Air Travel with a Toddler for the First Time

I traveled with my 22 month from Washington State to Ecuador and also to Florida when she was 18months. She traveled on my lap. The seat mate you get makes a big difference (grumpy vs grandma). But you cannot control that.
1)Take a few things that are new or he hasnt seen in awhile. Chances are he will be entertained by the change in scenery as well. My girl just wanted to play with the magazines in the seat pocket.
2)The liquids rule doesnt apply with kids food
3)I made up a batch of tortelini without sauce and she ate that the whole trip
4)an unbrella stroller with storage underneath is perfect
5)didn't take anything digital on the flights because of her being a lap baby there was no room
Everything went just fine on all the long trips we have taken. The 1st one is the scariest because you don't know what to expect.
Good Luck

Hi S.,
My kids are 2 and 5 (and my husband is an airline pilot, so we fly a lot), and I've taken them international 6 times. My first word of advice is if you can afford it (AT ALL) buy them their own seat. I cannot stress enough how much it will help you to have that extra space. I also advise bringing his carseat on the plane - it will be familiar to him and he is used to sitting in it, so it will help you keep him still for at least landing and takeoff when he can't get up or be in your lap.
A DVD player is a must. Try to see if he will wear headphones, but even if he won't it's a good investment.
Stock up on small toys that he's never seen before. Stickers are always a big hit with my kids - I cover the tray with a Table Topper and let them stick as many as they want.
Dried fruit and pretzels are always good and healthy options for the flight.
If it's an overnight flight, bring his pajamas and do as much of your regular bedtime routine as you can, then try to get him to sleep. My kids respond well to this (of course I'm not above a little Benadryl to help them along, but you make your own call on that).
We have a Peg Perego Pliko P3 that folds up like an umbrella stroller and it is invaluable in the airport. There is also a strap (the Traveling Toddler - i got mine on Amazon.com) that you can use to attach a toddler carseat to your roll-aboard luggage. We use ours all the time.
I hope this helps you. Above all - relax. As long as people see you're at least trying to keep him entertained they'll mostly be forgiving. Have fun!

Travel is so fun and exciting!

I've taken my daughter on many flights just the two of us with very little problem.

Like Christy I bought some special toys and books just for the airplane. We colored, drew pictures, played with dolls, looked at I Spy books, did sticker/activity books, made figures with pipe-cleaners, and read new stories. Those magnetic drawing boards and aqua-doodles are great too. You could even bring a little leggo set. I let my daughter pack her own little carry on bag with her special toys, favorite snuggle toy, and a couple of snacks in ziplock bags that she could open herself. Of course we took lots of little walks in the airplane to the potty too.

A DVD player might be a great thing to have for the very long flight. My daughter loved the Wiggles when she was a toddler. They have a lot of DVDs and CDs out.

I think you can buy milk once you're through security and bring that with you on the plane. I believe that 3-oz jars of baby food are allowed, but I would call the airport just to be sure. Maybe some new/special snacks would be a hit on the airplane. How about rice cakes, a new kind of cereal, freeze dried fruit, or different colored potato (or other veggie) chips?

I think you can still use your big stroller and take it through security right up to the gate. You can leave it just before you get on the plane and pick it up right after you get off. It might even be easier to have that big one so you can load it up with carry on bags, a drink, diaper bag, etc. and still have hands free for your son. If you use a smaller stroller, you have to carry more. I highly recommend you use a backpack as a carry on.

I made sure we ran around and jumped up and down, etc. as much as possible before we got on the airplane. Even though we may have looked silly, I think it paid off. Also, try to schedule flights close to his usual nap times.

I actually found not bringing the car seat on the plane was easier once my daughter was older. They let us check it without an extra fee, and then I didn't have to lug it around the airport until we boarded or during layovers. We purchased a carrying case for the car seat, which was very helpful and kept it clean. Then we could put the arm up between our seats on the plane and she could lie down on my lap and stretch out.

I remember it was important for her to be awake for take off and landing so her ears could adjust. Instead of gum I allowed her to have a couple of TicTacs or a lollipop as a treat so she would be swallowing to help her ears. (When she was an infant, I just nursed her, which was great! If I was next to someone, I always asked first to make sure no one was offended.)

The most important part for me was talking to my daughter ahead of time so she knew what to expect. She knew the basics of what would happen when we had to go through security (like taking off her shoes and putting her bag in the bin), the importance of staying close to me in the airport, having to sit for a long time, the possibility of loud noises, and most of all the excitement of travel.

I hope you have wonderful and safe trips!

Quick response since I'm at work. I don't know if you purchased a separate seat for your son, but if you did, I have found that bringing my daughter's car seat onto the plane has been a lifesaver. You may say "I'm travelling alone - how on earth would I manage a car seat???" and I say I realize that it's bulky and overwhelming, but I can't imagine how else I'd get through a 24 hour flight. I bought a car seat wheel set called Go-Go Babyz (easy to Google) which makes carrying the car seat (and anywhere else) through the airport a breeze. My daughter, who is now 2, would never sit still or sleep when I had her in my lap or in her own seat with just the lap belt, but if I get her in her car seat on the plane, she sleeps, reads, colors, all very happily. The only difficult part is getting the car seat through the aisles and strapping it onto the plane seat with the lap belt. For that, if you are traveling alone, you'd have to ask another passenger to help you because in my experience, the flight attendants will have no part of it. Seriously, the car seat has transformed our flying experience from miserable to wonderful, and the Go-Go Babyz wheels have made it so much easier. Incidentally, having the car seat on wheels doubles as a stroller. I don't know that I'd want to take long walks with it, but for simple getting-around, it would work just fine.

I used to use a Chicco umbrella stroller, but my daughter stopped being willing to sit in a stroller and either wants to walk, or if we have the car seat with wheels, she'll sit in that.

For snacks, I usually bring tons of Cheerios, blueberries, slivered almonds, cut up grapes, raisins, granola, that kind of thing. Next time I'm going to bring some edamame because my daughter has just discovered that she loves it. I'd also maybe try some pan-fried (with nonstick cooking spray) tofu cubes to balance the sugary fruit. Some TSA agents will let me sneak in a yogurt but others wont. I usually buy milk once I'm past security, but they rarely have whole milk - usually 2%, which I figure is fine once in a while.

We travel by air frequently with our now 2-year-old. If your son sits relatively well in your lap, no need to buy an extra seat for the LA trip. If you can spring for it financially, I'd recommend it, and a carseat for it, too. I'll second the Go-Go Babyz carseat traveller - we have one and it serves as a stroller in the airport, and you can wheel it right onto the plane. I didn't even have to remove the Go-Go traveller from the carseat before strapping the carseat into the airplane seat. I bought mine at Babies R Us in Tukwila.

You can absolutely take milk and food for him through security - but you have to declare it. You are not limited to 3 oz containers for babies/toddlers, either. TSA agents will take the beverages and food away from you to screen it separately and return them immediately. The amounts have to be "reasonable for the length of your trip" - so you can't take a 1/2 gallon of milk with you for your flight to LA, but a sippy-cup worth will be allowed. If all else fails, stop at a coffee shop after going through security and buy a 12 oz cup of whole milk. I have also taken yogurt through and only had trouble once. I said to the screener, "I've taken Activia through for his breakfast our last 4-5 trips, what's the problem now?" and she said, "Oh, it's for him? That's OK - I thought it was for you!" So again, pack it all in a bag and let them know it's for your baby, and it'll be no problem. Freeze a cheese stick the night before and it'll be thawed, cold and ready to eat once you are on the plane.

If you get the Go-Go Babyz traveller for your carseat, you won't another airport stroller. If you decide to not use the carseat for your LA trip, any umbrella stroller will do. I bought a Maclaren Volo and I love it. That said, my mom bought a $20 umbrella stroller from Toys R Us that we used in pinch and it was great, too.

Get a DVD player and for your 24-hour trip, you might want to invest in an extra battery. (We've been known to recharge our DVD player by plugging into a spare wall outlet at the airport during layovers). Our relatively inexpensive DVD player, fully charged, plays for about 2.5 hours. We like the "Baby Boost" and "Baby Genius" series - all kid songs and nursery rhymes sung by kids.

In your carry-on, pack an extra set of clothes for him and at least an extra shirt for you - just in case of airsickness or spills or blow-outs. I also travel with puppy pads for changing diapers - some airplanes have a drop-down changing shelf in the lavatory, but it's tiny. And some planes don't have anything. If you have to change him in your seat (or your neighbors lap) - a puppy pad can be wrapped up around a diaper and stuffed into a airsickness bag for smell-free disposal. We use overnight diapers for plane trips - they hold more...

Pack earplugs that you can offer to passengers around you if needed. Mostly, pack your sense of humor, and remember that most people have kids, had kids, or like kids. You'll be fine! Safe travels!

1)If your schedule allows have your toddler play at home or at the park to wear them out. I also allow my 2 year old to walk as much as I can at the airport. Pushing the stroller is a fun activity for toddlers. Try to board the plane towards the end of boarding so that you minimize the time spent on a vehicle that is not moving.

2) TSA allows milk and baby food in amounts needed for the flight but check thier website to confirm. They usually just do an extra check of the milk at security. Spot On Ideas suggests packing baby food in a ziplock so you can easily pull it out as security.

3) Healthy snacks could be banana or other fruit, hummus, or cheese.

one item to think of for yourself is to bring an extra top for you in your carry on. Kids do not just spill on themselves.

Here are some ideas for toys for the airplane as well as having a smooth flight.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/550
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/454
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/341

First advice, RELAX, it is never as bad as you think it is going to be. My family has been stationed overseas for 10 years and so I am no stranger to long flights and days of travel with my little ones. Is he sitting on your lap? If so, make sure to request a bulk head seat to give yourself a ton more leg room, and even room for him to stand in front of you to stretch and play.
Bring 2 changes of cloths for him in your carry on. I like to use a simple umbrella stroller when flying, not only is it small and easy to fold, but if they damage it it is cheap to replace. You can not bring milk past security, but you can buy some once you are past security, and bring it on the flight.