Flying with Baby: Tip #1 – Choose your seats wisely.

A nifty little website called Seatguru.com allows you to “view” your seat.  Simply choose your airline and aircraft body type from the drop-down menu and the Seatmap Key will give you the pros and cons for each seat on the flight.

The most common aircraft body type in the continental US has three seats on either side of the aircraft.  When traveling in a party of 2 or 4, our favorite trick is to book the window and aisle in the 2nd to the last row (the very last row doesn’t allow seats to recline). The front of the plane generally fills first, and middle seats fill last.  So there is a good chance you will have the row to yourself.  If the flight is full, the person in the middle will gladly trade to allow you to sit next to your child or spouse.

Flying with Baby: Tip #2 – Pack light.

Anxiety causes many new parents to pack for every random circumstance.  The extra clutter not only makes it difficult to find the things you really need, it’s also expensive.  Read “Top 5 Tips to Lighten Your Load“.

Flying with Baby: Tip #3 – Be strategic in assembling your carry-on.

A carry-on is your lifeline for the duration of the flight.  Your carry-on should either have lots of exterior pockets or one large compartment with lots of modules.  Each module is a self-contained unit that has a theme.  You might consider having modules for diapering, feeding, clothing, medical supplies and entertainment.

Important items like passports, money and airline tickets should be kept separately in your purse to prevent damage in the event of a bottle leak.  For more detailed information about carry-ons, read “Contents of the Perfect Carry-On”.  You will also want to become familiar with FAA restrictions related to “Bringing Liquids on the Airplane”.

Flying with Baby: Tip #4 – Keep ‘em healthy.

The most common worry for parents traveling with a young child is what to do if their little one has ear problems.  Keeping your kids healthy prior to flying is an important step in avoiding ear problems.  Since air travel is amazingly dehydrating, you will want to encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids.  If your child is prone to congestion, you will benefit from reading the article “Avoid Ear Problems on Airplanes”.

Many parents are concerned about their child getting sick from germs floating around in an enclosed environment.  Since the plane’s air filtration system removes airborne pathogens, the true concern should be germs on surfaces.  Using an antibacterial wipe to clean hands, arm rests, tray tables, and bathroom surfaces will go a long way to preventing the transfer of virus and bacteria.

Flying with Baby: Tip #5 – Keep ‘em happy.

This isn’t as tough as you’d think.  When flying with a baby, your little one will bask in the undivided attention they’ll be getting from you.  In this environment, everything is new.  From shiny pretzel bags to airsickness bags, magazines to plastic cups, a fresh toy is just a short grab away.  For more sophisticated options for entertaining your little one, check the articles “Top Ten Baby Travel Tips” and “Entertaining Babies and Toddlers on Airplanes”.

Christy Rounds’s Best Travel Mistakes

Soaked the Seats
O.k. So this isn’t just one mistake. It’s really about five or six. Remember when I said you can learn from mistakes? Seems in some cases, I just don’t. On many airplane trips, I brought an empty sippy cup for each child. When the flight attendant offered drinks, I’d have him / her put the kids’ apple juice in the sippy cup instead of the plastic cup. Smart, right? The problem is, I’d often forget the sippy cups. And invariably, someone would spill their apple juice. So if you were one of the unfortunate souls who had our seats for the next flight, all I can say is, I’m really, really, really sorry!

Smelled like Puke
From the title, I think you can guess the story. I was flying from Reno, NV to Traverse City, MI after a sales meeting. My parents had flown out to watch 6 month old Gracie while I attended my meetings. So Gracie and I were 1/2 hour into an 8 hour trip when she threw up, soaking not only her outfit, but all my clothes as well. Well… I’m not a total idiot. I had a change of clothes for her. But nothing for me. So I spent the day desperately trying to ignore the wrinkled noses and gagging sounds. If you were one of the unfortunate souls who had a seat next to us on one of those flights, all I can say is, I’m really, really, really sorry!

Miscalculated Diapers Needed
How many diapers can a baby go through in a flight? That depends. Does your baby have diarrhea? Mine did. So the normal 4 diapers for 8 hours in transit didn’t cut it. Did you know that it’s very hard to find diapers in Chicago O’Hare? Maybe there is a new baby supply store now, but I assure you, there wasn’t when I truly needed it most! I can also tell you that maxi pads and duct tape are not an adequate substitute. No, I didn’t really do that. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Injured the Baby
Dumb doesn’t even begin to describe this one. I was flying with three little kids – ages 4,3,1 – from Salt Lake City to Traverse City, MI with a stopover in Minneapolis. Thankfully, my parents, who had come to watch the kids while I attended a convention, were traveling in first class. I was distracted with trying to break up an argument between the two older kids, so I absentmindedly dropped a raisin into an empty pop can and handed it to the baby to uses as a rattle. Instead of rattling, my little guy reached into the pop can to get the raisin and sliced his finger. The slice was deep and I couldn’t stop the bleeding. In a few minutes, there was blood everywhere.

The flight attendant told me that if she opened the medical kit, she’d need to file a report when we got to Minneapolis, and I would miss my connecting flight. Not wanting to spend the night in Mpls with three young kids, I tried to stop the bleeding myself. Other passengers were begging me to have the attendant open the $&%*#@ medical kit. We finally got the bleeding slowed enough to not get bounced from the connecting flight. And once again, if you were one of the unfortunate souls who had a seat next to us on one of those flights, all I can say is, I’m really, really, really sorry!

Checked Car Keys in the Luggage
By now, you are wondering why you’d read a blog written by a complete idiot. But wait… I’ve saved the best for last. May of 2009, we were flying from Paris to Grand Rapids, MI with a 3 hour layover in Altanta, GA. Again, I was flying alone with the kids. Do you notice that all my disaster stories happen when I’m flying alone? That’s because my husband is smart enough to avoid all these problems! Anyway… the kids were 6, 5 and 3. There was no movie on the flight from Paris, so I expended a lot of energy keeping them entertained.

Exhausted, we finally arrived in Grand Rapids at 5:00am Paris time. The airline had lost our luggage. That wouldn’t have been a big deal, except for the fact that after 6 weeks of not using my purse in Europe, I’d packed the purse – with car keys inside – in my checked luggage.

O.k. So I shared my tales of travel shame and woe. Now it’s your turn. What are your stories of disaster? They don’t need to be dramatic, just something we can all learn from or empathize with! So go ahead, share…

As the plane boards, most parents suffer some degree of anxiety about the potential public humiliation they will endure if their child throws a tantrum on the flight. Whether your flight is a puddle-jump across the state or an epic trans-Pacific voyage, you’ll need a strategy to keep the little one(s) entertained.

Contrary to popular belief, flying with babies is a piece of cake.  From their perspective, life on an airplane couldn’t be better.  A bottle, a warm lap and your undivided attention pretty much equals baby-nirvana.  Add a few colorful toys, some Baby Einstein flash cards, the plastic drink cup with a few ice cubes, and your baby should be relatively content.

One thing that can throw a wrench into this idyllic picture of a happily cooing baby at 30,000 ft. is ear pain.  Be sure to read this post for tips to avoid ear problems.

If your little one is mobile, keeping him happy might be more of a challenge.  Kids don’t like to be confined, and the airline seatbelt can be the first hurdle in avoiding tantrums.  Forewarned is forearmed.  Before boarding the plane, explain that we need to wear seat belts on airplanes, just like we wear seat belts in the car.  Tell your child about the fasten seatbelt sign.  Even when it’s not lit, they’ll want to be safe, respectful travelers by staying in their seats.

Snacks and entertainment are synonymous when it comes to air travel.  Pack some healthy snacks like dried fruit, 100% fruit leather, shelled sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and apple slices.  High glycemic snacks like Goldfish, crackers, pretzels and fruit cereal bars cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and are devoid of nutrients.  More importantly, they can create the same hyperactive behavior as sugar. Use these types of treats sparingly.

When you want to give your child a special treat, make it special. A colorful sucker, brightly wrapped piece of chocolate, etc. is more impactful than Goldfish when it comes to travel treats.  You can also extend the activity of eating by making a Cheerio necklace strung on cherry licorice strands or incorporating dried fruit into a game of bingo.

When it comes to packing toys, less is more.  You’ll want to avoid toys that make noise, take up a lot of space, have many small pieces, or make a mess.  Some travel favorites include lace-up toys, magnetic games with larger pieces, triangle-shaped crayons, ColorWonder products by Crayola, and Namits (laminated game cards on a ring).

If your worst fears come to fruition and your child has a meltdown, flash your sweetest smile and ask your spouse if he wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on the little cherub while you make trip to the restroom. Just don’t mention that your trip will include a detour past the flight attendant for a quick glass of wine!