Flying With Kids

Update: This post is geared more towards traveling with small children. For travel with older children, go HERE.

I often complain that we don’t travel anymore. But then, when I stop to think about it, we actually travel a lot. We just don’t go international very much anymore. My kids have been flying pretty much since birth. Fortunately, they are great travelers.

I am often asked for tips about traveling with kids. I thought I would create a blog post that I could use as a reference. I’ll be updating this post as I think of things to add. Obviously, these are just my opinions. Please send me any suggestions you might have.

Few things change as frequently as airline policies. You should always check an airline’s website or call them directly to verify the current policy. Policies can also vary from carrier to carrier. This information is intended for customers originating in the United States.

Airfare

Domestic - Children under two traveling within the United States do not need to buy a ticket. Children over two must buy a ticket and have their own seat regardless of where they are traveling. It is very rare that airlines give discounts to children over two traveling within the United States.

International - Children traveling internationally must have a ticket, even if they are under two and riding on a parent’s lap. Some international markets have discounted fares for children under 12. Most international markets require an infant under two to pay a fare even if they are on their parent’s lap. In some cases, this is just taxes, but in other cases it can be a percentage of the adult fare and can be expensive. In the latter case, it is important to buy the ticket when you buy the adult ticket. If you wait until the last minute, you could be paying 10% of the current adult fare, which is almost always much more expensive at the last minute than when booked in advance. 

When looking at airfare, remember to verify if an airline charges for baggage. Sometimes an airline may have a higher airfare, but charge less or nothing for bags. This is especially important when traveling with children. I’ll talk more about baggage below.

You should also verify the change fees for your ticket. These can be quite costly. Southwest Airlines doesn't charge for bags or to change a reservation, which is great when traveling with children.

Travel Documents

Children under the age of 18 do not require a photo ID to travel within the United States. Children traveling internationally require a passport, regardless of how old they are. Just like adults, they may also require a visa. Another very important thing to remember is that if a child is traveling internationally with only one parent, a letter of permission may be required from the non-traveling parent. You should always check with the airline when this is the case.

Seat Assignments

Most airlines allow you to request seat assignments in advance of travel, although many now charge for this. You should always request seat assignments when possible. If a flight is overbooked, you will seldom get bumped if you reserve a seat, check in on time, and board the flight when called. (There is an exception to this when an aircraft is changed and the new airplane is a different size than the original one, but this does not happen often.) In 99% of cases, passengers who get bumped do not have seat assignments. If you do not have a seat assignment, check in as early as possible to try and get a seat assignment at that time. If the airline does not assign seats at check-in, arrive at the airport with plenty of time. Keep in mind that without a seat assignment, it is not guaranteed that you will be seated by your child. The flight attendants usually try to assist with this on board, but it is not a guarantee.

If you are traveling with a lap child (a child under two without a seat assignment) and two adults, it’s a good idea to request an aisle and a window, leaving the middle open. Solo middle seats are the last to be requested and you might get lucky and have the middle seat available when you fly. If the middle seat does end up being assigned, the person in the middle will probably be happy to trade with one of you to get a window or an aisle, allowing you to still sit together.

If there is only one adult, I would recommend the window seat for short flights and the aisle seat for long flights. Sitting in the window means you won’t have to get up if another passenger wants to get out. It also lets you lean against the window to sleep. Sitting in the aisle lets you get up and walk around or take a child to the bathroom. Now that my kids are older, I usually try and get them in the window and me in the aisle. They like to look out the window and it prevents them from dropping things or hanging limbs into the aisle.

I prefer to request seats in the back of the airplane. Most airlines allow families with children to board near the beginning of the boarding process. Those that don’t will usually board people in the rear of the aircraft first. Regardless of how they board, if you’re seated in the back, you have more time to get settled and you’re not blocking other passengers from getting past you to board. I also like to be among the last to get off the plane so we’re not blocking people and don’t feel rushed. I also like the back because it’s closer to the bathroom.

If you are flying an airline that doesn’t do advanced seat assignments (i.e. Southwest), you can still board near the beginning when traveling with children. Also, Southwest lets you board near the beginning if you check in online. (I recommend checking in online regardless of which airline you fly.)

The one exception to flying in the back is if you are flying on a large aircraft that offers basinets, usually only on long international flights. Basinets are offered free of charge and are for infants below a specific weight. They snap into the bulkhead wall in front of the adult. These are limited, so you can make a request, but it can’t be confirmed until you actually check in at the airport. It is really convenient if you happen to get one.

Baggage

Unfortunately, most airlines now charge for baggage on domestic flights. Most international flights allow at least one free bag. Currently, Southwest does not charge for two checked bags per person.

Most airlines that charge for baggage will let you check a stroller OR a car seat free of charge. You can also carry on a stroller or a car seat. How you decide to do this is up to you, but I have some recommendations based on the age of the child.

• Infants – I would recommend taking the stroller and car seat through security. If you are able to get a seat for your child, you can use the car seat and gate check the stroller. If you can’t get a seat, you can gate check both. I have never seen anyone charged for this, but it is possible that the airline would charge for one since technically only one is allowed free of charge. One way to avoid this would be to use an umbrella stroller since it could be carried onboard.
  
  
• Toddlers and Older Children – I would recommend checking the car seat at the baggage counter and keeping the stroller. It is really handy to have a stroller when going through the airport, plus it can help with the hand baggage. It’s also a good way to contain a wandering child. You can gate check the stroller free of charge prior to boarding the aircraft.

A diaper bag does not count as carry-on baggage, so you can have a diaper bag and a car seat and still carry on a suitcase. Just remember that somehow you have to get yourself, your child, the diaper bag, the car seat and the carry-on bag on board and to your seat. It’s not easy. When it comes to carry-on – LESS IS MORE.

Getting Through Security

This is one of the most stressful parts of travel. Keeping track of bags, strollers, kids and shoes while dealing with impatient passengers and TSA employees is not the best part of the trip. Planning in advance and being organized really helps with this.

Some airports have a separate security line for families traveling with children. It’s at the same place as regular security, but the line is usually shorter and does not wind around as much. I wish all airports had this!

Strollers and car seats must go through the conveyer belt. Blankets, toys, etc. must also go through the belt. I find that it works best if I talk to my kids about this in advance and let them help put things in the bins and on the belt.

Security regulations do not allow you to go through airport security with liquids or gels that are over 3.4 oz. (see tsa.gov for complete information). Liquids and gels are things like diaper ointment, lotion, hand sanitizer, lip gloss, etc. Any liquids or gels need to be placed in a quart-size zip lock bag. There are some exceptions. Medication (prescription or over-the-counter) can be bigger and you can take through baby food, a baby bottle or a sippy cup with liquid. These items will have to go through an additional screening process. Having them together in an easy-to-access location will help things go more smoothly. Once you’re on the other side of security, these limitations don’t apply. Now that my kids are older, I take an empty water bottle and then fill it after we’ve gone through security. If checking a bag, put anything that you don’t absolutely need while flying in the checked bag. Then you don’t have to worry about it during the security process.

Laptops and video cameras have to come out of your bag when going through the x-ray. Small DVD players and cameras do not.

Currently children under 12 do not have to take their shoes off when going through security. Children that can walk must go through the x-ray by themselves.

Packing

I send everything I can in the checked bag. When you’re traveling with children, it’s easier to have fewer bags to worry about. Once kids get older, you can start carrying on bags again since they can be responsible for their own stuff. I try to fit me and my kids in the same checked bag because even if I’m not dealing with all the baggage on the flight, eventually I will be.

My kids like to have their own bag to pull. Currently Baylie’s princess bag needs a new wheel, so they are sharing a carry-on. These are the items I put in their carry-on bag(s).

• Portable DVD Player or iPad
• Headphones (with a splitter so they can both have their own headphones)
• Movies
• Entertainment items (more info below)
• Change of clothes and underwear (in case of spill or accident, plus you never know when a flight will get cancelled or there will be a weather delay)
• Small blanket (you can no longer get blankets on most airplanes – plus they’re gross)

I also carry a backpack. (I have to note here that I LOVE my backpack. It has been around the world and back with me for the past 20 years.) This is what I carry in my backpack.

• Wipes (children are never too old for wipes)
• Book for me
• Change of underwear for me (you never know when a flight will get cancelled and you’ll be stuck)
• Phone
• Chargers (I also have an adapter that lets me plug in three things from one outlet)
• Camera
• Wallet
• Tickets/IDs
• All the liquids and gels in the quart-size bag for security
• Snacks (more on snacks below)
• Earplugs (for me and the kids)

Entertainment

As with all carry-on baggage, less is more. You don’t want to be stressing out about lost toys or missing pieces. Plus, many times kids will end up sleeping on the flight.

Our most important travel tool is our portable DVD player. (Update: now we use an iPad.) The kids can watch movies on the plane and I try to recharge the player while in the terminal. Some aircraft, but not all, have on-board entertainment. You have to be careful with this because sometimes, especially lately, what the airlines consider family-friendly entertainment is not the kind of thing I want my kids to watch.

Here are the additional things we typically bring for entertainment.

• Notebook or coloring book
• Colored pencils (I prefer to travel with pencils rather than crayons)
• One or two small toys per child (not something that would be traumatic if lost)
• Cards or small travel game
• Pillow Pets (these are a new additions and I really love having them)

Snacks and Beverages

Airlines no longer offer free food and airport food is very expensive. I travel with snacks (usually crackers or cereal) in zip lock bags with each kid’s initials on them. As mentioned above, I carry empty water bottles in a large zip lock. I can either fill them with water or the flight attendant will fill them with a beverage when offering the onboard service. It’s much easier than trying to prevent a spill from a plastic airline cup. Keeping the bottles in a gallon zip lock prevents them from leaking inside the carry-on bag once they have been filled. Favorite snacks for us are popcorn, cereal, poptarts, granola bars, etc. I have also made sandwiches.

A few special treats are great to have on hand in case you need to manage an emotional breakdown or temper tantrum (yours or the child’s).

Additional Tips

Ziploc bags - Ziplocs are your friends. Ziplocs help with organization and can help prevent leaking or spills. They are also great in case there is a potty accident. (I must confess at this point that one time I just threw away the messy pajamas because they weren’t worth trying to save.)

Leashes - I am a fan. My kids were runners.

Baby Bjorns, etc. - Also a fan of these. Some airlines won't let you have the child in the bjorn while taking off and landing, but you can always use it while in flight. I think it's safer, plus it allows you to snooze.

Pajamas - My kids almost always start or end in pajamas, changing clothes in our connection city. If you’re going to depart or arrive really early or really late, it’s easier and more comfortable to travel in jammies.

Kid-friendly airports - If you have a choice of connection points, look for family-friendly airports. Some airports have play areas for children. This is such a great thing for burning off energy without annoying other travelers. It’s a great break for kids and parents. (Although harder to verify, some airports are just designed in a way that is better for kids when it comes to eating facilities, changing terminals, family restrooms, seating areas, etc.) If you do an internet search for "family friendly airports", you can get a lot of information.

Plan on everything taking longer. If possible, avoid short connection times since it will be stressful for you and your kids. You want plenty of time to go potty, eat, change clothes, stretch, etc. Advanced planning and organization will help both you and your kids.

Talk to your kids – Explain what’s going to happen and what is happening. Traveling can be confusing to kids and they do better if they know what to expect.

Last, but not least, is to be considerate of other travelers. You will see the best and worst of people when you travel with children. Some people are just intolerant, but some parents and their children are obnoxious. Being conscientious of this makes it easier for everyone.

I hope this information will prove helpful. I’d love to hear other people’s advice and travel stories.