Flying with little ones can be stressful, especially if you’re a first-time parent or if it’s your child’s first flight! Wondering what to do in the air with babies and toddlers? I’ll be sharing how we handle air travel with babies & toddlers by offering strategies & tips we’ve found handy. Remember, you know your family best – so adapt these tips as necessary to fit your family’s needs!
If you’re looking for more travel tips, especially for families traveling to Disney, check out my first article in the series, here! I cover what gear you’ll need, getting to and from the airport, etc.
What Time of Day to Fly
There are pros and cons to flying at different times during the day. Red eyes can be good for your kiddos, so they get a full night’s sleep before arriving at your destination. On the other hand, that may be more difficult on the adults in your party, and if your kiddos don’t sleep on the plane, everyone in your travel party will be exhausted by the time you arrive, potentially wasting a good chunk of your arrival day on nap time.
An early morning flight is another good option – if you are out the door to the airport earlier than when they wake up for the day, you may be setting them up for a solid nap on the plane. In fact, this is usually our preferred flight time for our family – we wake up around 3 or 4am to get to the airport for a 6 or 7am departure. Our son is usually awake for the entire car ride there, and when we get to the airport we eat a light breakfast. Shortly after takeoff, he tends to fall asleep. The drawback to this is, again, if your child doesn’t sleep on the plane, everyone is tired from waking up early in the day.
Afternoon or early evening flights can allow your child to mostly keep their normal schedule – nobody’s waking up early to get up to the airport, no overnight flights: it can be great! When we have flown with our son on afternoon flights, we wake him up at his normal time in the morning, and let him play as much as he wants before leaving for the airport. Usually by the time we get to takeoff, he’s worn himself out and is ready for a nap – especially once the droning airplane noises take over.
To Layover, or Not to Layover?
Depending on how far you are traveling, you may have the option to have a layover when you travel. We have traveled both ways, and we prefer having a layover, although there are some advantages to not having one.
The main reason we like having a layover is because it allows us to use a real restroom for changing diapers, and allows everyone to stretch their legs and have a bite to eat without being confined to whatever is available on the airplane. Our son has always been extremely active, so having a layover allows him to get his wiggles out in the middle of the flight.
On the other hand, not having a layover means you arrive at your destination more quickly. Our longest flights with him have been from southern California to Orlando, about 4-5 hours nonstop. We vastly prefer stopping in Texas after about 2-2.5 hours, just so that everyone has the chance to stretch their legs.
Boarding and Where to Sit
Many airlines offer “family boarding” – a chance to board before general boarding – allowing you to get settled before the masses start coming aboard. Double check with the gate agents and make sure you are eligible! Different airlines have different age limits for family boarding. If you qualify, I highly recommend taking advantage. That way you can store your bags you won’t need to access, get any car seats buckled in, etc.
As far as where to sit, any seat is game except for exit rows, until your child hits a certain age. We usually book the back row, so that if our child is not doing well on the flight, the distress to other passengers is minimal. On Southwest, where it’s open seating, we aim for the back row, because if the flight isn’t full, it’s highly unlikely that the last people on board will want to sit next to an infant in the very back row. By sitting in the back, we also have easy access to flight attendants and the restroom if we need anything mid-flight.
If you’re traveling with multiple children, consider how you want to split up your party – 3 across and 1 on opposite the aisle? 2 and 2? It really depends on your family’s personality and how you think your kids will do.
Some airlines offer seats with more legroom, for an upcharge. Definitely consider this option if you can afford it – having the extra room can be totally worth it, especially if you have a flier under 2 on your lap!
Entertainment, Feeding, & Diapers Onboard
Entertaining & feeding your child onboard the aircraft really depends on the child. Our rule of thumb is anything goes – unlimited screen time, unlimited snacks… literally anything to keep them quiet and happy. Do keep in mind that if your child is 2 years of age or older, they are currently required to wear a mask onboard the plane, unless they are actively eating or drinking. We have been known to feed our child one Cheerio at a time so that they get an extended mask break, especially on long flights.
Some of our favorite entertainment items include a book series called Poke-A-Dot. Think of it as popping bubble wrap, but in book form! Quiet, fun, and a great fidget toy. Our son also loves anything with wheels, so we bring toddler-friendly cars that he can roll across the tray table. We load up our phones with learning apps (we like ABC kids by RV App Studios – no ads, no in-app purchases, and they are fun learning games!). We also make sure to have his favorite programs on Disney+ at the ready. We make sure he’s seated by the window, because the shade on the window has also proved to be entertaining for him. If all else fails, we get up and walk up and down the aisle with him to help him get the wiggles out and see something different.
We bring plenty of snacks for our son now that he’s past the “milk only” phase. Grapes, apple slices, Goldfish, cheerios, bagels, fruit/veggie pouches, PB&J sandwiches… any snack we can squeeze into our backpacks, we bring. When he was younger, we brought plenty of formula & bottles so he was comfortable and fed on the plane.
As for diapering, we change him immediately before boarding a plane. That way, he’s fresh and clean and should be good for most of the flight, especially if it’s a shorter one! When it comes time to change him, most airplanes have a pull-down changing table over the toilet. Double check with a flight attendant just to make sure! If our child needs a new diaper, both of us go to the restroom. One of us puts our son on the changing table, and is the primary changer. The second person stands behind the changer and holds the supplies – diapers, wipes, spare clothes for baby just in case, and a small bag for diaper trash. There just isn’t a lot of room in airplane bathrooms to begin with, let alone on the changing table, so having that second person there to help really makes things easier. Make sure to double check with the flight attendants where to dispose of the soiled diaper. We bring little blue bags to throw everything out in, but they may want that in a special biohazard bag.
Help! My Kid is Having a Meltdown!
Okay, we’ve all been there. And if you haven’t yet… it’s coming! Your child will have a meltdown at some point, and it may be on an airplane. We’ve been there, and it isn’t fun. But I promise, you’ll get through it.
Our most recent meltdown experience with our son was when we were flying from southern California to our new home in Florida in April 2021. We had a lot of things happening all at once – we moved cross country, I was pregnant with baby #2 and didn’t have a lot of energy to pour into our son, and a family member passed away shortly after we moved, so we flew back to California to be with family.
On our way back to Florida, our second flight was delayed by a couple hours. We had an extended sit-down lunch, and thankfully there was a playground in the airport.. but by the time it was time to board the plane, our son had HAD it. He was fed up with his mask, no snacks were making him happy, and he was overtired and over it. We were flying Southwest, so we lined up according to our boarding position. At this time, we were in a high enough boarding position that we would board earlier than family boarding, so it didn’t make sense to hang out elsewhere and wait for family boarding to be called.
The pre-board passengers took longer than expected, and he could not wait in line. He began sobbing uncontrollably which escalated into screams. We tried to keep his mask on but he ripped it off repeatedly. We somehow made it on board the plane, screaming child in tow, and beelined it to the very back row. Since he was old enough for his own seat, we laid him down between us and tried to let him cry himself to sleep. We offered him milk, snacks, toys, screen time… but he pushed it all away. He was overtired and could not communicate his needs with us. The flight attendants came by and offered us snacks and a drink just in case that helped. At this point, I was nearly in tears, terrified we were going to be kicked off the plane for him being unable to wear a mask. We knew if he was eating it would be okay to have his mask off, so we tried to feed him Cheerios, but he wasn’t interested.
Right before the aircraft doors closed, a flight attendant walked up to our row. I was nervous that we were going to be kicked off the plane. Instead, she said “in my eyes, he’s not 2 yet, so if his mask happens to slide down a little bit, it’s okay.” She must have saw the tears in my eyes as I thanked her profusely.
We got to taxiing and he calmed down a little, and was completely out by the time we were in the air. It was very distressing not being able to calm him down like that. We had done everything “right” in the airport – kept him fed, clean, and happy. Even let him get his energy out at the multiple playgrounds and moving walkways. But sometimes, you can do everything right and plans still go awry.
If your child has a meltdown, it’s important to stay calm. I know that sounds obvious, but kids pick up on others’ energy. If you’re stressing out, your child will pick up on that. Keep your cool. Speak in a level voice. Try to ignore the other passengers. Yes, they will stare at you. Yes, kids will point and make comments. It’s okay. If they’ve had kids, they’ve been there. If they haven’t – well, that’s their problem. They can learn to be a little understanding! On the plane itself, if your child is melting down, they will more than likely eventually calm down. There’s some magic in listening to jet engines; if I could bottle it up and use it as white noise for my kids I would! Be prepared for other passengers to try to offer “help” – we even had a lady offer our son chewing gum because “his ears need to pop”. Firstly, that wasn’t the problem – he was overtired. Secondly, a 2 year old shouldn’t have chewing gum.
Hopefully these tips help, and your flight with your little one goes smoothly! Be prepared for some turbulence along the way. When traveling with kids, it never goes 100% according to plan, but the best you can do is be prepared!
