First Flight Vacation with Kids

I've been traveling to Florida every summer with my daughter, who's 4, and what keeps her busy is coloring, LOTS & LOTS & LOTS of books and I bring a portable CD player and her CD's with kids songs on them. Also, the cheapest air fare I've found is AirTran & JetBlue (I know what's been going on but they're cheap and I've had absolutely no problems with them). I hope this helps!

This is what i did when myself, my hubby and then 2 1/2 year old took a plane trip to FL (from Ohio) to visit grandparents. a couple days before we left, i went out and bought some cheap hot wheels cars for him, and some snack foods (cheerios) and kept them in the carry-on bag. when we took off he was too intrested in looking out the window at what was going on, but after a little while, i brought out the goodies and that helped keep him occupied when we flew.

hope this helps and have a wonderful trip!

We have done 3 vacations in the past year. All a couple of long flights. We have 3 kids.. they are now 4, 3, and 1. I always let them pack a favorite toy (in their bookbags) and then I bought something new from them. A new doll, cars, mini dinasors, whatever they like. This last flight we borrowed a DVD player and bought two new movies.. SAVED the day. They didn't want to color or play at points. Give them the window seat. My son spent the begining of the flight just staring out it looking around. Snacks are good to have too. I made sure I had a couple of snacks in my bag for them.
Good luck!!
K.
www.passion4more.myarbonne.com

I had to fly with my then 5 yr. old and just that day turned 3 yr.old, a cat and 9 checked bags from OH to Camp Pendleton CA. My husband was an active duty Marine at the time & the kids, cat & I were on our way to join him. I made sure the airline knew we had to be seated together & I found the latest flight possible. Each girl had their own bag that they were responsible for with a change of clothes and books, snacks & quiet toys to entertain them. I was thankful that after the newness of being on the plane wore off and they had a snack, they both went to sleep. I debated making them skip nap that day but decided to let them have a nap & that way their day wasn't disrupted & they were not overly tired or grumpy. Good luck!

We have flown with our little one a few times. Best advise I can give is have some new items for them to play with that they have not seen until you actually get on the flight. Also take some toys that are their favorite that works well when they can only sit. Another suggestion, since there are so many of you going, if you can scatter throughout the plane, then you can actually let the kids get up and walk and just play musical seats with each other occasionally, so they can spend time with each person by themselves. Also make sure you have drinks on hand. The pressure in the cabin is easier on their ears if they are drinking. (if the airlines won't permit you to bring a drink on the flight, then immediately after getting on the plane ask the stewardess's to bring drinks for them for their ears, they should be more than willing to do this). In addition, if you are worried that they may disturb other passengers, then try to get seats towards the back of the plane. the engines are much louder back there so they take place of crying kids. (we don't do this, we find the engines hurt our ears).

Unless you're riding on Southwest where the seats are first come first served, it's best to wait as long as possible to get on the plane so the kids can burn off as much energy as possible. A DVD player works wonders when you've used up all your other options such as new toys, books, coloring books and snacks. Try to get other members of your party to sit in front of the kids and in back so that when they kick the seats and stand up and look around, at least it will be someone you know! :)
Good luck!

More than likely, your kids will do fine on the short 2 hour portion of the flight. They will probably be interested in all the new surroundings and just looking out the window. Where you have to worry is if the flight is delayed and you sit on the plane for hours. We had that problem when my first was young, and it was a challenge. I walked her up and down the aisles, and stayed in the area near the door so she could be up and about. Getting "new" toys and coloring books that you save just for the trip are a treat for the kids, and make sure you are stocked up on your snacks and juice, just in case. I'm sure that things will go fine. Good luck!

Having traveled with children of every age group, there are some must haves on a trip like this:

Pack some lollipops for the takeoff on the plane. This prevents ear poppage and actually will make a child calmer.
Wet Wipes.
For the older child, they make travel kits of coloring books/stickers/crayons...etc. Pack him a small backpack of his own to carry with small toys, coloring books, and if need be video game or small DVD player.
For the younger child, take a parenting magazine and entertain them with pictures of other babies, small board books or cloth books, finger puppets, etc...

Ask your older child to be your helper and entertain the younger.

Get headphones for the plane. Most airlines actually offer a coupon for free headphones on their website. Most planes are now equipped with XM radio (with several children's channels) or a movie, and you'll need the headphones to take advantage of this.

Generally with small children, taking the earliest or latest flight possible works really well because the children will sleep through all or part of it.

More than anything though- you, as a parent, need to stay relaxed. If you stress at all- the kids will too.

Have fun!
M.

I have read some good advice! What I did with my girls ( 4y.o. and 21 mon.)on our way from CLE to AZ. I made sure we had an early flight because they act like "good" girls in the morning. I brought different snacks ( cheerios, nutrigrain bars, I brought sippy cups with nothing in them since you cannot take liquids - oh yeh, make sure you read through what you are aloud to bring so there aren't any delays going through security,and fruit roll ups. i also brought coloring books, a gameboy ( with the videos). I think you can bring portable dvd players.
the only thing I can think of for reasonable tickets is
cheaptickets.com
expedia.com
priceline.com
thats all i have for now. HTH!

Try to fly during weekdays if possible, because the flights won't be as crowded, and neither will the airport and security lines. Make sure you check as many bags as possible so you don't have to deal with them, but keep a set of clothes for each of you, toothbrushes, absolute necessities, and stuff to entertain the kids with you just in case. Bring new things for the kids to do, snacks, and something for them to either drink, suck on, whatever to keep their ears from hurting on take-off and decent/landing. For the 2 year old, a few sheets of the aquadoodle and water pen might entertain her for awhile, and they are cheap (walmart, target- about $5). You may want to bring a small bottle of tylenol with you just in case their ears hurt. Oh, and the Shout wipes and regular wipes are a must have for any accidents.

Check the TSA website or website of the airline you are traveling on a few days before your flight so you can make sure you won't have any hassles in the security line. For example, right now you have to put all liquids, gels, toothpaste, etc. that you take through the security line (not in checked luggage) into a ziplock bag and keep it out so they can see it. Some things aren't allowed, and some things just have a limit of how big the container is. I didn't have trouble traveling with a sippy cup and juice box for my daughter last month, but I think they would have vetoed my pop, so I drank it in line. Just check the website a day or two before because things change frequently. Try to buy your tickets as far ahead of time as you can, because you'll get the best prices. You'll also likely get better prices finding them yourself online instead of going through a travel agent. Take a direct flight if at all possible- less time to entertain the kids in the airplane, and less chance that your luggage will be lost. Try orbitz.com, travelocity.com, and the other discount online services to find the best prices, but make sure you read the fine print, and try to get one that you can make changes on the date/time should the need arise. Just go to google and run a search for other possibilities online.

Have a great trip!

I flew several times with my son when he was 2. He almost always fell asleep within 30 min. or he was pretty good to play. I do suggest giving them some decongestant eo min before depature. This helps with cabin pressure so it won't hurt their ears it works well for adults too. Gum also helps.

to fly with children isnt that bad. Mine talked to me the whole time about the experience they were having. nevermind talking to everyone else around them.

but ticket pricing the cheapest i've seen are from AAA they sell to you even if you are not a member. you can go under AAA.com and go under travel. and also Air Tran has some realy cheap flights also.

Enjoy your trip, I am sure all will go well. dont forget snacks and books! :0) - K.

The best airline with kids is Southwest!! They allow preboarding and you can pick your seats--so you can get on early and save the seats for the others. And all the crew that we have ever run into have been so nice and helpful.

I think with all the other adults, they would be able to help entertain the kids. But bring along a bag of new stuff--snacks, toys, crayons, paper, magna doodles, books. I've been flying with my kids since they were 11 months and they are now 4. I prefer middle of the day flights because they tend to be less crowded and not as many business folks to worry about.

Good luck and have a great vacation!
M.

I can't offer any help on cheap airfare, but as for flying with the kids... I flew a lot when my kids were little. Even on short flights, I'd suggest keeping small snack foods handy, also maybe pick up some low cost small toys/games/coloring books/etc to keep them entertained. Present these new items after you board so the newness is fresh and they have an interest. My son used to like playing with a small lap piano with head phones and coloring. He would draw pictures of what he saw outside the window. Late in the flight we made a game out of it and he would draw what he thought he'd see next... birds, a river, houses, swimming pools, etc... of course this is once we were close enough to the ground to see those things. Also, you may be able to talk to the airline and see if they offer any Jr's introductions. Some airlines will show the kids a few things about the airline and give them their Jr Wings. This helped to ease fears and also gave them something to remember and be proud of. It's easy to create a lap activity box, just find a couple of shoe boxes and fill them with the items for the trip. This will allow both kids to have their own things and all in one place. No matter what, it's a gamble but I wouldn't worry too much over it. Have fun and they will too!

My mom and I just flew to Texas with my two girls, ages 5 and under 12 months at the time. I bought my oldest foot by the foot and fruit rollups for the plan, so her ears didnt' hurt, and they worked. I also took my oldest's portable dvd player and some movies and she watched them, now they can't watch during take off and landing, but it helped keep her occupied. for my youngest, she had a binkie to suck on and a bottle. WE also packed cheerios, and puff corn for snacks. Good Luck!

T.,

Relax! Two hours won't be bad. First, tell them in great detail what is going to happen. Pack surprise bags that contain something that will interest them for a bit. Bring snacks, drinks, a couple favorite books, paper and writing items, little cars, stuffed animals, toy airplanes, a couple cloth napkins (can be used as a doll blanket or used to clean up spills), a couple little dinosaurs. If packaged each in their own bag, it can be a SURPRISE each time they are getting restless. See if they can meet the captain when the embark. Tell them how much fun it is to take off, look out the windows, fly above the clouds. Take pictures of them in the plane, out the window. Trace the route with them on the map in the magazine. Ask them to imagine the birds that can see them. The 2-year-old might fall asleep, which would help. Make it an adventure, like a field trip. Let them each carry a little carry-on that they pack with treasured items (Mom supervised and approved).

I've traveled by myself with first my son and then with both my sons clear across the nation with one change of plane stop in the middle, several times. Last summer when we did this, they were ages 2 1/2 and nearly 5, so I can relate.

Overall, just try to keep a happy mood, and try to make it fun.

To purchase tickets, I scan the web for the best deals. Places like hotwire and priceline can be helpful, but don't forget to visit the individual carriers' websites for deals.

Best wishes (and I know you'll be fine),
K.

We flew to Florida when my son was about 5 as well. He absolutely loved it. He wanted to sit by the window and made pictures out of the passing clouds. I packed a little tote back with just stuff for him - coloring books and crayons, reading books, a handheld game, and the best one was a hidden picture book. Just things to keep him entertained. Might also want to pack a couple of snack, juice boxes and gum - it helps to keep their ears from popping.

Some tips on the airfare is to not fly on saturday. Play around with the days you can leave on you will be surprised to see how a day can save $$$.

Also to sit together I would suggest booking them together. It wont guarentee that all of you are together but airlines are pretty good with seating kids with their parents.

Now for entertainment..do you have a portable DVD player? My daughter was content the whole trip when we went and she was 3. Be prepared with snacks and activity books.

Another tip is be sure to have someting for the kids to drink as you take off and land...for their ears. Talking to your ped will get some ideas too.

Everyone has offered great advice, but here is one other thing to consider. When flying during the spring season, I recommend booking flights earlier in the day. You have a smaller chance of your flight being delayed or cancelled by spring severe weather across the country. I was stuck in the Dallas airport for over 5 hours with 2 kids under 4 last spring. It was awful! Our flight should have arrived at our destination by 7:00pm. Instead, we didn't get in until 1:30am!
Have a great time in Florida!
L.

the thing that helped me the most was purchasing the "bac pac" from babycenter.com. it makes your child's car seat into a back pack. it was the nicest, easiest thing to use and such a life saver when i traveled with my 2 year old by myself.
i packed a little rolling backpack that my daughter has with puzzles, books and crayons. if we would have had a dvd player i would have taken that in a second.
if they dont fall asleep on the flight, if you can get up during the flight and walk them a bit, that helps too. if the seat belt light is off, i let my daughter sit on my lap if she wants to.
good luck! have a great time!