Flying with Toddler

[Muumuu]

When flying with baby/toddler what carry ons are allowed?

Can you have a diaper bag and a tote bag with their books, etc?

And I heard you can check the stroller when actually entering the plane.

True or not?

Any other info will be very welcomed as it will be our first flight with her.

[cb at sea]

You may take formula onboard.....and liquid medications....you have to disclose in security that you have those "liquids" and they will be checked to make sure it's not explosives!

 

Each ticketed person (whether baby or not) is allowed 1 carry-on and a personal item. So, if there are 3 of you (all with tickets!), then each may bring a carry-on and personal item, like purse, laptop, backpack...whatever will fit under the seat. If baby is not ticketed, and on your lap, you and hubby will need to use the baby stuff as either carry-on or personal item.

 

Yes...the stroller may be gate-checked.

[6rugrats]

If you name your airline, it would be possible to provide more accurate information. Also, did you purchase a seat, or is this a lap child?

 

Or, you can go to your airline webpage and find this information. Usually, it's listed under a heading like "Travel Information" and then there's a subheading for "travel with children".

[6rugrats]

Each ticketed person (whether baby or not) is allowed 1 carry-on and a personal item.

This is absolutely not correct for every airline. For some of them, lap children are not allowed carry ons. You need to check with your specific airline.

[flhokie]

All US airlines will check your stroller at the door of the plane and bring it back up to the jetway once you land. Try not to have a lot of items in the stroller when boarding. I've seen many people frantically trying to remove all the lose items from their stroller before folding it to be checked.

 

If you are traveling with a car seat & won't be using it on the plane you can also have that checked at the door of the plane (and brought back up) too. If you have a lap child and there is an open seat next to you it might be possible to use the car seat and put your child in.

 

Which airline you are flying determines when you will board. Most airlines no longer allow parents with small children to board first. However, many will still allow you to board earlier in the process. Check with the gate agent for the process for your airline.

 

The actual carry-ons allowed do vary by airline policy (as far as ticketed vs non-ticketed). That being said, a diaper bag and a tote bag is fine for 1 person so that should be fine for you and a child (if you have additional carry on items for yourself and a lap child is where you might need to figure out a plan with others in your party).

 

I used a back pack (instead of a regular diaper bag). I put a ziplock with a few diapers, wipes and changing pad in the bag. This made it easy to go to the lavatory to change diapers (you don't want a full diaper bag in there--it will be tight enough with the 2 of you). I also had a zip lock bag with snacks, one with bottles (I used the disposable ones from Similac for travel) and then a blanket, toys, books, a change of clothes and empty zip lock bags (soiled clothes or diapers that can't be disposed of right away).

 

Ask the flight attendant if any of the lavatories have changing tables. These are a life saver when they have them. Also, keep an eye out for family restrooms in airports--makes it very easy to wheel the stroller in and take care of business for both of you.

 

As for taking extra liquids through security, make sure to declare them at the security check point. Also, your stroller will have to be folded and placed on the xray belt. If baby is not walking you will walk through the metal detector carrying her. For the most part I have encountered friendly TSA agents when traveling with DD by myself.

 

Be prepared for things to not go as planned and try not to stress.

[PhotoGal07]

My number one tip when flying with the toddler is to be relatively last on the plane. I tend to let my daughter run around in the terminal until most of the plane has boarded. This way, she's not sitting for an extra 15 minutes while other passengers are getting on, and she's a bit tired from the extra running around. As an added bonus, she tends to be more thirsty after playing "run to the trashcan and back", and will drink her milk or juice while we are taking off. Plus you won't feel rushed while trying to install a carseat on the chair while other people are trying to get around you.

 

The only downside is you see the look of fear in the eyes of all the passengers as you board the plane. :o

[Muumuu]

Thank you all for this superior info. I need as much as you can share.

Do not know what airline yet as we have at least six weeks until our date opens up.

Any suggestions on which airline is best for children? Flying to Barcelona from Atlanta or Miami.

Thank you all again

[flhokie]

If you are trying to go non-stop to Barcelona....Delta flies it non-stop from Atlanta and American from Miami.

 

As for an airline that is best for children, I don't think there really is one particular one. They are all pretty much the same that way. Personally, if the fares weren't significantly higher, I'd try to go non-stop.

 

If you are flying with a lapchild (under 2) on an international flight it is important that you book the child in advance (not usually necessary for domestic flights). They are not completely free--they must pay taxes (and possibly a reduced fare). Many of your international airlines are stricter on carry-on baggage (amount, size, weight) than US based carriers.

 

If your DD watches videos or plays games by the time you go have some new videos and games (as well as tried and true ones) downloaded to a laptop/tablet. Also, take some new toys in addition to some favorites. Make sure to have any favorite blanket and a soothing item from her crib for an overnight flight.

[Chicky2181]

We flew to Mexico in April and dd was 18 months at the time. We fly continental down and jet blue back home. Each airline has it own rules. I'd suggest checking their website or calling customer service.

 

On the way down we were allowed to check her car seat and gate check her stroller for free. On the way with jet blue there was actually open seats so they let us carry on her car seat and she had her own seat....which was very nice. We also gate checked the stroller. Each airline allowed us to carry on a diaper bag as well.

 

We packed a few extra outfits, two thin blankets, a small travel pillow, milk, tylenol, advil, benedryil, lots of diapers, snacks (cheese, fruit, crackers), and lots of things to preoccupy her. I packed stickers, pipe cleaners, coloring books, smalls figurines, etc. I went to the dollar store and bought a ton of little things and just gave them to her one at a time. Each thing bought a few minutes of quiet. Before we knew it, it was time to land.

 

You'll be fine. We found it wasn't as bad as many people have claimed.

[Kerry's Girls]

Very important to have a well organized bag so that you can reach items without a lot of digging. I bring an extra plastic bag to use for trash because we end up with a pile of it and it becomes impossible to find anything at our feet. Have non-spillable water bottles for all of you. Be self sufficient food/snack/drink-wise - you never know when a delay or turbulence will hold up service and you don't want to have a hungry or thirsty kid on a plane. I prefer the back of the plane so we're near the restrooms and a place to stand for a bit. Remember that electronics have to be turned off for take-off and landing, so you want to have other amusements - stickers/post-its, etc. Use the restroom before landing because there can be quite a wait to get through customs in Barcelona. Once when we landed there we waited a very long time for the stroller to come up to us where we exited the plane.

 

Hope you're going a few days early - Barcelona is a fabulous city for a toddler.

 

Best,

Mia

[grandma*knows*best]

All US airlines will check your stroller at the door of the plane and bring it back up to the jetway once you land.

 

This is not correct. Some airlines have size/weight restrictions for gate checkled strollers (AA is one). You need to check your airline's website.

[flhokie]

This is not correct. Some airlines have size/weight restrictions for gate checkled strollers (AA is one). You need to check your airline's website.

 

Sorry if I was incorrect. I fly several times every week on various airlines all over the US and I've never seen a gate checked stroller denied.

[6rugrats]

This is not correct. Some airlines have size/weight restrictions for gate checkled strollers (AA is one). You need to check your airline's website.

 

Sorry if I was incorrect. I fly several times every week on various airlines all over the US and I've never seen a gate checked stroller denied.

This is correct. AA will not gate check a stroller that weighs over 20 lbs:

 

Important Information

Strollers that are large, non-collapsible or over 20 lbs. must be checked at the ticket counter

 

Good point about fees/taxes for lap child on international flight. They aren't "free" like they are on a domestic flight. OP may want to check out what a lap child will cost on the airlines they are considering, as prices can vary.

[cruisegirl06]

When we fly with Our daughter as a lap child, we have been able to check her convertible car seat at check-in (for free), much easier than hauling it through the airport if she can't use it on the flight anyway:). We also try to take large plastic bags to put the car seat and stroller in to minimize how dirty they get (sometimes we don't actually have time to use these or remember them, but worth a shot).

 

The biggest tip is to bring snacks and toys for your little one. We'll also block off our section of the row and let our daughter walk between us (when the fasten seatbelt sign is off). We have yet to embark on a transatlantic flight, but are thinking we might this spring, so I'll be reading the tips on here.

 

Also, bring extra water in case anyone gets thirsty and plenty of diapers and toddler supplies:)

[Eclipsepearl]

NEVER check a car seat as luggage. This isn't smart for a couple of reasons.

 

First, they get bashed around a lot. Remember they're only designed to withstand one accident and being dropped on to the tarmac or falling off the belt could be similar impact. You might think the seat is okay but in a crash, it might not protect your child. Don't take the risk.

 

Also, what would you do if your seat were "rerouted"? I once walked off a flight, to a 2 hour car ride and three of my four bags weren't there. I had the car seat with me.

 

First, try to get the seat on board and use it, so that's one good reason to bring it to the gate. Having on board is safer both for the baby and the seat-guaranteed to get there! Also, gate-checking is no guarantee but much, much better than checking a car seat as luggage, if only because the airlines are handling it for less time.

 

If you're organized, taking the car seat to the gate should NOT be a big deal. I did it alone on 11 1/2 hour flights with connections alone with three small kids. I used to check the stroller and then use the car seat, attached to a small, foldable metal cart as a stroller. They sell overpriced gizmos that do the same thing but a cart from Kmart will work just as well.

 

The ONLY airline I know of with a stroller restriction is American Airlines. All the rest just require that the stroller folds. Check the airlines' site to be sure.

 

My airline tips from 13 years of being a Flight Attendant and 13 years of flying with my own three kids (non-commercial):

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

[grandma*knows*best]

?..

 

The ONLY airline I know of with a stroller restriction is American Airlines. All the rest just require that the stroller folds. Check the airlines' site to be sure. ....

 

:confused:

 

A requirement that a stroller has to fold to be gate checked is a stroller restriction.

 

UA and US Airways both prohibit large, non-collapsible strollers from being gate checked.