airplane travel with twins

LeaLea

My husband and I will be taking a trip in a few months - the boys will be in our laps.

I'm trying to figure out the car seats  - I guess we would have to gate check, but I do have concerns with that.

Any tips?

Thanks.

everam01

In my experience, the TSA agents were super-helpful.

You have to send the car seats through the xray and carry the babies through the scanner. If you're wearing them, you have to take them out of the carrier when you go through. A TSA agent gave my carrier a pat down as well. 

If you bring bottles, keep them separated because an agent will need to test them. At one airport they used a machine for this, at another they used a little light. 

 

April320

If you're in convertible car seats already, you might want to check those as luggage - I think you can check them for free.  You can buy bags for them if you're concerned about damage.  We gate checked the infant car seats and DSNG when we flew in June.  It was very easy and they are no worse for the wear. 

I see you're in NoVa - not sure what airport you're flying out of, but if it's DCA, we found it super easy to get through security there.  They saw us coming and opened a separate "family" lane at security so we walked right up without winding through the line, unloaded everyone from the carseats/strollers, carried them through while everythign went through the scanner, reloaded on the other side and were off.

April320

Didn't see your ticker earlier - you are obviously in convertible seats... 

twinsmom23

Also, remember your husband and you can not sit in the same row (due to number of oxygen masks)  if you both have a lap baby.  You can sit across the row from each other though.

punkin06

Joeblack:

Also, remember your husband and you can not sit in the same row (due to number of oxygen masks)  if you both have a lap baby.  You can sit across the row from each other though.

this is good to know!!  thanks

sescms2004

I just responded to a similar post on another board the other day.  Here are my tips:

We flew w/ our twins this summer.  Here's my advice:

-Have all of your baby food items in one bag in your diaper bag.  Yes, you can take water through security.  I had water in the bottles already (to mix w/ powdered formula).  They just have to test it.  You can also take baby food jars if they're on solids.  We also had liquid medicine for DS and there was no issue.  Just put it all in the same baggie so they don't have to go sifting through your diaper bag that you meticulously arranged

-A baby carrier (bjorn, Ergo,etc ) will be a life saver.  We kept LO's in the stroller till we got to the gate then checked it.  Then we put them in the carriers.  We did not do this for the flight out, and it made so much of a difference.  That way, you have your hands free & aren't carrying a baby on your hip, bags on your shoulders, trying not to whack people in the head as you walk down the aisle.  We were also allowed to keep them strapped in the carriers for the whole flight.  Again, we didn't do this on the way out and learned the hard way.  LO's climbed all over us for 2.5 hours that flight, but on the way home, they were so much better in the carriers & DS even slept for an hour.  

-Put all your toys/snacks for LO in an easy to reach place, & ditto the strings (i found some great ones on amazon - cant' remember the name) that loop through the toys & snap, so you're not constantly picking up/wiping off toys they drop.

-Bring anti-bacterial wipes for the seats.  We had not been in our row more than 5 seconds, I was trying to get situated w/ DD and I noticed she was chewing on the seat in front of us...bleccccch.  I brought a small pack of wipes to wipe down the armrests, trays, seats, etc.

-Bring a couple of those disposable placemats that have sticky backs.  We used these on the lap trays & it kept LO's occupied & I could put their cheerios on it.  

-Bring a couple plastic grocery sacks incase you have wet/dirty clothes.

-Extra shirt for you & dh, extra outfit for LO

-Don't be surprised if they don't want their bottles on the plane.  Ours were too distracted.  Luckily their ears were ok w/o them

-Disposable bibs take up a lot less room & can be thrown away.

-Pack a diaper wristlet or have diapers/wipes/changing pad easily accessible incase you need to change on the plane (we did not, thank goodness).

-Depending on your airline, you will likely need a boarding pass for LO, even if they are on your lap.  Be sure to check in w/ gate agent and let them kno

 

LeaLea

thanks all - and great tip on not being able to sit in same row. i would have never thought of that.

TheBachelorette

We are flying to Houston next week with the twins. I am so glad you posted this!

sescms2004

Also - depending on your airline - we were required to show LO's birth certificates upon checkin.  They would not issue a boarding pass w/o them, even though they were lap babies.