Friday, November 16, 2007

Tips For Toddler Air Travel

There are some very important toddler air travel tips you should consider if you are going to be flying with children. Traveling with a toddler can often be a difficult idea for a parent. Even for those around you it can be a difficult trip depending on the child. If you have flown with a child before you have likely experienced the angry complaints from fellow flyers. Although you can reduce a lot of the difficulties involved by planning ahead and following a few toddler air travel tips. These tips will often help you to improve your success for traveling with a toddler.

Making Reservations For Toddlers

When making your reservations it is important to have a separate seat for your toddler that is equipped with a travel seat. Although some airlines provides the option of children under two to fly on the lap of the parent this is the safest option and can increase the difficulty of toddler air travel. Be sure to tell your ticket agent that you are traveling with a toddler when you are making your reservations. The ticket agent will then likely give you an isle seat so you don’t have to climb over other passengers should you need to get up during the seat. However, it is a good idea to recommend a seat near the bathroom for toddler air travel. Although many airlines require toddlers in travel seats to be in a window position since the seat is often larger than the airplane seat. So if you want an isle seat it may be a good idea to invest in a smaller travel seat that is safe for flying.

Consider the Time of Day

The key to toddler air travel is preparation. Make sure pick a time of day for your flight that will be the least stressful and most relaxed for you and the toddler. Make sure you provide enough time to get ready and get to the airport so you aren’t rushed. Treat the flight as an adventure so the toddler will enjoy it. If possible have some time schedule to show them around the airport and watch the planes take off from the window so that there will be less anxiety about the flight. It may also be a good idea to plan the flight around the child’s nap schedule so that they sleep during the majority of the flight. This can make toddler air travel a lot easier so you won’t have to deal with the toddler, but always remember that the excitement of the flight may keep them awake.