If you're flying with children, here are some tips for making air travel a more enjoyable experience -- for you, for your child, and for your fellow passengers.
When planning your trip:
+ Tell your children what to expect. Explain security procedures, customs and immigration, take-off and landing, baggage claim and claim checks, and so on. Be sure to tell them how they should behave in each situation and make sure they realize that misbehaving during the trip can have much more serious consequences than misbehaving at home.
+ Establish firm ground rules for their behavior:
Don't talk to strangers, don't ask strangers for help, and don't go anywhere with a stranger.
If they get lost, they should know what to do. For example, they should stay in one location -- you will find them, not vice versa.
Don't go anywhere alone. Stay where your parents can see you. If you go anywhere, tell your parents where before you go. Don't wander off.
Have them memorize your first and last name, the name of the hotel where you are staying, their home address (the town and state if they can't remember the street) and your home telephone number.
+ Cross roads only with an adult and don't play in the street.
+ Include your children in the planning stages, and let them have some input into the decisions. Don't try to do too much each day, or they'll get cranky.
+ Keep in mind that young children may refuse to eat any of the local cuisine, so plan accordingly. Tell them in advance about the food and culture of the destination, especially if traveling to a foreign country. If you've been to the country before, tell them stories about your last trip.
+ If only one parent will be traveling with the children and you'll be crossing borders, bring a notarized letter of permission or power of attorney from other parent. Otherwise you may get stopped at the border under suspicion of kidnapping.
+ Write your child's name on the inside of all their clothes with indelible cloth marker, or sew in a name label. This will help if they get lost and forget their last name. For the flight, safety pin a card with complete information to their shirt.
When making reservations:
+ Ask for window seats for your children. Children love to watch the world move outside the window.
+ Ask for contiguous seats so that you can sit together, and make sure you're in the aisle seat, so you can control your children.
+ Mention that you're flying with children, so your seats won't be in the emergency exit row. Children under age 15 aren't allowed to sit in this row, so if your seats are there, you'll have to be moved when you arrive for the flight, and may not get contiguous seats.
+ If meals are served on the flight, ask for the special children's meal.
+ Ask if they have any special services for children. Some airlines provide pins and model airplanes for older children, and sets of puzzles, games and toys for younger children. Some airlines will provide "baby kits" with diapers and other amenities.
British Airways now has baby seats, just like the ones in automobiles.
All airports have changing rooms, usually in the women's restroom (and many are now including changing facilities in men's bathrooms as well).
Some airlines may send special discount travel coupons to your home (e.g., $50 off a children's companion ticket), if you join the kids klub. Joining usually doesn't cost anything, and gets your kids a free magazine every so often.
+ If traveling with an infant, reserve the bulkhead seats and ask for a baby bed (bassinet).
+ If your child is traveling under a "lap child" fare, ask for a lap restraint. This is a strap that passes through your seat belt and is used to secure the child, so that if the plane crashes your kid doesn't go flying through the air.
+ If your child will be traveling alone, tell the airline the name of the adult who will drop them off in addition to the adult who will be meeting them at the destination. Include names, addresses, and phone numbers of each party, and also include your name and phone number. The party picking up your child mustcarry adequate identification. Provide the party meeting your child with a complete copy of the itinerary. Tell the airline and all parties about any special needs of your child, such as special meals, medication, needing assistance changing planes, etc. The child should carry identification, a small plastic baggy of change for telephone calls, and some cash. Your child should have no more than one small bag of carry-on baggage, and it should include their name and address information written on the inside. You will need to arrive at the airport at least an hour before departure to sign a special form, and you will have to stay at the airport until the flight has departed. Introduce the child to the gate agent, and remind the gate agent that your child is traveling alone. The gate agent will give all your child's travel documents to the flight attendant for safekeeping, and they will give them to the gate agent at the destination, who will give them, in turn, to the party meeting your child. Reiterate the standard warnings about talking to strangers, and remind them to not leave the airport alone or with a stranger.
Packing:
+ Bring your child's favorite toys, reading material, game books, paper & crayons, deck of cards, disposable camera, teddy bear or blanket, and other amusements to keep them quiet on the plane. If you bring along electronic games, be sure to turn the sound off, and make sure they don't use it during takeoff and landing. If you bring a favorite stuffed animal or blanket, be sure it is easily replaceable, in case it gets lost during the trip.
A supply of the "prizes" from cereal boxes can be useful as rewards for good behavior.
+ Bring chewing gum and snacks to help them with air pressure changes during takeoff and landing. For younger children, bring a pacifier or a bottle of juice or milk. The flight attendants can warm your baby's bottle in the galley after they complete the safety dance. Hard candy or a lollipop may also work.
+ Bring several spare diapers and baby blankets in your carry-on luggage, in addition to the usual emergency change of clothing.
+ Make sure you bring enough food for the baby. Make an allowance for possible delays when planning what to bring.
+ For a stoller which qualifies as a carryon, get one of the folding "umbrella" strollers. Airports are a lot easier to navigate with a stroller, rather than carrying a squirming baby.
+ Bring at least one empty duffel bag in your luggage, in case you buy more stuff than will fit in your luggage.
+ Don't forget to bring your child's medicines, including cough syrup and medication for other common child ailments. Don't count on being able to find a drug store at your destination.
+ Bring a full color photograph of your child's face.
+ Pack the child's luggage in a bag that is small enough for them to manage on their own.
Before the flight:
+ If your children have never flown before, tell them how much fun it is, and try to build up some excitement (e.g., have a countdown calendar).
Day of the flight:
+ For carrying an infant, use a "front pack" or "Snugli" -- it's among the easiest. Be sure to get one with extra padding on the shoulder straps. At six months, you can switch to a baby back pack.
+ Arrive early. Kids like to explore airports, and juggling kids AND bags will take time. Allow at least an hour in the airport for US domestic flights and two hours for international flights.
+ Watch your children carefully, to make sure they don't wander off. Never leave your children alone. If you need to make a pit stop in the washroom, bring your children with you. Even the most responsible child should never be left alone to watch luggage or keep your place in line. If you do misplace your children, airport personnel can help you locate lost children.
+ Parents with children are allowed to board first, so take advantage of this "perk".
During the Flight:
+ Give your baby a bottle or pacifier to suck on during takeoff and landing. This will make the baby swallow, allowing his or her ears to adjust quicker to the pressure changes. Air pressure in the cabin is the equivalent of air pressure at 8000 feet , not ground pressure.
+ If traveling with multiple children, don't be afraid to ask the flight attendants to watch some of them while you take one to the bathroom.
+ Most airplanes carry one or two decks of airline insignia playing cards. These get replenished only once a day, so you'll be successful in getting them only if you fly early in the day. The flight attendants may have other items, such as pins and model airplanes to satisfy younger passengers.
End of the flight:
+ Wait until other passengers have gotten off the plane before you start gathering your belongings to deplane.
+ Don't forget to count noses.
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