With Thanksgiving next week and Christmas coming up, a lot of you might be traveling with your little ones. Jett and I have flown to Kentucky 5 times now, most recently in October of this year when he was 17 months old. In today’s post I’m giving you 20 tips for flying with a toddler as well as a packing list with affordable products from Walmart. Flying with a one year old can be a little bit scary, but with these tips your trip should be great!
TIPS FOR FLYING WITH A ONE YEAR OLD:
Call the airline ahead of time and make sure that your newborn is on your boarding pass and everything is all set. Otherwise, you won’t be able to check in on your mobile app and it’s a mess. Trust me, just call beforehand! For our trips in the past, the customer service agent has changed our seat assignment for free since I’m flying with a child- whoohoo!
Use a valet parking service if there is one available at your airport. This is especially helpful if you’re traveling alone with your toddler. I used LAX Parking Curb Express and it’s so seamless. You drive up to their location just past the airport, they get in your car and drive you to your gate. When you land, you call them at baggage claim and they bring your car right outside of the baggage claim. SO EASY!
After you get through security, check in with the gate agent to get a tag for your stroller if you have one. At that time, ask if there are any available window seats next to an empty seat. Having 2 seats makes things SO MUCH EASIER. I’ve never paid for a second seat, but have had 2 seats several times and it’s amazing especially as your child gets older.
Have a copy of your baby’s birth certificate or immunization records just in case. I’ve never been asked for this, but I always bring it just in case.
If you’re traveling a lot, sign up for Clear. It’s basically like paying for a fast pass to get through security and it’s so nice!
Get to the airport early, but not extra early. I learned this the first time we took a red-eye to CVG from LAX. We got to the airport 2.5 hours early and it seemed like we were there FOREVER. The second time we took the red-eye, we got there about an hour and a half before our flight. It was the perfect amount of time and I even had time to get a glass of wine!
Pack more diapers than you think you’ll need just in case you get stuck somewhere over night!
Bring a baby carrier like this one for boarding and deplaning. You’ll need both hands to get your bag, backpack and whatever else you brought! People are helpful and just ask someone to buckle it if you can’t get it on your own. No one has ever told me no and is always happy to help!
Get an organizer for your diaper bag! I didn’t have one for our first flight and they are LIFE CHANGING!
If you have a layover longer than an hour and a half, I would suggest gate checking your stroller. It makes things so much easier. If you have a short layover, the baby carrier is probably fine.
If you’re breastfeeding, google the airport you’re going to be in to see if they have any breastfeeding rooms or pods. DFW has a room and ATL has pods. For the pods you have to use an app but it’s usually easy to download then and there. In ATL I used the the mamava app!
Fly Southwest. I’ll be honest before having a baby I did not like Southwest. The whole boarding situation just gives me anxiety. However, with a child it’s the best, you know why? Because you get to board first and there’s a 99% chance that the person who sits next to you LIKES children or you might even get an empty seat next to you- WIN-WIN!
Wear leggings but not leggings that are too thick/tight because it’s harder to get them up when you have the baby carrier on. I also love wearing joggers since they’re easier to get up while carrying the baby.
Wear your hair up so it doesn’t get all caught in the baby carrier.
Dress your baby in pajamas with feet and a zipper so you don’t have to worry about their socks falling off.
Bring different types of snacks and snacks they’ve never had before. When we flew to Kentucky for the 4th time recently, I brought different cereal and cheese puffs that Jett hadn’t had before. They weren’t the healthiest snacks, but sometimes you just have to bend the rules when you’re flying!
Bring more snacks than you think you’ll need. Trust me, if your child is anything like Jett, they can almost empty a 3 pound bag of snacks. I packed extra in my backpack, too!
Ask the flight attendant for plastic cups. Free entertainment!
Breastfeed, bottle feed, make sure they have a pacifier, or a sippy cup for take-off and landing. This helps with the change in cabin pressure so that their ears don’t get stopped up.
If your child still drinks milk, you can order steamed milk at “children’s temp” from coffee shops in the airport. I did this when Jett was still taking a bottle and just brought an empty bottle with me to put the warm milk in before boarding our flight.
For my diaper bag that went under the seat, I packed:
Gallon ziploc bag for trash.
Swaddle/thin blanket (Jett really likes these better than thicker blankets, but bring whatever blanket/stuffed animal/lovey your child likes the most).
Sippy cup.
Diapers, wipes, and a travel changing pad.
A few new toys that Jett hadn’t seen before.
Post-it notes.
Children’s Tylenol.
Children’s Motrin.
Snacks. LOTS of snacks. I pack these all in a gallon Ziploc bag so they are semi-organized.
For my diaper bag that went in the overhead bin, I packed:
Extra diapers and wipes.
Extra swaddle/thin blanket in case Jett dropped his somewhere really gross.
Extra outfit just in case.
More snacks- ha!
I hope all of these tips will help you during your holiday travels. Happy flying and happier Holidays, y’all!
Xo,
Haley
With Thanksgiving next week and Christmas coming up, a lot of you might be traveling with your little ones. Jett and I have flown to Kentucky 5 times now, most recently in October of this year when he was 17 months old. In today’s post I’m giving you 20 tips for flying with a toddler as well as a packing list! Flying with a one year old can be a little bit scary, but with these tips your trip should be great!
Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post.