Air Travel with Children

by Amy
(Chicago, IL, USA)

My Tips for air travel with children:

I frequently fly with my two kids, and have developed some successful strategies over time, resulting in an easy and stress-free experience for everyone.

First, I make sure everyone gets a good night's sleep. That really helps a lot. Next, each child is allowed to bring a small backpack of toys and games. I check each carefully for things that might get lost or annoy other passengers.

I've found that if the kids pack their own, they're much happier. Then I ask each child to choose a couple of snacks to put in their bag. If they have access to their own snacks, I've found we have a lot less fuss.

And finally, to keep them in their seats, I bring along two sets of ear-pods for them to listen to the on-flight music, just in case the plane doesn't provide them. The kids think it's magic and when they're "attached" to their seats by the earphones, they tend not to want to get up and move around.

Click here for some books about air travel with children.

Flying with Children

by Advice from a Former Airline Employee

WELL, IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE MY KIDS WERE SMALL, BUT HERE'S MY ADVICE...I used to work for the airlines when my kids were little, so I have LOADS of tricks/tips for traveling with wee ones (especially with very hyper little boys).

NUMBER ONE RULE: Do NOT let them seat you at the emergency exit (especially if you have a very curious toddler). My second son was a very mischievous tyke. He once caused a major panic on a small puddle jumper when he attempted to open the emergency exit door while my back was turned.

This might not be the most PC bit of advice, but I know of many mothers who'd dose their kids with cough medicine before a flight, too. (Of course, that was another generation and I am just including that bit for some historical info, hehe).

Another tip: Bring LOTS of things for the kid to play with and if the child is a 'lap' child (ie, he has no seat of his own), do as the flight attendants say and keep him on your lap during take off/turbulence/landing PLEASE. SNACKS are also very important, as well as little dvd movies, computer games, et cetera.

Note from Melanie:
Flying with Children can be fun when taking family vacations, that's for sure.

Great Tip To Do Before Flying with Your Kids

My tip is done before you get on the plane. Give each child a little flying bag. It can be just a gift bag or something more sturdy that you can close up so you don't lose the contents. They can decorate it with pictures that relate to the trip they are going on. Have the child put some of their favorite small toys in it and let them pick several snacks and a juice box. You can include something new like a book or drawing materials to make it special. This can also be their responsibility to keep track of, a good learning lesson.

First Time Flying

by Amanda
(Springfield, VA)

For my daughters first airplane ride from PA to MS, I used a few different tricks to make it as pleasant as possible. The night before, I let her stay up a little late with the hopes that she would be extra sleepy for the plane ride. Secondly, I made sure she got to buy a new snack & a small toy just for the trip. We packed her favorite books & small toys in a backpack along with coloring items. She drew pictures of the clouds and what the ground below looked like and slept most of the time after enjoying her special snack and toy.