share your air travel tips

acbfreire · December 2013

We will fly internationally with DD as a lap infant. She will be 19 months (ish) by then. Any tips?

acbfreire · December 2013

Thanks!

singingirl96 · December 2013

All of the above.

Plus, check your car seat, pack and play and stroller at the gate. to protect it, put it in a protective bag. We didn't with our car seat, and it got soaked since it was raining hard when we got to our destination.

vrj0522 · December 2013

Also, I don't know if they do this for international flights but we've had it done domestically a few times and it's always wonderful. When you are at the gate desk getting the labels for gate checking the stroller, ask them if the flight is full. If it isn't, they might let you actually bring in the car seat on the plane. Just this past weekend on our flight back from visiting family for the holiday, we asked and were able to get a seat on the plane for LO. There were like a hundred (not quite) lap babies on our flight but because we asked, we were able to get a seat for ours. And in my opinion their own seat makes things a hundred times easier, especially if they are in a car seat.

BBhopes15 · December 2013

Also, I don't know if they do this for international flights but we've had it done domestically a few times and it's always wonderful. When you are at the gate desk getting the labels for gate checking the stroller, ask them if the flight is full. If it isn't, they might let you actually bring in the car seat on the plane. Just this past weekend on our flight back from visiting family for the holiday, we asked and were able to get a seat on the plane for LO. There were like a hundred (not quite) lap babies on our flight but because we asked, we were able to get a seat for ours. And in my opinion their own seat makes things a hundred times easier, especially if they are in a car seat.

This part about getting a free seat for our kid saved our lives! I think that's the best tip. We recently travelled with our 12 month old and it was great to have the extra space for him to move around.

dapo2004 · December 2013

During the fall, I had to work in France for two months, so DS, DH and I had to endure some ridiculous flights to get to and from the south of France. Both ways, we had to take three different flights and DS got more and more upset with each additional airplane we got on. So my number one recommendation is trying to get the most direct flights possible.

In order to get through 20 hours of travel time, we brought a ton of snacks... finger sandwiches, graham crackers, apples, goldfish, muffin bars, and lots of milk. I also had no shame about breastfeeding on the flight to calm DS down.

We always travel with DS's favorite toys and a few new surprise ones. Well, that did not work on the second and third flights because he was so upset that he kept throwing them at the people around him.

Ultimately, the biggest thing that you will need to bring is patience. Yes, bringing extra sets of clothing is important (for yourself and your child... I definitely got peed on during a flight, so that extra top was of immense value), but international flights with a 19 month old are unpredictable at best, or in my case, a horrific experience for myself and those around me. Walking around helped, but in the case of a 10+ hour travel itinerary, patience and perseverance are key.

Also, I forgot to mention that I was also really worried about the flight, but the jetlag is the real monster. It took DS about 7 days to adjust. Those were some of the worst days of my life.

francisc · December 2013

Make sure to feed him on take off and the period 30 min before landing, when changes in air pressure hurts LOs ears. extra clothes for you n baby are a MUST! LO threw up on my top and pants, I wouldve smelled and looked blech if not for extra clothes. And as PP said, jet lag can be pretty bad. Just be prepared for weird sleep times for a week or 2.

If you can get direct flights it will make the trip so much easier. Also flying during his nap times would help.

Want a personalized experience?

share your air travel tips

Re: share your air travel tips

Choose Another Board

Search Boards