Are you feeling overwhelmed with the thought of all the stuff you have to bring when flying with a toddler? Read on for some advantages of flying with a toddler that can benefit the entire family.
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Does the idea of flying with a toddler give you palpitations? Does all the paraphernalia make you nervous about the added baggage expense? The lines? The TSA security protocols? And everything else? Rest assured, there are many ways to take advantage of flying with a toddler.
Stuff You Need When Flying with a Toddler
- Stroller
- Car Seat
- Diaper Bag
None of these above items count toward your luggage or carry-on allotment. So, read on for the best way to take these with you and the advantages you can gain in doing so.
Stroller
You already know that you will need a stroller on your trip with your toddler even though “he’s a big boy” who likes to walk on his own. But which stroller do you want to take with you? This will depend, like at home, to a great extent on what you plan to do at your destination.
Once you get to the airport, you have a couple of options with your stroller. You could check it as piece of baggage, even if you did not purchase a seat for your toddler. Furthermore, I have yet to find an airline that charges a checked baggage fee for a stroller (assuming the stroller occupant is travelling with you). Let me know if you have experienced otherwise. If you decide to check it in, you’ll want a stroller bag in order to protect it, as well as to make sure you get it back all in one piece. (More on the advantage of this in the car seat section.) Keep in mind, that most stroller bags only advertise that they are suitable for gate check.
If you decide to check your stroller as luggage, you’ll want to get a cheap compact umbrella stroller for getting through the airport so you don’t have to carry the “big boy” when he decides he doesn’t want to walk any more. You can also dump a bunch of your other stuff in the stroller so you don’t have to carry it.
If you opted not to check your stroller, you’ll mostly likely have to gate check it. You can save time by asking the gate attendant for the gate check tag ahead of time. Be sure to remove all lose/removable items or place the whole thing in a stroller bag. A big plus of the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, pictured above, is that it folds with one hand (so you can hold the baby in the other).
If you plan to travel frequently, there are strollers on the market that are pretty durable, versatile, and fold up enough to actually take on the plane as a carry-on or personal item, so that you don’t even have to wait for gate check delivery when you land.
The gp Pockit is available with different options; all models are designed to be carry-on compliant.
Car Seat
Just like the stroller, the airline will allow you to check a car seat as a piece of unpaid baggage (again, let me know if you’ve had a different experience). It is categorized as an “assistive device” (stroller too). However, there is a big difference here. You don’t need the car seat to get through the airport (although you may want to take it on the plane with you–more on that later).
So, get yourself a good car seat bag. Again, most of them say they are only for gate check, but I have never had an issue.
This is where you will gain a big advantage (#1) of flying with a toddler. When you put the car seat in the bag, there is a ton of extra space. Fill in the extra space with whatever else you need to pack. You can do the same if you check your stroller in a stroller bag.
Diaper Bag
Strollers and car seats don’t count towards your baggage allowance, and diaper bags don’t count towards your carry-on allowance. You definitely need a roomy diaper bag when flying with a toddler. The longer the flight, the more you will need to fill that bag. You’ll need all the regular stuff: diapers, wipes, change of clothes. bottles/sippy cups, food, snacks, books, toys, pacifiers, etc. Make sure you use one that is a backpack style to make it easy to carry through the airport as you maneuver everything else and down the aisle of the plane as you carry the baby. The one pictured below comes with a changing pad several insulated pockets and and external pocket for wipes.
This is where you will gain a big advantage (#2) of flying with a toddler. Your diaper bag will have extra space, fill it in with your own snacks, reading material, etc. Even though toddlers–and their stuff–are bigger, they don’t need as many things as babies–they even need less diaperד.
7 Inspiring Benefits of Family Travel Experiences
Things You Get to do When Flying with a Toddler
- Separate Lines (sort of)
- Bring Liquids (be reasonable)
- Pre-boarding (some of you)
Separate Lines
You know those long lines that we have becomes accustomed to waiting in to go through security (unless you have TSA PreCheck)? And then you have to take off your shoes, empty your pockets, and take out your laptop while the next guy is breathing down your neck? Then get dressed again while that same guy is waiting to get his bags?
Well, you still have to do all that when flying with a toddler. And you may even have to take apart your stroller to get it through the x-ray machine.
But there is still an advantage (#3) to be gained here. Often the TSA agent will direct you to a separate conveyor belt where you may be almost alone (or with other families who totally get it). You can do your thing without the added pressure and stress that is already a part of your day. You’ll still have to wait in the main line, but the actual screening you’ll be able to do in a bit of a more relaxed manner.
Bring Liquids
We’ve all learned, often the hard way, about the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquid rule. However, when the liquids are for your baby or toddler, they are exempt from this rule, This exemption is not limited to formula and mother’s milk. This includes juice, yogurt, baby food, peanut butter, water, etc. Anything that the baby or toddler could reasonably need during the trip. It will take extra time to go through a special screening procedure. When you get to security, be sure to remove ALL liquidy items from your diaper bag. If you put the bag through without doing so, it will probably get flagged for manual inspection. (Note: this includes baby wipes since they are moist.)
You have to be very considerate when you use this advantage (#4) of flying with a toddler. You can add in a few items for yourself (water, yogurt, juice). But, don’t go overboard and use your common sense. How reasonable is it that your toddler will need that coke (beer?) during the trip?
Pre-Boarding
Airlines each have their own policy as to who qualifies for pre-boarding (or “early boarding”), and they have a hierarchy as well. This can include elite status holders, handicapped, military, first responders, etc. But families traveling with small children will be included in this hierarchy. The age that defines a “small child” varies, but flying with a toddler definitely qualifies. Some airlines will only allow one adult to board with the toddler while the rest of the party waits for general boarding; whereas others will allow the entire family to board with the child.
The advantage (#5) here is several fold depending on the flight. You can get settled in without the crowd and pressure to move along and get the ideal overhead storage space for your entire party. Furthermore, if you are flying on a pick your own seat airline (i.e. Southwest), you can pick seats together for your group.
Bonus Tip When Flying with a Toddler
We know that under age 2, a child can fly as a lap infant for free (on domestic flights and pretty cheap on international flights). And, being budget conscious, I used to be very happy to take advantage of this opportunity–even if this meant passing a squirmy 22 month-old back and forth between my husband and my third trimester self while entertaining our 3 year-old on a 15-hour flight. But then…
We had enough rewards point to get five free tickets for an international flight several years back. At the time we were a family of 6, the youngest of whom would be turning one while on the trip. So, she wouldn’t need a ticket. All we would have to pay for all six of us would be a few hundred dollars to cover the taxes and fees of the lap infant. That’s when I started thinking.
It’s a long flight. I want everyone (including me) to sleep. Since we’d have five seats, that meant that three of us would be together and the other two would be sitting with a stranger. I felt bad for the stranger. We’d be holding the baby the whole time since she was too old to qualify for a bassinet. So, I decided to find out what the price difference would be to buy her a seat versus just paying the taxes and fees. It was less than a couple hundred dollars difference (you’d be surprised how much your tickets actually are compared to the “taxes and fees”). So, we bought the ticket.
And it was the best decision we’ve ever made when flying with a baby. We brought her car seat on the plane, buckled her into it and she slept the entire time! Newborns, even if you buy them a seat, will generally be in your arms the whole time. But there isn’t really space for you to hold an older infant or toddler in your lap on planes anymore. So, even though it costs extra, if you can afford it, I highly recommend buying a seat for your toddler.
For international flights, when you have to pay the taxes and fees anyway, you’d be surprised how little the difference can be. I just bought an international ticket where the actual ticket was $26 but the taxes and fees were $61. So, by not buying a seat for my toddler, I’d only be saving $26! I love him dearly, but I don’t really want him climbing on me the whole time. Flying with kids can be stressful and exhausting enough. Try to alleviate as much of it as possible.
Most toddlers will sleep better (and move around less) in their car seat, but most airlines don’t require them if the child is able to sit on their own. We did have a situation in which we bought a seat for the baby and buckled her into her car seat and, nonetheless, the flight attendant insisted that we had to hold her for take-off and landing. I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out how that is safer. 😏
If you are going to use a car seat on the plane, obviously you need to get it there. Infant carriers aren’t as bulky as regular car seats and you can just keep your baby in it throughout the airport. But what about navigating the more cumbersome car seat? You can use a car seat bag with backpack straps (see above) and carry it, a specially designed strap to attach it to your carry on, or a collapsible car seat cart. Another option may be something you already have: a car seat that becomes a stroller. For infants there is the increasingly popular Doona. And for older children there is the rather pricey Sit ‘N’ Stroll.
Whatever you choose to do, just know there are pros and cons to any decision.