baggage handlers can't be that much worse than shipping it from China and loading it into a warehouse and store etc).

I would only check the stroller curbside because the main useful time for it is hauling across the long terminals past security, but I try to avoid bringing it whenever possible. It's just much easier to throw the toddler in a carrier and wear them through security -- even if it's just for a few minutes, give you free hands to unpack all your crap. Big strollers often don't fit through the xray maching, so they'll pull you out for extra screening. Kid can't stay in the stroller through security, so you're going to have to pick her up and carry/walk her through anyway.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP on the car seat. Check the car seat when you check your bags. Don't haul it across the airport and on to the plane. Your daughter sounds big enough to sit in her seat with a seat belt.

I would use the stroller for the airport (only if it's lightweight, like an umbrella) and gate check it when you are ready to board. It's a pain to put it through the security screening but once you're done, you have a much easier time with your child contained in the stroller.

[Anonymous]

Am I supposed to put her in a car seat on the plane? Completely up to you. I did from 18 months (when we got them their own seat) until about 3 (when they got too tall and started kicking the crap out of the person in front of them). It keeps them in their seat and if they are a kid that falls asleep in the car they may fall asleep here too. Either way, they can't try to roam around the plane. Make sure you know that your seat is FAA approved for use in aircraft (there should be a sticker, it may be hiding under the cover) because they almost always ask to see it.


I have to take the car seat for use at our destination but I was planning to check that. Can I check a car seat curbside or can I only check it at the gate? I also need her stroller, can that be checked curbside or only at gate. Both can be checked at the gate, but unless you plan on using the seat on the plane (which I'd highly advise, see above) then it seems easier to check it curbside.


Im trying to minimize carrying stuff through security other than my toddler and diaper bag. When she was smaller we gate checked both stroller and carseat but now I don't know. Plus its just me having to handle all this bulky stuff through security and manage a very active toddler! She is a big kid and I can't put her in a carrier so I either need to hold her or keep her in stroller to get through security. Or do I buy one of those rolling adapters for the car seat, put her in that through the airport? We had one of the rolling adapters which is a good way to go. If you want to do a stroller but also use the car seat on the plane I'd get a car seat bag so that you can carry it over your shoulder while pushing the stroller. I'd also suggest having one bag double as diaper bag and purse, one less thing to carry.

[Anonymous]

OP here. THanks for the information. I just watched a video on the Cares Harness. Even though it says for 2 years old or older, my kid definitely meets the size requirements. She is 27 lbs and 32 inches. So unless FAA requires me to put her in a car seat I may go this route. It also never occured to me to look for an FAA sticker on the car seat, very good information to know in the future (Planning on a five hour flight in the fall with her and will definitely need the car seat on the plane!).

[Anonymous]

Here are my thoughts - someone else drives you to airport - once at curbside, you flag down a sky cap - you give them all luggage plus car seat. For the car seat, I always have a car seat cover for it (it's black and padded and I buy it on amazon.com). I zip up car seat and shove anything in there that is last minute in our hands that we don't need until landing. Everyone else has this same car seat cover so sometimes 10 identical bags appear at baggage claim, so tie a really brightly colored ribbon or luggage tag on to it, so you know it's your's at destination. Then I tip the sky cap to take all of the luggage inside and help me get myself completely checked in and away from the luggage - for USAir at National for instance, you check in at the kiosk and then have to drag your luggage over to the x-ray machines after they put the luggage ticket on them, so sky cap worth every penny. Then I stick toddler into stroller and use that get through security. They will have to check the stroller out manually if you can't fit it into the xray machine. I carry a large carry on into which I stuff clothes, diapers, wipes, an ipad with movies, a gazillion snacks, an empty sippy cup that I fill with water or milk when I get through security (btw, most airlines no longer carry milk on board ACK). GOOD LUCK!

[Anonymous]

hey, can I fly with milk (cows milk) for my 15 month old? I haven't flown since we switched from nursing but worried about a 4 hour flight with no milk..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hey, can I fly with milk (cows milk) for my 15 month old? I haven't flown since we switched from nursing but worried about a 4 hour flight with no milk..

They usually have milk on the plane in the beverage cart, so you might just bring your toddler's cup and ask them to fill it. Not sure what the age limit is, but the liquid restrictions don't apply to infant supplies, so you could fill a cup and then refill it on the plane. BUT, it's often a good idea to minimize milk intake on the plane in order to minimize stomach upsets/vomiting.

[Anonymous]

Just a warning on asking the flight attendants to give you milk. I know on United, I was told the milk is only for coffee and tea. Just buy milk at the airport once you clear security before the flight.

[Anonymous]

You can bring milk for kids. Food and medicine for children are not restricted to the <3oz rule.

[Anonymous]

I always used the car seat on the plane. We bought and used the CARES harness once. DD did not like it and fidgeted with it whole time. It also prevents the person behind you from lowering their tray table, so they either hate you or ask you every ten minutes to move the strap so they can access their tray table. Car seats are also the safest option on a plane.

If you bring milk through, you'll have to stop afterward to have the milk checked. I would purchase a container through security.

For your situation, I would skycap all the luggage and the stroller and use the rolling adapter for the car seat, then use that on the plane. If it were me, I wouldn't bring the stroller though, since I have no faith that my stroller would make it there and back in once piece. You can purchase an umbrella stroller for $20 at your destination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always used the car seat on the plane. We bought and used the CARES harness once. DD did not like it and fidgeted with it whole time. It also prevents the person behind you from lowering their tray table, so they either hate you or ask you every ten minutes to move the strap so they can access their tray table. Car seats are also the safest option on a plane.

If you bring milk through, you'll have to stop afterward to have the milk checked. I would purchase a container through security.

For your situation, I would skycap all the luggage and the stroller and use the rolling adapter for the car seat, then use that on the plane. If it were me, I wouldn't bring the stroller though, since I have no faith that my stroller would make it there and back in once piece. You can purchase an umbrella stroller for $20 at your destination.

Depends on the style of tray table. Some types of tray tables, the strap goes under the tray and doesn't interfere with it's operation at all.

[Anonymous]

1. You can bring and gatecheck both stroller and car-seat. Whether you will be able to lug both to the gate will, however, depend on how those two fit together. If you have a nice car-seat, do not check it - we had ours ruined that way (granted, it was only once out of a dozen flights, but why take a chance?). If you can easily transport both to the gate, I'd say gate-check stroller and bring car-seat on plane to strap your kid into it.

If you can only bring one item of the two, that depends on how well your kid walks and even then, speaking from experience, lugging a bulky car seat with one hand and a toddler with another is not an experience I wish on anyone. Depending on your destination, you can always rent a car seat where you are going (many car rental agencies have that option). Your kid can sit just fine in the plane seat without the car seat - at that age, he will probably want to be on your lap for most of the flight anyway.

Milk - yes, you can bring milk. You will usually get a lot of leeway on supplies for small children. I've brought juice boxes for my 3-yr old with not issues. They will perform a test to make sure it's really milk but it's quick and harmless.

Don't forget to bring something to entertain the kid and something for them to suck on during take-off/landing and you are good to go!

I've flown a lot with my DD by myself ever since she was a baby, and it's not as hard or complicated as it seems, I promise!