Up, Up & Away! Helpful Tips For Traveling With Small Children
Airline traveling with several small children in tow can be an adventure or a nightmare, especially if you feel frazzled or your little ones have melt-downs. Of course, you’ve probably already thought of what to pack in the carry-on bag, and how to keep your little ones occupied during the flight. However, to help keep yourself and your crew in check after you check-in, it’s a good idea to plan the first leg of the trip—getting to the airport. Here are a few tips that may help start your adventure on the right foot.
Book the Airline Tickets Early
It’s best to book the tickets and hotel early. Be sure to inform the airline of the ages of your children for the best seating arrangements available. The longer you wait to book the flight, the higher your risks of getting the worst possible seating arrangement. If your children are being potty-trained, ask for seating near the bathroom. If your children have a hard time sitting still, ask for seating near the back of the plane so you can let them walk around to stretch their little legs without disrupting all the other passengers.
Print Maps of Airport Services & Amenities
During your time in the airport concourses and terminals, there’s no doubt that you’ll need to stop for potty breaks, and find things to do to pass the time. Fortunately, you many airports provide services and amenities that cater to families with small children, including family bathrooms with toddler-sized toilets and diaper changing tables.
Some airports have water-bottle filling stations and play areas for children to help keep them entertained during long layovers. Use this tool to locate the services and amenities at your airports, and print the maps to take with you.
Ship Extra Necessities to the Hotel
To reduce the amount of things you need to check, ship extra necessities to the hotel where you will be staying. That way, you won’t have to pack all the diapers or pull-ups your little ones will need in your checked baggage. If possible, you may want to avoid checking in baggage altogether by shipping everything to the hotel. By doing this, you will eliminate the need to gather baggage at the end of the flight when your crew may refuse to cooperate.
Call your hotel and inform them that you will be sending a package. Annotate the date you will arrive on the package. Send it so it arrives several days before your flight is scheduled to leave. That way, you can make other arrangements in case the package doesn’t arrive as planned.
Buy D-Ring Clips & Cords
Traveling with several small children will make you wish you had several extra arms to hold everything. You’ll have carry-on bag(s), sippy cups, toys, and your crew to hold on to. Before you leave for the trip, buy several D-ring clips with cords attached. Hang these on the carry-on bag(s) or on your belt loops. You can clip things to them and/or have your toddlers grab the cords to walk beside you when you cannot carry them.
Take Airport Transportation
Instead of driving to the airport and navigating from the parking lot to the gate with your bags and crew, hire airport transportation to take you there. Book airport transportation immediately after you book the hotel and flight to alleviate any concern of availability. It’s a good idea to not wait until the last minute to arrange airport transportation if you live a considerable distance away from the airport.
Traveling via airlines is definitely a fast way to get to your destination, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. However, with proper planning, you can reduce the risk of becoming frazzled or your toddlers melting down in the middle of the airport.
