Tips for Flying with Babies and Toddlers

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Ever since we lived in Colorado, we have added a lot of miles under our belt. From flights almost every month, or a couple of times a month to visit family, go on trips, to moving back home to Washington. I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve flown with our kiddos. Which has given us a lot of flying experience with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. If you are flying in the future with little ones, you’ll want to know these helpful tips for flying with babies and toddlers! Including helpful TSA facts to breeze through security!

Because trust me, you don’t want to go through security and get pulled aside for further inspection. A task that easily started out daunting, will quickly escalate to stressful and scary. I, unfortunately, went through it with A, when she was little while I was traveling alone. Definitely not the best way start to a trip.

KIDS TWO AND UNDER FLY FREE

If cost is your top concern, then you’ll be happy to learn kids two and under can ride free as a lap baby (domestic for sure. Double check if you’re flying internationally). We took full advantage of this with A because we flew a lot before she was two! I loved having my Ergo Baby Carrier to give my arms a rest during the flight if my babies fell asleep. Just keep in mind flight attendants will not let you wear baby in it during takeoff and landing.

If you’d rather your child have their own seat, you can reserve a seat for them during checkout, typically at the same rate as an adult. Or you can always hope the seat next to you will stay open (or ask the attendant at the gate if they can move you to accommodate an empty seat for you). That only happened a few times for me, but when it did it was so nice. I was able to bring her infant seat on board for free. And having the extra space to set things and let the littles move around is great. If you do purchase their own seat and want to bring their car seat on board…

Do I need to travel with a birth certificate? The TSA does not require, nor have we ever been asked to show it. Although if you prefer better safe then sorry, just keep it in a safe place while you travel, if it is your only copy. If you’re flying international, their passport will do just fine.

CAR SEATS ARE ALLOWED ON BOARD

This is something we have only done once or twice. It’s a great thing to know if you want your baby to fly in their car seat and/or don’t want to “check” the car seat (In a nutshell, checking car seats at the ticket counter is like a car accident to the seat – read more). If your baby has their own seat and their car seat is approved by the FAA for air crafts, then you can bring it on board. If you’re not sure if yours has been approved for air travel or not, you should be able to locate a sticker somewhere on it from the manufacturer. It should say something similar to “This child restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft” and typically be marked with an airplane symbol. Here is what it looks like on the Safety 1st Complete Air 65 LX Convertible Car Seat…

FREE GATE CHECK FOR CAR SEATS AND STROLLERS 

We have never checked our car seats with the luggage, but 99% of the time we will gate check them. Which means we take them with us all the way to the door of the airplane. The best part (besides knowing that they made it to the plane safe), is it’s FREE vs the baggage fees you’ll get at the ticket counter. And you can ensure their trip to the plane was safe. Then a worker will grab them from the door and immediately place them in the cargo hold. (Update: Click here to read why you should bring your car seats on board with you.)

If you do check or gate check car seats and strollers (yes, gate checking strollers is free too!) I highly recommend this awesome car seat cover and stroller bag for air travel. We have one for each car seat and a double stroller version. It’s nice to know that when you get them back, they will be clean still.

YOU CAN WEAR BABY THROUGH SECURITY

This can come in SO handy, whether you’re flying solo with a baby, have another little one to hang onto, or just really could use two hands getting through security. I love being able to have my hands free to gather our items from the security belt. Plus I can focus more attention on A, when K is safely snuggled in our Ergo Baby Carrier. The only drawback to babywearing through security is that you have an additional screening to go through. But it’s quick and totally painless, all they do is take a little strip of cloth and wipe it across your palms to check for explosive material. Takes a few seconds then you’re on your way.

TSA LIQUID RULES DO NOT APPLY TO KIDS 2 AND UNDER

Normally you are not allowed to bring on any liquids over 3.4 ounces in a carry on or personal bag. But if it’s for a child aged 2 or under that rule goes out the window! (If you need to know for kids over two, you can contact TSA to find out more). This includes breast milk, formula, baby food jars/pouches, teethers and more.

Like any liquids, just make sure to remove them from bags and place in a separate bin. This helps avoid the hassle of them going through your bag to find the items flagged by their x-ray machines. Helpful Tip: When packing, I put all the liquids in gallon bags, so when we get to security we just whip out the ziplock bag(s).

READ BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE TSA:

• TSA officers may test liquids for explosives or concealed prohibited items. If officers are unable to use X-ray to clear these items, they may ask to open the container and have you transfer the liquid to a separate empty container or dispose of a small quantity of liquid, if feasible.
• Formula, breast milk, and juice in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters are allowed in carry-on baggage and do not need to fit within a quart-sized bag. Separate formula, breast milk and juice from other liquids, gels and aerosols limited to 3.4 ounces. You do not need to travel with your child to bring breast milk.
• Ice packs, freezer packs, frozen gel packs and other accessories required to cool formula, breast milk and juice are allowed in carry-on. If these accessories are partially frozen or slushy, they are subject to the same screening as described above. You may also bring gel or liquid-filled teethers, canned, jarred and processed baby food in carry-on baggage. These items may be subject to additional screening.
  -Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

MORE AIRPORT TIPS

• Familiarize yourself with the TSA guidelines. Knowing what you can and can’t do will help you have a smoother trip through security.
• Kids under 12 can keep their shoes on (unless instructed differently by a TSA agent)
• Plan for a little stress: This can sometimes be the most stressful part of flying. So expecting a little stress will make it easier to deal with.
• Let them run and get a bunch of energy and the sillies out before you board.
• Use pre-boarding for families (if available). You can look at this either way. Boarding early gives you more time to get situated, like if you’re bringing a car seat on board. If not, you might consider boarding last so the kiddos don’t have to stay seated as long.

SANITIZE YOUR AREAS

This is the first thing my husband and I do when we sit in our seats (airplane and waiting area). I really recommend these sanitizing wipes from Babyganics. Because they are not only alcohol-free, but they smell great, protect longer and help moisturize. I literally always have them on me for airplanes and restaurants. Because do you really want to start your vacation off with sick kiddos?

Also, don’t forget the hand sanitizer. I love these ones with the super convenient jelly wrap carrying covers. I hang them from my purses, tote bags, and backpacks! Because what good is hand sanitizer when its lost inside a bag?

BRING THINGS TO HELP POP EARS

During landing and take off, the drastic change of elevation will make a lot of peoples ears pop. And for little ones who can’t express their pain, this can quickly turn a happy baby into a cranky baby. But fear not, having different items to help relieve the pressure can help! For babies pacifiers, bottles and teethers are great. When my babies were nursing, I loved having my nursing cover with me for some privacy while on board.

My kids (2 & 4) always have their water bottles (fill up after you’re through security) that we highly encourage them to drink from, during takeoff and landing. Helpful tip: Be cautious with closed bottles because the pressure affects more than the ears. We learned the hard way, from being sprayed 3 different times from ours, on two separate trips before we realized where the water was coming from *facepalm*

 PACK YOUR PERSONAL BAG WELL

When we fly, we pack and fill every nook and cranny is our personal bag (the one that fits under the seat in front of you). You can actually fit a really nice sized tote bag under the seats. I make sure to fill it with plenty of toys, snacks, and drinks. Plus new and exciting things to regather their attention if it gets lost. We’ve been blessed with seasoned travelers who do quite well. But I always say “better safe than sorry” and pack everything but the kitchen sink.

HELPFUL THINGS TO PACK

• New toys: Teethers, interesting baby toys, dolls, small cars, animal figures etc. Don’t let them know/see before they get them (the bigger the shock, it will hopefully provide a bigger distraction).
• Activities: Coloring, stickers, activity and reading books are great. Mykidsfavorite thing is coloring, and the Dollar Store is perfect for new coloring books! Don’t forget triangle shaped crayons, to help preventthemrolling on the ground. Or try a tray cover, that not only keeps their stuff off thefloor,but gives a clean place to eat and play, score! Also try: playdough, wiki sticks, WaterWow Pads, flash cards (with shapes and colors), mess-free painting (it comes with a brush, but use the water

  pen from the WaterWow set), window clings, quite books, and pack some of their stuff in their own buckle bag for entertainment before any activities are even pulled out (whose kids just LOVE buckles?! I know ours do!).

• Electronics: This is one of the only times my kids get tablets. We save this as a last resort, so they won’t be on them the whole flight. We bought this one from Leap Frog for my daughter when she was two (Update: Newest LeapFrog Tablet). I love that everything is kid safe, and she can’t accidentally buy something or see something inappropriate. Don’t forget the kid safe headphones. It’s hard to hear on planes, plus you don’t want to annoy your neighbors. A got these Doc Mcstuffings ones for her birthday last year, and K has these Avengers ones. We also have a Kindle Fire HD10, that we download movies onto before we leave the house.
• Want your child to NAP on the flight? Whether you’re doing a 2-3 hour flight and want them to catch someZzZz’s, or flying across the world on a long haul and need them to sleep, you’ll LOVE having a FlyTot with you! After take off, easily fill this inflatable footrest with a foot pump. Then relax as your babe snoozes, because they can stretch out and get comfortable! Most airlines allow these after takeoff, and before landing. Call your airline before your flight to verify that your particular airline permits them, so you don’t get onboard and discover they won’t let you set it up.)

• Extra Clothes: Between diaper explosions, spit ups and eating, kids go through a lot of clothes in a day. I recommend having at least 3 extra outfits for babies and one for older toddlers and kids. (I’m a pack everything type of mom, so I’m prepared for anything to happen! For babies, I always had 5 changes of clothes and 10 diapers in the diaper bag all the time. As they grew older I skimmed down on quantities). P.S. Don’t forget plenty of diapers and wipes to get through the flight.

BRINGS LOTS OF SNACKS AND DRINKS

• Snacks: Think favorites and new ideas. I like ones that won’t make my kids all messy and ruin their clothes for the day. I pack a good amount of different snacks in zip lock bags for travel. Then transfer them into these containers for eating. We’ve used these containers since they were babies. And they still use them at 2 and 4 years old.
  • Babies: my kids loved these puffs, organic dried yogurt and the babymum mum’s.
  • Toddlers/Preschoolers: Annie’s Fruit Snacks, fruit leather strips, and Cheddar Bunnies (organic version of goldfish) are always hit.
  • Older kids/adults: Different snack bars (like the Cliff Cool Mint- our favorite!), trail mix, dried fruit and jerky sticks.
• Drinks: We always pack these empty water bottles for our kids and these for us. After you get through security you can fill them with water for free at any place with a soda machine. The reason we love them is they are spill proof, the mouthpiece is covered, and they have lots of cute colors for adults, and cute patterns for kids.

Hopefully, these tips will help make your air travel smoother with little ones. Do you have a travel tip or hack you’d like to share? If so, comment below what helps you!
Happy traveling 🙂

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