Tips for Flying with Children
- January 30, 2018
- by Melissa Lawrence
A mom wrote in asking for my advice regarding surviving air travel with kids. Honey, I’ve been to the rodeo on this one. We’ve had some disastrous trips, and I’ve learned from our public tantrums, overweight suitcases, frantic arrivals and departures and much much more.
Looking back on the plane trips we’ve been fortunate to take since my kids were little, I’ve put together some tips for traveling with kids on planes in today’s new video.
Got some tips regarding how to entertain a toddler or older kid on a plane? Weigh in below!
My first piece of advice — and I’ve given this before — is not to overpack. It’s so easy to want to stuff each last pretty looking thing into your suitcases, but each extra pair of socks or additional t-shirt — believe it or not — will weigh you down. Cut it out, take it out, and leave it at home. Unless you are traveling to a remote location, you can purchase extra things you might need at your destination so leave room for that. Everything from making it through the airport, to getting into a cab or onto a train or bus, to unpacking at your destination and packing up again to return home will be greatly simplified when you have fewer things. So DO NOT OVERPACK!
Next up, leave ridiculously early. For a domestic flight, arrive three hours before your departure time and for an international flight, arrive four hours before. When you waltz in before any other passenger has checked in, you will smile to yourself imagining the eternal line that you have avoided. When fellow passengers fall into that long line, you’ll be enjoying a cheeseburger at Shake Shack, pursuing People magazine at the news store, or sipping a yummy Starbucks coffee drink. Better to be on the other side, after security and with your boarding passes in hand, as early as possible, before anyone else.
For more pieces of advice — including airplane activities for kids — watch my video. And please speak your mind when it comes to traveling en famille.
Thanks for watching.
Gratefully,
Melissa
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