logistics of flying with toddler

oh mama, buy the tickets for the flights for her and just bring the carseat onboard. you will all be so much more comfortable. it sounds like the united flight (is it? we took that one recently), and if you call them up, you might be able to get a discounted ticket since she will still be considered an infant (under 2 years old).

ask if the bulkhead seats are available so you don't have to worry about her kicking the seat in front of you. you'll have to stow your carry ons above, but for us it was less worry than constantly having to feel bad for the person in front of him and apologizing about his little pushes. NOTE ABOUT BULKHEAD SEATS: the armrests do not flip up between them because the tray is stowed there, so if you are a bigger person (i wear a size 12 and it was a snug fit for me; my partner has a 36" waist and a slightly bigger belly and it was definitely snug for him) it may not be as comfortable for you.

if you really, really, really can't swing the ticket for her, reserve the window and aisle seats so it is less likely that someone will want the middle seat. and if someone does end up sitting there, they will probably be very happy to switch seats with one of you. and when you are checking your luggage and checking in for the flight, ask the agent if there are any available seats for you to bring the carseat aboard and use. even if they say the flight is full or pretty full, ask if you can check with the gate agents just before the flight and then gate check the carseat if there are none. also ask for a big plastic bag from the check-in agent as they generally don't have them at the gate.

i would recommend bringing the stroller as you can always gate check it, and your daughter may want to ride in it or if not, you can stow all your stuff in it and only have to worry about carrying her and pushing the stroller. if it's really big monster stroller, definitely look into buying or borrowing someone's lightweight umbrella or traveling stroller (we have an awesome lightweight little-bit-more-than-an-umbrella-but-not-a-full-on-fancy stroller called the Combi Savvy we got at a secondhand store)

definitely bring the sling, or better yet, a two shoulder carrier like a wrap or an Ergo or a mei tai. and be prepared to have to take her out of any carrier when going through security. when we traveled about a month ago with our then almost 21 month old son (who is small, by the way, at 23 lbs and about 31", but we still bought a ticket for him) i carried him on my front in the Ergo, put his diaper bag backpack on my back and carried a tote bag for snacks, toys, an extra sweater for myself over my shoulder, while daddy carried his backpack and handled moving the carseat onto and off of the plane and closing up or opening up the stroller at the end of the jetway. then we loaded all my bags onto the stroller and walked through the terminal.

hope that helps! feel free to ask me any questions i didn't address!

~claudia

Heather,

Here is some clarification on CRS use on aircraft.

Infants up to 20 pounds should be restrained in a rear facing child seat.
20 to 40 pound children should be restrained in a forward facing child seat.
All children over 40 pounds are to use the aircraft lap belt.

All booster seats and vest systems are BANNED FROM USE as of 09/1996 regardless of prior or current labeling.

For additional information that may be airline specific, I suggest contacting the airline you will be flying with for additional information.

Have a safe trip.

Dallaschildren
CPS tech/instructor and momma to 2 sons in seats

: (edited to add that this is in reference to TurboClaudia's advice)

I just returned from a very short flight/trip with my almost 2 year old dd. I would've paid anything for a seat for her once I was on the plane and realized how small the seats are, how little room there was for her legs, and how annoyed the woman in front of us was! I tried as hard as possible to keep dd's feet from touching the seat in front of us, but it was truly unavoidable (dd is tall).

I know it's not always possible to afford an extra ticket, but if it's possible, I suggest getting one for your dc. I'll never go without car seat (for safety) and seat (for comfort for all involved) again.

Good luck with the trip. I've heard Maine is beautiful in the summer -- enjoy!

calicokatt: did you fly an overnight flight? that is primarily why i recommended buying the seat.

and was the flight you took a cross-country trip with a stop over? the sheer volume of stuff that we had to carry in the diaper bag and snack bag was enough for me to recommend taking the stroller to anyone doing a cross country trip.

i agree that temperament of the child plays a major part in choosing whether or not to purchase a seat for your child, but at days shy of 2 years old, the original poster's daughter probably at least 30" tall and knowing the area they live in (it is right next to portland, or where we live), she is most likely used to being in the car seat. these are just guesses, of course, but that and having done almost the exact same trip twice in the past four months (portland to new york and then portland to atlanta plus) is what i'm basing my suggestions on.

to Belle, the original poster, take what you find useful from my post and let the rest go.

~claudia

We've made a few flights with ds, some short, some cross-country. Based on *his* personality, here's what worked best for us. No stroller, for us it just would have been one more thing to wrestle from the car to the airport, and through the airport. Check carseat with luggage - without that space of his seat to move around in I think ds would have gone truly nuts along with dh & I. Hands-free sling - for me a pouch or ring sling was never truly hands-free, but that's probably just my problem - like an Ergo that was easy to get on/off to go through the gate. We didn't bother to pack any personal items for ourselves, except water, to minimize the amount of stuff to carry and because it is always a full-time job keeping ds occupied & happy. If you're not going to buy a seat for your child, also consider requesting seats in the back of the plane, because unless it is a full flight most people don't like to sit back there, so you are more likely to have an empty seat next to you. The times when we didn't have a seat just for ds were the most difficult, at nearly two I would really consider getting one! Good luck!

Yes, it was overnight, 12 hours. He still nurses quite a bit at night, so he just slept in the sling. I didn't get much sleep, but ds made not a peep and our fellow passengers were quite impressed with him. I wasn't implying at all that what works for me will work for anyone else, but rather trying to point out that the extra seat is not necessary for every child.

I just wanted to second TurboClaudia's posts. I agree 100% with everything she suggested, from the car seat/plane seat to the stroller.

We've taken 16 round trip flights with DD since she was born (19 months now) and starting when she could sit in a car seat (vs. a carrier) we bought her her own seat. For safety reasons alone, we always buy DD her own seat. If you were to hit severe turbulance and DD isn't strapped into anything, she could go flying. Not to freak you out (sorry if I did!) but I always think about that. (I'm pretty much a neurotic worrier, so it's my nature )

If you can swing it, I think having the extra seat will allow for more room and be safer. Also, United (if that's what you're flying) does offer 50% off regular fares for children under 2. Might be worth calling and checking on.

Good luck with whatever you decide and have a wonderful trip!

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Can I get clarification on this? My dd is 2 and she weighs about 27-28 pounds. In the car she is rearfacing.

Are you sayin that she has to be forward facing on the plane? Or should she still be rear facing like in tha car?

Often the rear facing seats simply won't fit because of the proximity of the seat in front of you; there's just not enough room. So unless you're in a bulkhead seat or business class, you'll most likely have to do front-facing.

Also, we've never been able to get a discounted ticket for infants on any airline, FYI.

We use an umbrella stroller now, but used to bring something larger with an infant, because we usually just have more "stuff" to schlep around.

We just did a red eye home from Hawaii to Boston (United) a few weeks ago. If you don't have an extra seat for the red-eye, you're going to be wanting one. It's h*ll with a 2 year old; they get heavy, trust me.

As for turbulence, I have flown all my life (literally--my father was a pilot), and I personally have never worried about it. You probably have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than getting hurt on a bumpy flight. Sorry, but I just don't think it's worth being paranoid about it, so if she is in your lap I really wouldn't worry. Just my opinion though.

Whatever you do, pack your own food!! And pack more than you think you'll need!

- Krista

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I'd like clarification (ideally a link!) on this also!

i am flying halfway across the country in may and my son is 18 months old. i can't afford the extra ticket so he will be in my lap and i also plan to take "new" toys with us to explore on the flight. he won't nap i am sure so entertainment will have to save us. i am also flying just me and him, my hubby is driving. i need to use a stroller but it will be umbrella and I am pregnant and can't carry him/watch him through the entire airport. I will take his carseat to the gate so that its not technically a checked bag (got to take his porta crib and our suitcase so i don't want to pay for an extra) and just in case there is an extra seat. i also hope that our diaper bag will hold all of the stuff i am going to need!!

For you frequent fliers, are the early morning flights (leaving at 6 or 7 in the a.m.) usually less packed than the late morning afternoon flights? i am hoping to "name your own price" on priceline and am guessing that i would get a 6:30 a.m. flight or something in the hopes of it being less full and cheaper at the same time.

danielle