flying with littles - 1.5 and 3 years old

I was hoping to be able to take my whole family on a cruise next year. My son had some pretty little kids. I think kids under 2 can still sit on your lap and not need a ticket. Though I cant imagine it would be much fun to have Mr Tank on your lap for that long. I read on Southwest FAQ they will offer a discounted seat for these situations.

Anyone had any experience? Or any other helpful tips on flying with littles?

I'm also worried about car seats. I hate to lug them though I know we will need them for the rental car but can rent them from the car company.

Do taxi's and shuttle need kids buckled? I know its the the best to have them strapped and letting them get by with it once might set a precedence

I was hoping to be able to take my whole family on a cruise next year. My son had some pretty little kids. I think kids under 2 can still sit on your lap and not need a ticket. Though I cant imagine it would be much fun to have Mr Tank on your lap for that long. I read on Southwest FAQ they will offer a discounted seat for these situations.

Lap children are not fun to hold for long flights. If you go the lap child route, they must be under two years old for the outbound and return, and you must verify their age with Southwest with their birth certificate. They do offer infant fares, but you have to call to purchase them:

"Southwest Airlines offers very affordable Infant fares for children under two years of age that allow you to reserve a seat for your little traveler to fly safely in his/her approved CRS. Infant fares are not available for purchase on southwest.com. Please contact a Customer Representative at 1 (800) 435-9792 for more information."

Thanks... I found all that info on SW website. I will be calling when we get a sail date nailed down. Until then I was hoping someone had an experience to share with me or any tips.

Thanks... I found all that info on SW website. I will be calling when we get a sail date nailed down. Until then I was hoping someone had an experience to share with me or any tips.

You might try posting the question on the Family Cruise Forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49. I think you would get some useful responses since it is dedicated to cruising with kids.

In general, the infant fares on Southwest are a discount from the Anytime (fully refundable in cash) fare. Often the WGA (Wanna Get Away) fare is less expensive than the infant fare would be. Your 3 year old will pay the same if you buy the WGA fare.

Please note that WGA is not refundable in cash should your plans change, but can become a system credit for the original ticketed flyer should your plans change. In this situation, the credit would be good for one year from the date of original purchase.

As to car seats, your children are young enough that I would just haul my own. Please make sure they are FAA approved, and you'll need a bit of time to strap them in. You must put them closest to the windows and then you sit on the aisle. If you take a second adult (I hope you can) then you'll need to split up and put the car seats next to the window in two different rows.

Yes, the car seats are a hassle, but they will keep you children safe. Rental car seats are often expired, missing pieces, etc. Taxis and shuttles may have different rules, but again - safety for your children is more important.

The 3 year old may be able to fly with this http://kidsflysafe.com/

But you still have to deal with a car seat at your destination.

My 2-year-old has flown on over 40 flights and my 4-year-old has flown on over 75 flights, so I have some experience flying with little ones.

We always bring their car seats with them. I would recommend you check the older child's seat to your destination, but bring the younger child's seat to the gate with you. Because we fly so much, I purchased a car seat that converts to a stroller, but it would be cheaper to buy a car seat travel cart or car seat travel tote with wheels to get the seat through the airport. If you decide to purchase a seat for the infant, the car seat can be strapped to the airplane seat and the carrier stowed in the overhead. If the infant is going as a lap child, the car seat can be gate checked at boarding, or sometimes if the flight is not full, they will put you next to an empty seat and you can use the car seat. My children did much better strapped in their car seats than on my lap.

The other thing I've found to work well with my children is to have a bag of "airplane toys." These are new toys they've never seen before (or only when traveling) so they tend to stay interested longer than if they were everyday toys from home. Some of my favorites have been reusable sticker pads (since they aren't sticky, the kids can stick them to the tray table, windows, etc), Color Wonder coloring pads and markers, Squizs (they suction, so great for sticking to things), a Button Art set, magnetic scene kits, and the iPad (with headphones). These toys have also been useful when going out to eat while on our trips.

I also bring the kids' favorite snacks and a sippy cup for each of them (not all airlines have lids for the cups). I haven't yet taken my littles on a cruise, but they've flown a lot and stayed in a lot of hotels, so let me know if you have any other questions!

Please...wipe the tray tables and arms of the seats BEFORE you let the kids in there....germ factories. I'm not a "germaphobe" at all....I think we NEED germs to boost our immune system...but those areas are totally gross. Bring some clorox infused wipes....

Do taxi's and shuttle need kids buckled? I know its the the best to have them strapped and letting them get by with it once might set a precedence

It depends. The laws that cover this are different depending on the state. Since you don't say where you're going, I recommend looking online at the vehicle codes for the state of interest.

There is a wide range of opinions on "lap babies" on airplanes. I am middle of the road I think. It was fine for shorter flights when ds was actually a baby (up to about 10-12 months) but a lap toddler is a whole different thing!! You could not pay me to fly with my 21 month old on my lap. Last time I did it was 17 months and when we landed I called and bought him his own seat on our next flights. We put his car seat on the plane and he is safer, more comfortable, and our flights are so much more pleasant!

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