So I wrote up this whole post last fall right after I traveled by plane with my then-15-month-old for the first time.  This draft got buried in all my holiday posts and crafty creations, but I’m resurrecting it!

That trip was quite the learning experience to say the least.  I was honestly more nervous about flying with my son than I was about giving birth to him….not even exaggerating.  Before traveling, you bet your bottom dollar I scoured the interwebs, looking for any and all advice, tips, and tricks I could find to prepare for this little adventure….did I mention I was nervous??

Now that I have those four flights, four airports, two layovers, and one family vacation under my belt, I thought I’d pass along some things I learned from this experience to help out other parents who are about to embark on a travel adventure with a tot of their own…..don’t worry, it’s not that bad! :)

 

I was lucky and had my husband traveling with me.  This not only provided an extra set of hands (and a few reprieves from diaper changes), but he also happens to be an experienced traveler thanks to a career as a government contractor….best of luck if you’re traveling solo with your tot, or with multiple kiddos!

Our travels for this particular vacation took us to four different airports: Huntsville, AL, Atlanta, GA, Bangor, ME, and Portland, ME.

[Disclaimer: These are just my personal experiences and recommendations as I am not an expert in travel or child safety.  Also, please make sure you review all official government and airline policies before traveling for up-to-date and accurate information as policies do change….y’all know how the government is!]

 

The MOTHERLOAD of Tips for Flying with a Toddler

So here are my tips (I told you it was the MOTHERLOAD!).  You can click on these links and they will take you straight to the respective tip below, or just keep scrolling to see them all!

1. Become familiar with the government/airline rules & regulations.
2. Decide whether to purchase your child their own seat OR have them sit on your lap.
3. Tips for using child restraints on an airplane.
4. Plan ahead and take your time.
5. Be prepared for going through security.
6. Decide whether to bring a stroller and/or carrier, and don’t forget the car seat!
7. Let the kiddo burn off some energy before boarding.
8. Changing diapers can be a little tricky.
9. Distractors are essential!
10. Plan ahead for where you’ll be staying.
11. RELAX!
12. Don’t forget the keepsakes!

I’ve also put together a list of what I consider to be diaper bag must-have items, as well as a list of nice-to-have items!

 

Become Familiar with the Government/Airline Rules & Regulations

• Check out important websites in advance.
  • Before traveling, I scoured all the official government websites (such as the FAA and TSA) to see what they have to say about traveling with kids.  I also checked out Delta’s website as well (and spoke in depth to the Delta representative when booking our flights) since that was the carrier we’d be using.
  • You’ll find all kinds of important information, such as seat/restraint requirements, guidelines for traveling with necessary baby items (breastmilk, formula, baby food, medicine, strollers, etc.), as well as the security screening process for kiddos.
• Print out policies to have a hard-copy (just in case).
  • I printed out the guidelines for traveling with baby food as well as using a CARES restraint (more on that below), just in case.  Luckily, I ended up not needing to use them.  However, I try and plan for worst-case scenarios, and I could just envision myself going toe-to-toe with an ignorant security employee or flight attendant over policies, and having a hard-copy ready and waiting in my diaper bag would be the ace up my sleeve.
  • Having your own copy would be especially important if traveling with breastmilk, formula, or special medication as well (you’ve probably heard travel horror stories on the news about this….).  You never know if you’ll come across an employee who isn’t well-versed on all the policies and regulations, so having a hard-copy of your own may speed up the process and resolve any issues that may arise before they escalate….and it’d be such a great, satisfying way to say “I told you so!”  Hey, when you’re right, you’re right.
• You might need a copy of your child’s birth certificate.
  • Our booking agent told us that some employees may ask to see the child’s birth certificate when checking in to not only verify their age (for seat requirements) but also for security purposes (i.e. to make sure the child is not being kidnapped).  Not sure why *some* employees ask for this while others do not, but whatev.  We brought a copy of our son’s just in case but did not need to provide it.

Decide Whether to Purchase Your Child Their Own Seat OR Have Them Sit On Your Lap

• If your child is under two-years-old, they can sit on your lap or in their own (purchased) seat.
  • Generally, if your child is under two-years-old, they are permitted to travel for free by sitting on your lap (check with your airline for additional requirements).
  • It is of course safest for children to fly in a restraint system (either a car seat or harness), especially for landing, takeoff, and unexpected turbulence, and that is what we chose to do with our son.  This route would obviously require purchasing an additional ticket, which of course is not cheap, but luckily my husband has plenty of frequent flier miles that we were able to use….a nice perk of being married to a traveling government contractor. ;)
• If purchasing a seat for your child, reserve adjoining seats.
  • If you choose to purchase a seat for your child, make sure you reserve seats that are next to each other.  We booked our flights over the phone and the booking agent took care of it for us, so if you’re booking online, it wouldn’t hurt to call your airline before the big day just to make sure.
  • Also, on our third flight, our three seats were technically all next to each other, but my husband’s seat ended up being on the other side of the aisle.  It wasn’t a huge deal for us, but it’s just something else to be aware of in case one plane’s floorplan is different from another’s.

 

Tips for Using Child Restraints on an Airplane

• If using a car seat:
  • You can use a car seat as a restraint as long as it is FAA-approved.  Most of the ones manufactured today are and should state this on the safety sticker and/or in their information booklet, but double check with the manufacturer.
    • Check and make sure that the car seat will physically fit within your airline’s plane seat.
• If using a CARES harness:
  • You can also use a CARES harness, which is what we used with our son….and it is AMAZING.  If you have the means, I would highly suggest using this harness.  I cannot sing its praises enough!
    • It is unbelievably quick and simple to install (literally, just *ten seconds*), easily fits in a diaper bag, and frees up the child’s seat during mid-flight for room to move/play or (the best part) easy diaper changes….HUGE bonus.
      • Plus: no lugging a bulky and heavy car seat through the airport and having to install/uninstall it on a tight plane!

• Practice installing the harness on a chair at home.
  • Like I mentioned, this harness is pretty much idiot-proof and super simple to install and use (even for a non-mechanical person like me), but we did a test-run with it on one of our dining room chairs the night before traveling.  It made one thing less stressful for us.
• Use shelf liner to prevent your child from sliding down on the seat.
  • Since the harness doesn’t have a five-point restraint with a buckle between the child’s legs and instead utilizes the airplane seat’s lap belt, smaller kids can sometimes slide a little down the seat (Rowan did on our flights up to ME).  Thanks to some helpful Amazon reviews, however, a small piece of shelf liner on the seat saved the day on the way home and kept Rowan upright no problem.  I love .99-cent life hacks!

• Let the gate employee know you will be installing a car seat or harness and they will probably let you board early.
  • The gate employees should see on their passenger manifest that a young child is traveling on that flight, but it wouldn’t hurt to give them a quick head’s up that you will be installing a restraint system of some sort.  We did for each of our four flights and were permitted to board early on all of them (just after the passenger’s requiring special assistance).
  • Since the CARES harness is so simple to install, we probably didn’t actually need that extra time, but it sure was nice to get everything and everyone settled and in place early.  If you are installing a car seat, however, I would HIGHLY suggest using this extra time for sure.

Plan Ahead & Take Your Time:

• Make a packing list (duh!).
  • A packing list will be your BFF.  Trust me, it cuts the stress down majorly!
  • Take a few minutes in the days before your trip to jot down everything you plan on taking with you for the tot (and yourself for that matter).  If you’re like me, there will inevitably be a few necessary items that pop into your head at 2am that you’ll need to remember.  Don’t forget to pack clothes for your destination’s climate too.
    • I have a list of diaper bag must-have items, as well as a list of nice-to-have items below….they’re great starting points!
• If you can buy it at your destination, do it.
  • Take what you need for your flights, layovers, and car rides to/from the airport in your diaper bag.  Pack some extras in your checked luggage (i.e. some extra food and diapers), but buy the rest when you get to your destination.  This will save room (and weight) in your diaper bag and luggage.
  • We made a Target-run the day after we arrived and bought a pack of diapers to last the rest of the week as well as more food pouches and snacks, and then another run the day before our flights back home.
• Make sure car at destination can fit EVERYTHING and EVERYONE!
  • Don’t rent a Mini-Cooper!  Tell Uncle Bobby to leave his Corvette at home and bring the mini-van to pick you up.  Seriously, make sure your ride at your destination can accommodate all of your stuff, including the car seat, baby gear, and luggage…oh, and passengers too! ;)
• Arrive at the airport early.
  • I think this goes without saying since kids slow everything down exponentially, but I couldn’t leave it out here.  Traveling is stressful enough, but adding a tot to the mix….yikes.
  • You’ll have to deal with uninstalling the car seat, hauling everyone and all the gear through the parking lot and into the airport, checking in, shoes off and gear unpacked then x-rayed and people scanned (and maybe extraly scanned) and then shoes back on and gear repacked, then finally navigating the airport and finding the terminal.  And of course don’t forget a few diaper checks and possible changes along the way as well as some sippy cup refills and pouches downed and possible hunts for missing toys and/or shoes.  Give yourself some extra time, trust me.
• Look at layout of airport in advance if needed.
  • The internet is a magical thing, so scope out the concourses of the airports you’ll be traveling to, especially if you have connecting flights.  You probably won’t know exactly what concourses you’ll be using, but you’ll at least have a general idea of the airport’s layout in advance (can you ever be too prepared?).  Plus, knowing where bathrooms and food courts are can never be a bad thing.
    

    Here’s a map of the super busy Delta terminal at the Atlanta airport. It couldn’t hurt to get a general idea of your airport’s layout in advance. (Map courtesy of Delta.)

Be Prepared for Going Through Security

• Kids CAN leave shoes on:
  • Kids 12 and under are allowed to leave their shoes on while going through the metal detectors….one little time-saver!
• You can carry kids through the metal detector:
  • I used a Boba baby carrier instead of a stroller for transporting Rowan around, and I had to take him out of the carrier then walk with him through the metal detector.  I first placed him on the floor for him to walk through on his own, but the TSA employee told me to carry him through.
  • Also, the TSA’s website specifically says “Passengers cannot leave babies in an infant carrier and attempt to put it through the X-ray machine.”  This cracked me up when I first read it because it means that **someone probably actually tried to leave their baby in a carrier and laid it on the conveyor belt and attempted to have it go through the x-ray machine.**  Can you picture that?!  Ha!
• You might have extra screening after going through the metal detectors:
  • Like I mentioned, I carried Rowan through the scanners, and at both airports, we went through with no problems or alarms signaling.  However, afterwards both times, we were pulled to the side and my hands were swabbed for testing on the explosives trace detection machine.  It took about 30 seconds, but it was an additional screening that we had to do.
• Announce any food/bottles to the Screener in advance:
  • Medically-required liquids such as breastmilk, formula, and baby food do NOT have to abide by the 3.4 ounces in a quart-size ziplock bag rule.  Hooray!
    • You are allowed to bring “reasonable quantities” of these liquids on flights but you must announce that you have these to the TSA screeners and place them in their own plastic bin for scanning in the x-ray machine (I also had them in a separate gallon-size bag for easy transport in/out of the diaper bag).
    • I was a little nervous about this part because….what’s considered a reasonable quantity??  My little dude likes to EAT, so I brought 15 food pouches in my bag….would that be considered reasonable??  Our trip up to Maine had two flights (one lasting three hours) with a four-hour layover in the middle and a two-hour long drive after landing.  I did NOT want to run out of food and have an extra extra grumpy toddler, plus food is Rowan’s favorite distractor.
    • All the TSA screeners were cool as cucumbers about it.  I just told them as soon as we entered, they told us to remove the food from my diaper bag, and we continued on with the screening process.
• Fill up sippy cup after going through Security:
  • I’m not sure if this is a must, it’s just what we did.  We emptied Rowan’s sippy cup in a water fountain just outside of security then refilled it after going through.  I doubt the juice/water would be considered baby food and be allowed to pass through, but like I said, we didn’t want to try it and erred on the side of caution.

Decide Whether to Bring a Stroller and/or Baby Carrier, and Don’t Forget the Car Seat!

• If you have a baby carrier, USE IT!:
  • Like I mentioned earlier, we left the stroller at home and I instead used a Boba baby carrier to transport Rowan.  I just love this thing and use it all the time, even when not traveling.
  • On this trip, it freed up my hands and also made it super simple to navigate the crowded airport terminals and cramped airplane aisles.  I never had to worry about Rowan being snagged by a stranger or a potentially stolen stroller.  Plus, it kept Rowan calm and less-distracted by the hustle and bustle around him, and when he got tired, he would just lay his head down on my chest (awww, so sweet indeed).
  • You can also wear your child in a carrier during flight if you want, just not for takeoff and landing.

• Don’t forget the car seat!:
  • Even if you are not using a restraint in-flight or are using the CARES harness, remember to bring your car seat!  The kid’s gotta be able to [safely and legally] ride in a car after landing, right?!  Maybe you’re lucky and will have an extra one upon arrival thanks to family/friends picking you up, or you can also rent one using a baby travel service.  We just decided to bring ours since….
• Car seats and strollers are FREE to check: If you are bringing a car seat and/or stroller, it can be checked **for free,** either at the check-in counter with the checked luggage or at the gate.
  • Extra time at Security: If you are bringing a stroller and/or car seat through the airport, it will need to be screened through the x-ray machines in Security, so allow some extra time for that.
  • Buy a cover: They’re cheap and provide extra protection during all the baggage-handling loading and unloading.  Nobody wants to deal with dirty and/or broken baby gear after a flight with a toddler!
    • We used this Jeep cover for our Chicco car seat.  It fit (just barely!) and was easy for my husband to lug from the parking garage to the airport (and vice versa) thanks to the shoulder strap.
    • When we landed back home, however, the zipper had been ripped open so we won’t be able to use it again….we did find a lovely TSA “extra security inspection” pamphlet inside, so who knows how well the cover would have held up without this additional handling.  Either way, the cover did its job, and for under $20 bucks it was well worth it.

• Attach contact details to car seat and/or stroller.
  • Just like having your contact details on/in your luggage is a must, it’s also wise to put them on your car seat and/or stroller as well.
  • We just wrote down our names, cell phone numbers, and home address on a sticky note then slapped it on the side of the car seat using some clear packing tape.  It’s nothing fancy, but at least we’d (hopefully) be notified if the luggage tag and cover were to become separated from the car seat.  We’ve also kept it on the car seat since returning just in case we’re in a car wreck and me or my husband become incapacitated. {*heaven forbid and knock on wood!*}

 

Let Kiddo Burn Off Energy!

• Prior to Boarding: Let your little one walk around less crowded areas of the terminal during layovers or before boarding.  Take them over to windows so they can see the planes and the external hustle and bustle of the airport.  Allow them to stretch their legs when they can so they won’t be squirming to do so mid-flight.  Get them to burn off energy in the terminal….

….so they’ll hopefully do this during the flight! :)

• Onboard: Once you’re safely at altitude and the seatbelt sign is off (and you feel comfortable doing so), unbuckle your child and let them dance, jump, walk on the seat (another bonus of using a CARES harness), on you, or in the aisle.  Most flight attendants and other passengers won’t mind at all….anything that keeps a child happy!

 

Changing Diapers Can Be a Little Tricky

• No need to wait for an open bathroom stall at the airport (hooray!).
  • Airport bathrooms (at least all four of the ones we visited) have baby changing areas *near the sinks!*  That’s right…you don’t need to wait in that long line for a changing table and hog a stall!  They’re not really marked, but they’re flat counters with a little lip around the edge and a hole nearby for garbage.  So skip the line and change that baby pronto!
• Airplane bathrooms are (probably) not large enough to change a diaper.
  • Depending on the size of your baby, yourself, and the degree of diaper doodiness, you may not be able to change a diaper in the airplane’s bathroom.  Everything I read online about changing a diaper on Delta’s planes said don’t even bother because there’s simply not enough space, so we didn’t test them out.
  • Since Rowan had his own seat, I just unbuckled him from his CARES harness, put down my travel changing pad, and quickly changed his diaper right there on the seat (luckily there were no #2’s while in the air).  Another mom on one of our flights changed her baby’s diaper on the floor right in the aisle.  Your lap may work too, and you can always check with a flight attendant to see where they think you’d be best accommodated.
    • DO NOT change a diaper on the seat-back tray!  These are not regularly cleaned, so for the health of future travelers who will be sitting in your seat on subsequent flights, don’t do it.
  • Use diaper garbage bags for dirty diapers.  I always keep these in my diaper bag because they are great for throwing in a dirty diaper and keeping it (and especially the smell) contained until you can dispose of it in the trash (they’re also great for isolating soiled clothes, which we had to utilize on this trip, or just as handy mini garbage bags).

Distractors are Essential!

• Food/Drinks: Duh.  Everyone is happy when they’re eating, and tots are no different.  Bring some of their favorite, easily portable foods with you.  Our flight attendants were also great about providing us with extra food/juice, even without being asked (they want a happy kid too!).  After all, your kiddo can’t cry with food in his/her mouth! :)

• Toys: Another duh.  Bring your kiddo’s favorite small toys to keep them occupied.  Due to the noise of the airplane, you probably won’t be able to hear any musical ones (and I’m sure other passengers are very much appreciative of this fact).  Also, if you’re bringing an iPad along, download their favorite apps/movies/tv shows in advance and pack some headphones.

• Window clings: After food, window clings were definitely Rowan’s favorite toy to play with while on the plane! I grabbed a set from the One Spot at Target for the trip up not really knowing how well they would go over, but I am so very happy that I shoved them in my diaper bag!  They were a HUGE HIT!  I slapped some up on the window while the rest of the passengers were boarding, and Rowan was immediately hooked on them.  He loved poking and squishing them, then he’d peel some off and try and hanging them on the glass again.  He even loved the colored images they cast on his skin from the sun shining through.  Eventually he discovered that he was strong enough to pull them apart into little chunks, so I had to purchase a new set for the trip back home.  After food and diapers, I would say window clings are a must-have item!

 

Plan Ahead for Where You’ll Be Staying:

• Reserve a playpen/crib in advance.
  • We called both hotels we were staying at and requested a playpen for our room.  The first hotel had it set up for us when we checked-in.  The second hotel had it in our room….but we had to set it up.
  • The little booklets in both hotel rooms that outlined their accommodations and policies both said they charged a fee for “renting” a playpen, however, no fee ever showed up on our bills…..wahoo!
  • Bring your own set(s) of sheets and/or blanket.  Once again, the first hotel provided both sheets and a blanket for the playpen (and changed them out with the regular housekeeping), but the second hotel did not.  Luckily I brought a set with us in my suitcase just in case.  You may need to inquire about or bring your own as well.
  • If you’ll be staying with family/friends instead of a hotel, make sure you have sleeping arrangements figured out there as well.
• Bring a travel sound machine if needed:  Rowan uses one of these every night at home, so we brought along a travel one to use in the hotel.  It was great for blocking out the hustle and bustle of hotel life, and he slept like a baby….ha!
• Baby-proof your hotel room as soon as you get settled:  Common sense here, just do a quick sweep as soon as you check in to take care of little dangers that your tot may stumble upon.
  

  Sorry about this terrible iPhone pic, but I was trying to keep the hotel room nice and dark during nap time!

Relax!

• Momma sets the tone.  When momma is stressed, EVERYONE is stressed (at least in our family).  I had to make a conscious effort to stay calm to keep my two guys less anxious.  And Dads, you all need to chill out too!
• If your kid cries and screams….so what???  Babies and tots are their own people, and sometimes there’s nothing you can do to settle them down.  Every parent out there knows this.  If strangers get upset because a kid is upset, they’re either 1) not a parent themselves, or 2) high-strung, self-absorbed jerks who need to learn a little empathy.  Now I’m not saying you should be completely oblivious to what your child is doing and/or the havoc they may be creating.  But if you’ve tried all the normal tricks to calm them down and it’s not working, don’t beat yourself up.  You have to land eventually, and you’ll never see any of those folks again.
• It’ll be over before you know it.  Just as with labor and delivery, the traveling will be over before you now it.  It’s only temporary.  Just keep saying that to yourself if you need to….it’s only temporary….that’s how I got through grad school!
• Flight attendants are VERY helpful!  Like I mentioned, our flight attendants were wonderful on all of our flights.  We boarded early and they were super friendly, and offered us lots of extra food and juice (anything to keep Little Man happy!).  They also gave Rowan several sets of play Captain’s Wings since he was (for the most part) well-behaved.  These are now in his baby book as a keepsake.  And speaking of this….

Don’t Forget the Keepsakes!

• Take pictures!  Don’t let this milestone pass you by, so remember to take pics of your little one’s first flight as keepsake for their baby book.  Even if they’re screaming and crying, it will still be a nice keepsake to have (or at least a memorable one!).  You’ve seen lots of ones that I took scattered throughout this post.
• Bring back mementos of other firsts, too!  This was not only Rowan’s first flight, but it was his first trip to Maine, first time meeting his Uncle Tommy, and his first trip to the beach.  I remembered to bring a small bag of sand home from this occasion and created an ornament commemorating his first beach experience.  Now every Christmas, we’ll be reminded of this family vacation.  Your little one will probably have several other firsts too, in addition to this flight(s), so remember to capture those as well…..they grow up so fast!

 

Diaper Bag Must-Have Items

Don’t forget to bring these in the diaper bag:

• Diapers/Wipes
• Food/Snacks (and maybe a snack cup too)
• Sippy cup(s)
• Distractors (toys, window clings, book, iPad, etc.)
• Extra set of clothes (maybe even for yourself too!)
• Bib(s)
• Mini diaper garbage bags
• Travel changing pad
• Baby carrier
• Wallet
• Phone
• Flight info
• Your personal items (like lip balm, lotion, hand sanitizer, hair brush, etc.)
• Optional: Printed hardcopies of government/airline policies as well as a copy of child’s birth certificate. Also any necessary medications.

 

Nice-To-Have Items

Not must-haves, but definitely made our trip easier:

• Travel high chair:  Good for meals at hotel, restaurants, and especially when visiting family members/friends’ houses who don’t have young kids or a high chair.  It folds up so pack in checked baggage (I stuck it in my suitcase).
• ChooMee Sip’n Soft Tops: Great for keeping food pouches less messy….and discouraging volcanic eruptions from squeezes…..oh, how I hate those.

• Travel placemat: Don’t have to worry about germs on random tables or your tot making a huge mess.  Easy to clean and rolls up for simple storage in a diaper bag.

• Travel dish soap: Obviously, to clean sippy cups, bottles, travel placemat, utensils, etc.
• Secure-a-Toy straps: See ‘Toy’ picture above.  These are great at keeping toys, sippy cups, and other items from rolling/being thrown on the floor…over and over and over.
• Travel sound machine: See ‘Plan Ahead’ bullet above.
• Set of sheets/blanket for playpen: Once again, see ‘Plan Ahead’ bullet above.

I hope with these tips, you’ll have pleasant travels…..well, at least as pleasant as can be expected. ;)

 

Other Fun Kid Stuff

Here’s some other fun stuff I’ve shared related to kiddos!  You can find these and more in my Project Gallery!

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!