1st airplane travel with toddler...have a few questions

[read52]

Thanks sooo much for your advice. We are flying out of BWI on July 16th to Fort Lauderdale to cruise the Allure of the Seas. It'll be my 3rd time on the Allure, but first with my toddler, so I'm sure it will be a difference experience.

 

We have flown two times out of BWI with my daughter, her husband and her two kids. Everything that previous posts mentioned works. They board people with disabilities first. My husband is disabled so we got on first and saved seats for them. Families with small children go next. Then the people who paid the extra to preboard. You might want to pay for the preboard so everyone can sit together.

[SheehanDJ]

One word:

 

Benadryl.

[GetMeOutOfMN]

You can gate check both the stroller and car seat.

 

I just bought a "gate check" nylon bag at Babies R' Us for $15 that also makes a great storage bag for our car seat. As grandparents we don't use it all the time so it makes a great storage bag at home and appears it will be very useful for flying. They also had a bag for strollers.

 

 

A gate check bag might not be a bad idea... I only had it happen once, but my carriage was placed next to someone's fresh maine lobster that defrosted all over my stroller. Wet, fishy, gross. I arrived at the airport with my three little ones, with no where to put the baby to herd everyone plus my stinky carriage to baggage. They gave me a $25 coupon. I had to completely dismantle the thing to wash it properly.

 

But I digress. For the little ones, I always had good luck giving them their own little pilot's bag on wheels. They feel very grown up - it holds extra stuff and keeps them focused on their important job. Have fun!

[Kholland]

If you have occasion to use the Royal Tots or in room babysitting let me know how it works. We are sailing Allure in October with two and 3 1/2 year old granddaughters and would like a couple of adult nights out with their parents.

 

We sailed Oasis last year with our niece and her three year old. She had a fantastic time there was so much to keep her busy.

 

We took our daughter on a cruise last August (she had just turned 2) and used the Royal Tots Nursery. She had on okay time..would cry when we left. The nursery on this ship was definitely for babies. Hopefully the nursery on the Allure will offer more for her to do.

[jamesr3939]

What car service are you using that provides car seats ?

 

I booked via limos.com. But the company I picked off their list of vendors was Avalon Limo Service.

 

Thanks for all the input on Royal Tots. How about in cabin sitting?

 

One of the things I can see I like about the "gate check" bag is all the straps and buckles are enclosed so no catching on anything and there is a nice carrying handle.

Edited June 1, 2016 by jamesr3939

[Bowie MeMe]

:D

Thanks sooo much for your advice. We are flying out of BWI on July 16th to Fort Lauderdale to cruise the Allure of the Seas. It'll be my 3rd time on the Allure, but first with my toddler, so I'm sure it will be a difference experience.

 

BWI to FLL is usually very full on weekends (OK any day but Tuesday and Wednesday -- as shown by the prices). the last six months I have not seen a single empty seat on the plane --so if your child is flying for free she will be in a lap. Might call and ask if they have a restraint system for babies not in their own seat. I ALWAYS BUY EARLY BIRD -- IT IS JUST PART OF THE COST OF MY TICKET. Each person must have their own early bird. Early birds do not get the worms but they are the only ones with bin space.:D

 

Other tips are also good. My daughters have cruised at least 6 times with children 6 months to 18 months so have some good tips. First stick in a couple of porta crib size fitted sheets if you are using that to sleep the baby. Some cruise lines seem to think they can do with the flat sheet of a single bed and it does not do well. Another trick if they are sleeping in a lower bed was to bring a fitted single sheet and stuff pillows INSIDE along the edge so they don't roll off (3-4 year olds and maybe older since it is a strange bed.). Be sure to make friends with your cabin attendant. It seems baby nap times is the exact time that the cabin needs to be cleaned! Perhaps a special sign that you are out would be helpful (and a little extra for great service paid early on -- my son-in-law the hotel manager's tip -- pay tips or extras early in the trip.

not at the end. For hotel rooms or cabins -- a small bag of balloons is a great thing. you can throw/bounce/ bat etc all around and no damage to anything and no weight. Daughter mother of 2 is a major user of balloons -- always good cheap fun. Get the large round ones. Dollar store red cup shot glasses are great toys too. Stacking. lining up etc. Easy to carry in plastic snack bag.

 

Come back later with full report on this year's travel -- currently going on.

JR at 15 months flew to Copenhagen then to Gothenberg Sweden (where Mom a college professor presented a paper) then tomorrow will fly back to Copenhagen and board for a 9 day Baltic Cruise before flying home to Virginia.

Baby's 2 cruise But the 4th cruise for brother 7. Brother has also been to Europe 5 times so they have this fly and cruise stuff down. Good luck.

(Oh we do good girl and boy presents too--little wrapped up stuff -- distracts folks who are really pretty tired and grumpy). Go to Pintrest and put in traveling with toddlers -- really no problem could not have been faced by someone on Pintrest:p)

[bEwAbG]

one quick thing to note about early boarding is that is for young kids usually 1 and under, maybe 2 and under but for sure not 3. At 3 they can walk down themselves with their own suitcase and are not considered little.

 

It is 6 and under on Southwest. From their FAQ:

 

Q. Do families get to preboard?

 

A. An adult traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should board in their assigned boarding position.

 

Since the OP has paid for early-bird boarding, this will not matter unless assigned a "B" group even with early-bird, in which case it would make sense to do the family pre-board. Grandparents will have to board with whatever group they're assigned. Remember that it's annoying when groups try to save seats together, so if the grandparents are not able to sit nearby, don't cause a scene or ask people to move. It's only a few hours.

 

ETA: it's technically one adult who can do the Family Boarding but I've not ever seen them not let both parents board (but they're strict about it only being 2 adults).

Edited June 1, 2016 by bEwAbG

[TMLAalum]

We have flown two times out of BWI with my daughter, her husband and her two kids. Everything that previous posts mentioned works. They board people with disabilities first. My husband is disabled so we got on first and saved seats for them. Families with small children go next. Then the people who paid the extra to preboard. You might want to pay for the preboard so everyone can sit together.

 

If I paid for early boarding and saw that 4 seats were 'saved' by somebody who was able to board first because of a disability or because some in the group had paid for early boarding but the rest of the group had not, I would be really irked!

 

There are always those who take advantage in this world.....

[FlyerTalker]

I don't fly WN. However, if I was flying WN and saw someone "saving seats", guess where I would plop my butt. You guessed it.

 

Is this an attitude? Yep.

[bEwAbG]

I don't fly WN. However, if I was flying WN and saw someone "saving seats", guess where I would plop my butt. You guessed it.

 

Is this an attitude? Yep.

 

:D I didn't want to say that but I sure was thinking it! It's a bit gauche to try to block off parts of the plane for the rest of your party, to say the least.

[Kholland]

I don't fly WN. However, if I was flying WN and saw someone "saving seats", guess where I would plop my butt. You guessed it.

 

Is this an attitude? Yep.

 

Wow, I hope you are not assuming that I or my family are doing that. We ALL paid for pre-boarding on SouthWest. The family pre-boarding question was just out of curiosity. I am the original poster and no one posting answering my questions ever once suggested I save seats...

[bEwAbG]

Wow, I hope you are not assuming that I or my family are doing that. We ALL paid for pre-boarding on SouthWest. The family pre-boarding question was just out of curiosity. I am the original poster and no one posting answering my questions ever once suggested I save seats...

 

Someone did say that they did it, which is what people are reacting to. It's not kosher on a good day and can lead to unwanted confrontations on a bad day.

[FlyerTalker]

This is the post that I was responding to. TMLAalum also responded to that.

We have flown two times out of BWI with my daughter, her husband and her two kids. Everything that previous posts mentioned works. They board people with disabilities first. My husband is disabled so we got on first and saved seats for them. Families with small children go next. Then the people who paid the extra to preboard. You might want to pay for the preboard so everyone can sit together.

BTW, I'm perfectly fine with your plans.

[ghgeckos]

When our youngest was little he would get car sick, well this also happened on a rough flight. Since that flight we always make sure we pack an extra shirt in our carry on just in case we need one (for Dad and child). If your whole family is able to board close to each other then it is nice to have a family member sit in the seat in front your small child too.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Sigyn]

My son is 8 and I've traveled cross-country with him many times, at least 6 of those times before he turned 3. Here are my answers to your questions:

 

1. Can I check her umbrella stroller at the gate?

Yes

 

How does this work?

You give it to the agent at the gate, just like with carry-on luggage that they don't have room to stash in the cabin. My son's grandparents live in California, so we actually just bought a cheap stroller to keep at their house to use once we arrived, to avoid having to tote a stroller cross-country.

 

As an alternative, consider buying a frame for your car seat. We did that with our Britax car seat. The Go Go Baby frame was about $90, and you could attach it to the car seat to use to pull your child through the airport, and then you have the car seat for your child to sit in on the plane, and once you get to your destination. it's so much easier to travel with your child in his/her own seat, rather than in your lap. I tried that only once, on a short flight, and ended up looking like I'd wrestled with monkeys by the time we got off the plane. Meanwhile, whenever he had his car seat, he'd simply sleep the whole time. But in mommy's lap? Party time!

 

2. We are taking her car seat for taxi rides and such; should we actually use it on the airplane or check it before we board?

See above - the frame was awesome. I also liked having the car seat on the plane for additional safety and security to keep my son strapped in his seat. It also helped him sleep, since it had headrests and siderests.

 

3. Can I take snacks through security for her to eat on the plane? (I don't mind buying unopened snacks if need be, but want to know if I can just put her favorites in a ziploc baggie in the carry-on bag).

Yes, as long as they aren't liquid or saucy. Dry snacks won't raise eyebrows. I did have to take my son's 8 oz. bottle, when he was an infant, because he needed a special formula that I couldn't mix on the plane. TSA would just test it with a test strip, and then allow me to take the liquid through security.

 

4. Can we board first (priority boarding)? My parents are coming along too. Can they also board with us since we are all traveling together?

You can board first with priority boarding. Your parents technically cannot unless they are elderly and need assistance.

 

5. Any recommendations or tricks for popping her ears during the flight?

I used to give my son a bottle to suck on during landing and takeoff. It never was a problem, even when he was older and didn't use a bottle. Guess we got lucky.

 

Additional tips: My son loved milk, so I brought the shelf stable Horizon organic individual milk cartons for him, since Southwest does not offer milk as a drink choice. Also, download a few of her favorite movies onto your mobile device. And bring kid-friendly headphones. It will be perfect if she gets bored with the toys or whatever else you bring. And definitely pack a change of clothes. Socks included. My friend's son threw up once and even his socks were soaked. Ugh. And possibly even a change of clothes for yourself. The same friend's child threw up on her, and she had to travel the rest of the day with stinky clothes.

Edited June 3, 2016 by njsmom

[Bowie MeMe]

We have flown two times out of BWI with my daughter, her husband and her two kids. Everything that previous posts mentioned works. They board people with disabilities first. My husband is disabled so we got on first and saved seats for them. Families with small children go next. Then the people who paid the extra to preboard. You might want to pay for the preboard so everyone can sit together.

 

Perhaps better if you don't admit that you accepted disability status for hubby and then saved seats for the rest of the family. This is the very behavior that causes many people to get angry and they start a campaign to NOT let disabled folks on first! Southwest airlines boards families after A group (60 people) Business class and Early Bird. I have also seen at times that they will only allow parents and their children on with under 5? kid -- not grandparents/cousins/assorted relatives. This does vary. Each person on Early Bird is supposed to pay their own fee. Not buy one seat 10! Taking a group on with one EB pass is frowned on or worse.

 

 

I myself have thoughts on placing disabled or mobility challenged folks on first -- it causes a real jam up! If you put someone who can not rise easily in the aisle seat-- no one else can get to the two seats also in that row. It is impossible for someone to climb over a seated person on today's airplane unless you are a world class contortionist. ALSO if the person can not get in and out of seat easily in emergency this is a safety issue -- other folks are trapped in their seats and can't get to the aisle to exit the plane. I have been on planes (especially Southwest) where there were 15 or more passengers in wheelchairs that were pre-boarded. TOOK FOREVER. I believe that at least for boarding purposes it should be the opposite. Reserve the number of aisle seats needed for wheelchair passengers (and enforce it!) and perhaps the one person helping them in middle seat. Board all other passengers then bring in the wheelchair passengers to sit in aisle seats. Standard policy and not dependent on whim of front counter or somebody saying I am going to get on first so I need that help. Really should be first off too BUT the aisle jumpers would have a hissy fit. Those who really need the help to board would get that help but would not have the problem of how to get to the other seats.

Crowded conditions on planes are stressful and bring out the worst in some folks.

 

(FYI I have traveled with wheel chair, also with small children/6 month old baby and I'm not far off being one of those who need additional time to board so please don't flame! Just bringing up a discussion point.)

Edited June 3, 2016 by Bowie MeMe

[Bowie MeMe]

A gate check bag might not be a bad idea... I only had it happen once, but my carriage was placed next to someone's fresh maine lobster that defrosted all over my stroller. Wet, fishy, gross. I arrived at the airport with my three little ones, with no where to put the baby to herd everyone plus my stinky carriage to baggage. They gave me a $25 coupon. I had to completely dismantle the thing to wash it properly.

 

But I digress. For the little ones, I always had good luck giving them their own little pilot's bag on wheels. They feel very grown up - it holds extra stuff and keeps them focused on their important job. Have fun!

 

My nephew had less luck. Their double stroller for 6 month and 2 year old was dropped off for gate check and arrived in 6 major pieces. Broken and no recourse from airline -- NYC dwellers and no way to get home without the stroller. Real mess.

[TMLAalum]

Perhaps better if you don't admit that you accepted disability status for hubby and then saved seats for the rest of the family. This is the very behavior that causes many people to get angry and they start a campaign to NOT let disabled folks on first! Southwest airlines boards families after A group (60 people) Business class and Early Bird. I have also seen at times that they will only allow parents and their children on with under 5? kid -- not grandparents/cousins/assorted relatives. This does vary. Each person on Early Bird is supposed to pay their own fee. Not buy one seat 10! Taking a group on with one EB pass is frowned on or worse.

 

 

I myself have thoughts on placing disabled or mobility challenged folks on first -- it causes a real jam up! If you put someone who can not rise easily in the aisle seat-- no one else can get to the two seats also in that row. It is impossible for someone to climb over a seated person on today's airplane unless you are a world class contortionist. ALSO if the person can not get in and out of seat easily in emergency this is a safety issue -- other folks are trapped in their seats and can't get to the aisle to exit the plane. I have been on planes (especially Southwest) where there were 15 or more passengers in wheelchairs that were pre-boarded. TOOK FOREVER. I believe that at least for boarding purposes it should be the opposite. Reserve the number of aisle seats needed for wheelchair passengers (and enforce it!) and perhaps the one person helping them in middle seat. Board all other passengers then bring in the wheelchair passengers to sit in aisle seats. Standard policy and not dependent on whim of front counter or somebody saying I am going to get on first so I need that help. Really should be first off too BUT the aisle jumpers would have a hissy fit. Those who really need the help to board would get that help but would not have the problem of how to get to the other seats.

Crowded conditions on planes are stressful and bring out the worst in some folks.

 

(FYI I have traveled with wheel chair, also with small children/6 month old baby and I'm not far off being one of those who need additional time to board so please don't flame! Just bringing up a discussion point.)

 

Flying on SW and other airlines that allow wheelchair pax to board first may result in MIRACLES! To board the plane a wheelchair is needed, but on arrival, miraculously, there are those who were healed during the flight and are able to leave the plane without any help whatsoever!

 

I am not negating legitimate need for assistance in boarding and deboarding.

[FlyerTalker]

Flying on SW and other airlines that allow wheelchair pax to board first may result in MIRACLES! To board the plane a wheelchair is needed, but on arrival, miraculously, there are those who were healed during the flight and are able to leave the plane without any help whatsoever!

 

I am not negating legitimate need for assistance in boarding and deboarding.

Have seen this SO many times between NYC and SoFla. In both directions.

 

FAs are known to call them "Lourdes flights". I remember one time where there were 18 wheelchairs lined up for a flight. I wasn't in a rush, so I waited at the gate on the other end and counted how many were used.

 

Three.

 

Better than the Mayo Clinic.

[ducklite]

We have flown two times out of BWI with my daughter, her husband and her two kids. Everything that previous posts mentioned works. They board people with disabilities first. My husband is disabled so we got on first and saved seats for them. Families with small children go next. Then the people who paid the extra to preboard. You might want to pay for the preboard so everyone can sit together.

 

 

I'm guessing you haven't flown in awhile. Preloading for families with children was abused far too often and these days it is far from the norm. Additionally as a pre board you are seated in the front, and anyone who wants can take the seats next to you, saving isn't allowed.

[ducklite]

I don't fly WN. However, if I was flying WN and saw someone "saving seats", guess where I would plop my butt. You guessed it.

 

Is this an attitude? Yep.

 

 

 

I've been flying them lately as I am on strike from AA and WN is the best option to where I need to fly (direct flights) most of the time. My company allows the early bird as an expensible cost, so it's fine. I like the IFE on my iPad. I get on and generally take the first open aisle seat. If someone wants to sit next to a person boarding later, they are welcome to find a different row with open seats.