Air Travel with a Toddler Scares Me. Here are 20 Toddler Travel Tips to Help Plan for the Worst and Hope for the Best.
Lacey Hayes is a friend from yoga, and when she was pregnant, she often came to my late afternoon vinyasa classes at Inner Power Yoga. During Lacey’s pregnancy, I was pregnant, too. And there were also two other pregnant women who started coming to those classes.
Basically, for a long few months, those classes were bellies and babies and hormones and lots of malasana. I’m actually not sure how everyone else in the class handled us…we were a lot lol.
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Anyway, fast forward about a year and a half, and now everyone has toddlers. Life is crazy, we do as much yoga as we can, yada yada.
With my own toddler, who will be 16 months in December, we’ve planned a super relaxing holiday: a cross-country trip to Tucson, AZ, a place we love. One where we have family. One that necessitates two flights, one layover, a time change, and a full day of travel. And a freakin partridge in a tree.
Lacey has family in Hawaii, and I know that she’s already done several cross-country flights with baby during his first fourteen months. In class the other day, I mentioned our upcoming travel plans and asked her for some toddler travel tips.
We then thought that these tips would actually make an excellent post for all of the other crazy-ish parents who plan to get into a compressed, inescapable vessel thousands of feet above ground with an unpredictable and highly opinionated tiny person. Who’s probably teething and maybe just learned how to run.
Guest Blogger, Lacey Hayes
I am writing these with the HUGE caveat that I took the baby on three nonstop trips before he was mobile — Hawaii (10 hours one-way from Northern Virginia!) when he was 3 months, Seattle (5 hours) when he was 7 months, and Hawaii again when he was 9 months. So really this last trip would be most helpful in terms of toddler travel tips.
Context
The Hawaii trips were solo and in Economy; the Seattle trip was in business with my husband and all three were on United. I only had bulkhead seats on the Seattle flight (not much room since it was a smaller jet) whereas the Hawaii one had very generous space since it was a larger aircraft. All three were also daytime flights on the way out, and red eyes on the way back.
Toddler Travel Tips
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Planning & Packing
ONE: Think creatively about items that can pull double-duty: Can a scarf also work as a baby blanket or swaddle? What toys are easily to transport through the airport that will also work at your destination?
- For example, I brought doggie pee pads to put down for airport changes; there was more space to change him on the bulkhead seat floor than in the economy bathroom.
- Also consider items that are easily acquired on board that could be considered toys, such as cups, ice, straws, spoons, etc.
- Pack some painter’s tape and stickers.
- I also packed fun stuff for him that were lightweight and fascinating but basically tossable/recyclable: cardboard tubes, paper gift bags, and cardboard boxes.
TWO: Do your research and know what the airline will have on board for you.
- Requesting a bassinet does not guarantee one; it is based on the availability at the gate and has a weight limit. The United website made it appear as though you could have one for any red eye flight, but apparently they only offer those for international night flights, not domestic, and only in the middle bulkhead rows.
THREE: Before booking, check seatguru to check the aircraft’s seat dimensions and space — especially crucial for bulkhead rows. Airline seat maps don’t offer that level of granularity. If you will need to pump while in flight, make sure there is an outlet under your seat.
FOUR: Pack a change of clothes for baby, as well as for yourself and your travel partner. It goes without saying that you should pack extra diapers and wipes plus an extra Ziploc or plastic bag for trash.
FIVE: Have easily accessible antibacterial wipes on the outside of your diaper bag for quick wipe jobs.
SIX: If you are traveling solo, consider packing a smaller diaper bag within your larger bag; it is tough to bring a large bag into the small restrooms.
SEVEN: Double-check any ID or passport requirements. Most minors do not require one, but I brought a birth certificate just in case! You will also want to double-check as TSA Pre-check and Global Entry do not necessarily extend to minors or babies.
EIGHT: Try to resist the urge to overpack for your destination. Odds are you will have to buy something and/or do laundry at least every other day!
- I looked for Goodwill/Salvation Army drop boxes at our destinations, and deliberately packed clothes he was on the verge of outgrowing and donated them on our last day, which felt awesome.
Car Seats, Airlines, & Rentals
NINE: A major travel tip — instead of hauling bulky items such as a crib/playpen, car seats, noise machine, etc. — consider renting these from a national company such as Traveling Baby.
- They will meet you at your rental car agency or lodging with items that can be rented by the day or week.
- This was CLUTCH for Hawaii — I rented all of the above along with toys, books, and beach gear, instead of packing it.
- Most domestic airlines will allow you to check a carseat for free and do not count it against your luggage total per person.
Milk, Formula, Snacks…FOODS
TEN: Pack enough formula/milk/snacks to last through any flight delays and/or the flight itself.
- Breast milk and formula are two liquids or powders that are allowed through security in reasonable quantities, no questions asked. I’ve brought a pump and paraphernalia, powder formula, and liquid formula on planes with no issues, but never tried bottles or cups of milk.
- [Anya adds: I asked two TSA officers about traveling with bottled cow’s milk through security on my most recent work travel trip, and she said it’s totally fine…they just test it.]
- TSA is allowed to pour a small portion out (or you can) onto something to test it, but they are NOT allowed to stick anything inside the container or contaminate it in any way. If you get pushback on this, ask to speak with a supervisor ASAP. Here’s the FAQ.
- I let the TSA person know that I had a bag of xxxx and had it separated out (double bagged in clear Gallon Ziploc bags because the bins are gross), and asked if I needed to do anything further. I was told to put it in a separate bin, and they notified the person running the X-ray. No one ever tested it or pushed back.
At the Airport & Boarding
ELEVEN: If s/he likes being carried, wear him or her the entire time, especially through security if your carrier does not have any metal.
- Pro travel tip: put it on at home and wear it in the car so you don’t have to put it on curbside.
- CHECK-IN
- All travelers need to be present at check-in. I tried to check the three of us in for the Seattle flight back (Drew was off returning the rental), but they refused to check us in or check the bags — because the reservation was in both of our names and all parties must be present to show ID. Sigh.
TWELVE: If you have a travel partner, send them to board early to set up your space. Board with baby/toddler as late as you can to minimize time where you need to keep him quiet and contained.
- Pro toddler travel tip: If baby is walking (or crawling and it’s clean-ish), let them explore around the gate area. Tire them out as much as possible pre-flight.
THIRTEEN: Buy bottled water if you need it for formula.
Other Essential Items I Purchased (the Only Pre-Flight Buys):
FOURTEEN: A Pack Bag for your stroller (so it won’t get banged up at the gate). Do a trial run at home to make sure your stroller fits — ours barely did:
- This one is $9 and is for a single umbrella stroller
- This one $11 and for standard and double strollers
FIFTEEN: $8 elastic bands, which I pre-cut to create a wristband to connect to his toys so they didn’t fall on the floor. I also made cheerio bracelets for him to play with. You can also tie these around the handles or lid of a sippy cup so it won’t go flying.
Stroller Toddler Travel Tips
[I asked Lacey about the stroller: would she recommend a smaller umbrella stroller? The stroller we normally use?]
I did it three different ways and do not have a bulletproof way to recommend. Go with your gut on this, but definitely consider whichever is easier to collapse and stuff in a bag at the end of the jetway, where she sleeps best, and which has more storage for when you are out and about. Here’s what happened each time and Parker’s age:
- Hawaii (3mo): brought the light umbrella stroller, and checked his car seat and car seat base.
- Pros: super lightweight and easy to manipulate when my arms were full, and perfect for warm weather.
- Cons: He never really slept in it and I wore him 99% of the time anyway, it did NOT roll smoothly over sand. There was zero storage space underneath so bags ended up on my shoulders (ow) or over the handles.
- Seattle (8mo): brought the giant Graco stroller + car seat, and checked the car seat base.
- Pros: It was nice to have the extra storage underneath for warm layers and bags, and he sleeps in this well. The weather was crazy windy and cold near the water, and with the rain — it was great to be able to close the thing up so he didn’t get too cold.
- Cons: It was heavy and awkward at the airport and in/out of the car.
- Hawaii (9mo): brought our car seat and stroller frame, and checked the car seat base.
- Pros: lots of storage, and he could sleep in it easily, and it was slightly better on the sand.
- Cons: It was heavy and awkward since I was wrangling it alone, sometimes while wearing him.
At the Gate
Also, when you get to the gate, tell the agent you have a stroller: they’ll likely pre-write out a gate check tag and tell you to drop the item at the end of the jetway.
This might also sound incredibly obvious, but don’t forget to put your contact info on the stroller, seat, base, and bag, etc. just in case.
In Flight Travel Tips
SIXTEEN: Introduce yourself!
- To the flight staff: they are probably really sympathetic to parents with infants and toddlers and will go out of their way to help you out. I’ve had flight attendants offer to walk my baby around so I could eat a meal, let me use the First Class bathroom to change him, and give me unopened bottles of water.
- To people sitting around you. I promised to keep the baby as quiet as possible. I think this went a long way towards their patience. And brought on offers to help me with anything I needed.
SEVENTEEN: If baby is still nursing or bottle-feeding, try to do this during takeoff and landing to help with cabin pressure and ears. A toddler, give them a snack that requires chewing, like Cheerios or fruit snacks.
EIGHTEEN: If bebe is interested in toys or books, take them out slowly over the course of the flight. I wrapped new and old toys in bags so that each one took a while to open and was like a new surprise.
NINETEEN: Use the painter’s tape to stick on walls or windows or put stickers on their nose; this is shockingly entertaining for babies. If he wasn’t interested in a bottle during takeoff or landing, I busted out the tape.
TWENTY: Keep calm and carry on! If all hell breaks loose, at least you’ll never see these people again. 🙂
All flights went way better than I expected, and he’s an easygoing baby. I know we are lucky. Basically I planned for the worst and hoped for the best!
Thank you, Lacey (and sweet boy Parker)!! Already have a few of these things in my Amazon cart…weirdly we own no stickers. I’m also going to be open to items — read technology — that we don’t usually use (P is only 15 months): if we need to bust out an iPad as some kind of last resort, we’ll have no qualms about trying.
Cheers to holiday (toddler) travel, all. With a wee bit of planning, may it be as stress-free as is possible!
Are you a newer mama who, in addition to travel tips, is interested in other unsolicited mothering advice? Look no further.
Are you traveling too much this holiday season and in need of some yoga whilst on the road? Here are some ideas about getting a practice in when out of your routine.
