5 Tips to Make Air Travel With Children Under 2 a Breeze

The first time I traveled on an airplane with my son, he was 6 months old. Because I was a flight attendant at that time and had been for many years, I felt like I knew what to do to make our trip a success. #NOT #FAIL #WRONG. For the most part, checking in and going through security was pretty simple. The issues began during boarding. I had a suitcase, diaper bag, car seat and baby. I’d purchased this wonderful little bungee chord contraption thingee to attach my car seat to my roller bag, making it a makeshift stroller. Everything was contained in one streamlined operation. Car seat attached to bag, baby in car seat, diaper bag attached to the handle of roller bag, so we were well put together honey!

Now because I was a flight attendant, I had pretty much eyeballed my faux stroller rig and I knew that it could make it down the aisle of the aircraft because the car seat really didn’t protrude past the roller bag, the same bag that I use for work. However, when I got to the door of the aircraft, of the very airline I work for, the flight attendant says, “that won’t fit down the aisle.” Now I know that my eyeballization (my word) was accurate but it was then that I became just like any other parent that didn’t want to make a scene, so I regrettably obliged.

Right there on the jet bridge is where things began to unravel and I became the disheveled mess of a parent that we often see boarding the plane with too much stuff, smacking people in the head with the car seat or the baby’s foot or a bag. Yep, that was me. The next hurdle after getting to my seat was getting the car seat installed, my first time doing it on the airplane. My hand was swollen and bruised after my many attempts to get the bulky seatbelt through the car seat opening. I realized after it was complete, that 1, it’s much easier to install a car seat sans a baby in it and 2, I could have just lifted the fabric and easily slid the seatbelt through. www.fail.com to the first power.

Looking back on it, the boarding situation wasn’t as bad as it felt in the moment. However, the descent was horrible. I already knew that descending can wreak havoc on the ears of little ones  so I had a bottle ready. Unfortunately he wouldn’t drink it. Would not drink and while not drinking, his squirming and light cry became a full blown hollering wail. A top of my lungs, burn your eardrums type of screaming that I could not seem to remedy. As it turns out, that flight was the first time I used the bottle stoppers. You know, the little discs that go under the nipple to prevent the liquid from leaking. Yeah, I totally forgot that little tidbit so my boy was screaming his head off because he wasn’t getting any milk at all. Let’s call it a www.certifiedmomfail.edu because I definitely needed more schooling.  We live and we learn and I have to say that our subsequent flights went much smoother than the first one. I’d also like to add that I was indeed correct about my car seat fitting down the aisle while attached to my bag, which I tried on our next flight.

A successful trip with small children really depends on one thing, how your child is feeling. If they are tired, hungry, hot, cold, agitated, bored, wet, or are suffering from ear pain, within what’s already a confined and unfamiliar space, you and your fellow passengers can be in for quite the uncomfortable flight. After flying every two weeks with my son for months, while my husband was stationed in another city with the military, I became quite savvy on how to travel like a pro, with a tot in tow.

Here are the tips that can help air travel with children under 2 much easier and will hopefully help to avoid www.firsttimefails.org:

1. Have Your Tail on the First Thing Smoking

Early morning flights may seem daunting to wake up and be on time for but they are honestly the best for traveling with small children. I would wake my son up and get him dressed, give him half a bottle and keep him entertained during our car ride to the airport to keep him awake. By the time we were on the airplane, he would be exhausted as I was. I’d make him nice and cozy in his car seat, cover him with his blanket, give him the second half of the bottle while taxiing and the motion combined with the hum of those plane engines and the dim lights, would lull him right to sleep, most times for the entire flight.

Tip: Arriving 2 hours early with small children gets an upgrade to 3 hours. Allow yourself time to make it through security, reassemble your crap, make it to the gate, pee, eat, change a diaper and breatheeeeeee. Some airlines offer family boarding, that will allow you to board before the majority of other passengers so you can get on and get situated. Be T H E R E, be there, (whispers) be there, for family boarding. Even if it’s for no other reason then to minimize the number of heads you smack with all your stuff.

2. Bring Your Car Seat Onboard

I am a car seat fanatic, as you will be able to tell by the length of this tip.  I actually took a 3 day course to become a certified car seat technician, in 2016. I’ll tell you right now, checking your car seat is not safe. It can suffer unseen damage from being mishandled by baggage handlers, which can affect how it would hold up in an automobile accident. YOU SHOULD NEVER CHECK YOUR CAR SEAT! Even the FAA, recommends that small children utilize a child restraint system onboard an aircraft. Now I know many people either don’t want to or can’t afford to buy an additional seat for a lap child (child under the age of 2) but it really is a necessary evil. When you have your car seat, older babies are accustomed to it and it acts as somewhat of a safe haven of familiarity. Not to mention, it provides more comfort to the child versus being held.

In addition, holding your baby for an entire flight may be cheaper but you do pay the price in other ways. Children in car seats on airplanes are safer than those being held. You should never put the seatbelt around both you and your baby. The seatbelt is only for you. Therefore, you act as their seatbelt by holding them. In the event of severe turbulence or if there is an accident during takeoff, while taxiing, or during landing, it may become difficult to hold your child against the force of the aircraft movement. You’ll ultimately end up hurting them by trying to hold on to them too tightly or they could become a projectile.

Those are extreme examples for bringing your car seat onboard but really it’s for your convenience as well, especially if you’re traveling alone with your baby. When your child is in a car seat, you can put your tray table down, have a drink, move freely and use the restroom. Did you see that last one? USE THE RESTROOM! All without having some stranger hold your baby while you pee or you trying to maneuver in that broom closet with a toilet with an additional human. It’s much easier to ask a flight attendant or even a seatmate to keep an eye on your little one while you run to the lavatory if they are strapped into their car seat. Then there is no need for Joe Schmoe, to hold, hug, kiss, or give their germ-ridden finger for their entertainment or makeshift pacifier. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen.

If you absolutely cannot purchase a ticket for your little one, you can ask the gate agent if there are extra seats on the flight and if they’ll allow you to bring it on at no charge. Lastly, don’t forget to strap your car seat in using the airplane seat belt, I’ve seen so many people miss this step. You have to buckle it in and you may need a seat belt extension from the flight attendant to do so. Position the car seat the same way you do in your vehicle. Rear facing is fine as long as it’s by the window and/or does not block egress to the main aisle. If you are rear facing the seat, tell the person seated in front of the car seat, so they know they can’t enjoy that 3 inches of recline. Should they make a fuss, remind them that it is only 3 inches of recline, so no need for FOMO or you could just get a flight attendant involved.

I will stress this as a flight attendant and as a Mom, don’t let anyone tell you that you can not rear face your car seat and if they do, ask to see it in writing. I have had flight attendants tell me I couldn’t rear face, WROOOOOONG, said in my Judge Judy voice. The only requirements that have to be met are that it is placed by a window and/or it does not block access to the main aisle and is not one row in from or one row behind an exit row. If you don’t meet that criteria ask to be accommodated so you do meet the criteria. It’s best to try to just get yourself a window seat at the gate or ticket counter, prior to boarding, so you’re not holding up the boarding process or departure time.

Make sure that your car seat has a label that reads “certified for use on aircraft.” It’s usually written in red and flight attendants check for that. If you have an infant carrier, most likely you can not use the base on an airplane but it can be easily placed in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. Booster seats are also not allowed for use onboard. If you’re looking for a nice lightweight travel car seat, the  Cosco Apt 50  is both lightweight and inexpensive. Also, several companies make those handy dandy straps that can connect your car seat to your suitcase but the one I used was theCar Seat Luggage Strap, Orange, One Size  or you can use the Britax Car Seat Travel Cart, Black

3. Use a Baby Carrier

After that first flight, I purchased a Tula baby carrier and that was a complete game changer. It made going through security super easy. Keep in mind that when going through security with a baby carrier attached to your person, you do not have to remove it. Being hands-free made everything so much easier and baby was nice and cozy, attached to me and remained unbothered by the hustle and bustle of TSA. Please note, if you wear your baby on the plane, some carriers will ask that you detach the carrier from your person for take off and landing. It’s for the safety of you and your child in the event there was an accident and/or you become incapacitated,  we’re not left to figure out how to get that carrier off of you and get your baby out.

4. Bring Your Liquids for the Baby

So many people ask flight attendants if they serve milk, one passenger asked me if we had formula onboard. Airlines certainly don’t carry formula and many don’t serve milk. However, you can bring liquids (milk, water, juice) for your baby through TSA. You just need to tell them that you have liquids for the baby and they will be subjected to additional testing but they will be allowed.  Always ask the person screening your liquids to change their gloves, since they are touching and opening your baby’s items. Most times they do it automatically but if they don’t, ask!

I used formula with my son and would bring a pre-made bottle,  a thermos of hot water to make additional bottles and a bottle of water for myself. I never had any issues.  Always try to feed your baby or offer a pacifier on takeoff and descent, the two most crucial times for their ears.

Snacks also fall into this category. Don’t expect that airlines will have snacks that will be appropriate for your children. Unless you’re flying first class and even then, your options are usually limited to peanuts, pretzels, cookies and the occasional crackers or chips, most of which are full of gluten, wheat, nut products and not necessarily kosher. Bring the snacks that your child likes to eat and fits in with their diet. You’ll thank me later.

TIP: The goal when traveling with children, especially those under 2 and particularly when traveling with them alone, is to be as self-sufficient as possible. Sure, flight attendants will do their best to accommodate you if you need something but we may not always have time to get what you need as soon as you need it. Therefore, if your child is having a meltdown, be prepared with your own snacks or way to help the situation. Breastfeeding Moms have a boob readily available for a hungry or fussy baby. If you use formula and your baby likes a warm bottle, bring your own hot water so you too can feed them, on the spot. I found this Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug that kept water hot for over 20 hours, no joke. Lastly, there may or may not be people available to help you do anything, so have it T O G E T H E R girl and you too random Dad who may be here on the Mama blog, looking for tips and tricks,  I see you sir! Show these fellow passengers you came to slay this flight with organization and the wherewithal to figure out how to do it! Now if your baby said screw all these tips, I’m going to air these lungs out on today, then at least we tried, gave it our best effort and will live to parent another day.

5.  Have Your Entertainment on Deck

Older babies may require entertainment. Bring some toys, bring some books, bring your tablet, loaded with movies and games. If you have Netflix, Amazon Prime or even cable television in your home, you can most likely download movies and kid friendly television programs, in lieu of purchasing pricey wifi during the flight, if it is offered at all. Sometimes wifi doesn’t allow for streaming so it may not work even if you do pay for it.

Try to avoid noisy games or toys that would disturb other passengers and on that same note, BRING HEADPHONES, if they’re going to watch something on your phone or tablet, I found these cute headphones with volume control, on Amazon.  In my experience, most people are extremely understanding of a fussy baby but are totally annoyed by their loud annoying music, games, toys or shows.

TIP: Bring your seatmates treats. I’ve seen parents bring zip lock bags with earplugs and candy and a cute little “baby’s first flight” note for some of the passengers seated in their immediate vicinity. People have no choice but to be kind when you have taken the time to think of them.

Traveling is hard. Traveling with little ones, the hardest. I’m hoping these tips can save your sanity but if you didn’t catch this post before disaster struck, what were some of your horror stories while flying with your little people?

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