11 Best Tips for Flying with Kids (2023)
Are you planning your first trip with young kids? Let me put you at ease, with these tips for flying with kids you will have nothing to worry about! Flying with babies and toddlers is truly nothing to worry about, it just requires a little bit of preparation. In this guide, I’ll share our top tips for flying with kids that we’ve perfected traveling across the country and abroad with our own children.
My Experience Flying with kids
Despite having one pandemic baby, both of our children managed to log international flights before the age of two! We’ve done every combination you can imagine. I’ve done a transatlantic flight solo with our four year old, a multi-connection day long trip across the US with a 6-month old solo, flown across country and then driven 9-hours across the border into Canada, and have logged multiple short flights solo with both kids. In fact, we’ve flown so much that I’ve entered the expert phase of ‘this doesn’t make me even a little nervous’. I wouldn’t bat an eye at booking a 20-hour multi-layover flight for the kids.
However, I wasn’t always an expert, everyone starts somewhere! I’ve learned a lot and I want to share it with you so you don’t have to make the same mistakes. I’ll mainly focus on flying with children until the age of four as that is easily the most challenging phase of family travel.
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1. Prepare For Security
Most people dread the actual flight but for me the hardest part of flying with kids is the security line. Why? Because my son is joined at the hip with two blankets, ‘Cozy’ and ‘Taggy’. He doesn’t need them on a playground or when we go out to eat but of course they come to the airport with us for a long day of travel. I remember the first time the security agent asked me to put his blankets through the scanner. Insult to injury, then they asked for him to remove his pacifier. When you are flustered in a long line is not the time to break the news to your young child that they will need to part with their comfort items. Make sure to talk about it before you get there so it goes smoothly. And remember to take a deep breath. It’s so easy to feel rushed when there are people behind you but the two-seconds it takes your child to give their lovey an extra hug before saying goodbye is not going to make or break anyone’s day.
2. Don’t board during family boarding!
Whoever cooked up family boarding has clearly never met a toddler. Here, let’s put you in this small space where you can barely move while everyone else gets on BEFORE you have to stay in a seat for a few hours. WHAT?! No, you are an expert! You know that time is better spent running laps in an empty gate or playing Simon Says. You are getting your wiggles out! To follow this rule with minimal anxiety, I recommend you pack carry-ons that can be tucked under the seats in front of you. I will never understand the competition to secure overhead bin space but I do know you don’t want to be worrying that the plane is running out of space while you are exhausting your toddler.
3. Bring Snacks or full meals
Many people underestimate what they are able to bring through airport security. I always have a small cooler bag with me with multiple bento boxes. For short duration flights, I pack all of the kid’s favorite snacks plus a water bottle for each of them. I also have lollipops to help with popping ears. For international flights or long-haul flights with short layovers, I have a full meal that does not require heating. This typically includes easy finger foods like carrots, crackers, and pasta. I also like to include a little treat they wouldn’t normally get at home. I’m sure some airlines have fantastic food but my experience is that my picky eaters are much happier with the meals I’ve brought from home.
4. Wear Babies And Gate Check Their Stroller
I know, I know, you want to travel light! However, the easiest way to get a baby onto an airplane is by wearing them. The best way to do this is to put your baby into your preferred baby carrier before you get on the jet-bridge. This will leave your hands free to stow luggage, get other children situated, and break down your stroller if needed.
5. Ask for help!
Relying on others can be a particularly stress inducing unknown but I find it absolutely necessary if you are flying with kids, especially if you are traveling solo. I’ve already laid out the perfect situation: you are gate-checking your stroller and wearing you infant. Hopefully you’ve get your luggage light! Otherwise you will find yourself needing to hoist luggage into overhead bins while wearing a baby. This is where asking for help comes in! I like to ask the stewardess on my way in or a kind looking traveler on the jet bridge if they can help me get my luggage into the overhead bins. Another benefit to asking the stewardess? On one of my last flights solo with the kids the stewardess not only helped me stow my bags, she upgraded us all to first class. Why? Because, “you’ve got your hands full mom, you deserve it!”. See, it doesn’t hurt to let people know you need a little extra assistance!
Want to try this trick with older kids or while traveling with a partner? You might get a little more side-eye but if you find yourself overwhelmed just let someone (politely) know that are struggling! I’ve found being kind and honest when I’m traveling has gone a long way with airline staff.
6. Pack a new toy or two
Novelty is every parents best friend. I like to bring one or two toys that are ‘brand-new’ for the kids to enjoy on longer flights. Sometimes this just means raiding our toy closet for something they haven’t played with in years. For my big kid I love maze books. For the toddler, the Melissa and Doug Water Wow coloring books can’t be beat. For young toddlers, the plastic cup the stewards pass out is also a fan favorite!
7. Pack a change of clothes for them (and you!!!)
I cannot stress this enough, bring yourself a spare outfit! I know so many people are team carry-on so you may already have this taken care of. However, if you love checking a bag you need to read this tip.
Don’t assume because you no longer have an infant you don’t need to worry about bodily fluids. If being a parent has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that you never know when a kid is going to vomit. Add to that spills and potty training accidents, and you can see why I recommend having a change of clothes for them AND YOU. Store the extra clothes in a ziplock baggy so you can easily store soiled clothes during the flight.
8. Pay for your infant to have their own seat
Look, I know it is so appealing. Who doesn’t want to save upwards of a thousand dollars on an international flight? However, I promise you there is nothing less comfortable than holding a young toddler on a long-haul flight. I recommend you determine how much you value your comfort. For international flights, most airlines will still charge you a portion of the plane ticket price. In hindsight, the savings we made on flights wasn’t worth my experience.
We specifically booked our trip to Iceland to fall right before our son’s second birthday. The way there, I held him for 8 hours. It was complete misery. However, coming home I followed tip #4 and asked for help. I told the stewardess I had seen an empty row after take-off and asked her if we could have it to ourselves so the baby could sleep. Of course, she was more than happy to accommodate us! That left my big-kid and husband with a row to themselves to spread out in too. Everyone won!
9. Newly Potty Trained? Wear a pull-up
Another thing parents tend to dread, potty training! As if flying with kids wasn’t daunting enough on it’s own, now you have a child who just learned how to use the potty as your travel companion. We are in this situation for the second time and my solution is to temporarily revert back to diapers or pull-ups. We typically put these on under a regular pair of underwear and remove them the second we are off the plane. I haven’t had any potty-related regressions using this method and it helps with peace of mind when traveling
10. Adjust your attitude
This might be my favorite tip. If you decide that flying with kids will be awful, it will be. If you decide that flying with kids is fun, you may end up pleasantly surprised. On a recent cross country flight my husband kept saying, “this is going to be the longest day every”. To which I would obnoxiously yelled, “we are going to have a blast!”. You know what? I was right. Did we travel for 10 hours through multiple airports? Yes. Did I get to watch a movie with my kids, run a relay race in an empty airport wing, and eat chocolate covered pretzels? Also, yes!!! When you frame it that way, my travel sounded a whole better than my normal 8-5 work day.
It’s easy to psych yourself out. Choose to have a positive attitude about flying with kids and you’ll be amazed at how much easier your travel days get.
11. Bring the right documents
If you are traveling with a lap-infant (under 2 years old) be prepared to be asked for a birth certificate to prove your child’s age. I only had this happen once in the numerous times I flew but I was relieved to have it on had!
Another important document is a notarized note allowing a solo parent to fly with their child. Again, it is unlikely you will be asked for this but you absolutely can be barred from traveling if you don’t have a document stating that the other parent is OK with you taking the child out of the country alone. You can find numerous examples online and after a quick trip to a notary you will be all set!
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