# Air travel with a 9 year old **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918 "2010-04-04T16:51:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918/21 "2010-04-12T05:53:27Z")
And teach him the [Valsalva maneuver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver) for when the plane is descending. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918/22 "2010-04-12T06:25:58Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > People buy one-way tickets all the time and are not subject to more extensive screening. Even if you were to received the dreaded _SSSS_ on your boarding pass, it only adds about 90 seconds to the check-in process. 90 seconds? It is to laugh. I did a one-way from Houston to New Orleans last year and damn near got a rubber glove up the butt as a reward. One-ways are ALL automatically flagged for extra harassment, and the idea that it only adds 90 seconds is fairly laughable. Plan on an extra five minutes, minimum, while at least three TSA goons question you, wand you, swap everything in sight and question you some more. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918/23 "2010-04-12T06:34:25Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > 90 seconds? It is to laugh. > > I did a one-way from Houston to New Orleans last year and damn near got a rubber glove up the butt as a reward. One-ways are ALL automatically flagged for extra harassment, and the idea that it only adds 90 seconds is fairly laughable. Plan on an extra five minutes, minimum, while at least three TSA goons question you, wand you, swap everything in sight and question you some more. I’ve flown one-way several times in the last few years, and have never had any extra screening. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918/24 "2010-04-12T14:35:46Z")
I flew to Hawaii in November with a 9-year-old, and it’s pretty easy. But here’s my one tip: be sure to check the seat-back pocket in front of you when you’re leaving so that you do not leave his Nintendo DSi in there. Be sure to reach in and feel all the way to the bottom, because a quick glance is not enough to see a DSi. ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918/25 "2010-04-12T15:07:49Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Bring something to occupy him on the flight - book, video games, puzzle book, something. Flights can get pretty boring for a kid. Or try to use the time to talk to him; he’s not a teen yet, it might work. JetBlue has TVs at all seats (30-ish satellite channels plus a few pay movie channels), which kept my 11-year-old nephew (mostly) entertained on a recent Seattle-NYC trip. If you can get tickets, check out Blue Man Group. I took the nephew and he loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918/26 "2010-04-12T19:07:42Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > And teach him the [Valsalva maneuver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver) for when the plane is descending. From your link: “It should be noted this maneuver, when used as a tool to equalize middle ear pressure, carries with it the risk of auditory damage from over pressurization of the middle ear. It is safer, if time permits, to attempt to open the Eustachian tubes by swallowing a few times, or yawning.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-with-a-9-year-old/534918.md?page=1)