Cross-country air travel with a toddler
I’m originally from San Diego, CA and I live in Green Bay, WI. I know, you’re probably wondering why in the world would I move away from sunshine and beautiful beaches. Lets just say that country living suited us better and you can’t beat Summers and Falls in Wisconsin. And the cheese…Yum! Anyways, few of my family members had met our daughter who is currently 15 months going on 16 years. So, we decided it was time to take a travel back to San Diego to share our ball of beautiful energy with our loved ones before baby #2 arrives in May.
We were very nervous about the flights there and back. How would she react to flying on a plane? Would she have one of those explosive bowls leaving us with very, very limited space to change her? Would she cry and scream because she wants off the plane or feel too cooped up? Would it be challenging to travel with a one year old being 6 months pregnant? So many thoughts ran through our mind. Our daughter is a good kid. She is patient, loving and listens well, but she is an active kid. She gets crabby and hates being closed up for too long.
We turned to advice from her pediatrician and other mommy’s and daddy’s that have traveled with their infants/toddlers. We used their advice to make valuable adjustments to our travel plans. Here are some tips we collected. I even added some of my own after experiencing travel with our one year old:
Book your flights around nap time
This saved us! Doing so, gave us one to two hours of peace each flight. Our daughter fell asleep soon after takeoff. I’m sure the constant hum and vibration of the plane helped her snooze.
Give your child a bottle/sippy during takeoff and landing
This will help the sensitive ears adjust to the change in pressure as the plane climbs and descends.
Bring activities to keep your child busy
I packed a full carry-on of quiet toys. Some kids may not need a full bag of activities, but our daughter gets bored quickly. I packed puppets, her favorite stuffed animals, small books, two of her favorite blankets, a plastic slinky that she loves, a small learning tablet that lights up and teaches her words and her ABCs with volume control and a teething bracelet made by Belle Thirty-Four (also sold on Etsy) that keeps her entertained and soothes her for a long time.
Don’t worry about what others around you think
This was one of the first lessons I learned as a parent. I am a parent first. I can’t allow others judgments to get in the way of what I believe to be best for my child. I can’t care if the man/woman nearby gives me a bad look because my kid won’t sleep and doesn’t realize how her voice carries. I can’t care if I get an attitude from the person across the aisle who is sick of hearing me sing the ABC song or whatever song I happen to make up.
Pack a lot of different snacks and liquids
Our daughter loves puffs, cheerios, yogurt bites, applesauce and fruit. I prepacked these snacks, which were easily cleared through security. The finger foods kept her occupied when she started getting overly antsy on the flight. We had to throw our liquids out prior to the security checkpoint and purchase milk and water near our gate. Sure, it was expensive, but it was best to have it available rather than wait until the flight attendants offer liquids on board. Even so, they don’t offer liquids and food until we are in the air – too late to offer a sippy at takeoff. Spend the extra money to secure your child’s comfort.
Call in advance to check the status of your flights and get to the the airport early
I’m going to go on a little bit of a rant with this one… We got to the airport over two hours early expecting to have enough time to grab a snack, get liquids and let our daughter walk around the terminal to release energy; however, we found that our flight was canceled and “someone” rescheduled us to another flight the following night. We were told that if we drive to Chicago to meet our connecting flight, we would arrive at our destination as planned. So, we drove three hours to Chicago with an antsy baby fed up with being in her car seat. We made it to the airport with time to spare before our flight took off, but found that the airline had given our seats away. We were furious! Now, stranded until the following night when “someone” rescheduled our flight, we urged the ticket agent to help us figure out a solution to our problem. We had received wrong information all day from the airline staff and are now far from home, pregnant with a hungry one year old. The agent worked at a snail’s pace with no desire to help us. I got angry and yelled a little; my emotions heightened. I urged her to find a solution; pleading with her to find a flight out sooner. Eventually, she booked us on a flight to San Diego the following morning. At that point, the ticket agent told us that it was all she can do for us. Then I urged her to help us find a hotel to stay for the night. She said she couldn’t do that. I got angry. I’ve traveled a lot and I am well aware that airlines comp customers with a hotel. Eventually, she booked us a hotel at a nearby Hilton without a food voucher, which I know they can do as well, but the ticket agent said they don’t do that. Needless to say, I will never fly United Airlines again!
Purchase a car seat bag from Amazon or other retailer
We spent $25 on a car seat bag from Amazon. Doing so gave us peace of mind in shipping our own car seat to our destination rather than renting a used seat from the rental car provider. The bag is considered a waived item and costs nothing at check in. They don’t check the contents of the bag prior to check in so you can add clothes, diapers, pillows… whatever fits; within reason. We had no use for the extra space on our flight to San Diego, but put all our dirty clothing in a trash bag marked with our address should the car seat bag break then placed the trash bag in the car seat bag for the return flight. It worked perfectly because we needed extra space in our suitcases for all the extra stuff we bought on our trip.
Purchase a pack ‘n play at your destination
Do not check in your pack ‘n play! It is not considered a waived item. Only car seats and strollers. Since we were staying at a family member’s home, we purchased a pack ‘n play from Amazon and had it shipped to San Diego. The pack ‘n play was around $60 and in great condition. We plan to keep it there for future trips. It worked out great and we spent less than we would have if we had taken our own pack ‘n play. To add, we didn’t have to worry about the airline being too rough with it. If you are staying in a hotel, ask the hotel how much it would be to rent one each night. When we stayed at the hotel in Chicago, we payed $5 to rent a pack ‘n play and it was in like new condition.
Keep your stroller with you until right before you board the plane
It’s so nice to have the extra space to hold carry-on bags and have a place for your child to sit if feeding a quick snack before the flight. The stroller got a little scuffed up from being placed in the cargo bin. Looking back, we should have purchased a travel bag for that too. Check Amazon for products that work best for you.
Dress your child in cute clothes for the flight
If your child looks cute, people are more likely to be nice and forgiving. The Green Bay Packers were playing their last game of the season against the Atlanta Falcons the day we flew out. To support our team, we put our daughter in her Packers cheer dress. Even non Packers fans found her adorable. It also helped that she walked around the terminal prior to the flight waving at everyone and offering her best smile.
Point things out
Introduce different things around the airport. Share what is happening during the traveling process. Point to the plane outside the terminal windows and explain that you’re taking a fun trip and the plane is getting you there. If you have a window seat, talk about the landmarks you fly over.
Pack extra clothes for you and your child in the carry-on
You just never know what will happen. My daughter can be a messy eater and has done a fine job of creating explosive diapers at the worst time. Prepare for whatever may come and with infants and toddlers, you just never know.
Get a window seat
Many travelers and my daughters pediatrician suggested an aisle seat when traveling with an infant/toddler; however, we found it very beneficial to have a window seat. We were able to keep her away from the traffic of the aisle and contain her a little better if she wanted to escape our lap and stand on the ground. We were also able to show her the sights out the window and close the window shade when she took a nap. I believe I left my seat more than my own child being six months pregnant with a baby sitting on my bladder.
Change the diaper right before boarding
Even if the diaper doesn’t feel full, change it before boarding the plane. Also, Decide if you’re going to complete a diaper change on the seats or in the tiny bathroom on board. We don’t like to allow our daughter to sit in a poopy diaper because it’s a quick way to get diaper rash and who wants to sit in their own filth. Not anyone I know. We decided that changing her on the seats on her diaper pad would be best. Our daughter likes to roll and move around a lot during diaper changes. With both of us working on changing her, we seem to get it done quickly with no mess.
Be flexible
You never know what kind of road blocks, detours and surprises will come your way.
Enjoy Your Vacation
Traveling either by plane, car, bus, train, etc. with a child isn’t always easy. Even if the child is sound asleep, you’ll have the extra luggage and responsibility. Just remember that you’re taking this vacation to relax and/or see/visit people and places. Our first cross-country trip was a disaster in many ways beginning with the experiences we had with United Airlines, but we still created some happy memories during our week in San Diego. I believe that things only get easier with time and experience. Our next long distance trip will sure bring some challenges; however, they create some lasting memories that we are sure to share well into the future.
Hope this post helps you plan for your next big trip. As always, please share my work with your friends and family and I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment about what works for you when traveling with children of any age.