Airplane Travel - Fremont,CA

I would take the carseats. My son was about 2.5 when we flew on a small jet. The pilots didn't care if he used his seat or a seat belt as long as he was buckled for take off and landing. We had a hard time keeping him in a seat belt, so on the way back we put him in his car seat when needed and he did fine, because he knew he was supposed to stay seated when in his car seat, plus it was high enough he could see out the window better.

If you have access to a car seat on the other side or do not need one, do not bring one on the plane, it is more of a pain then it is worth!

We used a carseat on the plane when our kids were infants, but by 2.5 we had stopped. It gets to be more fun for them to emulate the older sib and parents by using the grown-up seat-belt. It can be a challenge to get them to stay buckled though. But I found that with the car seat, getting them to get in and buckled can be a fight too (even if it's not a fight in the car).

Besides the snacks and lots of distractions that you've already gotten good advice about, the most difficult time on the plane is the descent. The change in pressure on take-off is very fast and pretty easy to get your ears to pop. But descents are slow, with the pressure changing very gradually over 20 minutes or so. Our kids had the most trouble (crying-wise) with the descent (I've noticed that is the time the other kids on planes tend to cry the most too), until I read advice about this in a parenting magazine. This is the time to give a snack (or a baby the breast/bottle). Swallowing helps the ears adjust to the pressure change. (A pacifier does not work as it is swallowing, not sucking which helps.) Besides snacks, gum works well for older kids, or lollipops for younger kids. Our kids have not cried on the descent since we learned this trick. We hardly ever give our kids candy, but this is the one time I actually plan on it. Something that you can dole out slowly (like jelly beans, gummy bears or even tic tacs) works best. You might be saying "no way" to yourself right now. But if you have not flown with your kids before, trust me. There is nothing worse than having your child be the screaming kid on the plane. It is VERY unpleasant and stressful and there is nothing you can do about it. No amount of distraction will work at that point. The other option is to preemptively medicate with a pain killer (which I don't like to do). If you wait until they start crying to give a pain killer it is too late. It will be difficult to get them to take it and by the time it takes effect you will have landed.

Reserve a toy or book for the descent too. At the end of the flight is when they tend to be most antsy and when it is especially important to keep them buckled and sitting nicely, without the option of having the try table down to use for coloring, etc.

Good luck!

Are you asking the question because you want to know about safety or what's easier. It is always safer to have your child in a car seat. Just make sure it says in red lettering on the side of the seat that it is approved for cars & Aircraft. Some seats are only approved for cars. Low & high back boosters are not approved for aircraft use.

I'm a DEFINITE supporter of NO car seat on the plane. For me, it's just one more thing I have to carry through the airport and juggle through security, etc. With the flight only being less than 2 hours, and with all 3 of you having your own seat, it'd be more fun and probably less stressful to check the car seat if you need to take it with you. The car seat has to go in the window seat, which takes away from the enjoyment of being able to look out the window. Put them in their own seat with their seatbelt and let them move around during the flight once you're allowed up. For me, no car seat = less stress, but I know it works well for other families :)

1). Don't take the carseat. It's a PITA and won't really help you. Check it at the curb.
2) Take a double stroller. You can check it at the gate and it magically appears at the end of the flight.
3) If you have a DVD player or can borrow one, do so. Even on so short of a flight, your kids will watch a video and stay quiet. Sticker books and crayons only make a big mess.
4) Take your own snacks and empty cups. Way cheaper to fill from water fountains and flight attendants than taking your own.

Here are some things to keep them busy on the airplane.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/550

I pesonally do not bring carseats for my girls on the plane, but if your little one has a hard time sitting still I think I would reccommend it. The last two times on the plane were difficult for us as my little one (2.5+ and 30 lbs) did not want to stay buckled in her seat and if I had her carseat it would have made it easier on the plane, but not in the airport.
Make sure you let the stewardess know it is their first airplane flight (most airlines have the little wings to give to kids) before the flight takes off. Bring snacks for the kids!! Also let the girls pick out a couple of toys, books, etc to bring with them (we got our girls little backpacks so they could carry their own things on the plane and they loved it!).
Good luck to you on your flight!

I've never taken my daughter's carseat on the plane (always checked it) and we have traveled by plane since she was 1. However, my daughter is very good about sitting in her seat. I've traveled a lot just myself and daughter and carrying the carseat probably would have put me over the edge. LOL!

I always take a portable dvd players (even for short trips) and something else for her to do when you can't use electronic devices and while you are waiting to take off. This can be books to look at, small dolls, coloring book and crayons. Look for small things that are easily stowed in the carry on and easily accessible.

One thing that helped me when traveling alone was a stroller. I used it in the airport mainly. If my daughter didn't want to ride in it, I could still load it down and it was always allowed through security. You do have to unload it, fold it down and put it through the xray, but it is worth it! Carts cannot go through security - only wheelchairs (with the person in it) and strollers. I used my stroller until my daughter was 4. If she was riding in it, I could hang stuff on the back (I took my big stroller when I was planning to actually use it during our vacation and the umbrella stroller when I was only planning to use it at the airport and when she was older).

Bring a snack or two for each and sippy cup for the little one. I have found that some sippy cups leak during take off because of the change in pressure. You may wish to bring an empty cup and buy a bottle of water before boarding the plane. Sometimes you have to sit on the plane for a while before take off and more wait time for the attendants to bring drinks around and a cup without a lid on the plane is just asking for disaster with little ones (and even big ones in my case!). A change of clothes for your little ones in your carry on is sometimes helpful.

Another thing - arrive at the airport / gate early. Give them time to see the area and burn off steam. Not to mention, if you are early you will be less stressed and that makes a huge difference. I always tried to look at it as an adventure and the times I haven't, well, they were not happy experiences.

My daughter likes to eat at the airport and that helps a lot. We find the gate, then get food from a nearby place and return to the gate to eat it. It is like a picnic. I try to make it fun for her and she is entertained while we are waiting. Don't get me wrong - she isn't starving, we either get a snack or meal depending on the time or if we are at a layover.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip!

We flew from San Jose to Portland for Christmas when our son was 26 months old. We checked the carseat with our bags and buckled him in the window seat so he could see out the window during th flight. The flight was very fun - my son decided we were going on Rocket and we were the Little Einsteins and he did the Pat-pat pat-pat Blastoff!! the whole way! he LOVED seeing clouds and was adorable - the fact that we were going to see grandpa helped too.
However - we didn't check the flight status before we went to the airport and it was delayed for over an hour and my neurotic husband demanded we go to the airport 2 HOURS before so we sat in the the airport for 3 hours waiting for our 80 minute flight. not fun. It was Christmas time so there were decorations everywhere and my toddler wanted to climb the trees, touch the ornaments etc. etc.
So, take stuff for the aiport - you'll be sitting there longer than your flight - talk to the kids ahead of time and make it an adventure and ask your pedi if you should give the kids decongestant before the flight to help with the pressure on their ears. Short flights hurt worse because there isn't much time between for the ears to stabilize before the pressure builds up again.

We have traveled a lot with our 4 children since they were very young. I would not take the carseat on the plane but would check it in so you can use it when you get to your destination since rental car carseats are not very clean. We always pack a small rolling back pack for each child. I pick up little toys,puzzles,coloring items, special snacks, etc. inside. Each child is not allowed to see what is inside the back pack until they get on the plane. Some people I know even wrap each item to make the suspense last longer.
Have a great trip!

yes on the carseat, it will keep her still.
magic doodles are great.

I'm always really surprised to hear people say that it's an "inconvenience" to bring a carseat on the plane. Yes, it very may be ungainly to lug onboard, but at what price safety? Adult seatbelts do not protect your child should anything happen mid-air. If you have access to a carseat on the other end, I would suggest looking into the CARES travel seatbelt system. My family purchased one and we've used it for 7 flights. They now rent them, too, which may be a better option for you should you not travel often.

http://travelswithbaby.blogspot.com/2008/11/rent-cares-fo...

I always take car seats until they are over 40 pounds. Even when travelling alone with two kids under two I lugged my two car seats through the air port. My father and brother are both pilots and find it interesting that durring takeoff and landing, everything including the coffee pot must be safely and properly securred, except for small children. A seat belt will not secure a 22 pound child and although most flights are uneventful could you ever forgive yourself if soemthing happened and your child was unsecurred?

We always bring a car seat for our toddler. My 18 month old is around 20 lbs and she was comfortable in her own car seat. My son is 4 and can sit in a regular seat and did at age 3 as well (but he is 50 lbs, was over 40 at age 3).

Other tips: Bring extra snacks, small toys (including a few new ones), extra diapers/changes of clothes (at least 1 change more than you think you need), a few empty sippy cups, small first aid kit and basic baby/child medecines (tylenol, motrin, any prescriptions). It can be a pain to have a bigger diaper bag/carry on but it may save the day if you get delayed in the airport.
We flew last week with our 2. We had one kid get a small cut in the airport but we had anticeptic spray and a bandaid in the diaper bag. We also got delayed and missed dinner (but fortunately not our connection) so we ate lots of goldfish and other snacks on the plane. It was exhausting for us as parents but we were at least pretty prepared.

We just did our first plane trip with our 19 month old almost 30 lb'er. We took the car seat because I didn't want that weight on my lap for the whole trip, and I wanted her to have the familiarity of her car seat. Yes it was a little awkward, but it was wonderful to have it and have the peace of mind that she was secure and unlikely to become a projectile should the unthinkable happen. The one disadvantage of the car seat is that it brought her feet up to a level where they pounded quite nicely on the seat in front. I apologised in advance to the person sitting in front of us, and did my best to keep her feet still, but you all know what it's like trying to keep a toddler still for an hour and a half! :) I took off her shoes so at least she didn't kick too hard. Oh, and they will probably make you remove the baby's shoes through security, so I'd opt for easy off easy on footwear.

FYI, they'll require you to put the seat in the window, since they don't want you to have to climb over it to get out.

We tried to get my LO to drink water during the descent, but unfortunately she wasn't thirsty! So we had about five minutes of screaming. Keep in mind that you start dropping altitude a bit before they officially come on the radio and tell you about it, so keep the drink or whatever you can give to make your LO swallow handy.

We love the Crayola Color Wonder markers - I was able to let her scribble away without worrying too much about her making marks on anything else. Came in handy at our destination too!

Also, we flew Southwest, so we paid the extra $10 for my ticket so I could get the Early Bird Boarding and just let my hubby and daughter go with the normal boarding. That way I was able to get on the plane and get three seats together and get the car seat mostly strapped in, while they could hang out in the airport and run around to burn off some more energy if need be.

Good luck and have a fun trip!

If you go to the web site www.leapsandbounds.com then go to the search box and put in "gogo kidz travelmate" a pic of a car seat on a wheeler will pop up. the child can even be in it while wheeling it. This way you don't have to check a car seat and a stroller and you have it all in one.Seems really nice and worth it. Good Luck!

My husband and I are on both sides of this issue- I don't like the car seat, consider it a pain. He feels that it is essential for safety.

Have drinks/snacks available for take off and landing, the flight will be so short- that part won't be too bad for the girls!