TravelingMom

We're flying from Richmond, VA to San Diego this Saturday, with a 1-hour layover in Charlotte. My husband and I had gotten pretty good at long flights with 1 kid, but this will be the first with two! We have a 3 year old and a 7 month old...so - a couple questions to make this as painless as possible for us, the kids, and all of the other passengers lucky enough to travel with us

-We are planning to carry on the car seat for the 3 year old in the hopes that it will be like traveling in the car and will help him hold still. It is a rather bulky item, obviously - is it worth carrying on?

-We are planning to take the stroller (a sit-n-stand, if you're wondering) all the way to the gate and then gate-check it, hoping that it will make our transfer quicker between gates. Is it worth it, or should we just check it and plan to carry the baby and hope that the 3 year old walks as quickly as he can? I'm wondering if the advantage of actually having it the airport will be wasted by the time it takes to get it back at the gate?

-Also planning to carry on 3 bags - one kid-sized suitcase for the 3 year old to keep his portable DVD player, movies, coloring books and crayons, and a couple snacks. One diaper bag with baby food, change of clothes, etc. And one grown up bag with travel documents, surprise toys for 3 year old, and magazines (in the hopes of both kids napping so we can read - ha!). Too much? Too little?

-I see that TSA allows baby food and breastmilk/formula for babies. No mention is made of fresh fruit snack? I assume it's OK? Any idea about kids' fruit snacks...they're kind of "gel"-like?

-Any other general advice on making this a smooth as possible??

Thanks, and wish us luck!

mugs1102

On the carseat subject... If your son happily travels in a car seat for long trips, then ABSOLUTELY take it on the plane. It will probably increase the chances of his falling asleep, too Then if you rent a car, he's in a comfortable one. We did this a few times, and it made all the difference. Stroller, YES, gate check it. Not only will it lessen the stress on all of you, if the 3 year old really wants to walk, you can use it for one of your bags. Also, every time I've flown and seen strollers gate-checked, they've been waiting for the owners when they deplaned, at the door of the plane, so they could stroll right up the gate walkway. May want to cut the bags down to one for each adult, if possible... and one last thing... did you know that Colorforms stick to airplane windows? So fun!

dfrostnh

I took grapes in a plastic container, apples, cheese and clementines on a recent cross country trip. No problem at all with security. Also took a trail mix with lots of dried fruit. You might have an in flight movie. We did on Charlotte to LAX and, if so, people will be encouraged to close window shades. The darkened cabin might promote napping. I, too, have seen strollers waiting as we deplaned. Should work fine.

itsv

The descent for our airport in San Diego is tough on little kids because it is located near downtown (and tall buildings). Pilots basically have to go down at a steep angle so pressurization is a real issue. Ask your pediatrician if there is anything you can give to the kids to make it easier on them. When mine were little I would breast feed or bottle feed them on the descent and it made it easier for them.

Your 3 yr. probably will be okay but you might want to give him gum (if he can chew it okay) or practice opening his mouth etc. to relieve that pop.

I just wanted to warn you to give you a heads up in case they start crying and you can't figure out why.

As for others things, it looks like you have all bases covered. We have traveled with two for years and it is very manageable with preplanning. Try to get the airport to assign you a row where their might be an extra seat, it always helps.

The car seat issue just depends on your child. For one of my kids it would work, for the other they hated it and were better behave without it.

Have fun, hopefully the weather here will be good.

itsv

familytravelforum

Pack more diapers and snacks than you think you'll need -- you never know if you'll be delayed on the plane. It's happened to me many times. When my kids were toddlers they loved getting drinks on the plane but occasionally spilled them, so changes of clothes were critical! Check your stroller at the gate. Sounds like you are packing all kinds of things to keep you 3 year old busy -- very smart! Since you've already traveled with one, you have mastered most problems. With two kids and two parents, you are still one-on-one, so you shouldn't have any problems. It's just more exhausting!

You might want to have one of your carryons be a rolling bag. I've used everything from a rolling shopping bag to a small piece of rolling luggage to carry all my kids entertainment and snacks. Familytravelforum.com is a helpful website for air travel tips.

suze

Definitely have at least one of those bags on wheels (you can prop others onto that one & roll along). 2 kids and 3 bags is too much to try to juggle (or perhaps the stroller works in this regard?) between 2 adults in an airport imo.

Ann41

I have flown with my daughter (nearly 2) on about 30 flights, including 6 overseas, 4 of those by myself.

The car seat hasn't worked for us on a plane since she was about 15 months old. She likes to kick, and proceeded to kick the seat in the front of her for the entire flight. Although I guess you'd have more success telling a 3-year-old to stop something than a 15-month-old.

Definitely keep the stroller. It makes life much easier. And if the flight gets delayed you'll be so happy you have it.

Anyway, I think 3 bags is too many. We don't do more than 1 per adult, and we usually only take 1 carry-on total.

Take Motrin or Tylenol with you (you can take medicines through security). We had a nightmare flight once because we didn't realize our baby had bad infections in both ears. She screamed for 2 hours, and there was nothing we could do, as we didn't have the Motrin onboard.

Good luck!

Ann41

Whoops--just saw you already traveled. Oh well.

TravelingMom

Well, we survived. The three oldest were fine; the baby had some "moments," when he was just SO tired! We managed to get 1 seat upgraded to first class on the way out, so mom(me) and baby got to ride up there. I'm not sure it was a bargain, since the 3 year old was such an angel in coach with my husband!!

We loaded up the 3-year-olds mini-roller with all kinds of goodies for him and packed one small backpack with diaper bag supplies and grown up snacks.

We did keep the stroller and I'm so glad. I always forget how huge Charlotte airport is and we always seem to have connections at opposite ends!

Also took the carseat. The 3-year-old is used to traveling in it and slept for a large portion of the cross-country leg. There is no way we're going to make it until the baby is 2 before buying him his own seat - he's way to squirmy and it was definitely crowded with all four of us in 1 row.

thanks for all the advice!

KathrynT

Glad you survived! I'm sure this will be helpful for other parents to read as well.

tmom

Wondering how this trip went. What advice was useful? Not? Please share your new found travel wisdom on the travelingmom.com community. There are lots of moms who would appreciate it!

happytrailstoyou

Start when they are infants training them how to behave in public. Then they will be a joy to you, to everybody else who meets them, and they will be happy and confident.

SomeDude

I wish I had a portable DVD player...

mcmckissic1

just one suggestion, I would not bother with the car seat. I would take a small DVD player instead. My kids loved having it on the plane.

mcmckissic1

also, don't forget, they make you dump out all of your waters and juices before security.

GoTravel

You had a lap child in first for a cross country flight?

TravelingMom

Happytrails - We have been lucky enough to be able to do a fair amount of traveling since we were married and we haven't really slowed down much since kids! I completely agree with you - the 3 year old is a great traveler because he's experienced (well, as experienced as a 3 year old can be!) at it and knows how to behave politely. We're still working on that with the baby

MCM - We had both the carseat and the portable DVD, which was the way to go!! We were allowed to carry on a small bottle of "baby" applejuice - not sure if they let us get away with it because it was very small, sealed, and Gerber brand (clearly indicating it was for the infant)??

GoTravel - yup. Infant in first class. I'm not sure I would have kept my sanity in coach and my fellow first class passengers were awesome - even offering to hold the baby.

beentheretwice

"Earplanz" ear plugs can be had at your bigger pharmacies, and they do come in child sizes. I've used them and my kid swears by them for equalizing the air pressure in the ears. You put them in at the beginning of descent, and keep them in until the cabin door is opened.

Also, Benadryl. Benadryl Benadryl Benadryl. For the kid. ;-)