# Flying with a one-year old ... tips? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887 "2004-06-17T16:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/21 "2004-06-19T01:25:55Z")
> [@Danalan](#): > > Which I should have mentioned in my post, but I didn’t want to stress anyone out. If your kid truly has a serious upper respiratory infection, don’t fly with them. It isn’t completely safe. [knocks on wood] My daughter inherited my iron-clad immune system – she’s never even had sniffles yet. [/knocks on wood] ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/22 "2004-06-19T01:27:31Z")
> [@bittersweet](#): > > Another option is to pulverize a Xanax tablet and mix it with some milk in a bottle. Nighty-night, rabbit! Your post isn’t so crazy at all … except that generic Benadryl is the weapon of choice. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/23 "2004-06-19T01:30:18Z")
> [@milroyj](#): > > Expand this to all kids, and I agree. IMHO Because of risk of deafness, or for some other reason? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/24 "2004-06-19T01:35:45Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Your post isn’t so crazy at all … except that generic Benadryl is the weapon of choice. HAH! Benadryl causes paradoxical stimulation in nearly half the youngsters who take it!! Revs 'em up better than caffiene! ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/25 "2004-06-19T01:56:13Z")
> [@lainaf](#): > > Passengers with small children are allowed to board the plane first. Make sure you get there earlier enough to take advantage of this. If there’s no assigned seating, this will allow you to choose the seats you want (you will not be allowed to sit in a row with an exit since those passengers are expected to help if an emergency exit is required). Delta is an exception. One gate agent told me that some Delta flights are so full with kids that there was no point to pre-boarding, so they eliminated this perk. However, if you ask the gate agent at the airport, s/he might allow you to go ahead. We’ve done that with Aaron, and we’ve been allowed to go to the head of the line, after the wheelchair-bound folks. > [@](#): > > Many planes have a row of seats at the front of the coach section that doesn’t have another row directly in front of it (sometimes it faces a backward-facing row). This row is usually close to the bathroom and flight attendant service, and it has more leg-room and generally more room to fuss about with your baby and other stuff. The disadvantage is that it has no food trays. There are food trays. They’re located in the handrests; ask the flight attendant to show you how to pull them out. I like the front row of seats because, if need be, I can get up and move around a bit. The back row gets cramped and it’s more inconvenient to schlep the car seat down the narrow aisle. This will be a problem of the past, though, once Aaron turns 2. No more car seat schlepping! Robin ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/26 "2004-06-19T02:28:26Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > HAH! Benadryl causes paradoxical stimulation in nearly half the youngsters who take it!! Revs 'em up better than caffiene! Not my kid. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/27 "2004-06-19T03:00:44Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Because of risk of deafness, or for some other reason? Because there is no reason for two year olds to fly _anywhere_. If it’s as dangerous as people are saying, why risk it? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/28 "2004-06-19T03:56:12Z")
> [@milroyj](#): > > Because there is no reason for two year olds to fly _anywhere_. :dubious: Come on now. > [@milroyj](#): > > If it’s as dangerous as people are saying, why risk it? Huh? Who’s saying it’s so dangerous? There’s a lot of worst-case-scenario advice in this thread, but I don’t see in this thread what you’re seeing. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/29 "2004-06-19T07:07:18Z")
Of course, the OP’s child is only 13 months old, a considerable difference from 2 years old. It’s true that there are very few reasons for a 2 year old to fly anywhere by himself. However, there may be reasons why a parent may wish to take the 2 year old along. Suppose the parents MUST go, and have no one with whom the child may stay? Suppose the child is still breastfeeding at 2, and mother has no desire to wean, nor to traumatise the child by leaving him alone? Suppose they are going to visit grandma who lives in another state, or country, and who is in too ill health to come and visit herself? I have flown with small children, and was grateful for the tolerance my fellow passengers showed me. And yes, sometimes, my baby cried despite my best efforts. But they saw me _trying_, and they tolerated. We all survived. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/30 "2004-06-19T07:17:14Z")
> [@milroyj](#): > > But in post #6, you said “Better to be a few minutes late…” , or drive around for a while,… A slow descent vs. a fast descent can affect the landing time. Lots of things can affect the landing time. Landing too early can cause a delay, too, because of gate availability. Are you suggesting that air travel is particularly accurate regarding arrival/departure times? It’s all a crap shoot. > [@milroyj](#): > > Expand this to all kids, and I agree. IMHO So, you’re never going to have children? Good. BTW, have you travelled lately? Kids are everywhere. It’s a mobile society, and children travelling on airplanes is not unusual, nor is it generally a hassle. Sometimes there’s an annoying kid along for the ride, but not as often as annoying adults. From your tone, I suspect you may be one of those bitter jerks I run into all to often. Learn to relax, dude, you’ll live longer. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/31 "2004-06-19T08:26:36Z")
Heh. Our kids are transatlantic veterans. Trust me, if you’re prepared, it isn’t half as bad as you’d think. Of course, if you’re not prepared… :eek: Take extras of everything. Even on a short flight, you might be delayed, and you’ll be grateful for the extra diapers in your carry-on. Food is essential for the same reason, plus things that take time to eat also count as in-flight entertainment. Does your daughter like Cheerios? For older kids I like Modified Gorp: Cheerios, some sort of chocolate cereal, and raisins. But I wonder if raisins are considered a choking hazard for under-twos these days. You may be able to gate-check your stroller. Ask at check-in. If you’re gate-checking it, you should get a tag to put on it. When you get to the gate, fold it up, and you’ll be shown where to put it. Ideally it will be waiting for you when you get off the plane, but if not, you’ll get it at baggage claim. The carseat may have to go as oversized or special baggage. They’ll have big plastic bags and tape for you to wrap it up. Of course, at the other end, you’ll discover that you can’t get the plastic off because you need a scissors or a knife, which you didn’t think to take along because nothing remotely sharp is allowed on the plane :smack: (The moral of the story is: pack a small pair of scissors in your _checked_ baggage, where it’s allowed, unless you like using your teeth and nails to rip through plastic.) Be warned that when you go through security areas you’ll have to take your daughter out of the stroller and carry her while her stroller is searched by hand. Usually not a problem, but if she’s just dozed off, well… Otherwise others have already given you the advice I would give (bring lots of toys, something to suck on, and if she has a security object/lovey bring it on the plane with you). Be prepared, be patient, and you’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/32 "2004-06-19T11:49:41Z")
> [@](#): > > BTW, have you travelled lately? Kids are everywhere. It’s a mobile society, and children travelling on airplanes is not unusual, nor is it generally a hassle. Sometimes there’s an annoying kid along for the ride, but not as often as annoying adults. From your tone, I suspect you may be one of those bitter jerks I run into all to often. Learn to relax, dude, you’ll live longer. Oh, thank you for saying what I was thinking. I have no problem with people who don’t like kids. We’re populated enough, thankyouverymuch. However, in most public situations, especially paid travel, kids are just as welcome as you are. They are not second-class citizens. Thank goodness your own childhood caregiver(s) knew that, **milroyj** , and put up with you. 😉 Having said that, I know there are people who let their kids run wild and inconvenience everyone because they’re too tired or oblivious to do anything about it. I can’t stand that-they give us all a bad name. I have a one-year old who is very well-behaved (through no fault of my own-he’s just a decent kid by nature) but you’d better believe if he acted up I’d remove him from the situation or do anything I can to quiet him if I couldn’t remove him. Although I do believe that kids have a right to fly, it can be stressful for responsible parents who honestly don’t want their kids to bother you. Hence the reason for this thread. In the grand scheme of things, though, they should be considered no less annoying than rampant B.O. or people who travel in packs and drape themselves over seats and into aisles chatting and drinking. It’s just what you have to put up with in public travel. Deal or charter private, I say. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/33 "2004-06-19T12:52:37Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > Take extras of everything. Even on a short flight, you might be delayed, and you’ll be grateful for the extra diapers in your carry-on. Yep … we pack this way all the time when we drive around with our daughter. Having extra diapers, food, botttles, etc. is second natrure now. > [@flodnak](#): > > … things that take time to eat also count as in-flight entertainment. We’ve got some 4-inch long “biter biscuits” that she loves. Those take her a while to gnaw down. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/34 "2004-06-19T13:02:44Z")
> [@sidle](#): > > I know there are people who let their kids run wild and inconvenience everyone because they’re too tired or oblivious to do anything about it. I can’t stand that-they give us all a bad name. I have a one-year old who is very well-behaved (through no fault of my own-he’s just a decent kid by nature) but you’d better believe if he acted up I’d remove him from the situation or do anything I can to quiet him if I couldn’t remove him. This is exactly my situation. Some folks on this thread are assuming any and all small children are invariably a nuisance on airplanes. Well, my daughter is also well-behaved and content by nature. She’s very curious about things, yet she’s content to just look around from my arms or her car seat for quite a while – she doesn’t insist on being let loose to roam around. Really, her eardrums willing, I fully expect my daughter to behave well and bother no one on this flight. I would honestly be surprised if she caused a ruckus. Some other parents may snicker at that mindset, but our daughter has a way of not surprising us all that much behaviorally. She’s not always perfect – but when she’s not, we have ways of dealing with her that work time and time again. My only real concerns when opening this thread were (a) her ears, and (b) checking all her baby paraphernalia. I get the impression that as long as she’s healthy, sucking on a bottle during take-off and landing will help alleviate her aural discomfort. And now that I know about gate-check, and the possibility f using her car seat on the plane, those concerns are addressed, too. Thanks so much to everyone for their advice! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/35 "2004-06-19T16:56:51Z")
Just make sure you’re not flying on the same plane as me. (Really a joke, as I’m not going anywhere until next summer…) ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/36 "2004-06-19T18:33:07Z")
> [@sidle](#): > > Thank goodness your own childhood caregiver(s) knew that, **milroyj** , and put up with you. > 😉 Actually, my parents would not have dreamnt of imposing my wonderfulness on other people, which is rather my point. I didn’t fly until I was 18, coming home for Christmas break from college. Nowadays, the little rug rats are everywhere. A one or two year old doesn’t even know where they are at a given moment, let alone care, so what’s the point of flying them to Florida or wherever? The only reason for a parent to drag a kid onto an airplane is for the parent’s own convenience and/or selfishness. Whatever happened to “Children should be seen, and not heard?” I guess I’m just a grumpy old man. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/37 "2004-06-19T19:20:25Z")
> [@](#): > > A one or two year old doesn’t even know where they are at a given moment, let alone care, so what’s the point of flying them to Florida or wherever? The only reason for a parent to drag a kid onto an airplane is for the parent’s own convenience and/or selfishness. People aren’t taking the baby so the baby can see the Taj Mahal and get a tan. They’re taking the baby because: a) They have to go and they don’t have a sitter for three weeks and they don’t want to leave their baby anyway. b) Gee, ever think Grandma might want to see the baby? c) They’re moving, and they didn’t want to put the baby in a carrier in cargo. d) The US Mail won’t take 'em, regardless of how many stamps you stick to them. For goodness sakes, it’s not like it’s a nice restaurant - it’s a mode of transportation. People take babies in cars all the time, an airplane is no different. There are plenty of perfectly good reasons to take your child with you when you go somewhere, prime among them the scattering of the American family across the country. As long as the parents do what they can to lessen the impact on other passengers, I don’t see what your problem is. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/38 "2004-06-19T19:56:55Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > People aren’t taking the baby so the baby can see the Taj Mahal and get a tan. They’re taking the baby because: > a) They have to go and they don’t have a sitter for three weeks Where do they **HAVE** to go, and for three weeks, no less? > [@](#): > > and they don’t want to leave their baby anyway. So then don’t go. > [@](#): > > b) Gee, ever think Grandma might want to see the baby? Gee, ever think Grandma can come visit the kid? > [@](#): > > c) They’re moving, and they didn’t want to put the baby in a carrier in cargo. Ever hear of cars, trains, or buses? > [@](#): > > d) The US Mail won’t take 'em, regardless of how many stamps you stick to them. Whatever, silly. > [@](#): > > People take babies in cars all the time, an airplane is no different. Yes it is. Babies in private cars are not able to bother other people. > [@](#): > > There are plenty of perfectly good reasons to take your child with you when you go somewhere Really? I haven’t seen any yet in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Scopata\_Fuori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Scopata\_Fuori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scopata_Fuori)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/39 "2004-06-19T22:05:57Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > My daughter inherited my iron-clad immune system – she’s never even had sniffles yet. Unfortunately, after a cattle-car plane ride, even a short one, her luck just may run out. All that recirculated air in a confined area, is just what the Bug du Jour needs to spread to other passengers. Not only that, but any exposed surface she is likely to touch, such as armrests, are prime germspreading areas. A snotty two year old will probably infest the entire seatrow with whatever bugs it’s carrying, due to their increased propensity for handling every surface in sight, and undeveloped snotdealing courtesies. Might be over reacting, but why not take a couple of your alchohol or disinfectant wet wipes and give the armrests and trays a once over before she is loaded in, to help prevent her from catching whatever the last passenger(s) had? And after she’s extracted, on the way out, to prevent the next passenger from sharing whatever germs she’s happily resisting? Bring a little jar of peanut butter, but don’t let her have it. Don’t even let her know you have it. If she is distracted by her own howling, surreptitiously grab a fingerful of peanut butter, and quickly smear a gob of it onto the roof of her mouth in mid-scream. It’s hard for them to screech like that. They get busy licking and sucking it off the roof their mouth, and at least temporarily quiets them. Works for dogs and cats if need be, as well. The ear pressure problem is a real problem. When my family took me (at eight) and my sister (at barely two) on a transpacific 24 hour flight to Japan, where were moving for a few years, I still remember the piercing agony in my ears and head. But I’ve always had sinus and allergy problems. Nothing helped, not even chewing gum. Large jumbo jets didn’t bother me as badly except on takeoff and descent, but little commuter flights did. To this day, on our annual pilgrimage to Jamaica, I purchase “Earplanes” to avoid the eardum pain. They come in child size, but may be too big for so young of a child. It’s just an hour trip, so hopefully the novelty factor will keep her amused for a while. Try to get bulkhead seats, though, so she can’t annoy people in front of her, and when the plane is at cruising altitude, you can take her out and let her stand in front of you and stretch her legs, and look out the window. I’d also think about which cough syrups you know will put her out like a light, since laudanum is damnably hard to acquire nowadays. Some strollers are made with a detachable car seat that snaps right on. Sounds like exactly what you need, so you can load the stroller part in baggage (if it won’t fit in overhead compartments) and take the seat part in. Some planes have an additional storage compartment up fron, for taller items. Ask the flight personnel if it has one, and request to put the stroller in that. So when you get on, you hand them the stroller to put in the compartment near the door and you go on down the aisle with the seat. Definitely ask to pre-board, so the “closet” is not yet filled, but as was mentioned, for courtesy’s sake, _wait until all the more mobile and less encumbered individuals have deplaned_ before attempting to extricate yourself et al. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887/40 "2004-06-19T22:13:06Z")
> [@milroyj](#): > > Really? I haven’t seen any yet in this thread. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-with-a-one-year-old-tips/250887.md?page=3)