Boarding with your brood

 

Early morning flights are rough on everyone, but for a new parent, a 7am departure can be especially awkward – queuing up with your mountain of baby gear won’t win you any points with the business crowd. Instead, go for a midday flight; planes are usually less crowded then. You may even score an empty row.

 

 

 ‘Non-stop is best for a baby,’ says Shelly Rivoli, author of Travels with Baby. ‘Fewer ups and downs mean less pressure on little ears and a shorter trip overall.’ Squirmy toddlers, on the other hand, need to burn off energy – so, for longer trips, consider a stopover that allows them to leave the plane and run around.

 

 

Even little kids may be asked to remove their shoes, so think slip-on footwear. Also, be prepared to unbuckle your snoozing babe from her stroller, or unstrap her from a sling or baby carrier, all of which must go through the X-ray machine. ‘And leave the Play-Doh at home,’ warns Rivoli. Although it’s not officially banned, it has been disallowed in certain cases because of its resemblance to a plastic explosive.

 

 

Umbrella strollers or lightweight doubles let you zoom through the airport – and you can drape coats and bags on the handles. Check your rig at the gate, and it’ll be there right when you get off.

 

 

Nursing or sucking on a bottle helps relieve a baby’s ear pain; chewy snacks are ideal for weaned tykes. Or try earplugs specifically designed for air travel.

 

 

If you lose it in front of neighbouring passengers every time your tot tosses his sippy cup, you’ll be seen as a raving lunatic before you’ve reached cruising altitude. Simply pick up the mess and look the other way.

 

 

 Count on a diaper blowout as soon as you’re airborne, a lapful of knocked-over Bloody Mary mix at the first sign of turbulence and toddler puke during landing. Backup clothes in your carry-on will save the day.

 

 

Airlines don’t require you to purchase a ticket for children under the age of two, and some parents say that’s for good reason. ‘It’s just not worth the money to get a seat for a baby [under a year old],’ says Sloan Schickler, a mother of two. On one trip to London, Schickler’s daughter, then eight months old, screamed for five straight hours. ‘Having a seat wouldn’t have helped in the least – I had to hold her the whole time to get her to calm down.’

 

 

Before boarding a flight, pick up a few gift cards to pass out to people in the seats surrounding your family, in case your kid gets fussy. Add a note – written in your child’s voice, of course – asking for patience. You’ll make instant allies who may well go out of their way to entertain your progeny.

 

 

Sewing cards, lollipops, mini-cereal boxes and a bunch of books with felt or magnetic pieces. Also, if you’re toting a car seat, consider a travel tray that snaps onto it, as younger kids may not be able to reach the seat-back table. What not to pack? Lego, bead kits and mega-packs of markers – you’ll constantly be reaching under the seats for the Lego man’s head and pen caps.

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