Flying with a 16 month old. Need advice on what kinds of things i should bring along on the flight.?

Question

im only flying from montana to nevada but i already know that it is going to be a long trip because im flying with my 16 month old daughter. I need help or advise on what to expect.

and also because my daughter is going to be sitting on my lap and i only get one ticket , does that limit my lugage to what i would be able to take if it was just me flying or does my daughter get the same amount of luggage too??????

Answer 1

Different Airlines have different rules. It is usually max 50lbs - 2 bags per paying customer. 2 carryons, like a purse and a diaper bag. Check with www.tsa.gov what you can bring on the plane. Make sure you bring her carseat. Check with the airlines if the carseat is considered a "bag"

Sometimes they will let you gate check it and it wont be considered "a bag". Ask about gate checking. You would take it thru security and check it at the gate. They take it down to the luggage dept and put it underneath and then have it as soon as you come off the plane. Some people purchase extra tickets to put the child in a car seat on the plane. Prices of tickets during holidays would probably eat your pocketbook to do this.

What you can and cannot bring on the plane is run by the dept. of transportation. www.tsa.gov
it has a lot of useful info on that site.
Good Luck

Answer 2

Take along quiet or soft toys your child enjoys. Try to hold off feeding your child until he/she starts getting restless on the plane. That will help pass the time for the child during the flight.

Most airlines will put parents with children in one of the front seats, but try to avoid seats near the toilets or kitchens, because there will be constant traffic / noise throughout the trip and the children will not be able to sleep. Definitely get an aisle seat to give you a bit more room to move.

If you haven't booked the flight yet, try asking an agent which flight will be the least filled. With a flight that is not so full you might be able to get a row of seats with no one next to you and you could then allow the child to sleep across the row or at least have a lot more room.

Children's ears are very sensitive to the pressure in the cabins and they become unconfortable if they cannot make their ears "pop". You may want to visit your dr. before leaving to make sure your child doesn't have an ear or sinus infection before traveling and also ask what he/she would recommend to help the child alleviate the pressure they might encounter.

I recommend www.flyingwithkids.com as a great website with a lot more excellent advice.

Regarding the luggage, you will only be allowed 2 pieces of carry on. You might consider a bookbag/backpack instead of a diaper bag. This will free up your hands. Check with the airline about checking in your stroller at the gate. Depending on the type of aircraft they may even allow you to take an umbrella stroller on board and the attendant will stow it for you. Remember, this isn't the case with all airlines or all aircraft, so check to be sure and when you speak with the airline, make sure you get a name and ID number of the person you speak with.

If you are also taking a rolling carry-on and want to take a purse, try putting your purse into the backpack or the luggage until you're one the plane. It sounds silly, but the airlines are sticklers with how many pieces you can take. If you take a backpack and it has a separate zippered compartment on the outside you might want to pack the essential items from your purse into this compartment and pack the purse in your checked luggage.

Have a great trip!

Answer 3

You may be in for a tough time or things could be fine. I had same situation with my 15 month old this past Feb. We had a four hour flight that seemed a lot longer.... For take off and landing, make sure daughter either has pacifier or something to gnaw on - this will help her deal with the air pressure changes on her sensitive ears. Sitting for a long flight will be next to impossible unless you can get her to sleep the entire way. She'll want to be up and mobile - I walked my son up and down the aisles but you are really limited for space and people are always up and heading back and forth to the washrooms so you'll just have to play it by ear. Most people are understanding, but there are always a few that have no kid experience and may be complaining - just ignore them. YOu can also try bringing your daughter up near the washroom (there's a little extra space that you can bounce and swing her around). The stewards are great - very accommodating - and will help any way they can. Bring diaper bag, change of clothes, books, water and munchies as carryon. Good luck.

Answer 4

If your daughter does not have a seat, she does not get a baggage allowance. I would strongly recommend you consider purchasing a seat for your daughter. It is very, very dangerous for a baby to travel in a parent's lap. If you purchase her own seat, you can then strap her into her car-seat, buckle the car-seat into the airline seat, and enjoy a safer trip. You also get the advantage of having your hands free to entertain and care for her.

When there is severe turbulence or an emergency landing or (shudder to think) an actual crash, anything unsecured will go flying about the cabin. A baby in a lap has no seat belt and if the ride is rough enough, she can bounce out of your arms. I have seen this happen twice; once the baby hit his head on the seat in front of him so hard that you could hear the crack. Securing your seat belt around both you and the child is even worse; it practically guarantees that your child will not survive a crash even if you do.

Many airlines offer a deeply discounted rate for infants who need their own seat. I really suggest you take advantage of that and get the baby her own seat. Chances are she will be just fine as you don't have crashes every day but it can happen, and rough air is possible any time. You'd never dream of taking her in the car unsecured--- a plane goes about 10 times as fast as a car! It is simply not worth putting your daughter in such risk just to save a few hundred dollars.