The Most Helpful Advice for Flying with a Toddler and/or Baby

I wouldn’t call us “professional travelers,” but we do travel a decent amount for having full-time careers and two kids 3 and under.  We aren’t much of a driving family, so 90% of our travels include an aircraft.  I personally have always loved flying since I was a young girl!  I’m also a very methodical, strategic person by nature, so planning things out efficiently is just part of my normal day.

Chance worked for Delta Air Lines while we lived in Atlanta, and we were able to travel almost monthly if our schedules allowed (sometimes 2-3x per month for long weekend vacations!).  

I was so proud of myself when I had gotten our rhythm down for flying standby and only having carry-on luggage.  It took a few times of refining the process, but I had it down to a science!  Well, enter an infant and our entire game plan had to change.  This was completely new territory for us, and man-oh-man, do kids (especially infants) come with a lot of stuff!  And moreover, we were first-time parents, so we felt like we had to have everythingggg with us.  Spoiler: I learned that the Walmarts, Targets, Walgreens, etc in Orlando, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis and so on have the same exact things that we have here! Haha

Our first trip with Hunter was to go skiing in Park City when he was 3 months old.  We were lucky that this was a trip with my entire family, so we had plenty of adult hands to help us out.  We had soooo much stuff with us this trip.  OMG we probably looked exactly like your stereotypical first-time parents LOL AND it was such a huge change from how we had become used to traveling.  Hunter’s first international flight to Costa Rica was at 10 months old.  That was a new experience, too.  We had to apply for his passport somewhat quickly, and in the shuffle, I forgot to apply him for Global Entry (Chance and I had been members for a few years at that point).  We had a very long wait in the customs line upon our return – something we had gotten very used to not doing – and I told Chance while we were in line that he needed to book a GE appointment for Hunter as soon as we got home.  While we haven’t traveled internationally with Gage (yet), he does have his passport and GE just in case 😉

How and What to Pack

Over the trips, we’ve developed some basics that apply whether it’s a 1 hour flight, 12+ hour travel day, or international flight.  Then, we have some things that change based on how many hours our travel day is, what transportation looks like on the other end, etc.  We also make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of stuff we bring; some people don’t feel that way and that’s totally okay, too.  Flying with a toddler or infant is not an exact science – every kid (and parent) is different and has different needs/preferences. If it makes you feel better to pack the whole house plus the kitchen sink, you go for it and own it! But we’re here to tell you that traveling will be so much easier and more enjoyable if you’re not lugging a ton of unnecessary stuff…

One big thing that has helped us cut down on carry-on baggage is allowing the boys to use a tablet on the plane (they’re old enough to be entertained by them now – it’s a little tougher when your kids are under 12 months old).  It’s a personal choice for us to keep tablets, tv, etc to a minimum in our house, but the boys know they get to use their tablets when we travel.  I would say that it’s actually something they look forward to!  By bringing one tablet with a set of headphones each, they might be entertained for hours straight.  We have them loaded with apps that are interactive for coloring, learning, or just watching some of their favorite shows/movies.  I also have special books that are very thin, as well as some of those coloring packs that have the color pads and stickers in them.  You can read more about the travel entertainment we bring in this post here. Along with their water bottles, diapers and a change of clothes – they are all set to go!  Chance and I also don’t bring much in the way of entertainment anymore.  By the time we attend to their needs, keep them entertained and put out any fires, that’s about it 😂. We each have our iPhones with our bluetooth headphones and we share an iPad loaded with books for each of us.  Sometimes I do have to work on a flight depending on when we travel, but gosh is it hard to get a laptop out and on the plane tray table when you’re sitting in between two toddlers.  Just not worth it – I find it’s easier to stay up late on the other end.

As far as logistics go, we pretty much have this down to a science.  No matter what the trip, we pack almost the same amount of baggage.  It’s slightly harder when you’re going to cold weather locations, but you’d be surprised what good packing cubes and compression bags can do for you (just watch your weight with compression)!  The type of rental we’re staying in – hotel, condo, home – plays a role in the accessories we may need to bring.  Also, the availability of baby equipment rentals at our destination factors into exactly how much we need to haul along with us.

For our checked baggage, we typically pack a medium-sized rolling suitcase (make sure you have a light one so that you’re not giving up too much of your 50lb domestic weight limit to the suitcase itself) plus an LL Bean duffle bag.  We go between the large and x-large duffles depending on how much extra space we need.  Chance is able to put the duffel on top of the rolling bag, and he wears the car seat bag as a backpack.  He still has one other free hand for any of the other items we may need to check (yeah, he sometimes has to be a pack mule when we’re at the airport – nobody ever said traveling with kids was a cakewalk!).  I’ll dive into packing our checked suitcases in another post, but for this one I’m focusing mainly on logistics which include carry-ons.

Other bags we may need to check – the stroller and rumble seat travel bags, a car seat travel bag, and/or a pack-n-play.  Other than a trip to Boston with just Hunter where we utilized public transportation and walking, we have recently been visiting locations where we need our car seats.  Car seats are something I’m just not comfortable renting on the other end.  We’ve been given a loaner by an airline when ours didn’t make it back up from the gate check and …. Let’s just say I wasn’t impressed.  We have an amazing car seat bag that can be carried as a backpack or rolled along.  I highly recommend it because it adapts to whatever your situation is and you never know when that could change mid travel day. Read this post for more info on our car seats and bags!

For our carry on bags we have the following: Chance’s backpack, my backpack, my crossbody purse, a bag for the boys, and (sometimes) a snack bag.  The way I pack our carry-ons is very strategic.  Chance’s bag gets all the extras and then the snack bag clipped to the outside.  His bag goes in the overhead bin and carries things like extra diapers, change of clothes, emergency medicines (usually Motrin and Benadryl for boys; Mylicon for infant; ibuprofen and Aleve for us), camera equipment that we don’t check, and my few makeup items that we don’t check.  The snack bag is small and gets clipped on with a carabiner hook.  My bag holds the more frequently used items for that day – adult water bottles, ipad, any overflow from the boys bag (bc its significantly smaller), wipes, etc.  The boys’ bag holds their tablets, headphones, color packs and books.  Hunter has started wanting to carry his small backpack, and it’s super cute!!!  We can’t put too much in it that’s heavy, but this kid is a champion at carrying his backpack (as long as it’s his idea and he’s into it at the time LOL).

We no longer bring a stroller through the airport with us (subject to change when the littlest Tara arrives but unlikely).  We had a cancelled flight back in 2018 when Hunter was 19m, and I was about 6 months pregnant with Gage.  When they rescheduled our flights for the next day, we had a 20 minute layover.  TWENTY MINUTES.  That’s cutting it close without a kid or having to wait for a gate-claim item.  We had no choice but to check the stroller; but OMG it was so easy we have literally never looked back!  Ever since then, we use the car seat strategy detailed below (and baby wearing with a little infant) to move about quickly.

On a side note, some people are not aware that you can bring a car seat on a plane. We can tell you from experience that you absolutely can, as long as it complies with the FAA requirements (make sure to do your research). If you are flying with a toddler who is a ticketed passenger (i.e. not a lap child), then I think having a car seat on board for them is extremely beneficial!

Going to the Airport

Here’s our most recent process that we’ve been using for over a year now:

Hunter uses his travel car seat in the car.  It’s forward-facing only, so Gage cannot use it yet.  Gage uses his travel car seat in the car, but Hunter uses it on the plane.  Up until now, Gage has been a lap child.  We use this dolly to attach the car seat to.  It serves as a stroller throughout the airport for Gage, and then holds Hunter securely in place once we’re on the aircraft.  Then, when we get to our destination, Gage uses it for the car and we have Hunter’s checked car seat for him!

Be ready for security:

The kids cannot be in any type of baby-wearing device, car seat, stroller, etc.  I’ve heard of some people being allowed to leave their baby in an infant-wearing device, but we’ve never had such luck – even when the baby is sleeping. We have TSA Pre-Check (it’s included with Global Entry membership, just FYI) and I refuse to be that slow person holding up the line, so we are ready to go!  Now that both of them can walk, it’s infinitely easier.  Thankfully, Hunter was able to walk before Gage was born, so we’ve never had to hold 2 at a time.  With Pre-Check, we do not have to take our liquids out of the bag.  HOWEVER, if you have certain approved liquids over the 3.4oz threshold, which is allowed when traveling with infants/toddlers, you will want to take those out – even if the TSA agent tells you you don’t have to.  Trust me – if you don’t take them out, they will search your entire bag.  That same bag that you have strategically packed.  Just leave your over-3.4-ounce liquids in an easily accessible side or top compartment and throw them on the conveyor belt separately.  This way, they only have to swab the bag, test the liquids and maybe swab your hands.  You’ve just saved them from having to unpack your bag, and more importantly, yourself from having to repack your bag. 

If you are traveling through security with a car seat and/or stroller, be polite and respectful, but advocate if your stroller or car seat is not going to fit through the conveyor belt.  We had a TSA agent assure us our stroller would fit (this was pre stroller-checking days), and it needed to go through the scanner.  I knew it wouldn’t, and what do you know, it got stuck.  It scratched our (thankfully inexpensive) stroller up and held the line up while they worked to free it.  Chance doesn’t like to make a scene and asked me to put it through; I have never made that mistake again.  I POLITELY and RESPECTFULLY advocate for our belongings, letting the agents know that we travel often and know for a fact which items do not fit through the scanner.  They are welcome to do whatever tests, swabs, etc on both the items and us, but they will not be ruining any more of our travel equipment. 

Overall, I don’t have many issues with this.  I hold the boys’ hands after loading my backpack and purse onto the conveyor belt.  Chance handles getting all of the other gear loaded onto the belt and passing the agents any items that do not fit.  He gets swabbed, stays with the gear, etc.  I grab as many bags as I can on the other side while still holding the boys’ hands.  Chance grabs anything I can’t once he’s finished with everything else.  I will add that we do not have to take shoes off when going through Pre-Check.  Be conscientious of your shoe choice if you don’t have Pre-Check.  Sandals and slip-ons will be your best friend!

Once we’re through security, we find a refill station to fill up the boys’ water bottles.  I admit that I’m a water snob (so ridiculous) and have to buy a fresh bottle.  We do any other regrouping, food purchases, etc right away.  Time just seems to pass so much more quickly with littles one haha, so you can’t wait until the last minute for anything except the restroom.  Before it’s time to board, Chance & I take turns using the restroom, and we make sure the boys have fresh diapers.  Pro tip: use nighttime, sized-up diapers to extend the life of a diaper on a plane.  We rarely change a diaper on an airplane unless it’s a poop situation – which per Murphy’s Law you are guaranteed to have at least once during the trip (fly with a toddler, they said… it’ll be fun, they said).

We typically fly Southwest these days out of New Orleans (we have a companion pass currently) and use family board (between A & B boarding groups).  This is where it’s also wayyy easier to not have a stroller to check.  You have to have the stroller all picked up before you go down the jetway (no matter which airline you fly).  It’s way easier to have Chance’s hands free to help with the kids and bags instead of worrying about collapsing, carrying and dropping off the stroller.  I could handle it when it was just Hunter, but it would be much tougher now with 2 kids plus my pregnant belly.  This is also a reason we originally stuck to all backpacks for carry on bags.  Our first trip, I used our big traditional diaper bag and that was just a no-go.  Using backpacks frees up our hands which we seem to constantly need for the littles. We already have Hunter loaded into the car seat on the dolly which fits down the plane aisle.  Practice with these at home to be efficient with your loading/unloading process!

Note: If you have a second little one who is small enough to be in a baby-wearing carrier, that is also ideal at this time.  We did this up until Gage was about a year, but he’s a big boy and now that he can walk, that’s just easier  LOL.  You have to undo the straps for takeoff and landing, but that’s no biggie!

On the Airplane

Okay – so now you’re on the plane – whew!  Are you exhausted yet?  Time to start cleaning the plane. 😉 I keep a couple of the Clorox travel size disinfecting wipe packs readily available.  The minute we get on the plane and we are out of the aisle, I start wiping down EVERYTHING!  Seats, arm rests, buckles, window, window shade, back of seats, tray tables, EVERYTHING!  Planes are gross on a good day.  While I’m doing this, Chance holds Gage so that he doesn’t touch anything and keeps Hunter occupied from doing the same.  Once I’m done wiping, Chance gets the car seat properly strapped in while I hold Gage.  Chance’s backpack goes in the overhead bin and mine goes by my feet.  The boys’ shared bag goes in front of Hunter and we leave Chance’s area clear because he’s 6’3 and needs all the leg room he can get.

From this point on, we prep for our ‘in-flight experience.’  Hunter always reads the safety guide 😉  We get bottles/sippy cups/water bottles out and ready along with pacifiers, puffs, goldfish or whatever we’ll be utilizing to keep those kids swallowing during the plane’s ascent (that’s another thing to remember when flying with a toddler – they don’t know how to pop their ears yet!).  During this time, we usually people-watch during the board process, lookout the window to talk about everything we see going on, etc.  We never pull out the toys!! I repeat – do not pull out the toys – you have a long flight ahead of you; don’t burn your entertainment while there’s live action going on!

Once we’ve reached our cruising altitude, we attach Hunter’s tray table if it’s a long flight.  We originally bought this tray for a long car trip we had to make, but we also find it to be very useful for longer flights.  It’s not really worth it for short flights IMO. 

Now the tablets, headphones or other activities come out.  If we can plan a flight around nap or snack time, this is ideal.  Sleeping or eating kids usually equal easy kids! Also, don’t forget to ask for lids on ALL of your cups when getting drinks, and get the youngest their own because that can totally entertain them for a solid 10 minutes or so 🙂

We’ve also been using this trick of putting a disposable table cover on the tray table for awhile now. Stresses momma out less that they and their food aren’t touching the nasty tray table. Also, buy a super interesting design for your child because that in-and-of-itself will provide entertainment!

Now, with #3 on the way, we’ve already started contemplating how we plan to re-strategize our travel day.  I go between the thought process that it will be easier because we’re already used to traveling with kids; but the whole “being outnumbered” thing throws a wrench into it, too.  TBD on how long it will take us to even go somewhere after #3 is born! Haha

TL;DR

Here’s a quick summary or in case you didn’t want to read the whole post, here are the highlights (and make sure to head over to this post to read more details on our kid travel products discussed below):

• You are allowed to bring certain liquids over 3.4 oz through security if you have infants/young children.  Security will tell you that you can leave the liquids in your bag if you’re going through TSA Pre-Check.  If you’re not Pre-Check, you’ll have to take all liquids out anyway.  BUT if you are Pre-Check, still take them out.  Whether you’re Pre-Check or not, always put these liquids over the limit in a separate container by themselves.  If you don’t, they will flag your bag and then they will search your ENTIRE bag.  If you have strategically packed your bag, it’s a pain to have to re-pack it right there at security.  Save yourself some headache!
• You can’t babywear during takeoff and landing.  I just unbuckle the straps and let it hang down if I don’t want to disturb a sleeping baby.
• Curb check the stroller if you don’t have a long layover.  Seriously, just trust me on this one!  I know you think I’m crazy; but unless you have a layover 3+ hours, don’t worry about lugging the stroller.  Make sure you have a quality travel bag.  Remember – you’ve probably spent a pretty penny on your stroller, so spending a bit more on a good cover to protect it is worth it!
• Use a car seat dolly for the airport – now you have a stroller, car seat for the plane and don’t have to carry a kid through the airport (or a slow walker like we sometimes encounter). 
• Use a car seat tray for flights over 3-4 hours.  Again, we don’t find it useful enough to bring on short flights, but it’s perfect for a long flight!  You can even prop it on the dolly for transport.
• If you have a child age 4 or under, plus a lap infant, and a car seat that can be forward or rear facing, follow these steps for easy movement through the airport:
  1. Curb check older child’s car seat (hint: this bag is great!)
  2. Put younger child in their car seat attached to dolly
  3. On flight, let older child sit in car seat while the younger one is on your lap
  4. Put younger child back in car seat/dolly combo after arriving to destination
  5. Transfer car seat to car or other method of transportation
• Pack one bag for all of the kids’ needs.  This bag needs to fit diapers, change of clothes, entertainment and water bottles/bottles.  Now that our kids are 12m and older, we utilize tablets/headphones, color/activity packs and a few thin books.
• Pack one bag for the adults.  Clip a ‘snack bag’ to the outside of this bag.
• By the time your child reaches about 3, they are asserting more independence and may want to carry their own bag.  Pack it light with things specific to them 🙂

Happy Travels!!

Resources Mentioned:

9 Tips for Traveling with Toddlers & Babies