If you have flown in an airplane with your kiddos, help!

[BamaTanya]

I'm seriously considering this for our trip cross country to visit relatives. Of the 4 aunts/uncles who helped Dad to care for Mom last year, one has had knee replacements, one has had a heart attack, and one is currently undergoing biopsies for cancer. If we're ever going to visit them, we should not put it off. No matter how expensive. No matter how unprepared I feel to deal with 2 autism spectrum kiddos plus the other 3.

 

I may talk with the dr about whether medications are needed to calm the very anxious one, but I think the other will be excited and distractible . . . Hopefully not too loud, lol.

 

Can't children take handheld games on planes? DVD players? Something like that? Crayons and a coloring or puzzle book?

 

Dh says we can buy toiletries after we land and leave them there. He doesn't want to waste luggage space on those things. And, of course, with all the dc's quirks and issues, I can shop for their foods, etc.

 

Packing should be easy in the summer. They could wear slacks and polos (suitable for church) and a lightweight jacket on the plane. Couldn't they each carry on a backpack with enough shorts/T-shirts/socks/underwear for a few days? We'll be with relatives and I could do laundry . . .

 

What will I wish I had remembered?

 

What will make traveling easier?

 

We'll have one shortish layover/plane change. Total travel time shouldn't be over 5 hours, I think. Plus getting their early and getting our baggage, I guess.

 

If a child uses a booster seat in your car, do they need one on a plane? You can get them with rental cars, right?

 

What else?

 

I'll probably have a lot more questions later . . . We're leaning in that direction. :tongue_smilie:

[amsunshine]

I don't have much time, but I'll try to answer a couple of your questions. Yes, the kids can bring handheld games and portable dvd players on the plane. Make sure you remember their headphones for these. Maybe audiobooks and a CD player with split headphones would be good, too? Crayons and coloring books are fine.

 

No booster seats on the airplane. We've always brought ours with us, but checked them in -- however this was on trips to Mexico, where we would not be able to get boosters for rental cars. In the states, I'm sure you can, but check with your car rental company first.

[OrganicAnn]

Look on-line and/or call the airlines you are using to get the lastest information on what you can take or not take and what to do about car seats etc.

 

Flying on a plane is exciting for kids and just learning about the seats/tray tables and bathrooms can keep them busy for a while.

 

Also chewing gum helps with the airpressure in their ears.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Make a picture ID of each of your children. Include their name, your name, your airline, flight number, and destinations. Also, include your cell phone number. Pin it on them, or secure it to their person somehow. This won't count as official ID, of course, but if they get separated from you, it will make it much easier to become reunited.

[Happy]

Don't overload yourself with carry on luggage. Pack a set of clothes for each child in their bag, but leave the majority of space for their activity things. Do checked bags for the clothing.

 

Small toys like action figures and legos are good, too. Pieces can be a pain.

 

Pack snacks! Packages of cookies, pretzels, or boxes of dried fruit. I can't remember the rules on drinks, so check with the airline about that.

 

Before leaving tell your kiddoes about the experience...seat belts, pressure on your chest as you take off, the need to 'pop' your ears, etc.

[*Inna*]

Last time we traveled I did something that my girls just loved. I packed a small backpack for each with surprise stuff, some wrapped in a cute wrapping paper. Small things like little coloring books, felt board with variety of felt shapes and bits of yarn, travel-size magna doodle and for the little one - similar aqua doodle.

 

Every hour or so they were allowed to open one thing and play with it. Oh, the suspense! :D

 

Portable DVD player and Leapster were lifesavers too.

Bring lots of snacks and change of clothes for everybody!

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Last time I flew with the kids, the booster seat was recommended aboard the plane. So the kids just sat in them, with the seat belt on. And they were perfectly happy that way.

The first time I flew with them the booster seats were checked with the cargo, but recommendations changed after that. Check with your airline.

 

Oh, and be prepared to bribe your kids. When my firstborn was a tiny baby (hahum, he was never a tiny baby :lol:) I flew to Florida. Next to me was a mom with three young kids. She fed them M&M and other bad stuff like that. At one point she looked at me, and told me this was *not* her normal way of feeding the kids, but bribery works! Sure enough, I did just the same later on.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Every hour or so they were allowed to open one thing and play with it. Oh, the suspense! :D

 

I concur! Of all the tricks I've tried, this one worked the best. Whatever you give them - food, candies, toys - it's always a specific amount per hour. Or half hour, depending on the needs! LOL.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I stapled together about 2 dozen sheets of paper along the side to make a "book" and gave the kids crayons and they made their books... but they LOVE to color and draw. At the end of the flight they gave their books to the stewardess that payed them attention (giving them extra drinks and talking to them) and she thanked them over the overhead announcement as we were getting ready to exit. The kids liked that.

 

One year, I bought car seats with me because the car rental co. did not have car seats! Even though my dh requested car seats, it did not come with it. The car seats were fine on the plane.

 

I brought gum for them to chew on take off and landing. The airline provided a snack one way ( a muffin and juice) and during our lunchtime flight, they were given a pack of m&m's, a turkey sandwich, a drink, and a bag of carrots. That was plenty for my kids each way but it may not be enough for yours.

 

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

 

Ooooh... my kids LOVED going to see the cockpit! If the door is open, when you board the plane and the pilot is sitting there just ask if the kids can see it. Last flight (last month) my son looked at the cockpit because he remembered from last year and I didn't even have to ask, the co-pilot saw my ds look his way and he invited him and his sister in to see it. (which kind of reminded me of the movie Airplane: "so Joey, have you ever been in a cockpit before? Do you like movies about gladiators?" :eek: :lol: )

[Sugarfoot]

We travel with our 4 frequently, and I agree that you don't want to be overloaded with carry-on's. Just stick to what you'll need on the plane, especially if you're going to visit family---you can get what you need in the event your luggage is lost or delayed. If you still need a stroller (not sure of your DC's ages), you can use it until you get on the plane and have the gate attendant "gate-check" it, meaning they'll put a special tag on it and load it onto the plane by hand, and then it will be taken off and waiting for you in the jetway when you get off. Ours was lost in Atlanta recently, but that's another story...

 

The hardest thing for us is the security line. Be prepared to remove all shoes and try to have everything "in" a bag when you put it on the conveyor. If there's a stroller, it has to be folded and loaded through the x-ray as well. My kids have state ID cards from our local license bureau for ID so that we don't have to drag everyone's passports with us domestic trips. No one had ever asked for them until this past Feb. in Orlando, and then I was glad I had them.

 

We've rented car seats/boosters with the rental cars, but for really little ones, having them on the plane with you helps.

 

HTH,

[i.love.lucy]

(which kind of reminded me of the movie Airplane: "so Joey, have you ever been in a cockpit before? Do you like movies about gladiators?" :eek: :lol: )

 

:001_huh::lol::lol:

 

We've flown twice in the last 7 months, and I had each kid pack what they wanted. My dd brought her mp3 player and books, ds brought coloring books, a puzzle, a magna doodle, etc.

 

Lots of snacks and things they can chew on, like gum or Skittles, does help. My dd is pretty sensitive to the air pressure and complains about her ears, so I tried the earplugs called "earplanes" and they didn' work at all for her.

 

If you have any that get motion sick I'd recommend Dramamine too. It helps and also makes them a tad drowsy. My ds slept most of the last couple of flights.

 

Don't pack drinks, you can't take them anyways. I did pack their portable cups (like sippee cups but with straws) and once inside the terminal at the gate I filled them with water. But the flight has plenty of juice and sodas too.

 

Have fun!!!

[eternalknot]

 

Couldn't they each carry on a backpack with enough shorts/T-shirts/socks/underwear for a few days?

 

Generally, each paying passenger is permitted one carry-on bag (rollerboard) plus one personal item (small backpack, dufflebag, purse, laptop). So technically, any child with a seat assignment (versus a lapchild) would be allowed to bring two bags with them - one holding their clothing, plus a smaller second bag for their plane activities/books/etc. It's usually easier to just check bags, but many airlines now charge for checked bags so YMMV.

 

What will I wish I had remembered? What will make traveling easier?

 

Snacks. Preferably non-messy snacks LOL - don't rely on the airline to provide anything, much less anything for free. Cups/Bottles to refill with water at the water-fountain once you pass security (because you can't bring liquids through security) and most airlines offer bottled water "by the glass" versus individual bottles. In this vein, wet wipes and maybe a small plastic grocery bag to collect the inevitable trash that will accrue. It's easier to toss it all into a small bag, which you can then hand to the flight attendant at the end of the flight.

 

Small snack baggie for colored pencils/markers/crayons - keeps them from rolling off of the tray table, and is more easily passed between kids.

 

Small pillow/blanket - most airlines no longer offer pillows, and the blankets tend to be nasty IMO. I usually tuck a lightweight, small blanket or sheet into a travel-sized pillow for each kid - especially the youngers. The pillow helps keep smaller kids better secured in their seatbelts, too.

 

Flip flops or slip ons/velcro for getting through security easily, especially younger kids - all shoes need to be removed to pass through. Flip flops also help counter swollen feet if the kids remove their shoes during the flight (plus are easier to throw on before sending the kids into the nasty lavatory).

 

If a child uses a booster seat in your car, do they need one on a plane? You can get them with rental cars, right?

 

Booster seats are NOT approved for use on airplanes, at ANY airline. You may carry them onboard and stow them in an overhead bin (or you may check them - they don't count towards your baggage allowance) but the kids can't sit in them during the actual flight. Carseats are a different matter, and CAN (IMO, SHOULD) be used inflight.

 

As far as rental car companies, I'd avoid using their seats if at all possible. Sometimes in an emergency, their seats will suffice ... but generally they tend to be old, and questionable as to the safety (who knows what they've been through, kwim?) IME.

 

It's good you're making this trip; safe travels.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Take anything with a grain of salt. Rules with flying change often and without warning. I make a travel binder with all our flight info. I also print out the page from each airline I'm flying that lists baggage rules.

 

Booster seat. Not normally required onboard. The purpose of a booster is to make the shoulder belt fit properly. The seat on the plane will only have a lap belt. You probably don't want to count on having one from the rental agency. They will charge for it and they might not have one available. What we have done is taken the car seat and then gate checked it. Usually this is outside the rules for bag limits because it is considered a mobility item (like a wheel chair). I did one flight with a booster seat because that child was little and I thought that it would make him feel more secure. However, then the tray table couldn't come down (it hit the sides of the booster). So it was win one, lose one.

 

Yes, you can have most portable games, iPods (make sure the volume limits are turned off), or dvd players. You can't use download play on a Nintendo DS because that sends a signal from handheld to handheld. Make sure they are all fully charged or that you have extra batteries.

 

You can sometimes ask for a kids meal (not all airlines have this option). This is generally something like a little burger or chicken nuggets rather than the sauce covered meat and rice option adults get. You could alternately ask for something like the vegetarian meal (which is often a curry dish). If your kids have issues with things like dyes or corn syrup, then I would bring snacks in your packs.

 

Coloring books and crayons are no problem. Card games can work (Uno is nice). Some planes have seat back entertainment, but don't count on them to work.

 

We always take a stuffed animal or snuggly blanket. In fact, we generally fly with a small fleece blanket for each person so that we have our own.

 

Reading some books about flights or watching a movie might help by letting the kids think about what they'll be doing. I like DVD The Big Plane Trip from Big Adventures (it is a couple years old, but might be in Netflix or the library).

[skaterbabs]

You do NOT want to rent a car seat or booster - bad idea. If you have a seat that can be taken apart and used backless, pack the back in your suitcase and carry the bottom on the plane in a backpack.

 

Pack plenty of snacks and quiet activities, if you have any plans to purchase or borrow a personal gaming system, do it. If you can take a portable DVD player (with headphones) do it. If you can take audio books, do it.

[westcoastmom]

The one time we took booster seats on the plane they turned out to be very inconvenient. They were too high for the kids to climb in and out easily, and it was awkward for us or the kids to try to get by them.

 

You can pack hand held games and dvd player. Bring dvds and headphones.

 

I usually bring lots of snacks and different activities that I can keep pulling out like little treasures.

 

If you are thinking of taking any medications, etc make sure to do a trial ahead of time. Some kids can get hyper from things like gravol.

 

We always try to choose flights that are at better times of day for the kids, and try to get shorter layovers, and avoid layovers in airports that have poor on time records.

[KarenNC]

My daughter enjoyed her magnetic paper dolls in a folding tin case, both on the plane and on long car trips. Be aware that the inflight movie/tv shows may or may not be something you are happy about your children watching (we were on a cross country direct flight, not sure what they show on shorter flights).

[EKS]

Handheld games and portable DVD players are *wonderful* on planes!