airplane travel with 2 year old

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Flying with Children

The safest place for your child under the age of two on a U.S. airplane is in approved child restraint system (CRS) or device, not in your lap. Your arms aren't capable of holding your in-lap child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence, which is the number one cause of pediatric injuries on an airplane.

The FAA strongly urges you to secure your child in an approved CRS or other approved device for the entirety of your flight. Buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a CRS. It's the smart and right thing to do so that everyone in your family arrives safely at your destination.

• About Child Restraint Systems (CRS)
• How to install a Forward-Facing Child Seat in an Airplane
• How to install a Rear-Facing Child Seat in an Airplane
• FAA-Approved Child Harness Device (CARES)
• How to install the CARES Device in an Airplane

Tips for Parents

Children with special needs, where can i find more information, about child restraint systems.

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A child restraint system (CRS) is a forward- or rear-facing hard-backed child safety seat. For motor vehicles, car seats are self-certified by the car seat manufacturer to meet federal safety standards, including strict crash performance standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rates car seats based on ease-of-use so you can make an informed decision about the right seat for your child.

A CRS must be certified for use in aircraft. Confirm your child’s seat has “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft” printed on it or it is approved by a foreign government and bears the required label or marking.

Required label for CRS Manufactured to U.S. Standards

Read the user’s manual to confirm that your CRS can be secured properly in an airplane seat. Otherwise, you may be asked to check the CRS as baggage.

How to install a forward-facing child seat in an airplane

How to install a rear-facing child seat in an airplane.

A CRS must be installed in a aircraft seat, according to manufacturer's instructions. This includes placing the CRS in the appropriate forward- or aft-facing direction as indicated on the device label for the size of the child.

The FAA prohibits passengers from using booster seats or backless CRS during ground movement, take-off and landing.

FAA-Approved CARES Device

AmSafe’s Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES) device is FAA-certified for children who are up to 40 inches tall and who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. The device provides for those who are capable of sitting upright alone in a forward-facing position and who occupy their own seat. This supplemental restraint is used with the existing aircraft seatbelt for improved child safety. CARES is lightweight and adjusts to fit virtually all economy-, business-, and first-class airline seats. This type of device provides an alternative to using a hard-backed CRS. CARES is approved for use during all phases of flight—movement on the surface (taxi), take-off, landing, and turbulence, and is approved only for use on aircraft, but not for use in motor vehicles. If you're using a CARES device, make sure it has "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only" or "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Amd 21.50 6-9-1980, Approved for Aircraft Use Only" on it.

Beware of CARES counterfeits sold online. Buy direct from the manufacturer to be sure the CARES device you use is authentic and manufactured with the same industrial-strength webbing as aircraft seat belts. The FAA is aware of disreputable third-party retailers who offer reproduction devices that resemble CARES for sale but that have not been engineered to the highest aviation-safety standards by AmSafe®. Learn more about CARES .

How to install the CARES device in an airplane

• Make sure your CRS or device is approved for use on airplanes.
• Measure the width of your CRS. It should fit in most airplane seats if it is no wider than 16 inches.
• Buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a CRS.
• Reserve adjoining seats. A CRS must not block the escape path in an emergency. Many airlines have policies that require a CRS to be placed in a window seat. Do not place a CRS in an exit row.
• Arrange for your airline to help you if you need help making a connecting flight. Carrying a CRS, a child, and luggage through a busy airport can be challenging.
• Pack a bag of toys and snacks to keep your child occupied during the flight.
• Always buckle up your child in the right seat for their age and size when you drive to and from the airport.
• Wear your seat belt at all times.
• A CRS must be installed in a forward-facing aircraft seat, in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. This includes placing the CRS in the appropriate forward- or aft-facing direction as indicated on the label for the size of the child.
• Flying with kids older than 2? Help your children know what to expect at the airport and in the airplane by watching videos like Kid’s First Flight .

If your approved CRS, for which a ticket has been purchased, does not fit in a particular seat on the aircraft, the airline is responsible for accommodating the CRS in another seat in the same class of service. The airline may have policies that dictate the specific safe seat locations for specific aircraft.

Listen to the "Flying With Kids: Tips From A Expert" episode of The Air Up There Podcast

How to Install a Forward-Facing Child Seat in an Airplane

How to Install a Rear-Facing Child Seat in an Airplane

Lap Children 

Although children who have not reached their second birthday are permitted to travel as lap children, the FAA strongly discourages this practice and recommends that you secure your child in an approved CRS in their own seat for the entire flight. While there is no regulatory prohibition from using a booster seat or harness vest (or other non-approved devices) for a lap child during the cruise portion of the flight only, airlines have policies which may or may not allow the use of those devices. Check with your airline.

Children Under 18 with Special Needs

Most young children who use a CRS weigh 40 lbs. or less. However, there are some children with physical challenges who weigh more than 40 lbs. and need the support and security of a CRS or device so they can travel safely on an airplane.

Airlines must allow a child who is under the age of 18 to use an approved CRS that is properly labeled, appropriate for the child's weight, and as long as the child is properly secured in the CRS. Many companies manufacture CRSs approved for use on aircraft that are specifically designed for larger children who are physically challenged.

Adults with Special Needs

Adults (18 years or older) who have physical challenges that require the support and security of a CRS or device in order to travel safely on an airplane may request an exemption to the FAA's regulations that require each passenger to be properly secured by a safety belt. This request may also be made by an airline on the passenger's behalf. Several companies manufacture restraint systems for adults with physical challenges.

How to submit a petition for exemption

• Go to  regulations.gov: Instructions on Filing a Submission to the FAA
• Select the "Comment Now!" button
• Enter your comment
• Provide contact information
• Select category (i.e., to submit a comment on a Docket, choose "Public Comments(s)")
• To attach files/documentation (as part of your submission), select the "Choose file(s)" button. Once desired file(s) are uploaded, select the "Continue" button
• Select the "Continue" button
• Now you will see the "Your Preview" screen. This shows you how your comment will appear on Regulations.gov
• Read and agree to the disclaimer. To submit your petition/comment, check the disclaimer box for "I read and understand the statement above"
• Select the "Submit Comment" button

To review previously granted exemptions on special needs travel, go to the FAA Automated Exemption System and type "7831", "8264" or "9834" in the "Exemption Number" search field and hit "enter" or click on "Search" on the left side of the screen. Highlight the document you wish to view and click on "View Document" on the left side of the screen.

• Information about Family Travel
• Kids Fly Safe: CARES Child Safety Device
• FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about Flying with Children
• Passengers with Disabilities
• Listen to the "Flying With Kids: Tips From A Expert" episode of The Air Up There podcast
• USDOT Airline Family Seating Dashboard

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• Special assistance

Traveling with children

Traveling with children and infants.

We are committed to caring for people on life’s journey and want you and your children to have a safe and positive travel experience. To allow enough time for check-in, arrive early and be sure to have any required travel documents. You may have to present proof of age like a birth certificate for any children under the age of 18.

• Families with children under 2 years old can ask to board early at the gate.
• Only 1 carry-on diaper bag per child is allowed.

You can travel with a breast pump and small, soft-sided cooler of breast milk in addition to your carry-on or personal item. These items don’t have to be checked and are allowed even when you’re not traveling with a child. Also, most airports have nursing rooms and stations available for your convenience.

If you’re a family traveling with children under 15, we want to help make sure you’re seated together on your flight. Here are some tips for when you book:

• Be sure to book everyone in the same reservation.
• The farther in advance you book, the better. (Seats become limited closer to the day of travel.)
• On the seat map, choose seats for your entire family or skip seats for that flight.
• It’s better to skip seats than to choose just a few seats or seats scattered throughout the cabin. Our gate agents can try to reseat you but getting seats together the day of travel is difficult.

If you skip seats

If you’re unable to choose seats, don’t want to pay for seats, or chose a Basic Economy fare, our system will detect that you’re a family traveling. The system will search for seats together automatically before the day of departure. We’ll try our best to keep you together, but if seats are limited, we’ll assign seats so children under 15 are next to at least 1 adult.

Children and adults traveling in separate reservations

If you and your children are traveling together but have separate reservations, call Reservations so we can note it in each reservation.

Contact Reservations

Children 2 or older are required to have their own seat, a ticketed adult fare. Children under 5 can’t travel alone under any circumstances.

If you don't choose seats in Main Cabin or Basic Economy, we’ll assign seats a few days after you buy your tickets so children under 15 are next to at least 1 adult they’re traveling with.

We welcome infants as young as 2 days old, but infants under 7 days old must have a doctor's letter stating that they are medically cleared to travel.

Keep in mind:

• Only 1 infant may be seated in the lap of each ticketed accompanying adult and the infant must be included in the reservation.
• Additional infants under 2 years old must be ticketed and occupy an infant safety seat or in a separate aircraft seat.
• The infant must be under 2 years of age for the duration of the trip. If they turn 2 during a trip, they will need their own seat for the remainder of the trip.

Adding an infant to your trip

If you’re traveling within the U.S., including Puerto Rico, you can add an infant to your trip when you book on aa.com, or later once it is ticketed. You only need to contact Reservations if you’re traveling with an infant who is under 7 days old; or if you’re traveling outside of the U.S. (taxes and a percentage of the adult fare may apply on international trips).

Book a new trip

• Book your trip on aa.com
• Enter your information on the ‘Passenger details’ page
• Select ‘add infant in lap’

Book a trip

Update an existing trip

• Find your trip on aa.com
• Scroll to the ‘Passengers’ section

Find your trip

Call Reservations if:

• You’re traveling with an infant who is less than 7 days old
• You’re not traveling within the U.S., and Puerto Rico

Reserved seat

If your infant will travel in their own seat, you must buy a ticket. The infant must either travel in a safety seat approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or be able to sit upright in their seat without assistance and have their seatbelt securely fastened during taxi, takeoff, landing and whenever the 'fasten seatbelt' sign is on.

Bassinets and changing tables

• Changing tables are available in the lavatories of all wide-body aircraft.
• Bassinets are available on a first come, first serve basis at the gate for travel only on 777-200, 777-300 and 787 aircraft.*
• Bassinets are not available in First / Business cabins.

*Infants using bassinets must be younger than 2 years old and weigh no more than 20lbs (9kg)

Acceptable safety seats

Most safety seats that are approved for use in motor vehicles are acceptable for use in aircraft. The seat must have a solid back and seat, restraint straps installed to securely hold the child and a label indicating approval for use on an aircraft.

The label may include:

• These notes: 'This child restraint system conforms to all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards' and 'this restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircrafts' or 'this restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.'
• Approval of a foreign government or a label showing that the seat was manufactured under the standards of the United Nations.
• The safety seat can't be used in an exit row or in the rows on either side of an exit row; window seats are preferred.
• Install the seat in the direction appropriate for the size of the child and according to the instructions on the label.
• The child must remain in the safety seat with the harness fastened during taxi, takeoff, landing and whenever the 'fasten seatbelt' sign is on.
• To carry on a safety seat, you must have bought a seat for the child, or a seat must be available next to you. If an unoccupied, adjoining seat is not available, the gate agent will check the safety seat to your final destination.

Review seat dimensions before your trip.

Safety seats are not allowed in First or Business on select planes due to the seat angles.

Airbus 321T

• Boeing 777-200
• Boeing 777-300
• Boeing 787-800
• Boeing 787-900
• Any device without an approval label
• Booster seats with no approval label or shoulder harness
• Vest and/or harness-type devices, except Aviation Child Safety Devices (ACSD) showing the FAA aircraft approval label
• Belt extensions that attach to the parent or the parent's restraint
• Any device that positions a child on the lap or chest of an adult

Carry-on and checked bags

If you’re flying internationally with an infant on your lap, we’ll issue the infant a ticket. You may check 1 bag for the infant at the same rate as the adult’s first checked bag.

• Each ticketed customer is allowed 1 stroller and 1 car seat to be checked free of charge
• Strollers over 20 lbs / 9 kgs must be checked at the ticket counter
• All other strollers should be checked at the gate before boarding
• If you have a stroller and a car seat only 1 can be checked at the gate
• Breast pumps and a small, soft-sided cooler of breast milk don’t count as your carry-on or personal item
• Play pens, wagons, cribs and 'pack and play' count as regular bags
• If any of these exceed carry-on limits they’ll be checked and incur regular fees

International documents

Children or infants traveling outside the U.S. are required to have the same documentation as an adult. If anyone under 18 is traveling internationally without both parents, they may be required to present a Letter of Consent.

International travel

Traveling during pregnancy

If your due date is within 4 weeks of your flight, you must provide a doctor’s certificate stating that you’ve been recently examined and you’re fit to fly.

Special assistance throughout your trip

For domestic flights under 5 hours, you won’t be permitted to travel within 7 days (before and after) your delivery date. If you need to travel within this time frame:

• Approval from your physician and a special assistance coordinator is required.
• Your physician will be required to fill out a passenger medical form before your flight. A special assistance coordinator will send the form directly to your physician.

Clearance from a special assistance coordinator is required for international travel or travel over water:

• Within 4 weeks of your due date (travel also requires a physician's note stating that you’ve been examined within the past 48 hours and you’re fit to fly)
• 7 days before or after your delivery (travel also requires a passenger medical form to be completed by your physician)

Flying on a partner airline?

Find helpful information if your trip includes 1 or more flights with our partner airlines.

• British Airways
• Japan Airlines
• Qatar Airways

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24 top tips for flying with a 2 year old – expert guide 2024.

Table of Contents

Planning on flying with a 2 year old? You’ve got our respect already. And if you’re feeling anxious we get it. You’re definitely not alone! In this article we will share some top tips and secrets for flying with a 2 year old. 

We are full time family travellers and we have taken lots of flights with both our kids at the precious age of 2. We have had some real highs and lows. Long haul flights are probably one of the most challenging things we do as a family. Oh yeah, our kids are super active and don’t do well with confinement. So we have had to think creatively about ways to help make flying a positive experience for them. AND we are excited to share these with you. 

Oh yeah. Flying with kids brings up a whole load of questions about bags, seats, tickets and other logistics.

Don’t miss our expert guide on booking cheap flights with kids

Watch out for great deals on flights

What are the challenges of flying with a 2 year old.

Before we share some top tips and secrets we just wanted to name the challenges. Then we know where to start. Ok, not trying to scare you off. Just frame the problem. The biggest challenges are tiredness, hunger, boredom and lack of space to move freely. These things can lead to tantrums and flights between siblings. 

Loads of exciting cognitive development is going on at 2 years old. But typically social skills, impulse control, and deeper concepts are missing. So 2 year olds kind of exist “in the present moment”. And if the moment isn’t working for them – then everyone is going to know about it. 

So how do you get through a flight with a 2 year old? Before you read on. We are going to deal with the worst case here. What if you’re on a long haul flight, on a cheap no-frills budget airline? What things can you do to get through? 

Of course any tips we share for the worst case scenario could be applied to a shorter and nicer flight.

1 Prepare your toddler to connect with the experience

If you are flying with a 2 year old soon help them understand what is going to happen. Start early. Around a week before you fly, try introducing a toy plane or reading your 2 year old a book with airplanes in. Let them watch airplane videos and play games with them. If your 2 year old is anything like ours they will probably love becoming an airplane and buzzing around. Getting them excited about being on a plane could be the first step in making the experience memorable and positive for them. And of course that’s good news for everyone.  

2 Have an action plan for flying with a 2 year old

Some days just getting out the door can be over ambitions with a 2 year old. So anxiety is natural. Knowing you have done everything you can to prepare can BOTH reduce your anxiety and prevent any guilt if your little one is struggling. If you’re reading this you’re already the kind of parent who wants to know you are doing your best for your child. Having a good plan can help your anxiety and make a smoother experience.

3 Pack a special carry on

Consider what toys, games and snacks you will bring in your carry on (remember you should have extra carry on allowance with your 2 year old but always check the airline policies for this). Variety is key. Consider getting hold of small compact games, toys, books and sensory objects. It’s amazing what 2 years take a shine to. Have a variety of snacks and entertainment. 

TOP TIP: Your 2 year old may appreciate having their own special bag with some toys. Keep the contents of the bag a secret until you’re on the flight. 

4 Have a snacktion plan (sorry for the bad mum joke!)

No parent survives the terrible twos without copious quantities of snacks. Don’t rely on the aeroplane snacks. Just see these as a bonus – and make sure you have plenty of snacks. If you’re flying with a 2 year old – try to include some complex carbs to make them more sleepy. For example, low sugar oat bars or wholegrain crackers (you know what they are likely to eat). And of course make sure you have a few treats in stock too. Whatever your 2 year old likes – especially if it is SLOW to eat! 

5 Think through drinks 

If you are flying with a 2 year old, many airports around the world will allow you to bring a child’s drink through security. So think of a good drink for your tot on the plane. Having a sippy cup or a bottle with a teat can be very soothing at take off and landing if your 2 year old is struggling with the pressure. Also, a drink can be the perfect way to sooth your 2 year old when they are struggling. 

6 Have a treat for yourself

Remember to bring a treat for yourself too – if you’re brave enough to fly with a 2 year old you deserve it! Don’t forget to be kind to yourself. You are doing something very challenging – and a good snack may be the best way to elevate your mood and keep you going. 

7 Pace yourself and your kids

Strategy is key here. When you first get on the plane, take some time to settle in. Don’t bring out any snacks or entertainment straight away. Let the novelty and the new environment engage your kids. As long as you’re not on the ground too long – take off may also engage them. Keep reading their signals. Introduce the more familiar and less exciting entertainment or snacks first. If you have crackers, raisins and a chocolate bar in your bag, don’t start with the chocolate. They will need it later. 

8 Stagger activities

Try to stagger activities. Gently lead your toddler. If something is working well, stick with it – they don’t need to “get through” all of the activities. This is a marathon not a sprint. Remember too much screen time can lead to groggy kids. Also if there is no on board entertainment you may be limited by battery life too. Oh yeah – always have a hidden treasure that you can pull out. Consider a toy, game or activity that is a massive win. 

9 Bring lots of ziplock bags

Make sure you stuff some zip lock bags into your survival kit. If your 2 year old is anything like ours, they seem to attract muck and grub! It is only a matter of time before clothes will be covered in juice, snacks and bodily fluids. So you will need somewhere to store the poopy clothes.

10 Have a change of clothes

Oh yeah and of course, you and your toddler will probably need a change of clothes. Consider bringing some light loose and comfy clothing – even if you’re on a short flight – you are likely to appreciate it. 

11 Talk to people around you 

OK, a massive anxiety for any parent flying with young kids is the other passengers. Everyone wants a nice relaxing journey – and sometimes simply seeing someone else’s kids on a plane is enough to upset people. Even if other passengers are not upset it’s almost impossible not to over-think what other people think. So one of our PRO TIPS: Have a little chat with the people around you. Most of the time you will realize that they are just lovely people on a journey and they are not offended by your very existence. By starting a conversation you humanize yourself and your family to them. If you show awareness of not making their journey unpleasant it will go a long way. People are surprisingly gracious when they realize that you are considerate.

12 Bring the stroller to the departure gate

If you are traveling with a stroller you can actually take it all the way through the airport to the departure gate. This allows for a smoother and nicer journey for everyone. One of our favorite parent travel hacks was seeing some parents use their stroller to transport their backpacks in Japan. Strollers are multipurpose.  

13 Look for flights at the right time

You may not have much choice in this one. But it is worth mentioning. If possible, try to book a flight at a time that works for your little ones. If your little one is good at napping in different environments it is good to get a flight with a nap due after around 2-3 hours on the plane. By this stage the new environment will have lost its novelty, everyone will be a little tired, and you will have probably got through lots of your entertainment and some snacks too. So, a nap 2-3 hours into the flight will be a welcome break for everyone. This can also break up a long flight nicely. Just remember – early starts and the novelty of a flight may throw nap timings off a little. 

14 Take walks

We recommend taking a little walk every hour or two. Sometimes kids will tantrum just because they feel groggy. A little walk will get the blood flowing and help break up the flight. So whether it’s just popping to the loo or going to say hello to the air crew, make and excuse and go. 

15 Be consistent 

If you are trying to deal with a two year old tantrum at 40,000 feet above sea level and an audience of 106 tired passengers resenting you and your toddler, you may feel like you have hit rock bottom. Don’t feel like you need to change your techniques just because you are on a flight. A plane is not a time to make fundamental changes. Don’t give up or change out of guilt or panic – although this would be very understandable. Being consistent really is best for you and your kids.

16 Make the experience feel special 

As long term family travelers we want to help our kids enjoy the magic of flying. Consider little things that will make them feel special and loved. It could be having their own little monkey bag. Buy them a few new toys or books for the trip. Be creative and try getting them a new treat they haven’t had before. Perhaps it could be a reward part way through the flight. Get your 2 year old to help where possible so they connect with the experience and feel engaged. Really just try and find anything you can to build a love of flying.

17 Make the most of your seats 

Flying with a 2 year old – they will be assigned their own seat. If you are traveling as a family, get a row of seats together. This is normally easy and if you don’t select seats most airlines put families together automatically (although we have come across a few budget airlines that actually try to separate families to make you pay for seat selection). Mix up the seating. A two year old will probably enjoy a window seat for take off and landing. A change of seats is a change of environment and can help. 

18 Consider a car seat

Flying with a 2 year old you will need to purchase a seat for them (normally at a reduced price). A car seat can make all the difference – especially if your two year old is a little riggle bum. AND if you bring your own car seat on the plane, you can use it in taxis or rental cars at your destination. 

What are the rules for seating a toddler over 2 years old?

Airlines will generally not allow a 2 year old to sit on your lap with an infant belt. Many airlines around the world allow 2 year olds to sit in their own seat without a car seat. However you can also bring along a car seat for your 2 year old as long as it is approved by the relevant authorities (e.g. the FFA in the USA or the EASA). Always check with your airline children’s policy. 

19 Have a few home comforts

One way to help children adapt to new environments is to have just enough familiarity. We already talked about the new exciting things. But remember to bring a few familiar comforts too. It may be a special teddy, a blanket or a special cup. This is particularly helpful if you have a night flight and need to settle your 2 year old. 

20 Bring some routines along

Routines can also be a comfort. It is a mistake to assume that routines can only happen in the same home and the same environment. So consider how some of your home routines could be transferred to the plane and the rest of your trip. There are certain patterns in the way we do things that kids expect. This makes the world feel safe and predictable (2 year olds are great at spotting patterns!) Being intentional about these routines goes a long way to helping young children adapt and flourish in exciting new places.

Dealing with dreaded jet lag is a challenge for anyone flying across time zones. And so much more so if you are traveling with a toddler. Even a small time difference of a few hours can cause jet lag. There are no magic solutions to make it go away. But there are a few things you can do to help. Just like adults, it is important for kids to get straight on to the new time zone. So stick as close as possible to your normal routines.

Try to line bedtimes up with the sunset or soon after to utilize your child’s natural circadian rhythm. If this isn’t possible, find a room with good black out blinds. Try to be as firm and loving as possible. For example, if they are struggling to get to sleep aim to keep them in bed. Or if they are up super early (which is common at this age without jet lag!) try to get them back into bed. Screens. Everyone has their own opinions here. We would recommend avoiding screens before bed (but if you normally use a screen then it may be better to stick with the routine). 

Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE on helping a toddler recover from jet lag

FIND amazing family friendly hotels on Agoda OR Booking.com

22 Dealing with ear pain

You may be concerned about your 2 year old’s ears at take off and landing. Our kids struggled with ear pain a lot more from 0 – 1 year old. But it can still be a problem for a 2 year old – especially if they are bunged up. The risk zone is take off and Landing – so bring something for them to chew or suck. It could be a dummy, sucky toys, a drink with straw, a feeding bottle with a teat or even breastfeeding them. Keeping them engaged with the excitement of take off and landing can be a really effective distraction too.

23 Teamwork is dreamwork

If you are also flying with a partner, friend or relative, work as a team. Chat to them before the flight about your anxieties and your plans. Switch out every so often to give each other a break and to give your child a change of scenery. If you are flying with a 2 year old on your own for any reason- big respect to you. Don’t be afraid to accept offers of help. I have flown solo with a baby and it was an endurance. We have also flown with our 2 year old together – it’s still challenging but at least you can tap out from time to time and take a break.  Everyone will have their own dynamics – but if you are able to share the 

24 Keep your eyes on the prize

Flying with a 2 year is a paradox. It may be one of the hardest things you do with your child and yet it may lead to some of the best times you share as a family. Remember at 2 years old, they won’t grasp the goal. So when the flight is tough, that is all there is for them. As adults we have the advantage of knowledge and long term anticipation. So when it gets tough, remember why you are doing it. Plan on ways to help you and your family rest and recover on the other side. No one would climb into a confined space for hours, with their two year old, without good reason. Trust us, it will be worth it.

Want to keep flying with a 2 year old? 

Hopefully the advice above could be put in place as little as one week before you fly. Pack right, prep right and nail your flight. BUT if you’re travel addicts like us – and you want to fly with your kids in the future, then there are some long term things you can do to help make your kids more adaptable to flying. 

Make sure you give your 2 year old plenty of time sitting on your lap. Of course your free time to have your kid on your lap will depend massively on your personal circumstances. But, if your kids aren’t good with lap time then this can make flying much more challenging. So find little chances to give them lap time. Whether it’s reading a book, singing songs or watching a movie. 

Give your 2 year old lots of practice napping in different environments and in different positions. Try not to have a nap routine that relies too strongly on being in the same bed and same house. If you have only ever done naps at home, the best way to start is to find an alternative calm environment like a friend’s house or a grandparents house. And then gradually try more ambitious places like coffee shops, cafes or even the park. 

Try to get them into kinesthetic games. When they are playing, encourage your 2 year old to play with small kinesthetic toys. Around this age they may start taking an interest in creative toys like lego or even drawing. Any activity that they can “get into” independently for 20 minutes is a win on a flight. 

Life loving, adventure chasing, Mum of 3 who loves travel. Over 10 years of travel writing experience. Emma now loves to give the best tips to help other travel loving parents plan adventures with their kids. Whether you need to find the best accommodation or just need to know how to pack your bag Emma is that travelling mum who love to help you.

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16 Tips for Flying With Toddlers and Young Kids

Traveling with toddlers can be hard, at least if you're not properly prepared. Here, experienced flight attendants share their secrets for flying with young kids.

FLY VIEW PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

With long security lines, cramped airplane seating, and busy waiting areas, flying isn't the most pleasant experience—and all of the frustration increases exponentially when you add a toddler into the mix. Some young children simply don't have the patience for airport security. They might despise sitting quietly for hours on end, and they might be uneasy during turbulence or get upset with the ear-popping changes in air pressure.

Thankfully, though, you can have a worry-free travel day with proper preparation and planning. Whether you're jetting off to your relative's house or Disney World, check out these stress-reducing strategies for flying (and traveling) with toddlers—some of which came straight from flight attendants.

Book an Early Morning Departure

If you're traveling with toddlers or young children, you should book an early morning departure. These give you the best chance of avoiding delays at takeoff and landing, a flight attendant named Patrick explains. "They are usually less crowded, too," he says. "Plus, everyone is tired and just wants to nap—kids especially."

Save Your Upgrades for Toddler-Free Travel

Traveling in first class with kids can be more stressful than it's worth. Mom Joanna recounts the story of traveling with her loud, lively toddler and incurring the vocal wrath of her first-class seatmates for the entirety of the flight. "It's not fair, but you're just going to get more empathy and support with kids in economy," says a flight attendant.

Talk to Your Kids About What to Expect

"My experience is kids do so much better when they know what to expect," says Shireen, a mom of three from Australia who's traveled to the U.S. several times with her kids. She recommends watching a Let's Go Play video on YouTube , which goes over the entire flight experience, from baggage check-in and ticketing to onboard etiquette and safety.

Dress in Layers and Skip Shoes With Laces

Whether you are changing climates or simply dealing with in-flight heat and/or air conditioning, you can and should be ready for drastically changing temperatures when traveling with a toddler. Wendy, a flight attendant and mom, suggests you dress your kids in comfortable layers—preferably without buttons, zippers, or anything that could prevent them from getting to the bathroom in time.

The same principle applies to shoes: Avoid laces and opt for slip-ons. "There's the added benefit of getting through airport screening that much faster," she says.

Bring Surprises

When flying with a toddler, a wrapped new plaything has two advantages: Kids love to unwrap stuff, and a new toy has more attention-grabbing pull.

Consider Using a Smaller Stroller

Getting through an airport without a stroller is unthinkable for some parents, so consider switching out your regular-size stroller for a small, compact umbrella stroller or travel stroller. Also, check your stroller at the gate before boarding; the crew will have it waiting for you when you get off the plane.

If you've got more than one little traveler with you, consider a kid harness (aka leash), Wendy suggests. "I was so against them until I saw a woman with three young boys using them in baggage claim. It made so much sense," she says, "with the exit doors to outside right there. Look, flying is stressful enough. Do what you need to do to protect your kids and your sanity."

Pack Just Enough

Flight attendants urge parents to pack enough essentials for the flight. "Unfortunately, you can expect there to be zero food on a plane that would interest a kid," says Lynn. "And we are so limited in what we can offer in terms of comfort items as well."

On the flip side, parents will struggle if they zealously overpack. "Usually, when it's one parent traveling with one or more kids, they'll bring way too much stuff in an attempt to keep their kids happy," Wendy says. "They forget they have to carry all that stuff off the plane with them, along with their kids."

Plan Your Packing List

To guard against over-packing while ensuring you don't forget anything critical, consider writing out a full packing list. Star or highlight those items that will need to be packed last minute (like the lovey your kiddo sleeps with or the tablet that's currently charging) so you have a checklist to consult one last time before heading out the door.

Sample Airplane Packing List for Toddlers

When packing your carry-on for the plane ride, use this list as a starting point:

• Comfort item: Consider packing one of your toddler's favorite comfort items in your carry-on for mid-flight snuggles. If the comfort item is a pacifier, be sure to pack more than one, lest it gets flung down the aisle or on the floor.
• Sanitizer, wipes, pull-ups, and diapers: You'll want these critical items within reach at all times during your travels. Not sure how many diapers to throw in the carry-on? One diaper per hour of travel is recommended.
• Electronic devices: If there is any time to let up on strict screen time rules, it's when you're traveling. Make sure that whatever device you're bringing is fully charged and ready to go—and don't forget the chargers for the flight back. Consider pre-loading the tablet or phone with your kids' favorite movies or shows for offline viewing.
• Kid-size headphones: Be sure to follow the basic rules of travel etiquette and pack comfy headphones your little one can wear while enjoying their favorite games or shows. Have more than one kid in tow? Consider investing in a splitter so both can enjoy the show with their own set of headphones.
• Art supplies: A small box of crayons and blank paper can go a long way when it comes to entertaining your toddler on a plane. Mix things up and pack some fun stickers or even plain sticky notes to add to the excitement.
• Plastic bags: You never know when you'll need an extra bag for wet clothes, a dirty diaper, or even just for trash, so pack a few extras.
• Water bottle: Toss an empty clean water bottle into your bag to fill after you get through security. Just make sure that it's leakproof!
• Healthy and fun mess-free snacks: While you don't necessarily want to load your kid up with sugar just before take-off, consider packing a mix of healthy and fun snacks that are relatively mess-free to keep their bellies full and happy. Cheerios, pretzels, crackers, string cheese, and granola bars are good options.

Be Prepared for Security

When you pack, make sure items that need to be removed during security are easily reached. Keep in mind that traveling with snacks may mean extra scrutiny during the screening process.

Prepare for Air Pressure Changes

If your child has recently had an ear infection or a cold, get your doctor's approval before flying. The change in cabin air pressure may cause pain for your toddler. After passing through security, stock up on enough water for everyone to get through a possible delay and have enough left for the descent, which is often the most bothersome time for ear pressure discomfort. Have your kids drink some right after takeoff and during the last 30 to 45 minutes of the descent. The swallowing helps with the pressure changes and gives an added hydrating benefit.

By All Means, Use Pull-Ups

Your little one may have moved beyond Pull-Ups into big kid underwear, but pull-up diapers are a great resource when flying with a recently potty-trained toddler or young child. "I even use them on my 6-year-old," says Wendy, who adds that it's much less stressful than having to race to the bathroom or deal with an in-seat accident.

Show Some Appreciation

Flight attendants love to receive a certain gratuity for dealing with toddlers. "Any kind of chocolate found in an airport, handed over at boarding, does wonders," says Patrick. Of course, it will have zero effect on the random bad-tempered, unprofessional cabin crew member. But it's a nice gesture nonetheless, particularly when flying during the holidays when most flight attendants will be working and away from their families.

"It will be so appreciated," he says. "And we will remember you and look out for you. And not only that, you'll probably score a free drink out of it."

Seat Kids Away From the Aisle

Aisle seats can be dangerous for toddlers and potentially give them a little too much freedom of movement. For example, little hands and feet can be bumped as people walk by and hot coffee and water may be just within reach as the food and beverage cart passes by. If you can, consider the window seat, which offers the benefit of a view and puts you between your toddler and any other passengers in your row.

Beware of Germs

Toddlers tend to get sit a lot, but you can try to avoid any travel-related illness by keeping your little one's hands clean. When flying with a toddler, wipe everything from hands to tray tables down with sanitizing wipes when you're getting settled in your seats—and above all else, do not send your kids to the bathroom without shoes. "The floor is a Petri dish," a flight attendant confides. "You're in the air, things jostle. That's not just water on the bathroom floor."

Keep Your Composure

There's not much you can do to assuage that passenger who complains the moment your child sneezes or giggles. Here's what you need to remember: As long as you're trying (and what parent isn't?), you've got almost everyone on your side. "An adult having an issue with a screaming child is acting like a child as well," offers a flight attendant and mother named Patience. "Don't engage. Just worry about your own child."

Choose an Airline With Kid-Friendly Perks

There's nothing a family-friendly airline wants more than happy, occupied kiddos. As such, many leading carriers have all kinds of kid perks to offer their littlest travelers from a wide array of their favorite TV shows and movies to kid-approved headphones and snacks.

Before boarding, be sure to check in with the gate agent about whether the airline offers priority boarding for families with young children. Often airlines call special boarding for families so they can board a little early so you'll have time to settle in. Other great perks to look for are family lounges or airports with areas for kids to burn off some steam during layovers or before boarding.

Related Articles

Best and Worst Ages to Fly with Your Child

By: Author Leslie Harvey

Posted on Published: November 11, 2021

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One of the most common questions I hear about flying with children is “what is a good age to fly with my child?” Also common is its corollary – “what is the worst age to fly with kids?”

When I started this blog in 2012 and first published this blog post (my first born was then 3), I thought I had all of the answers. I now have a second child with a very different personality and over a hundred additional flights under our belts. I’ve flown with kids of every age and stage, with very different temperaments, and under a wide variety of travel conditions. And we’ve come out on the other side of the challenging stages now that our kids are getting a bit older.

So I have a few opinions about the best and worst ages for traveling with kids on planes!

It’s very important to remember, however, that age is not everything. Each child is different. Your two year old may be very different than your neighbor’s two year old. Each flight can be different for the same child depending on the time of day, if they are tired, if they are sick , etc. I always advise traveling parents to think objectively about their child’s temperament and personality in addition to their age in deciding when and how to fly. That is often hard when you are booking flights months out — your kiddo could well change things up on you before flight time. Think ahead as best you can.

So with all those caveats in place, here are a few guidelines to help you plan your family travel adventures.

Best and Worst Ages to Fly with Kids

0-3 months old.

I don’t recommend flying at the newborn age unless absolutely necessary. I know there are parents who need to fly for very valid reasons like a family emergency or an adoption, and that’s obviously understandable and necessary. But I’d say put the leisure trips on hold.

Why is this stage so hard? Unpredictable sleeping and nap schedules and newborn fussiness or colic can be hard on parents and fellow passengers alike – especially on longer flights or trips with time zone changes. Plus, new parents are stressed and just figuring the basics out, especially if the child is their first. Moms may even still even be recovering from childbirth.

Most importantly, airplanes and airports are germ factories, filtered air notwithstanding. Infants are highly vulnerable this young, particularly during cold and flu season. It is no fun finding yourself on a trip with a sick newborn and can lead to scary situations without known medical care far from home. And after the events of 2020 and 2021, we’ve all come to realize how we need to treat health and transmissible illnesses with a lot more gravity.

3-9 Months Old

One those first few months with a new baby have passed, I’ve found that the older infant stage is just a great age to fly. The biggest challenge at this stage is for first time parents who are still just figuring out how to be parents. Most babies are actually in a pretty easy phase, but the parents often don’t know it because everything about parenting is still so new! Second time parents have usually learned and are ready to hit the friendly skies at this point. I know I certainly was with kiddo #2!

At the 3-9 month stage, parents really can take advantage of their baby’s flexibility. Most 3-9 month old babies will still sleep a lot and even nap on the go in a carrier or car seat. Babies aren’t really mobile at this stage so there aren’t as many dangers to worry about. Your baby will also still be nursing or taking bottles regularly, so you can feed on takeoff and landing and avoid ear pressurization issues.

9-12 Month Olds

At about the time your child starts to crawl in the last few months of the first year, things may start to get a bit more challenging. If your child is active, he or she may want to spend the flight squirming out of your arms and crawling in the aisles.

It is at this age that I recommend that parents consider buying a seat for their little ones, particularly on longer flights or if you happen to recognize that you have a more active child. It’s so helpful when you can put a squirmy kiddo down in the car seat for a nap. Plus, having the extra space is essential for the child to get some activity and wear them out!

12-18 Months Old

Once your child starts walking, all bets will probably be off unless you are blessed with the chillest of children. One year olds are often highly mobile yet totally uncontrollable, making for a potentially dangerous travel combination.

At this age, children are still too young to understand and follow instructions, so discipline is ineffective. Distraction and maybe bribery are really your only tools! This is the age and stage where my family experienced our own personal “ flight from h-ll ” when my daughter was 17 months old. I’ve heard the same from a lot of friends.

What to do at this stage if you do have to fly? Walk the aisles with your toddler, hang out near the galley when you can, and bring a variety of snacks, books, and toys to deal with a short attention span (check out my list of 50  kid-friendly airplane snacks for ideas).

I also highly recommend buying a seat once you have child who is walking — I’ve certainly flown with a lap toddler many times in my family’s travel adventures to save money, but it’s a challenge for sure!

18-24 Months Old

Things continue to be a bit of a challenge in the older toddler age range. I’ve noticed that girls sometimes start turning a corner, but boys often lag a few months behind, so this can be a more challenging age than the 12-18 month stage depending on your child and their development.

At this stage at least, most parents are starting some basic discipline with their children, so you may be able to register some successes. An iPad starts to work as a distraction, in short intervals. And of course, children are able to start coloring or doing some other non-electronic activities to pass the time.

2-3 Years Old

This stage is when many parents begin to see a true light at the end of the tunnel much of the time. At around 2 years old, both of our kids finally started developing more sustained attention spans. We found we could could begin to rely on electronic assistance like an iPad to give us a bit of a break on long flights. Hopefully, your methods of discipline will also begin to be more effective at this age, so your toddler will begin following instructions like staying seated on command (usually).

Two words of warning about this stage. One important consideration will be potty training — you won’t be able to take your child to the bathroom at all times when flying. Toddlers who are just learning can rarely wait as long as a taxi and takeoff when they have to go. I recommend avoiding starting training if you are going on a flight soon afterwards. We waited until our children were fully trained on land for about 4 weeks before braving a trip in the air. And we traveled with a spare Pull-Up in our carry on bags for over a year after each child was potty trained for emergencies.

The other warning about this stage is when your child is very tired. A three year old throwing a tantrum can certainly be harder to control than an 18 month old. In fact, my friend The Deal Mommy contends that three is the worst age to fly because the meltdowns can be that much more epic and the child is much bigger. And while I agree to a point, I find that having more infrequent meltdowns made this age much easier for me. As always, your miles may vary.

3-4 Years Old

In comparison to the three years before, flying starts to get a lot easier at this stage. As preschoolers, my kids would sit still and watch a whole movie, gab with the flight attendants, and show concern for (and often entertain) younger children in the cabin when they were fussy and tired. Meltdowns on long trips with a lot of time zone changes can still happen, but thankfully they occur much less often.

I highly recommend still being prepared with all sorts of distractions like snacks, games, and a few downloaded movies and shows. But I found that this stage was the first time that I often didn’t need all the supplies I’d brought along.

4-5 Years Old

Travel with kids just keeps getting easier as you enter the older preschooler/kindergartener phase. The structure of a year or two in more formal schooling usually helps many kids understand the importance of listening to grown ups and following rules.

The only major issue that I’ve personally had with this age and stage is inadvertent seat kicking. Little kids of this age have legs that seem to be just the right length to bump up against the seat in front of them while being too short to bend at the seat’s edge. Watch for this and encourage your child to sit cross-legged if this is an issue.

6+ Years Old

Home free! Once kids are in elementary school, the vast majority of them will be excellent flyers, especially if you travel regularly like my family has. Most will love TV and movies enough to be entertained for hours with an tablet or in-flight entertainment system (limits on screen time don’t apply, in my opinion, on planes!). And being able to read and entertain themselves the old-fashioned way is great too.

My older child is now 12 and my younger child just turned 8. Although we didn’t fly from March 2020-June 2021, we’ve been back in the friendly skies a lot in recent months. Both of the kids are truly now travel pros and fantastic travel companions, even when we had an epic 3 day travel delay during our most recent summer travels.

Even in the years before that when our son was younger, I found how much my daughter helped with her little brother during his more challenging stages. She always carried her own bags (and sometimes a few of ours) on our many adventures. Of course, we have the teen years and the new travel challenges those bring to look forward to next!

Have you flown with kids? What was your experience with what were the best and worst ages?

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Leanne Strong

Saturday 22nd of July 2023

As someone who flew often as a child, I will say that there really is no perfect age to fly with your kids. Each age range has its pros and cons for air travel.

Monday 11th of April 2022

My daughter is 9months old. I don’t anticipate travelling anywhere with her until she is at least 6+ years old. It’s just not practical or feasible.

But I’m ok with that 😌

Tuesday 30th of November 2021

Thanks for the tips! We're planning on the longer new year trip and Dan is going to be 20mo at the time. We've had one plane-adventure but it was at 6 mo and it was a quick flight - went smoothly. But now it's gonna take few hours. We're after sleep training (well done Susan Urban!) - that's a plus. But on the other hand we're trying not to use the ipad or cartoons on regular basis... I guess I have to figure out a long list of activities...

Thursday 7th of January 2021

Can I fly a Ethiopia n airplane when am 8 year old

Denise Espinal

Saturday 28th of November 2020

Bahahha I love this reply!

11 Tips to Make Flying With a Toddler Go More Smoothly

Fact-checking standards, latest update:, time your flight plans wisely, book a nonstop flight when you can, read this next, choose your seats carefully, get to the airport early, plan for the security line, think twice before boarding early, consider the flight attendants your allies, pack plenty of toys and snacks to keep your toddler occupied, pack extra supplies in your carry-on, ease ear pain, childproof your bags.

Keep in mind that traveling to and from your destination is a small portion of your trip. Soon enough, you’ll be spending time together as a family making memories, and it’ll all be worth it. 

What to Expect the Second Year , Heidi Murkoff. WhatToExpect.com,  Baby Products You Can Take on a Plane , September 2020. WhatToExpect.com, Should You Bring Your Child’s Car Seat on an Airplane ? August 2021. WhatToExpect.com, What to Pack When Traveling With Baby , November 2021. WhatToExpect.com, Do Babies Need Passports? , October 2021. WhatToExpect.com, Best Travel Toys for Babies , February 2021. American Academy of Pediatrics, Is It Safe for Families to Travel Now? , August 2021. American Academy of Pediatrics,  Flying with Baby: Parent FAQs , November 2019. American Academy of Pediatrics,  Travel Safety Tips , August 2018.  Federal Aviation Administration,  Flying with Children , March 2021. Transportation Security Administration,  Traveling with Children . Up & Away, Safe Medicine Storage for Travel .

Go to Your Toddler's Month

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11 Essential Tips For Flying With A Toddler

Everything a parent needs to know to make that flight a whole lot less hellish.

Flying with a toddler presents an entirely different set of challenges than flying with a baby . And it’s due mostly to mobility. Toddlers don’t like to sit still. They’re also more headstrong, prone to meltdowns, and have fleeting attention spans. But the stress of traveling with a toddler doesn’t have to end with your forsaking air travel until they’re teenagers. It just takes some proper planning, smart packing , and a little mental preparation.

For the latest guidance on traveling with babies and young children during COVID, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website .

To help, Fatherly compiled top tips for flying with a toddler. Here’s what we recommend:

1. Get To The Airport Early

When it comes to flying with kids, some argue against arriving at the airport too early because it means entertaining them for a longer stretch of time outside the comforts of home. The simple fact remains, though: airport stress is dictated by your departure time. And the less time you give yourself to go from the parking garage to the gate ⏤ especially with a toddler in tow ⏤ the more stress you will create. Traveling with a toddler, especially when they’re walking, takes significantly more time than traveling on your own. Arriving 90 minutes to two hours before your flight ensures no matter how long the check-in or TSA lines are, or how slowly they’re moving, you’ll never have to sweat missing your flight. Even better, it gives you a chance to regroup ⏤ order lunch, feed the kid, buy a book you won’t be able to read ⏤ when you get inside the terminal.

2. Split Up When You Board

While all airlines allow parents with children to board first, it’s not always the smartest move. Remember, it usually takes a half-hour for everybody else to board and the plane to start moving ⏤ that’s a lot of time stuck in your seat with a restless 3-year-old. The better strategy is to have one parent board the flight early to stow the carry-ons, gate-check the stroller/car seat, and, if you’re concerned about germs, disinfect the armrests and tray tables. Meanwhile, the other parent walks/entertains the kid in the terminal until everybody is on board, and then boards last.

3. If They’re Still Under 2, Consider Buying Them A Seat

Obviously, this decision depends on one’s finances, but if you’ve got the money to buy an extra seat ⏤ book it. Being able to give a toddler their own space, rather than bouncing them on your lap for three hours, is a game-changer. There’s a reason some parents oppose the idea of “Lap Toddlers” so much ⏤ sure it’s cheaper, but man can it be a nightmare if they won’t sit still.

Two other things: First, if you do purchase a separate seat but don’t elect to bring the car seat on board, consider a CARES harness if you’re concerned about safety. Designed for kids one and up who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds, the FAA-approved harness is both easy to set up and throw in your carry-on bag. And second, if the child is approaching that 2-year-old cutoff but still flying as an infant in arms, don’t forget to bring a copy of their birth certificate or other proof of age. You never know when you might run into a gate agent who’s convinced your giant kid is really 3-years-old, and you’re trying to steal a free flight.

4. Book A Window And An Aisle Seat

If you do go with the lap option, book the aisle and window seats and leave the middle one open. As middle seats are the last to be filled, this increases your odds of scoring your toddler a seat without paying. Worst case scenario, if somebody is sitting there, you can simply offer to trade them the more desirable window seat. Whatever you do, though, don’t give up that aisle seat. You’re going to want easy access to the bathroom and the ability to walk around with your kid.

5. Don’t Fly Too Late In The Day

Ever hung out with a 2-year-old at 5 p.m. on an afternoon when they didn’t get a nap? It’s not a pleasant experience. It may not always work, and your kid may be too distracted to sleep regardless of what time you take off, but booking flights that coincide with their nap schedule at least give you better odds for a smoother trip. Or, if you can’t fly when they usually sleep, try to plan the trip during periods of the day when you know they’re happiest ⏤ for a lot of kids, that’s in the morning. If you do choose a late-day flight, do your best to make sure they get a nap before heading to the airport.

6. Gift Wrap Cheap Toys

Obviously, you don’t want to bring an entire toy box but your main objective while flying with a toddler is to keep them occupied. And the more games, toys, or books you bring along, the easier your job will be. We’ve had great luck with the Water Wow! coloring books , Melissa & Dave’s Reusable Sticker Books, and wax Wikki Sticks, but every kid has their favorites. In addition to toys they already know and love, take a trip to the dollar store before your flight and stock up on cheap stuff you don’t mind losing or accidentally leaving on the plane. And then wrap them individually in wrapping paper like it was Christmas Eve. Whenever your child gets restless during the flight, break out a new toy and help them unwrap it. Let them play with the paper, then the actual toy, and when the child tires of both, well, there’s always Cheerios.

7. Kiss Screen-Time Restrictions (Temporarily) Goodbye

No matter how opposed you are to screen time under normal circumstances, flying is not the time to stick to your principles. It’s not. I’ve tried, and it was awful. That doesn’t mean you have to hand your 18-month-old an iPad loaded with every season of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood as soon as the flight takes off, but some screen time can come in handy when attention spans start to wane. A few hours staring at a phone or tablet isn’t going to permanently damage your kid’s brain. Depending on how long the flight, be sure to download a movie or two, episodes of their favorite television shows, and some digital kid’s books before you leave the house ⏤ just in case you don’t have access to the internet on the flight. And, more importantly, for everybody’s sake: Buy a trusted pair of child headphones and test them out before you go.

8. Download Audio Books

Even better than apps, movies, or TV shows, download their favorite books in audio form. That way their minds stay engaged but they aren’t mesmerized by a screen the entire time. You can get everything from Fancy Nancy and Curious George to Pinkalicious & Peterrific and Cat in the Hat on Amazon’s Audible or from the local library using the OverDrive or Libby App.

9. Use Food As An Activity

For toddlers, eating food on a plane can be an all-consuming activity on par with watching Paw Patrol . If your kid is tired of listening to books or playing games, break out the crackers and let them concentrate on eating for a bit. Will Gold Fish get everywhere? Maybe. But it beats a bored toddler melting down and a section full of angry passengers. Bagels are one of the best in-flight foods for toddlers because it takes them forever to finish one. We often bring an entire bag.

Two other things to remember: Toddler’s ears can pop just as much as a baby’s, so snacks during takeoff and landing are helpful. And second, don’t forget that liquids and pouches still have to comply with TSA’s three-ounce regulations. We’ve thrown away many a good container of yogurt after forgetting it was too big to get through security.

10. Play Games, Lots of Games

A lot of parents are so quick to plug their kids in that they neglect to take advantage of their surroundings for entertainment. From flight attendants and carry-on luggage to cartoon safety cards and tiny plastic airline wings, airplanes are packed with stimuli around which to create games and keep kids occupied. A couple of fun games include “I Spy When I Fly” and “No Vacancy,” in which older toddlers keep their eyes on the bathrooms and try to guess which will be vacant first. Here are a few more airplane games, as well as fun airport games to keep kids entertained in the terminal before you ever even board the plane.

11. Have A Plan Of Attack: Food, Books, Toys, iPad…

No matter what you pack for entertainment, have a plan coming in ⏤ and expect to vary activities pretty quickly. Maybe start with a snack at takeoff before moving on to some games, a little reading, and unwrapping a new toy. Keep your powder dry though when it comes to the tablet or phone. Because you know it will almost instantly quiet any ornery toddler, you’d be well advised to resist breaking it out until mid-flight, after exhausting as many other activities as can hold their attention.

This article was originally published on Aug. 30, 2018

15 Tips For Flying With A 2-Year-Old

We independently research our recommended products. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our links .

Just the thought of flying with a toddler seems to strike fear into the hearts of many parents. And to be fair, it can be challenging.

Flying with a 2-year-old presents a different set of challenges than flying with a baby. And that’s because toddlers don’t sit still! They’re energetic, headstrong, have fleeting attention spans and are prone to meltdowns. They can make any parent cry.

But flying with a toddler doesn’t have to end with you crying and abandoning flights until they are much   older. All it takes is some proper preparation and planning, clever packing, and  heaps  of snacks and toys!

Whether you’re flying solo or with a partner, caring for two toddlers or just one, these flying with a toddler tips will help prepare you and make air travel with your little one a smooth process.

7. Pack extra essentials

15. be patient with your little one and yourself, what is the best time of day to fly with a toddler, our thoughts on flying with a 2-year-old, flying with a toddler: booking and other preparations, 1. snacks, snacks, and more snacks.

This is definitely the most important item on your flying with a toddler checklist… snacks.

Whether you’re taking a short or long flight, make sure to pack lots and lots of snacks for the flight. For toddlers, snacking on a flight can be an all-consuming activity on par with watching  Peppa Pig  or  Paw Patrol.

So, if you want to keep your little one quiet and occupied, break out the snacks. Will there be crumbs and sticky fingers? Maybe. But it definitely beats a bored toddler having a tantrum and a row of annoyed sighing passengers.

Top tip: bring double the amount you think they’ll actually want. Even just an hour’s delay can put pressure on the snack bag!

2. Consider how and when they are going to sleep

Getting your toddler to fall asleep on a flight can be a challenge at the most inconvenient times, so consider the timing of your flight.

If you’re taking a short flight, try to book a flight around the same time as your little one’s nap time. For a long-haul flight, consider an overnight flight. Your little one will understand that it’s bedtime and quickly (hopefully!) nod off in no time.

3. Choose your seats wisely

If you have a particularly active toddler, you might consider booking an aisle seat for one of you. This will make it easier for you to get up should the time call for it without disturbing other passengers.

A window seat is great for keeping them occupied and fascinated. In an ideal world, you’d end up with the entire row to yourselves or an extra seat, but don’t bet on it.

4. Toddler car seats can work wonders for keeping them still

As a parent of a toddler, you’re probably well aware that they’re notoriously energetic. Many rarely cooperate by sitting in a plane seat for an extended period of time. But if provided a familiar seating arrangement, they can quickly calm down and sit comfortably for a while.

Consider bringing your own toddler car seat on board . Not only is it safer for your child, but it also helps you out! Having a toddler on your lap can be draining, especially for long-haul flights, so buckle them up in their own car seat with a seat belt.

5. Some airlines are better for families than others

Flying with a toddler is tough, and you want to ensure your airline accommodates all the stresses that come with it. There are some great family-friendly airlines with flight attendants that are primed and ready to help you out if you need it!

Some airlines provide activities for children, while others don’t. Do your research before booking and find out if your airline has toddler play packs, priority boarding or any other family perks.

6. Make sure you have all the documents needed to board

Before setting off on your adventure, make sure you have all the documents needed to travel. If you’re flying solely within the UK, including Northern Ireland, you do not need a passport, but you do need photographic identification or your toddler’s birth certificate. A passport is required if you fly internationally.

It never hurts to pack a little extra. A clean toddler means a happy toddler and a happy parent. So pack an extra nappy or two if needed, at least one change of clothing for your little one, an extra shirt for yourself in case of spills, and most importantly, plenty of wipes and sanitiser.

Navigating the Airport and Flying With Your Toddler

8. take a travel buggy.

Making your way through the airport can be chaotic. They’re huge and you have to navigate dodging people and their luggage. In a scenario such as this, toddlers can quickly become overwhelmed and want to be carried.

Carrying your little one and all your luggage while making your way through the airport can get tiring quickly, so save yourself the hassle and take a travel buggy or carrier with you.

9. Visit the toilet before you board

Nothing says stress like your toddler asking to “go wee wee” while you’re midway through the boarding queue, or worse, midway through take-off. So be sure to visit the airport bathroom one last time before boarding.

10. Tips for getting through airport security and boarding

Getting through airport security with a toddler can set your journey off to a bad start if not done strategically. Your little one won’t have the patience to stand in long queues as you do, so consider giving them a snack to munch on or a toy to play with while you wait.

There’s no need to sit on the plane longer than necessary. If you’re flying with your partner, consider letting them go ahead to find your seats and store away your carry-on luggage.

Once everyone else is on board, then you can board without the hassle of squeezing between other passengers and getting your little one in their seat.

11. Tire your toddler out before boarding

A great strategy for lowering your little one’s activity level while on a plane is to squeeze in a bit of exercise before the flight. While your partner goes off to grab your seats and store away your luggage, walk around the airport or play a few games.

The more time spent keeping your little one in motion and busy, the more ready they’ll be to sleep — or at least sit still — on the plane.

Some airports and lounges actually have soft plays and activity areas where your 2-year old can burn off some steam. We just discovered the soft play at Heathrow T5!

12. A travel tray can make the journey much more fun

In some cases, the aeroplane’s tray table may be too high for toddlers, making activities difficult and potentially leading to your little one throwing a wobbly.

A travel tray is a great toddler-occupying item to bring on board. Many come with a host of compartments for storing toys and activity items and a range of features for your little one to enjoy.

13. Have an activity bag and a few toys ready to go

Having the right travel toys for your toddler on a flight can be the difference between a happily entertained kiddo or an hour-long tantrum with a plane full of new enemies.

While you don’t want to bring an entire toy box on board — desperate times call for desperate measures — your main objective while flying with a toddler is to keep them entertained and occupied.

The more games, toys, or books you bring on board, the easier this job will be. Some great toys and activities for your toddler are soft books, magnetic puzzles, sticker activity books, play dough, and a drawing board set. These are great because they’re quiet, compact, and lightweight.

14. Screen time can be a lifesaver!

No matter how opposed you are to screen time under normal circumstances, when it comes to flying with a toddler, all bets are off!

Your little one will eventually tire from colouring in or playing with stickers. Screen time is a blessing for keeping your toddler entertained and occupied.

But this doesn’t mean you need to shove  Paw Patrol  in their face as soon as you board. Rather, use screen time as a backup or mid-flight entertainment on a long flight.

The truth is, your little one will probably cry or at least have a few miserable moments. And if things don’t run as smoothly as you would like, just remember that you’re trying your best!

You may be thrown a curveball like your flight being delayed or your toddler flat out refusing to calm down or sit still throughout the entire time you’re in the air. Just keep in mind that it will all pass.

FAQs: Flying With A 2 Year Old

If you are flying with slightly older (or slightly younger!) kids, be sure to check out our companion guides:

• Flying with a 1-year-old
• Flying with a 3 year-old

Does a 2-year-old need a separate seat on an aeroplane?

Once your little one reaches their second birthday, they will be considered a child and will need to travel in their own seat. You’ll need to book them as a ‘Child’ and pay the child fare.

Can a toddler lie down on a flight?

While the safest option always is to buckle your little one in their car seat, there are other options are available to help your toddler sleep comfortably, especially on longer flights.

Options include a sleeper seat or inflatable seat extension. Some international airlines will let you book an entire row for you and your little one to lie down on for an added fee.

Some will also let you bring your own inflatable, individual seat extension for your toddler to lie down on. But these are relatively new and not all airlines permit them, so always check ahead of time.

Do toddlers need ear muffs flying?

Two things that always kick-start a crying fit for a baby or toddler on a flight are noise levels and air pressure changes. Consider giving your little one earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to help protect their ears during take-off and landing. Snacking or sucking on a dummy can also help relieve the pressure.

Can I take milk on a plane for my toddler?

While there are strict regulations about liquids on flights, you are allowed to bring breast milk, formula, baby food, and water in your carry-on bag for the journey.

Can you fly with a car seat or travel buggy?

Car seats and travel buggies can be checked in just like any other item at no charge with most airlines. However, some airlines may require your travel buggy to be placed in the hold. If your buggy is small enough, it can be transported as cabin luggage.

Always check your airline’s size and weight restrictions for carry-on baggage beforehand.

If you’re flying long haul, night flights work best for toddlers because they have a higher success rate of getting your little one to fall asleep.

But if you’re flying shorter distances, there’s no right answer. Some think that the best time to fly is in the afternoon, closer to the time your little one typically has their nap, whereas other people prefer flying in the morning when they’re not as tired and perhaps better able to cope with all the new experiences.

Flying with a 2-year old is no walk in the park , but it’s not as scary or difficult as it may seem. Sure, your toddler may give you extra sass while flying, and you’ll most likely get a few loud sighs from fellow passengers, but flying with a toddler is not unsurvivable.

As long as you’ve done some clever preparation and are equipped with an arsenal of entertainment, you and your little one will be just fine!

And if all else fails, just remember that flights are temporary and the best travel memories you’ll make are when you touch down at your destination.

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Sarah Blackwell

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The Ultimate Packing List for Flying With Kids

From activity books to wipes galore, everything you need for your next flight with kids.

Alesandra Dubin is an LA-based lifestyle writer and editor. As a veteran digital journalist, she's covered travel, food, parenting, and more for over 15 years. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy, and countless other online and print outlets. An avid traveler, she often trots the globe with her husband and their twins. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @alicedubin. Alesandra holds a master's degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley.

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Travel + Leisure / Reese Herrington

The trick to flying with young kids? Careful preparation. Our writer has traveled the world with twins, and she knows that flying with children can be miserable if you don't bring the right items on board with you. But with the right tools, a flight with your youngsters is not just feasible but can even be fun. We've rounded up all the supplies you’ll need for feeding, cleaning, soothing, and entertaining little ones — plus transporting all that cargo. So use this guide to prepare properly for your next family flight .

Packing Checklist for Flying With Kids

We've broken down all categories of things you’ll need to pack when flying with children and included the exact items we’d recommend.

Read more about our specific recommendations below and start your own checklist, too.

Entertainment 

• Best Tablet: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet
• Best Headphones: Puro Sound Labs BT2200s Kids’ Bluetooth Headphones
• Best Tech Stand: Airglo Cell Phone and Tablet Holder
• Best Coloring Book: Unicorn Imagine Ink Magic Ink Book
• Best Book: "Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey"
• Best Activity Book: On the Plane Activity Book
• Best Craft: Purple Ladybug Wax Craft Sticks
• Best Game: Magnetic Travel Games
• Best Set: Mini Voyager 4-7 Jetsetter Travel Kit
• Best Sound Machine: Frida Baby Portable 2-in-1 Sound Machine
• Best Pillow and Blanket: Roamwild Kids Travel Pillow and Travel Blanket Set
• Best Portable Bed: Flyaway Kids Bed

Food and Drink

• Best Reusable Water Bottle: Yeti 12-ounce Kids Water Bottle
• Best Lollipops: Ring Pops (20 Count)
• Best Snacks: Healthy Snacks Variety Pack
• Best Snack Activity: Fred Match Up Memory Snack Tray
• Best Changing Pad: SkipHop Portable Baby Changing Pad
• Best Multi-purpose Wipes: Hello Bello Unscented Baby Wipes
• Best Face Wipes: Baby Wipes by Boogie Wipes
• Best Surface Wipes: Lysol Disinfecting Surface Wipes
• Best Hand Sanitizer: Kinia 8-pack Hand Sanitizer Holders
• Best Diaper Bag: Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Backpack
• Best Crossbody Bag: Kibou Vegan Leather Fanny Pack Diaper Bag
• Best Kids Backpack: Herschel Backpack Kids 9L
• Best Wheeled Backpack: Jansport Driver 8 Backpack
• Best Carry-on Suitcase: Rockland London Hardside 20-inch Spinner
• Best Ride-on Suitcase: Jetkids by Stokke Bedbox 19-inch Ride-on Carry-on

Accessories

• Best Luggage Trackers: Apple AirTags
• Best First Aid Kit: PreparaKit Take Along First-aid Kit
• Best Storage Bags: Hefty Slider Storage Bags

T+L's Top Picks and Tips

Entertaining kids is absolutely critical to keeping the peace on any flight. For babies and younger kids, one rule of thumb is to think of entertainment in 15-minute increments; bring enough options to rotate activities often. For older or generally tech-minded kids? Well, the magic power of screens sure comes in handy.

Best Tablet

Amazon fire hd 10 kids edition.

Why We Love It: This tablet has plenty of storage space and comes in a virtually indestructible case.

What to Consider: This isn’t as full-featured as, say, an iPad, so kids will outgrow it eventually.

Tablets are great for long-stretch occupation — just be sure to download your child's favorite shows and movies ahead of time rather than relying on airplane wifi to stream. Amazon’s Fire for kids simpler and less expensive than standard adult versions, and it comes with an indestructible, kid-friendly case with a stand. The Fire HD 10 also includes a two-year guarantee and a yearlong subscription to Amazon Kids+. We find this to be a great investment to keep children from ages 3 to 5 occupied.

Best Headphones

Puro sound labs bt2200s volume limited kids headphones.

Why We Love It: These Bluetooth headphones have a safe maximum volume for kids.

What to Consider: They are pricier than some alternative kids' headphones.

In the same way that you’ll likely lean hard on that tablet to keep kids occupied, you'll depend on quality kids' headphones to go with it. This compact but powerful pair is made to protect early hearing damage by following the World Health Organization’s recommendation of an 85dB-limited volume range. The Bluetooth capability has a 30-foot range of movement so the child can feel free to move about the cabin, too.The lightweight, durable headphones come in nine fun colors.

Best Tech Stand

Airglo airplane travel essentials.

Why We Love It: This universal tech holder is a great hands-free solution for use in planes, cars, and more.

What to Consider: It might not be the most secure stand for larger phones or tablets.

This nifty gadget is the brainchild of a flight attendant who saw a need for a phone stand that would allow passengers to watch movies and TV shows on long flights. Now kids can also watch on your devices hands-free with this tool that fits any brand’s gadgets. It folds fairly flat when not in use, and this lightweight stand could also be repurposed to hang a bag on a chair or tray table.

Best Coloring Book

Bendon unicorn imagine ink magic ink book.

Why We Love It: This compact book is small, self-contained, and mess-free.

What to Consider: The cover is slightly misleading: This book isn’t actually full of unicorn themes.

These invisible ink activity books are self-contained — no crayon collection to roll under plane seats — and guaranteed mess-free. Kids just use the Imagine Ink marker to stay busy with 16 pages of games, all in a portable-size book just right for tossing in a travel bag. We've found invisible ink books particularly effective for children aged 3 to 6.

Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey Paperback

Why We Love It: This book is challenging for kids of all ages (including pre-readers) and delivers on a healthy dose of nostalgia for parents as well.

What to Consider: A book will never be as tempting as a tablet for tech-addled kids.

Books that challenge little ones keep them entertained. And Where’s Waldo does just that — even for kids who aren’t reading yet. The paperback book is not only small and lightweight for travel, but its journey motif fits in nicely with vacation adventures, too.

Best Activity Book

On the plane activity book.

Why We Love It: This lightweight book gets kids excited about their flight, with plane-themed games and activities.

What to Consider: You’ll need to bring and keep track of your own coloring implements.

Engage kids in the excitement of travel with this activity book that has an airplane journey theme. Think: spot the identical pilots on their way through the airport, true-or-false airplane and flying facts, and more. Just pack a pencil (or probably two).

Purple Ladybug Wax Craft Sticks for Kids

Why We Love It: This generously stocked wax stick kit has plenty of sticks to share between or among siblings.

What to Consider: You'll probably leave some sticks on the floor and in the seats.

This set of wax craft sticks will be a novelty for most kids, and waxy sticks won’t roll away as easily as crayons or markers. This kit comes with 300 sticks in 15 colors and two different lengths, plenty for multiple siblings to have a go. Kids can endlessly shape and reshape them with no noise and no mess.

The Purple Cow Magnetic Animal Homes Matching Puzzle

Why We Love It: Magnetic pieces keep this tin game set together for play on the go.

What to Consider: Pieces are only magnetic on one side.

Nothing’s more frustrating than trying to travel with a game that’s rendered immediately useless after some essential piece slides irretrievably under an airplane or car seat. This compact game set provides a frustration-free alternative with magnets that keep everything together. We recommend it for children over 2.

Mini Voyager 4-7y Jetsetter Travel Kit

Mini Voyage

Why We Love It: This kit combines a customized array of kids entertainment items into one grab-and-go bundle.

What to Consider: You may save money by finding and buying all of these items separately (if you have the time and inclination).

If creating a DIY bag of entertainment ideas for every flight seems like a lot of work, buy this kit, which compiles it all for you in one convenient bundle. Choose from multiple items to build your own customized pack based on your kid’s interests and ages, including stickers, books, toys, and games.

When kids don’t get adequate rest, the whole thing goes off the rails in a hurry — for everyone. In addition to comfy clothes and layers, these packable items help keep children warm, soothed, and rested on the plane.

Best Sound Machine

Fridababy 2-in-1 portable sound machine.

Why We Love It: This portable sound machine also has a nightlight, and it hooks onto a tray table hinge or arm rest.

What to Consider: It can be hard to differentiate the buttons in the dark.

This little machine produces five soothing sounds for kids, including shushing and a heartbeat. It has an adjustable strap, so you can hook it onto an arm rest or or tray table hinge, or a car seat or stroller once off the plane. During your flight, just but be mindful of using anything beyond pink noise in flight out of respect to your fellow passengers. Conveniently, it also has a nightlight with three glow levels which could help you locate items in a dimmed cabin, too.

Best Pillow and Blanket

Roamwild kids travel pillow.

Why We Love It: This cute and cuddly set is a pillow, blanket, and toy all in one.

What to Consider: While the sleeve-style cover adds comfort to an armrest, it’s still an armrest — so it may be too firm for some kids’ tastes.

A travel pillow and blanket are always useful tools in keeping children cozy for long flights. This one has a niche feature: After you remove the blanket, the sleeve-style toy slides over any armrest to transform it into a kids’ pillow. So, it’s a penguin toy, a comfy pillow, and a warm blanket, all in one cute and compact package.

Best Portable Bed

Flyaway kids bed.

Why We Love It: Not just a place to sleep, this comfy surface also keeps toys and accessories from rolling onto the floor.

What to Consider: You’ll be happy to have it on the plane, but then you’ll be committed to traveling with it for the duration of your trip.

When kids are overtired, everyone loses. And a tool like this can be just the ticket for helping them sleep on long flights. The bed for babies, toddlers, and little kids inflates in 90 seconds and deflates quickly, too. It comes in a carry bag with a pump included, and it can be wiped clean.

When it comes to traveling with kids, you’ll always need more snacks than you think. Think you’ve packed enough? Great, now double it. And don’t forget a refillable water bottle to kep your kiddo hydrated.

Best Reusable Water Bottle

Yeti rambler jr. kids bottle.

Why We Love It: This water bottle is impressively leakproof and made to withstand a beating.

What to Consider: The bottle itself is heavy, especially compared to its relatively small 12-ounce payload.

Staying hydrated with kids while traveling is a must, and this water bottle means business. The Yeti is durable, spill proof, and double-wall insulated to keep drinks cold (or warm) for hours. Plus, a straw cap makes it easy for kids to sip on the go.

Best Lollipops

Ring pop individually wrapped bulk lollipop variety party pack.

Why We Love It: It acts as both a snack and a bribe — er, reward , that is — and can help reduce ear discomfort on planes.

What to Consider: Nope, there’s no nutritional value here!

Lollipops and their ilk are a multifunction tool for traveling with kids: It’s a snack! It’s a reward! It keeps them busy! And the act of swallowing while sucking on them can also ease ear pressure on takeoff and landing. Even better, Ring Pops are a smart, toy-like alternative to stick lollies for hands-free holding.

Best Snacks

Stuff your sack healthy snacks variety pack organic care package.

Why We Love It: This variety pack includes 18 different flavors to keep kids interested.

What to Consider: The packaged snacks may be organic, but they are still processed food.

Having kids means having snacks handy at all times; traveling makes it all the more necessary to keep kids fed and comfortable to combat whining. This variety pack includes 25 organic packaged snacks from 19 different brands; 18 different flavors keep them intrigued as little surprises unfold throughout a long journey.

Best Snack Activity

Fred match up memory snack tray.

Why We Love It: Dispensing snacks this way keeps the experience fun for kids — and prolongs the process to keep them busy, too.

What to Consider: Make sure your child is able to push buttons.

Snacks serve two important functions: nutrition and amusement. For that reason, try to prolong these food breaks as a way to keep kids busy and amused. Try putting different snacks into this fun tray with compartments; it’s fun for littles to discover treats behind each door, and it adds time to the whole process. For slightly older toddlers and children, you can make a memory game out of it.

Keeping kids clean — and cleaning up after them — has long been a top concern among traveling parents. A global pandemic only underscored the importance of traveling with wipes and sanitizer.

Best Changing Pad

Skip hop pronto changing station.

Why We Love It: When you travel with your own changing pad, you’re guaranteed a non-public surface no matter where you are.

What to Consider: A separate changing pad may not be necessary if you have a diaper bag that comes with one.

Change a diaper on the go without fear of exposing baby to gross, public surfaces. This changing pad takes the form of a clutch, with a large mesh pocket that holds four diapers and accessories, plus a translucent wipes case. A front zipper pocket holds essentials like keys and cash. Drop it in any bag, or clip it on a travel stroller or luggage handle instead.

Best Multi-purpose Wipes

Hello bello unscented baby wipes.

Why We Love It: You can use these extra-soft baby wipes on just about everything.

What to Consider: These full-size packs aren’t tiny.

Is there nothing a baby wipe can't do? From diaper changes to on-the-go hand cleaning to wiping up half-eaten miscellany, traveling with baby wipes is a must. These are super soft with aloe and chamomile extract — and no alcohol, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, or parabens.

Best Face Wipes

Boogie wipes.

Why We Love It: These hypoallergenic, ultra-soft saline wipes are great for cleaning snotty faces and even clearing airways.

What to Consider: If you don’t want to pack a bag full of different wipe options, this specialty product might be the first to go.

With kids, runny noses are just about guaranteed for chunks of the year, and they're even more likely when you add in the fatigue and exposure from traveling. These hypoallergenic and alcohol-free cloths are designed expressly for nose-wiping, with gentle saline, vitamin E, aloe, and chamomile to soothe sensitive skin.

Best Surface Wipes

Lysol disinfecting wipes to-go pack.

Why We Love It: You’ll find tons of uses for this travel-sized package of wipes when traveling through public spaces with (or without) kids.

What to Consider: These are ideal for surfaces, but they are not for use on kids’ faces.

These germ-busting wipes are ideal for cleaning nonporous surfaces like a tray tables or seatback entertainment screens, and they're a must for both safety and peace of mind when traveling with littles known to touch everything.

Best Hand Sanitizer

Kinia 8 pack empty mixed kids hand sanitizer.

Why We Love It: These cute and colorful hand sanitizer holders keep gel easy to access for frequent cleanups.

What to Consider: Be advised these containers come empty, so you’ll need to fill with your favorite brand.

In addition to wipes, hand sanitizer is a must for quick cleaning on the go. Keep your gel handy by filling these colorful jelly wrap silicone carriers. The 1-ounce, flip-top-cap bottles attach with adjustable silicone cords to backpacks, diaper bags, and just about anywhere else.

Depending on kids’ ages and sizes, they may be candidates to tote their own cargo. Backpacks, rolling bags, and even ride-on options help keep the process moving smoothly. Adults, on the other hand, can benefit from bags that keep hands free in case they need to carry tired children or hold little hands along the way.

Best Diaper Bag

Dagne dover indi diaper backpack.

Why We Love It: This bag is sleek, chic, and unisex, and it delivers on functionality with tons of specialized compartments.

What to Consider: It's spacious and deep, so smaller items can be hard to spot in a hurry (and when are you not in a hurry when traveling with kids?).

Traveling with kids means prioritizing performance in a diaper bag ; we're huge fans of Dagne Dover because the brand fuses functionality with style so well. Done in chic, 100-percent vegan neoprene, this backpack-style diaper bag also clips to a stroller upon arrival. It includes a mini changing mat and extra pouches, with an extra zipper opening for easy access to wipes.

Best Crossbody Bag

Kibou diaper bag.

Why We Love It: This crossbody doubles as a compact diaper bag for hands-free convenience.

What to Consider: A diaper bag this small obviously isn’t a feasible option for longer outings or multiple babies, so consider your usage.

This vegan-leather waist pack, which extends into a crossbody, is a great choice for traveling through airports and wearing on the plane. The ultra-compact diaper bag has tons of features so you can travel hands free: A built-in waterproof pocket holds 20 wipes wet for up to a week, a detachable changing pad unfolds from the back flap, a hook holds a pacifier or key, slots secure credit cards or cash, and the nylon lining is wipeable and stain resistant. It's even possible to use this as a regular bag once your little ones are out of diapers, too.

Best Kids Backpack

Herschel heritage backpack | kids.

Why We Love It: Encouraging kids to carry their own backpack builds independence while keeping the family’s cargo moving.

What to Consider: This kid-size version is best for ages 3 to 7; move up to youth size for older kids.

Herschel has just the right size backpack for children preschool age and up to carry their own gear — both to help out the family and to develop a bit of self reliance. This kid-proportioned version is just 13 inches high and has a removable sternum support strap. The next size up is right for youths ages 8 to 12 and, at 15 inches high, it also features a 13-inch laptop or tablet sleeve.

Best Wheeled Backpack

Jansport driver 8 core series wheeled backpack.

Why We Love It: A rolling backpack keeps the weight off kids’ backs and holds a solid amount of cargo.

What to Consider: This well-equipped pack is substantially sized and a better bet for grade school ages and up.

This 21-inch rolling backpack is packed with features for bigger kids. It has two spacious main compartments plus skate wheels and a telescoping handle for a smooth ride. An exterior mesh bottle pocket stretches to fit large bottles, and a 15-inch laptop sleeve has a buckle to keep technology extra secure. It comes in an array of solid colors and appealing prints, and you can easily tuck away the shoulder straps when not in use.

Best Kids' Carry-on Suitcase

Rockland london hardside spinner wheel luggage carry-on.

Why We Love It: Kids can grow with this 20-inch spinner, small enough to manage but large enough to hold proper cargo.

What to Consider: A 20-inch spinner will be too large for preschoolers to easily maneuver.

When it comes to kids’ roller bags, we advocate for choosing a piece small enough for them to manage but large enough to hold a meaningful amount of cargo. To be worthwhile, it must be an efficient use of hands and bin space, not just a character-shaped gimmick that holds very little. Our writer's twins have these durable hardside cases, which they’ve carried independently since age 6 (going on three years and many miles and still going!).

Best Ride-on Suitcase

​​stokke jetkids bedbox.

Why We Love It: This wheeled ride-on suitcase transforms into a leg rest or bed in flight.

What to Consider: Not all carriers permit the use of items like these as leg rests while in the air.

This ride-on rolling suitcase has hidden talents beyond scooting through the airport: It transforms into a leg rest, or an in-plane bed, to help keep kids comfy and rested during the flight, too. Bonus: It even includes two sheets of stickers for kids to personalize their own luggage.

It may seem overwhelming to keep track of all the things you need to bring, especially after you've left home. GPS trackers can be lifesavers for locating your items during the journey, and a small first aid kit and plastic slider bags prepare for just-in-case moments and help clean up mid-flight messes, too.

Best Luggage Tracker

Apple airtag 4-pack.

Why We Love It: Track your kids’ stuff — or even your kids themselves — amid hectic environments like airports.

What to Consider: These tiny trackers are made to interface with Apple devices only.

In crowded, chaotic environments — especially when the dependability of baggage handling could use improvement — a small GPS tracking device tucked into a bag can make all the difference in reuniting with it after, say, a kid blithely walks away from their belongings after being distracted by a candy display. You can also use these tags on children themselves, with an array of specialty wristbands, keychains, and necklaces designed to incorporate the tags for wearability.

Best First Aid Kit

Preparakit small compact first aid kit for kids.

Why We Love It: This well-stocked first aid kit covers the basics in a compact, highly portable package.

What to Consider: You can save money if you choose to compile your own kit with customized supplies.

This TSA-approved mini first aid kit contains all the essentials for babies and toddlers in a package just about the size of a wallet. The curated array of 50 items includes bandages, gauze, tape, scissors, thermometer strips, and more. There’s also additional room to add your own prescription or over-the-counter medication.

Best Storage Bags

Hefty slider storage bags.

Why We Love It: They have a stand-up bottom for convenience.

What to Consider: They're less durable than sturdier bags made for freezer storage,

There are so many uses for slider storage bags while flying with kids: Use them within backpacks to organize cables, toys, and snacks. Or, use them to separate wet or soiled items, and to collect trash tidily. Plus, they’re super lightweight and waterproof.

Prioritize new or special items

When it comes to keeping kids entertained during a long flight, they’re most likely to stay engaged when playing with something that is new to them. Now’s the time to choose new or rarely used games, books, toys, and technology to pack in your kit for maximum novelty value.

Consider portability

You may be accustomed to your full arsenal of supplies at home, but carefully consider how portable and necessary each of these items is before committing to travel with it. Luggage fees add up, arms and hands quickly fill, and only the truly portable items are usually worthwhile to bring along on travels with kids.

Children over the age of two must have their own ticket, and therefore are entitled to the same baggage privileges of other ticketed passengers in the category. Check your airline and ticket class for the specific baggage allowances.

Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby or toddler food (including purée pouches) in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces are allowed in carry-on baggage, according to the TSA regulations ; these are considered medically necessary liquids. Just make sure to take these items out of your carry-on bag to be screened separately.

The same permission applies to breast milk and formula cooling accessories, like ice packs and freezer packs.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Alesandra Dubin is a career travel and lifestyle writer and a frequent traveler. She’s also a twin mom with plenty of hard-earned experience from world travels with kids.

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Infant Air Travel

We’re here to take you and your family wherever you need to go.  Infants or children under 2 years of age can travel on the lap of an adult for free (within the United States) or at a reduced fare (for international travel). You also may purchase a ticket and use the child’s own seat on the aircraft as long as it meets the FAA-approved child safety seat specifications or use a CARES harness. Our step-by-step guide explains how to easily add a lap-held infant (Infant-in-Arms) to your ticket yourself.

Due to FAA safety requirements, 1 adult passenger may only carry 1 lap-held infant. If an adult passenger is traveling with 2 infants, a seat must be purchased for the additional infant. Infants occupying a seat on domestic flights require a ticket and pay the applicable fare.

Pregnant Passengers

Child & infant age restrictions, infant-in-arms or child in safety seat, you will need to purchase a ticket for your child if you:.

• Have a child that is 2 years old or older
• Have a child that turns 2 during the trip
• Prefer the child sit in a seat with an FAA-approved child safety seat
• Already have a child that will be sitting in your lap, regardless of age
• Want your child to earn miles for their SkyMiles account
• Will be traveling between countries, regardless of whether or not the child occupies a seat

Child Safety Seat Guidelines

If you decide to use a child safety seat aboard the airplane and purchase a ticket for your child, there are a few restrictions and guidelines you'll need to follow.

The window seat is the preferred location for an approved child safety seat (child restraint system or car seat). Other locations may be acceptable provided the seat is not installed between other passengers and the aisle. An accompanying adult must sit next to the child. More than one car seat may be in use in the same row and section of seats. Per FAA regulations, children under 2 years of age are not allowed to sit in a seat equipped with an airbag seat belt.

When using a child safety seat, don’t select seats in the following areas: 

• Aisle seats
• Emergency exit rows
• Bulkhead seats when the safety seat is a combination car seat and stroller
• Flatbed seats in the Delta One ™ area of the following aircraft: Airbus A330-200 or A330-300 aircraft *

* Child Safety Seats are not permitted in this area since the airbag seat belt cannot be deactivated .

An adult (18 years or older) may hold an infant (Infant-in-Arms) or place the infant in a FAA-approved child restraint in their seat during takeoff and landing. Booster-type car seats are not permitted for use during taxi, takeoff and landing.

Delta flight attendants will check with accompanying adults to ensure that children are properly secured in their safety seats and in the aircraft seat. The accompanying adult, however, has the following responsibilities when using a child restraint during takeoff and landing:

• Ensure that the child restraint seat meets FAA guidelines , Go to footer note
• Ensure that the child restraint seat functions properly and is free of obvious defects
• Secure the child according to the manufacturer's instructions
• Ensure the child does not exceed the restraint's weight limit
• Ensure the child restraint is secured to the aircraft seat using the aircraft seat's safety belt

All child safety seats or restraints include labeling that indicates their compliance with safety requirements. Restraints that meet the qualifications and labeling are approved for use on Delta flights.

Restraints manufactured within the U.S. after 2/25/85 with the following labels:

• Conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle standards
• Is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft

Restraints manufactured within the U.S. between 1/1/81 and 2/25/85 with the following label:

Restraints manufactured outside the U.S. with the following labels:

• Has the approval of a foreign government
• Was manufactured under standards of the United Nations

Restraints that are not permitted:

• Booster seats, even if they bear labels indicating they meet U.S., UN or foreign government standards
• Vest and harness-type child restraint devices other than the FAA approved CARES restraint device

Bassinets or SkyCots

For some of our smallest passengers on some international flights, we offer onboard baby bassinets. They’re ideal for babies weighing up to 20 lbs. (9 kg) and up to 26 inches (66 cm) long.

• Onboard bassinets, also known as SkyCots, are available free of charge for passengers in select seats on equipped aircraft for some international flights
• SkyCots can be requested by contacting Reservations before arriving at the airport and then speaking with the gate agent at the boarding gate, but cannot be guaranteed due to a limit of two SkyCots per aircraft and weight restrictions
• Please note that all infants must be held during takeoff, landing and whenever the seat belt light is on

Additional Infant Travel Information

For children under the age of two, we recommend you purchase a seat on the aircraft and use an approved child safety seat. Here are some other helpful tips for traveling with your infant or toddler:

Breastfeeding

Delta fully supports a woman’s right to breastfeed on board Delta and Delta Connection aircraft and in Delta facilities. Breast pumps are allowed on board. At the airport and if you prefer, many airports do offer private lactation rooms or spaces. Ask a Delta associate if you need assistance locating one at an airport.

Booking Your Trip

When traveling with an infant or toddler, you may find it helpful to allow a little extra time between flights to take rest or bathroom breaks along the way. Our Airport maps can help you plan your layovers before you even reach the airport.

International Flights

If your travel destination requires a passport and/or travel visas, you will need a passport for your child, and possibly extra documentation. To review required documentation in each country you’re visiting or stopping over in, visit the U.S. Department of State’s Special Requirements for Children .

Infant Baggage

Review our Infant & Children's Items guidelines for specific details on carry-on items, including child restraint seats, strollers and diaper bags. During security check in, the TSA will usually make a special provision for items like medications, breast milk and baby formula. Check out the Traveling with Kids section of the TSA website for information and helpful videos about travel with infants and carry-on baggage restrictions.

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How to Survive Traveling with A 2 Year Old on A Plane

John Parker

I must have done something right when flying with a 2-year-old as I did it a number of times with my son and I am still here to tell the tale.

Do you remember the years before traveling with children when you were able to just put on your headphones, watch a movie, enjoy a relaxing drink and catch a few zzzzzzs? Well hard luck because those days are far behind you when you have a 2-year-old flying with you.

A short flight of just a few hours flying with a 2-year-old is generally not much of an issue really, although in some circumstances it may seem more like a 12 hour flight! But if you are traveling long haul, with an overnight sector too perhaps, it becomes a very different matter.

Expecting a 2-year-old to just sit still and be quiet in a seat for 8-10 hours or more is a little like expecting a politician to be honest and truthful. The difference is, of course, that at least it is possible to do something about the first, with some effort and forethought on your part.

The most important thing is preparation! Don’t just get on board and then, when your child starts to get restless, wonder what you can do. You have missed the boat (or should I say the plane) then.

Before you leave

Ideally, try to choose a flight that doesn’t mean getting up in the small hours to get to the airport. That way your child (and you) will be tired and grumpy before you even take off.

Tell them about what you will be doing. Describe how you will get to the airport, how you will go through security and then get on board and find your seat. Make it sound interesting and exciting, not scary.

At the airport

Try not to make it a rushed experience by getting to the airport late and having to try to check in and get through airport security quickly. Your child will pick up on your stress.

Get through all of that in plenty of time so you can then let your child watch the aircraft out of the window, have a drink and use the bathroom if needs be. Then get on board the aircraft as near the front of the line as possible so you have time to get settled.

Consider buying them their own carry on with built-in amusement in the form of a Trunki kid’s ride-on suitcase. These have become very popular with children and you now see them at airports everywhere. They come in many different designs. Check out Trunki Original Kids Ride-On Suitcase on Amazon.

I always smile when I see them as the inventor was on the UK equivalent of Shark Tank (Dragon’s Den) and all the investors turned it down as being a silly idea. I bet they are kicking themselves now.

What to bring on plane for 2 year old?

These days everyone is limited by the amount of carry on baggage you can take with you on board an aircraft so you cannot take everything your child might want on the flight. But as your child will have their own seat they should also have a carry on allowance of their own too.

Hopefully you will have room to take at least some of the following:

What to bring for comfort

Do I need a car seat to fly with a 2 year old? No, having a child seat for a 2 year old is not mandatory but without a doubt having one is not only an advantage but can be safer in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Particularly if your child tends to fall asleep often in their car seat, I would strongly advise you to take yours with you on a long flight. They will feel “at home” sitting in it so are far more likely to fall asleep than if they were just sitting in the aircraft seat .

You will be allowed to take a car seat in addition to your carry on allowance, provided the car seat will actually be used during the flight.

In fact, both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, recommend that children fly in an approved car seat (or a CARES harness).

Many car seats are also approved for use when flying too so you should check yours for the approval mark before taking it with you.

This FAA article tells more – Flying with children

These are the FAA approved car seats you can use on an aircraft that are available on Amazon .

A CARES harness is the only FAA-approved child flying safety device. It is suitable for children from 1 year and older that weigh between 22 and 44 pounds (and up to 40″ tall). They are lightweight and much easier to carry than a car seat. They can be purchased on Amazon – Child Airplane Travel Harness .

This FAA video shows how to fit a car seat in an aircraft seat:

These can be a Godsend when traveling with a child. In fact, there probably isn’t anything that can be so useful that takes up such little space in your carry on.

Whatever your child likes to have close to them to cuddle or hold when they are feeling sleepy, then make sure you have that in your carry on for them. That could be a favorite teddy bear, a blanket (blankie) or some other thing. My son had a little piece of ribbon that he held in his hand and tickled his nose with!

What to bring to eat

Yes there will be food on the flight but what if your child doesn’t like it? Also it may take a long time before the cabin crew start serving the food and even when they do it could take quite some time for the trolley to reach you.

My wife and I always assumed the worst and took food with us in our carry on that we knew my son would like. This included his favorite sandwich and snacks as well as his favorite drinks (which was apple juice I seem to remember).

Make sure you keep some of it back to give your child at certain times during the flight and keep it hidden until you give it to them so it is a surprise.

Some humorous advice from Virgin Atlantic Airways:

What to bring for entertainment

There are rather more options for things to take on a plane to entertain a 2 year old than there were when my son was two. Now there are many airplane toys for 2 year olds as well as electronic devices. Even if you, sensibly, don’t like your child to spend too much time on these then it is worth making an exception on a long flight.

My advice would be not to give your child everything at once. Instead, keep things hidden away in your carry on to be brought out at strategic times throughout the flight. Buying a few small things before you go to keep as a surprise for the child when they start to get restless works very well too. You can even gift wrap them to make them even more exciting for them.

Try to avoid taking games and other activities with lots of small parts that will probably get dropped on the floor meaning you have to scrabble around under seats looking for them. And it goes without saying that your fellow passengers will not be amused if you take any really noisy activities on board.

Obviously you know your child best, so you are the best person to know the kind of activities that are going to keep them entertained the most. Here are a few suggestions you may not have considered:

Headphones for children

If you don’t have a pair of volume limited headphones for your 2 year old then this may be a good time to consider buying them. They will probably spend more time than normal watching movies, cartoons or playing games while you are on the flight so having a pair that limits the volume to 85dB to prevent hearing damage are a must.

There are a number of noise-limited headphones available but these Kids Wireless Bluetooth Headphones come in a number of different colors which will appeal to most children. They can be used with a cellphone, a tablet, a laptop or with the onboard entertainment system.

Kids Tablet

You may want your child to use your tablet for entertainment but you may not want it to get broken. If they have their own which is specially designed with a durable kid-proof case, and includes parental controls and a total 100% 2 year guarantee then that may be a better option.

The most popular on Amazon is the Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet . Your child can play games, watch movies or cartoons to while away the hours on the flight.

Does a 2 year old need their own seat?

Every child who is 2 years of age or older MUST have their own seat and ticket. This applies whether it is a domestic or an international flight.

The last day a child can fly sitting on your lap is the day before their 2nd birthday. So if you go on a trip, leaving before they are 2, but they will turn 2 while you are away then they will need their own seat and ticket for the return journey.

Is it free for a 2 year old to fly?

A 2 year old, and above needs, their own ticket and you will generally have to pay for their seat. In some cases that may be the full adult fare (as they are using a seat that an adult could be sitting in) but fortunately they often fly at a reduced rate. It is also possible to find promotions with some airlines where they can kids can fly for free.

Can a 2 year old sit on your lap on plane?

Yes they can sit on your lap during the flight if you want but not during take-off, landing, during turbulence or whenever the seat belt sign has been switched on by the flight crew. During these periods the child must be strapped into their seat or their car seat if you have brought an approved one with you.

Do airlines check the age of a lap child?

They certainly will as you will need to provide ID with the child’s date of birth on it. So there is no chance of getting away with pretending your child is not yet 2 years old, even if they look younger. You have no option other than to buy a seat for them I am afraid.

Do 2 year olds need ID when flying?

When flying with a 2 year old domestically within the US children are not normally required to have ID although an airline may demand to see proof of their date of birth, particularly if you have stated that the child is under 2 years of age so will be traveling on your lap. You should check with your airline or carry some form of proof that they are under 2 which can be a birth certificate or immunization records (or a passport if they have one of course).

When traveling internationally a passport will be required irrespective of the age of the child. There are some exceptions though, for example, traveling from the US to Canada children normally just need to be able to show proof of US residency (which could be a certified birth certificate).

It is best to check with the embassy of the country you are traveling to for up to date requirements. My advice would be to get the child a passport anyway as that is the ultimate form of travel ID and you never know when it may be required.

You may be interested in my articles 20 things you need to know about flying with a baby or toddler , gate-checking a stroller and Does a 3 year old need a plane ticket?

I have been traveling around the world by air since the early 70s and living overseas too. I worked for British Airways for a number of years and I am also a private pilot. About Me

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Airplane Activities For Toddlers: Flying With a 2-Year Old

Airplane Activities for Toddlers: Flying With a  2-Year Old

Flying with a toddler or 2-year old can be a nightmare. Here are some strategies that may help you prepare and great airplane activities for toddlers!

Check out these sure fire strategies and airplane activities for toddlers. They worked for our cross-country flight with an active 2-year old. I hope they work for you too!

Our daughter was born five days before I turned 40 years old. So, basically I spent a good 20 years as an adult cringing every time a family with young children sat anywhere near me on a plane.

When we prepared to fly across the country with our 2-year old daughter for the first time, every judgmental stare and disapproving sigh came rushing back to me as an ironic reminder that everything that goes around really does come around.

Every parent dreads the idea of their toddler being that kid– screaming, kicking, crying. 

We found though that these tips and tricks for flying with a 2-year old will make your kid the one who gets airplane wings from the pilot at the end of the flight instead of the kid the other passengers need a break from. 

This is a pretty comprehensive list of preparations, ideas, and considerations. If you are getting ready to travel with an active toddler or two year old, I hope some of these ideas will help you prepare for ‘Battlefield Toddler- Airplane Edition!’

Getting to the airport and through Security

Let’s face it. If you are traveling with children, you are not going to be traveling light. That being said, it is clearly not helpful to pack your entire house. I mean, you have to carry everything you bring and there are precious few capable hands to help with the hauling. What are some strategies for cutting down on the clutter?

Related: 11 Tips to Survive a Road Trip With a Toddler

What are essential items to pack and other essential pre-flight to-do’s?

My husband and I debated the merits of bringing our daughter’s stroller. We ended up bringing it due to the bags-to-hands ratio and it turned out to be probably the best packing decision we made.

It allowed us to stow two of the carry-on bags, and our daughter loved the novelty of cruising around in a new place armed with her sippy cup and Daniel Tiger.

However, the stroller was the most useful though as we waited… waiting in line to go through security, waiting in line to board the plane. The stroller kept our active toddler contained and forestalled any early temper tantrums that could have arisen from our attempts to constrain her.

During our layover, when we had to walk about 1 mile between gates, it was also handy to be able to push, rather than carry a tired 2-year old. It was such a lifesaver all around. I would definitely recommend bringing your stroller and checking it at the gate.

Lots of time to burn energy before the flight.

Try to build in plenty of time before the flight to let your kids burn off energy at a local playground. If you are lucky. that will be enough that they will be ready for a nap when you board the plane!

Diapers and wipes.

This is dependent on where you are going and who you will be with, but if at all possible, plan to buy most of your needed diapers and wipes at your destination. There is no need to pack two weeks’ worth of diapers unless you want to justify an extra suitcase.

Liquids that are allowed past security.

Some of the items I wanted to bring on the plane for ‘happy toddler insurance’ included items considered liquids by TSA. I am happy to report that the following items breezed through security with no problems: Play-Doh (3 ounce container), Squeezable applesauce (3 ounce container), and Baby Tylenol.

Related: 15 Ways to Minimize Chaos During a Hotel Stay With Kids

On Flight Distraction Strategies

So, once you get onto the plane, the game changes. Ha! Here is the real test. Is your little one going to be happy and compliant? Or will he/she be a holy terror? The thing is, sometimes the kid who was perfect one flight will be horrible on the next one… and vice versa. Typically, the screaming kids have one of two issues:

• They are uncomfortable.
• They are bored.

Fixes for uncomfortable

Earplanes: Infants, toddlers, and young children oftentimes will have ear discomfort due to the changing cabin pressure. Unfortunately, they are too young to understand the concept of popping their ears. Earplanes help with the ear pressure and are supposed to be very effective. We did not end up using them on our flight because Sweet Pea didn’t show signs of needing them. We did have them on hand though.

Lollipops and sippy cups. If your kiddo doesn’t know how to pop his ears, sucking on something like a lollipop or cup of apple juice might help with ear pressurization. We brought Disney Princess Lollipop Candy Rings and Sweet Pea spent a good 30 minutes playing with and sucking on it.

Favorite blanket: If you want your child to sleep on the plane, it might be helpful to pack a favorite blanket in your carry on… something they associate with sleep. It might help them ramp down too, especially if they are overstimulated.

Car Seat or no Car Seat?

The decision we agonized over the most in the run up to this trip, was the question of whether or not Sweet Pea should be in her car seat during the flight. Even though safety is always a concern, safety was not driving this decision.

The notion of keeping a 2 year old contained in a five-point harness was definitely a consideration. Ultimately we decided to gate check the car seat. Our daughter was fine without it and sitting in her ‘big girl’ seat allowed the flexibility to put her head in our laps to fall asleep, and be able to use the tray table to eat and play. It was a good decision to not have our 2-year old in the car seat.

Food on flight?

It is definitely worthwhile to decide how you will feed your kiddo while you are 30,000 feet above sea level. Logic would seem to dictate that high sugar foods and drinks should be avoided.

However, special occasions (like airplane travel) also call for special treats, right? We tried to mainly stick to healthy snacks and meals, but then splurged on the candy lollipop ring and a small pack of Oreo cookies.

Before take-off

We arrived at the airport early enough to get through security and have time to eat a decent pre-flight lunch. Pasta salad, fruit cups, and anything with protein are always a good idea for a pre-flight meal.

On the flight

On the flight, we tried a number of snacks like the standard goldfish crackers and gummy fruits. Other snacky winners included dried apricots, crackers and hummus, packets of dried banana and carrot chips, and applesauce pouches.

We decided to stick with water to drink both because we didn’t want liquid sugar pumped directly into the veins of a very active 2-year old, and because we knew she would get dehydrated simply from flying.

Airplane activities that are great for a Bored Toddler

There are lots of great, cheap ideas for toddler activities that will keep crazy toddler at bay during a flight. I packed wayyyy more than we ended up needing, but will probably end up using most of the unused boredom busters as hotel/vacation toys anyway. Here is the quick list of what I packed:

Airport and Airplane-related activities.

Small toys that allow for imaginative play.

You could bring a few toys that won’t make a mess but will keep your kiddo entertained for at least 20 minutes. Toy trucks, plastic Disney toys, or My Little Ponies are favorites!

Dress up on the airplane! Costume jewelry is all the rage and you can get great stuff really cheap at a party goods store. Load up a little tin with rings, bracelets, sunglasses, scarves, necklaces… and spend some time playing airplane dress up!

Special travel toys made especially for the airplane!

Wind up toys and other ‘silly’ toys. I packed about 5 or 6 small wind up toys and they were quite the hit for about 30 minutes on the flight. Also, you can get fun silly toys like mini-slinkies, squishy heads, etc… anything novel will entertain a toddler for at least 10-15 minutes, right?

Washi tape. Fun designs and really inexpensive. You can pick a few rolls in different prints up at wide variety of craft, toy, and home goods stores (like Target).

amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "sunshwhisp04-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "b447d7c5ebed67fba34e5612bc983fd6"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B00EX5JAAO,0545647762,B0741S21B3,B012H7STWE";  Airplane activities for toddlers that will keep your kids busy for a long time

Stickers. Really, need I say more? You can keep a fussy toddler happy for a good 20-30 minutes with a few sheets of stickers and a 25 cent spiral notepad.

$1 packs. Target, Wal-Mart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Toys R Us– pretty much any store like this will sell a wide variety of $1 play packs– usually with stickers, crayons, an activity book, and sometimes even paper dolls. Added bonus– they are pretty small.

Movies,Videos. I might suggest saving the latest and greatest Elmo or Daniel Tiger episodes for a crisis moment on your flight— turbulence, hungry kid, really tired kid. However, as long as you have a decent pair of kid-sized headphones, letting your toddler zone out for a few episodes of their favorite show is a great way to peacefully pass the time!

Books! There will probably be enough ambient noise to make reading to your child difficult. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t love looking at the books anyway… especially a new ‘lift-the-flap’ book or a search and find book.

Cheap party favors. Go to a party store and scour the party favor aisle for cheap and fun airplane toys. For less than $5 total, you can pick up a wide variety of rubber bugs, a sunglasses assortment, notepads, edible necklaces and rings, jewelry, musical instruments (ok, maybe not appropriate for a flight), etc…

So, all in all, our first flight with Sweet Pea was quite successful. I know I may have over-prepared, but the extra packets of stickers and goldfish crackers boosted my confidence that we would all make it through without having to profusely apologize to our fellow passengers for a screaming kid.

What ideas have you tried in the past that have worked? What didn’t work so well?

Hi! If you love to have fun with your kids and explore, create, travel, laugh, and love.. you have come to the right place! Follow along to get great tips for fun in Maryland, family travel destinations, and other family fun ideas!

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Very helpful! I’ll be traveling with my 2 year old daughter very soon (4 hour flight) and this is what I was looking for, a mother who understands what we go through in these cases! I was thinking about taking or not the car seat but after reading this I think I’m going to go without it and see how it goes! First time flying solo with her.?

Oh yeah! I am so glad the post was helpful to you. Good luck on flying solo! I would love to hear how it went when you get back!

• Pingback: Tips for Traveling With a Toddler - Sunshine Whispers

Thanks Nadia! Glad you found it useful! 🙂

Great ideas! Will be bookmarking this post for future reference;)

This is a totally thorough blog about a potentially difficult problem. Your ability to assess problems and find solutions is crystal clear. Good job, Sara.

Elaine… wow! What a horrible experience but what a great story. ha! 🙂 Yep… I am definitely packing way more diapers on the carry on that a reasonable person would think is necessary. Holly– who are you kidding? You and your kids are pros! Thanks for the comments you all!

I’m impressed! Granted, I’ve never flown cross-country with my littles – I think the longest flight has been 2 1/2 hours – but all I can manage is some snacks and a movie or episodes of Dora.

First off I have to say it, Sara, you rock. I agreed with you on all counts, save one, and it’s a minor blip. I flew with my son, Jamie, when he was a year old, and on the return flight, I only took along a few diapers, and a small baggie of wipes, because I had way more than I needed on the flight there. Wouldn’t you know it, Jamie got sick on the flight home. I used up all the wipes cleaning him up after he hurled all over himself and me, and a half hour later what hadn’t come up earlier came out the other end. I had to clean him up in the tiny airplane bathroom, in the tiny airplane bathroom sink, and dry him with paper towels. One outfit was covered with barf, the spare outfit with poo, so after I put on the last diaper, I had to wrap him up in an airline blanket for the rest of the flight. Thankfully, the airline allowed me to keep the blanket. So for your return flight, make sure you have six diapers instead of three, a jumbo pack of wipes, and plenty of spare outfits, so Sweet Pea doesn’t end up wearing an airline blanket home.

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How To Entertain a Toddler on a Plane [16 Activities]

Ashley Onadele

Senior Content Contributor

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Keri Stooksbury

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Types of Activities

What makes a great airplane activity, 1. busy books, 2. chunky lego duplo sets, 3. coloring books, 4. crayola color wonder, 5. fidget toys, 6. finger puppets, 7. flash cards, 8. i-spy books, 9. magnetic playboards, 10. picture books, 11. playdough, 12. puzzles, 13. stickers or post-its, 15. travel busy board, 16. water coloring books, final thoughts.

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Take it from me, long-haul travel with toddlers can be difficult. Luckily, the problem usually stems from a bored kid more than anything, which is something that can be helped.

When traveling by plane with toddlers, it’s important to have lots of snacks and activities to keep them entertained. The first of those must-haves is up to you and your discerning toddler’s palate.

But look no further, as we’ve gathered more than a dozen activities that little ones can enjoy during their next flight. Here are 16 ways to entertain a toddler on a plane.

Before we get into the list of toddler-friendly activities, let’s talk a little bit about the different types of options available.

Unfortunately, anything that requires your child to be out of their seat can be both a safety hazard and an annoyance to other passengers. Frequent trips to explore the plane might be out of the question, but when possible, stretching your legs is always a nice way to break up the monotony of plane travel and change the scenery. Just keep in mind the status of the fasten seatbelt sign and the mood of other passengers and flight attendants.

Even though it may be hard to dispel restless energy while on a plane, there are lots of ways to keep toddlers entertained, including books, LEGOs, and stickers, as well as tablets or other devices.

The topic of too much screen time has been a hot debate for a few years, especially for young kids. However, when used in moderation, tablets and phones can be a great way to keep your kids entertained (and out of your hair) during long flights. When used sparingly, you can feel better about propping your child in front of a screen in an effort to discourage boredom.

Other items that can keep your kid engaged and don’t include a screen include coloring books, water books, and even Post-its.

The list of activities below should have at least a few options that you know your toddler will enjoy.

You already know that young children don’t usually have the longest attention span. Keeping this in mind, you’ll want to have a few options on hand — and even more if you’ll be on a particularly long flight — in order to entertain a toddler on a plane.

Brand-new toys that you know your child will love are worth considering as the newness can add an extra layer of excitement — you could even wrap the toys in colorful wrapping paper.

If you have children close in age, get 2 of each toy type even if you don’t think they’ll both like it. It will be easier to carry 2 of an item than referee bickering siblings 30,000 feet in the air.

Anything that your child can do comfortably in their seat, and preferably as independently as possible, is going to be best. For example, a coloring book or sticker activity will require less of your participation than a card game.

If you do elect to allow your toddler to have screen time, keep in mind that you’ll want to also have wireless Bluetooth headphones . Some airlines will provide headphones for use with their own inflight entertainment screens, or you can simply plug their Bluetooth headphones in with an auxiliary cord. Just as most people don’t take calls on speakerphone or listen to music without headphones, you’ll want to ensure that your kids’ devices are of minimal disturbance to other passengers.

Activities To Entertain a Toddler on an Airplane

Now without further adieu, here is a list of 16 ways to entertain a toddler on a plane.

Busy books are books that come with play mats and figurines that bring a story to life. They’re great for encouraging imagination and pretend play in your toddler.

They’re also a fun activity that you can do along with your child to help pass the time.

Busy books come designed around varying topics and characters, including Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol and popular Disney characters.

Sometimes called “quiet books,” additional activities that you might find included in a busy book are matching games, basic puzzles, and counting.

LEGOs give kids the chance to build just about anything. But little fingers have a hard time working the tiny pieces of traditional LEGO sets.

Thankfully, there are large, or chunky, LEGO DUPLO sets perfect for small hands. Their size also makes it easier to keep track of them when it’s time to pack up or move on to the next activity.

You can even find LEGO DUPLO sets with their own carrying case to make organization super easy.

Coloring books are an oldie but goodie and can be something you do together to encourage screen-free time on the plane.

Some coloring books include other activities, including mazes, tracing, fill-in-the-blank pages, and more. Of course, some of these activities may be too advanced for little hands holding crayons, however, coloring books with more to do than just coloring might be nice for older toddlers.

When it comes to what to color with , there are plenty of options. Crayons come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Triangle-shaped crayons are great for keeping the traditionally cylindrical tool from rolling under your seat or off of the tray table . Washable markers and colored pencils are also an option.

Lastly, if you don’t have a traditional coloring book, you can always improvise and have your kids draw on blank pieces of paper, the back of receipts, etc. You could even draw them something yourself for them to color in. It’s all about getting creative and making the most of what you have.

Crayola Color Wonder uses “magic” markers that only write on the provided paper.

The paper often comes with characters or other objects to color and sometimes includes stickers as well. The beauty of it is that there’s no damage to clothing or the table when your child eventually colors outside of the lines.

I can attest to the convenience of Crayola Color Wonder. I thankfully found 2 sets at the airport in Liberia, Costa Rica, when we were delayed on our return flight home by several hours. My then 2- and 4-year-olds passed the time by coloring and placing stickers on their artwork. The set conveniently came with a case to hold the paper, pens, and stickers in one place.

Fidget spinners are probably the most common, but these sensory toys also come in the form of squishy toys and poppers in all shapes and sizes.

Fidget toys come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types. In fact, a simple search on Amazon for toys that help cope with anxiety will bring back dozens of these options. Some sellers even send packs with 100 different toys, so there’s no shortage of ideas.

Another fun idea to keep your toddler entertained while on a plane could be finger puppets . You could even build excitement by making the puppets at home before you travel or getting puppets that are relevant to your destination.

Whether you play this activity with your child or not, it will be fun to see what story your little one comes up with for their puppets.

Finger puppets also don’t take up much room in a carry-on .

Flash cards can be a fun way to practice learning things like sight words, shapes, colors, the alphabet, animals, etc. And with ample time to idle away while traveling by plane, it’s an ideal time to practice new skills.

You can elect to purchase flash cards from places like Amazon , education stores, or even the dollar store, or you can make them yourself with index cards. Pinterest is a great place to get inspiration for making your own flash cards for toddlers, as well as other activities to keep them busy.

“ Where’s Waldo? ” and Highlights “Hidden Pictures ” have been generational favorites that are making a comeback with youngsters.

According to Scholastic , I-Spy books help kids develop a working memory and teach children to pay attention to details . This latter trait will help them later when they start to read and begin learning letters.

I-Spy books are also entertaining thanks to the silly scenes that can often be found in books like “Where’s Waldo?” But the beloved red and white-striped shirt-wearing character isn’t the only object you can look for nowadays. I-Spy books come in various themes such as zoo animals, transportation, letters, and more.

Perfect for both pretend play and keeping small pieces from rolling away while traveling, magnetic boards let your toddler create scenes with toys that stick to a board.

Similar to stickers mentioned later on this list, the magnets give tiny fingers a chance to lift, peel and move pieces all around the board. The provided board will have a scene where your child can place the objects, likely animals or other characters to tell a story.

Alternatively, you can also get magnetic boards like Etch A Sketch that have pens for writing or drawing.

Picture books and pop-up books are reliable and great to have on hand for entertainment purposes.

Try to find especially colorful books that tell exciting stories — perhaps of where you’re going or travel-related topics. Maybe there is a series of books with a beloved character that your toddler doesn’t have yet. A book like that would be great to gift-wrap and present as a surprise that your child will love.

Pop-up books are also age-appropriate entertainment for a toddler, as they’re usually more interactive than picture books and often ask a question that prompts your child to think.

Playdough is easy because it travels well, has close to zero clean-up time, and little hands love the tactile, sensory feel. Plus, you can make your own playdough at home and bring it with you.

Tools like cookie cutters and other shape-makers can be brought along as well. Your toddler can make shapes and use their imagination with playdough, either independently or with your help, just like they would with other toys.

Playdough also helps toddlers develop fine motor skills by strengthening their grip and dexterity. For even more of a challenge, therapy putty can also improve grip.

You may need to help your toddler complete puzzles at first, but the activity can be a fun way to play together.

With lots of images to choose from, you’re sure to find a puzzle that your child will want to put together.

Not sure about finding a puzzle small enough to pack in your carry-on? You could print a photo or image and glue it to a large index card. Cut the index card up into different-sized pieces and store the pieces in a baggy. Your child can dump the pieces onto a tray table and put the “puzzle” back together.

You might be surprised at how entertained your toddler can be by playing with stickers or Post-it notes . Kids love stickers and peeling them from the paper — it gives their tiny fingers a chance to practice their fine motor skills.

They can also place Post-its anywhere they like and it will be easy to remove them when you land.

Or, if you’re not into your child decorating the back of the seat in front of them, you can pick up sticker scenes from your local dollar store. These are compact packs of stickers and folded cardboard pictures that follow a specific theme such as trucks, dinosaurs, or even Disney movies.

A way to add an educational element to this activity would be to put a number on each Post-it and ask your child to arrange them in a certain order. Or you could play a matching game with different colored shapes drawn on Post-its and ask them to match them to colors on a book page, etc.

When all else fails, you can always have your toddler play with a tablet or similar device.

Remember that onboard Wi-Fi will probably be too spotty to stream anything from apps like YouTube Kids. In this case, you’ll want to prepare before you leave home by downloading some of their favorite shows and movies from apps such as Netflix and Disney+ .

Educational apps that your kids might enjoy include ABC Mouse and Khan Academy Kids. App stores also have numerous toddler-friendly learning games that you can download before you travel and don’t require the internet to enjoy.

When using a tablet or similar tech, remember to bring wireless Bluetooth headphones . Wireless headphones eliminate the concern that your toddler could wrap the cord around themselves. Keep an eye on your little one to ensure that they aren’t getting tangled in the cord from the airline-provided headphones when using the aircraft’s inflight entertainment system.

A busy board is a board with lots of little things to keep young minds entertained. Snaps, zippers, ties, etc. surround the board and your child can simply move from one activity to the next.

Busy boards are similar to buckle toys and also come in the form of backpacks which you can use to store the other activities your toddler might bring along.

Water coloring books are some of my favorite toys for young toddlers.

Found at the dollar store or Water WOW! from Melissa and Doug, a water book is a cardboard book that comes with a paintbrush that you fill with water. Inside, the books’ pages are empty until your child brushes the water onto the page.

Depending on the book topic, the page will come alive with letters, numbers, fairytales, etc.

The true magic of these books — besides the fact that they come to life with water — is that when they dry, the color disappears while leaving the board intact. This allows your toddler to get multiple uses and lots of fun out of just 1 water coloring book.

It’s important to plan for as many what-ifs as possible when traveling with young children. Two things that you can bet will happen on travel days are that your kids will get hungry (make sure to always bring snacks) and they will eventually get bored. Fortunately, you can prepare for the latter by bringing a few activities from the list above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i entertain my 2-year-old on a long flight.

Water coloring books, little figures, and lift-flap books are just the beginning of the list of things that can entertain your 2-year-old on a long flight. Stickers, Post-its, tablets, and coloring books are also great options.

How do you survive a 15-hour flight with a toddler?

Traveling 15 hours with a toddler can be difficult. Some tips to make it easier include packing the right toys and snacks for your toddler, walking the aisle when it’s safe to do so, and not boarding too early to minimize time spent on the plane.

What is the best time of day to fly with a toddler?

Although you may be tempted to book a red-eye flight with the goal of letting your toddler sleep through the flight, that doesn’t always work out as planned. Instead, fly in the morning since you can count on your toddler having had a good night’s sleep and hopefully being in the best mood at that time of day.

How can I keep my toddler calm on a plane?

There are a few ways to keep your toddler calm on a plane. You can let your child know about your travel plans in advance and have them burn off any extra energy before boarding the plane. And lastly, be sure to pack things to entertain them with for the duration of the flight.

How do I keep my toddler busy at the airport?

There are plenty of ways to keep your toddler busy at the airport before you board your flight. Find a play area designed for young children, watch planes take off, or explore the airport’s art displays.

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About Ashley Onadele

Ashley discovered a love for travel in college that’s continued as her family has grown. She loves showing parents how they can take their families on trips using points and has contributed to numerous publications and podcasts.

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Flying with Toddlers: 20 Tips For a Stress-Free Flight

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20 TIPS FOR FLYING WITH A TODDLER

It can be a challenge to fly with toddlers, especially when they are not sleeping. That is why we have compiled some tips for parents who need to fly with their toddlers. Not only will these tips make flying with your toddler easier, but they’ll also help your little one fall asleep on the plane.

Disclosure: Kindly be aware that certain links provided below may be affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It’s important to note that I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. For the comprehensive disclosure statement, please click here .

After nearly 50 flights, we have some helpful suggestions on how to keep your toddler entertained while you’re in the air. Our son has been traveling since he was 8-weeks-old, so we’ve learned a few hacks along the way.

This post will give you all the information that you need so that you can make your flight as smooth as possible!

Related Post: Best Toys to Keep Toddlers Busy on an Airplane

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

HACKS THAT’LL MAKE FLYING WITH A TODDLER EASIER

Air travel with toddlers is no joke. If you ask me, traveling with a baby is a lot easier, they don’t move around as much and haven’t learned the word “no”.

Now that we’ve started traveling again, we’ve had the interesting task of flying with a 2-year-old. Honestly, it was a lot easier flying with a 1-year-old, before he discovered running.

Now that he’s been on upwards of ten flights during the pandemic, here are our tips on how to fly with a toddler. I know it’s easier said than done, but if you follow our trips flying with your toddler will get easier.

1. Book a Direct Flight (if possible) or Opt for a Long Layover

Having direct flights makes it easier for everyone. The less you have to get off and then back on the plane, the better it is for your toddler.

If a direct flight isn’t available, I recommend a flight with a (longer) layover. You may think it sounds crazy, but I have a reason.

I know what you may be thinking. Why would I choose a long layover if flying with a toddler ? Wouldn’t that make it more difficult? The answer is no. Having a long layover gives your little one time to release energy, eat, take a nap, play, or be a kid.

It’s less stressful having a 3-hour layover than a 1-hour layover. It is hard getting your toddler packed up, deboarding the plane, getting the stroller from gate check, then racing to the next gate.

We’ve had to do it a few times, and it was not fun, well he enjoyed the running, but I didn’t. Of course, he didn’t have to do any of the hard work. He got the chance to hang out in his stroller while I ran through the airport, like a crazy lady.

Related Post: 9 Tips for Flying Budget Airlines with Kids

2. Get Your Toddler Excited About Flying

I’ve found it helpful to talk to your little one about airplanes before the trip. Every time our son hears a plane, we look in the sky to try to find it.

The more comfortable they are with airplanes, the less likely they are to be scared or bothered by the sound. It also prepares them for what’s coming if they are not frequent flyers.

Travel Books for Toddlers

Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Related Post: Travel Books for Toddlers

3. Get to the Airport Early

The airport can be a confusing place, with so many lights and people everywhere. If you want to avoid any meltdown at security or on the plane, try arriving early to allow your child enough time to adjust.

Every time we go through security our son has a fit because we have to take his blanket away. You will only make yourself, and your little one more upset if you are in a hurry.

Get to the airport early, so you can take your time at security. Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of frustration and aggravation.

4. Let them Play

One of our favorite things to do before boarding a flight is to let our toddler run. He’s always full of energy, so we want him to release as much of that energy as possible.

We let him run back and forth in the terminal, take long walks through the gates, play hide & seek, and do whatever else to get him tired. He gets to release a lot of energy, and time goes faster while waiting to board the flight.

I let him walk as far as he wants and explore different terminals and gates. When we are at larger airports, he likes to get on the tram, especially in Atlanta. He has fun, and it keeps him occupied without a screen or toys.

Read More: Best Travel Beds for Toddlers

5. Bring Snacks & Drinks

One thing you do not want when flying with a toddler is for them to be angry.

Make sure you have filling foods – like macaroni and cheese bars or crackers – which are easy for little fingers but will keep their belly full. These should help keep them calm during the flight as well as reduce meltdowns because of hunger.

People ask us all the time if we can bring food, and the answer is yes. You can pack food in your carry-on or backpack and get through TSA, or any security for that matter.

Note: Make sure you pack all food together in a Ziploc bag, so if security wants to check, it’ll be easily accessible and in one place. We’ve been doing this for years, even before our son was born. We use reusable bags to pack our snacks.

Our Favorite Toddler Snacks while Traveling

6. Board the Flight Last (if you aren’t flying alone)

One of the ways we make it easier to fly with a toddler is by dividing and conquering. I know several family travel bloggers recommend boarding first when flying with a toddler, but I don’t think that is always the case. In my opinion, you should only pre-board if you are flying with a toddler by yourself.

The ultimate toddler flying tip is to divide and conquer. We want to set the tone of the flight, in the beginning, so to make it easier. One person boards the flight early, while the other continues to play with the little one.

This strategy gives the parent that is boarding time to get everything ready. My wife usually gets settled in the seats, installs the car seat, stows our bags, and gets his tablet ready.

By the time the other person gets on the airplane with the toddler, everything is ready, and he can sit down and watch PJ Masks. He is usually so tired from playing that he relaxes, eats his snacks, and watches his tablet.

7. Change their Diaper before Boarding

Changing our toddler’s diaper in the airplane lavatory is always an event. It’s too small, and our son doesn’t make it any easier by fighting us. If possible, change your little one’s diaper before boarding the plane.

Changing your toddler’s diaper with more space will keep everyone from getting frustrated and allow you and your toddler to get comfortable on the flight. Well, maybe not comfortable, but at least sitting.

Read More: 10 Reasons to Travel with Toddlers

8. Bring Headphones

Try giving children age-appropriate headphones or earphones to drown out the noise from other passengers – especially if they’re sensitive sleepers!

A good playlist is always helpful too because their minds won’t wander as much thinking about what song might come on next.

If your toddler is sensitive to noise, having toddler headphones will help drown out the noise. Even if they are not watching a screen, listening to music or a story can be helpful.

Best-Selling Headphones for Toddlers

Related Post: Best Headphones for Toddlers on an Airplane

9. Pack Toys & Activities

There are a lot of ways to keep your toddler entertained while flying . Our son is a busy body, so it can be difficult to keep his attention.

We use a lot of different things to keep him in his seat. The most convenient way of keeping him in his seat is with his tablet . Although it doesn’t always work, it usually keeps him busy for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

Another way we keep him busy with different activities for toddlers . He likes to color, paint, draw, and play with his toys.

Since we usually have the row to ourselves, we can bring different types of toys. The best travel toys for toddlers on an airplane are quiet, portable, inexpensive, and keep their attention.

Related Post: Best Travel Toys for Toddlers

10. Bring a Blanket or Jacket (Wear Layers)

It can get cold on the airplane, so bring a small blanket to keep your child warm and cozy. Your toddler is more likely to sleep if they are comfortable.

You may want to consider dressing warmer, just for the flight. Our toddler usually wears pants on the flight, even if we are going somewhere warm.

This way, he isn’t cold on the flight and keeps an extra pair of shorts in his diaper bag to change after we get off the flight.

Toddler Games/Toys: These toys should pack easily into carry-on bags:

Although we covered this briefly above, this section will go more in-depth about how to keep your toddler entertained while flying. Here are some of the things we use to make flying with a toddler easier.

• Puzzles/busy boards
• Books with simple words and pictures that your toddler knows well, like a favorite book from home
• Small toy cars or mini dolls
• Coloring pages where they can doodle their own designs (try to find paper without lines) or
• Stickers or window clings, are usually a big hit
• Sensory toys are a great way to keep an active toddler busy

Read More: Best Crayons for Toddlers

Sensory Toys for Toddlers

Tips to help your toddler sleep on an airplane

One of the ways you can make long-haul flights with toddlers easier is by getting them to sleep. Nothing’s easier than flying with a sleeping toddler.

Here are a few tips for getting your toddler to sleep while flying on an airplane.

11. A Full Stomach

Bring milk or water to drink along with snacks that contain protein. This will curb your toddler’s hunger and help them stay hydrated and sleepy longer on the plane.

We try to avoid sugary drinks, so we usually opt for flavored water, with no added sugar. It helps keep our little guy hydrated, and he sleeps longer. We’ve started doing this at home and there was a noticeable difference in his sleeping patterns.

12. Bring Something Familiar

Pack items they are familiar with, such as their favorite toy, blanket, stuffed animal, etc., in their bag so you won’t forget them.

Our son has a blanket that he has to have to sleep on. If he doesn’t have his blanket, there is nothing but crying all night.

Having a little familiarity will make your toddler more comfortable, which will increase the likelihood of them falling asleep on the airplane.

13. Make them Comfortable

We all know sleeping upright on an airplane is uncomfortable, so giving your little one space to stretch and lay down will make it easier for them to fall asleep.

We like to put him in the middle, so we both have access to him, and he can stretch out. If you purchased a seat for your little one, a different arrangement may work for your toddler.

I don’t recommend putting them in the window seat because it is the coldest seat in the row. Our son doesn’t like to be cold, so we avoid putting him in the window seat, but your toddler may be different.

Travel Foot Rest & Kids’ Bed

TIPS FOR PARENTS FLYING WITH A TODDLER

The tips in this section are for parents. I know you may be stressed about an upcoming flight with a toddler, but it’s not as bad as you think it will be.

If you follow our toddler flying tips, your next flight with your toddler will be easier than your last. The more you fly, the easier it will get, I promise.

Here are tips for things parents can do before flying with a toddler.

14. Stay Calm

Parents do not realize that kids pick up on their energy, so if you are anxious, your little one will be anxious. If you are relaxed, they are more likely to be relaxed.

Be confident and give your little one the benefit of the doubt. Your toddler may surprise you.

15. Interact with them

Play with your toddler while you are flying. Most of the time they are acting out because they are bored.

Imagine being a curious toddler, and being relegated to a seat on a plane for hours at a time. At least in a car, they have more space.

If you interact and engage with your 2-year-old, they are less likely to have an outburst. Activities and toys are fun but giving them attention will make them happy.

If more than one parent is flying with a toddler, take turns and interact together. You’ll be surprised how happy your toddler will be playing with both of their parents on a flight.

Read More: Fun Travel Activities for Toddlers

16. Let them be curious

There is nothing wrong with your little one being curious. Their brains are still developing, so they want to touch everything.

As long as it isn’t bothering anyone else, why not? As a parent of a stubborn toddler, I’ve learned to pick my battles. Who is it going to hurt if he is playing with the seatbelt or reading the menu?

17. Restrict access to their favorite things before the flight

One of the hacks we do before flying with a toddler is restricting his access to some of his favorite shows and toys. Since he loves the Minions and PJ Mask, we do not allow him to watch the show for 4 – 5 days before the flight.

We do this so he is excited to watch the show or movie on the flight, so he’ll more likely to pay attention to it, although he’s seen it 2394 times.

You can use this technique with a toy. We usually pack his favorite toys a few days before the flight, so when he gets to play with them during the flight, he’s more excited and will play with them longer. Although it isn’t full proof, it’s been working when we fly with our 2-year-old.

20. Ignore Snarky Comments

I can’t tell you how many times people have rolled their eyes or made rude comments when we’ve gotten on a flight with our toddler.

We aren’t bothered by the comments at all. Like everyone else on that flight, you paid your money, so you are entitled to be there with your little one. Do not let anyone make you feel bad for traveling with a baby or a toddler.

Of the 50 or 60 flights we’ve been on with our son, he only had 2-3 not-so-good flights. Even those flights weren’t that bad. He was a baby, and the only way to communicate with us is to cry. What else do people expect from someone who can’t talk?

Don’t stress yourself out worrying about what strangers have to say. If they don’t want to be around on a flight with kids, they should make enough money to fly on a private jet. Until then, they have to deal with it.

CONCLUSION ON FLYING WITH A TODDLER

There are many tips for parents flying with toddlers in this article. Even if these tips do not work for your toddler, it’s not the end of the world. It’s just one flight, plus you’ll never see anyone on that flight again, so no worries.

The most important thing to remember is, that toddlers are toddlers. You can only do so much, so don’t stress yourself out, stay calm, and enjoy the ride. If all else fails, we turn to PJ Masks.

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2 thoughts on “flying with toddlers: 20 tips for a stress-free flight”.

My son turned 3 yesterday. We’re trying to decide whether to follow through with some travel plans now that covid is back on the rise. This is really helpful. I just spent a few minutes exploring your site. Wish I learned about you 3 years ago!

Thank you for taking the time to check out our site. Happy Belated Birthday to your little one!! Maybe an alternative can be a staycation. We were going to go to Disney for our son’s 3rd birthday but decided with the rise in cases in Flordia we should pivot. We’re going to stay here in Mexico and spend 2 days at a resort with a small water park. IT’s not Disney, but he’ll enjoy the endless fries and cupcakes nonetheless. Maybe that could be an option for you.

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Flying with kids? Parents’ best tips for a meltdown-free ride.

Somewhere over the Indian Ocean, I felt it: a warm, damp feeling on my lap, slowly making its way down my legs. It wasn’t the body heat radiating from my then 1½-year-old son curled up asleep on top of me, and it was definitely not a spilled cup of ginger ale. My son’s diaper had started leaking. And while I had packed a clean onesie for him in my carry-on, I had to sit out the remainder of the flight in pee-soaked trousers.

Air travel with young children is a minefield of potential trouble. There could be leaky diapers, upset tummies, ear pains or motion sickness. Depending on a child’s personality, airplane cabins can turn into pressure cookers for full-blown temper tantrums. The prospect of all that, in a confined space shared with some 300 strangers, is enough to send even the most levelheaded parents and caregivers into a spiral of stress.

It doesn’t have to be. Even though every child is different, there are preparations and precautions that could make flights as smooth as possible. After having logged thousands of miles with my child, these are the tips I — and other flying parents — swear by.

Book the front or back of the cabin

During long flights, the right seat can make all the difference. Infants up to 2 years old can travel on a parent’s lap and don’t need to book a separate seat. If they fall under the weight limit, which varies per airline but hovers around 22 lbs., they’re eligible for a baby bassinet (a cot-like contraption attached to the wall opposite the bulkhead seats of some aircraft) that allows them to sleep comfortably and gives parents plenty of space to stretch their legs.

Airlines such as Delta and United allow bassinets to be pre-requested via their Help Center. Limited availability (sometimes no more than two per plane) or last-minute aircraft schedule changes make it impossible to guarantee one, though, so always have a backup plan ready. Some airlines don’t allow bassinet reservations altogether and assign them to travelers with infants on a first-come, first-serve basis at the boarding gate or check-in counter.

Children older than 2 will need a seat booked for themselves. To avoid split-up families and musical chairs during boarding, paying a fee to pre-book seats before departure is a worthy investment.

“We try to get bulkhead seating for the extra room and to avoid those dreaded kicking-the-chairs-in-front situations,” says Cynthia Andrew, a Brooklyn-based travel blogger and attorney who crisscrosses the globe with her 3-year-old twins. “If we do get seated directly behind other passengers, I politely introduce myself at the start of the flight and let them know that we’ll be doing everything in our power to prevent any disruptions and that they should feel free to let us know if there are any issues. I find that leads to so much goodwill.”

If the bulkhead seats are fully booked, consider the seats at the back of the plane. “By default, airlines usually put all the families in the rear of the aircraft,” Tony Dong, a Delta flight attendant, said in an email. “People often think this area isn’t great, but it’s the contrary. When I travel with my young daughter, it’s closer to the lavatories, and if I need anything from the flight attendants, they’re right there.”

Keep the aisle seat for yourself, though. Little hands and legs jutting out while food carts and passengers pass by is a recipe for disaster.

Airplane seat configurations vary per carrier and route, so it’s wise to check seat maps with a tool such as SeatGuru before you select your preferred seats.

Time your flights around sleep schedules

Young children have their own circadian rhythm, and if schedules allow, it’s worth trying to plan your flights around it. An eight-hour trip across the Atlantic is likely more comfortable at night, when kids can spend most of the journey sleeping. A shorter city-hop, however, is easier during a time of the day when your child is usually awake to avoid grouchiness when fatigue sets in.

Depending on the destination, breaking up an intercontinental flight could be another way to make long trips more manageable. “When we fly long-haul in economy, we often plan an extended stopover,” says tech start-up founder Chris Osborne, who works remotely around the globe with his wife and two young boys in tow. “Two or three nights in a city somewhere along the way is perfect.”

When your travel schedule is flexible, try to avoid booking trips on holidays and weekends. During these busy periods, flights are often packed and prone to delays.

Pack an accessible change of clothes for yourself

After having my pants soaked midflight by a leaky diaper, I learned this lesson the hard way: Always pack a spare change of clothes in your carry-on luggage. Not just for your child, but for yourself.

Even though slightly older children might be potty-trained at home, a strange environment like an airplane cabin might trigger old habits. To avoid potential accidents and unnecessary stress, a pull-up diaper will bring peace of mind. While you’re at it, be sure to stuff a pack of wet wipes and a spray bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag — they’re guaranteed to come in handy.

Leave space for the other essentials, though, like toys and snacks. The best toys to pack depend on your child’s age and personality, but a rule of thumb is to keep them quiet (no bells, rattles or electronic sounds that could disturb passengers around you) and free of small elements that might get lost between the seats. A long flight is also an ideal time to introduce a new book or toy to your child’s collection. On the snacking front, choose options that are low in sugar (to avoid that dreaded sugar rush) and not crumbly or overly sticky.

Affordable ring binder pencil pouches , with their zipper closures and clear windows, fit everything from activity books to pencils and small toys and can be combined into a bone fide activity kit with a zippered binder or a few binder rings.

Manchester-based Reef Pearson, who often travels with her young nieces, suggests packing toys and treats inspired by the destination of a trip. “We treat their hand luggage like an ‘explorers kit,’” she says. “When we went to Paris, for example, we printed coloring pages with the Eiffel Tower and packed them with pencils, stickers and little croissants. And in the past, we’ve put in things like a compass and a pilot hat.”

And depending on which side of the screen time debate you stand, “ Bluey ” and “Peppa Pig” make for excellent babysitters while you take a breather. Even though many aircraft are fitted with an entertainment system and a solid selection of kid-friendly movies and TV programs, it’s smart to have an iPad or other digital tablet preloaded with your child’s favorite shows as a backup option.

Get to the airport early and burn off energy

Seats booked? Carry-ons packed? Now there’s only one last hurdle to overcome: the airport. Even if you’re usually on #TeamJustInTime , navigating an airport with a young child opens up a whole new league of potential curveballs. There could be sudden bathroom breaks, lost toys or full diapers you did not see coming. Save yourself the unnecessary stress and leave well ahead of the suggested two hours before departure.

Some airports will have a separate line for families at check-ins and customs to speed up waiting times. Even if there’s no sign, a staff member on surveillance duty will often be able to whisk you to a designated desk or station.

According to Osborne, arriving early at the airport has another benefit: They are great places to explore. “Encouraging your child to do so is a great way to burn off excess energy before a flight.”

And while families with young children are often invited to board first, it depends on your child’s mood if it’s wise to do so. Being one of the first on the plane does allow you to get settled and store luggage without too much going on, but it also adds at least 30 minutes of your time on board. If you’re traveling with a partner, consider splitting up: While your partner gets settled, you can keep your child busy in the terminal until the final call for boarding.

Avoid painful ‘airplane ear’

During takeoff and landing, some children will experience pain in their ears as a result of changing air pressure. This “ear-popping” might be scary for a child who has never experienced it before, so be sure to explain ahead of time that it’s only temporary and a normal part of flying. To decrease the chance of painful ears, encourage your child to yawn or swallow during takeoff and landing, or offer them a glass of water to drink or a hard candy to suck on.

Those might not be options for younger children, of course — and good luck getting them to yawn or swallow on command. In that case, time a bottle or breastfeed during takeoff and landing so that your child will naturally swallow.

Chris Schalkx is a Bangkok-based travel writer. You can follow him on Instagram: @chrsschlkx.

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How to Fly Your Kid Solo, Free of Stress

By Alexander Nazaryan

For many parents and guardians, putting a child on a flight alone may seem terrifying. Belligerent passengers, delays, turbulence: All loom large in a caregiver’s imagination.

Life sometimes leaves no other option. Hudson Crites , 17, of Marshall, Va., was 10 when he started flying unaccompanied to visit his father in Kansas and later Georgia, said his mother, Chelsea Tippett. But the extra attention from airline staff made Hudson “feel special,” Ms. Tippett recalls. Other than a single tarmac delay, he has had no problems.

On rare occasions, children have had troubling experiences. In December, Spirit Airlines accidentally flew a 6-year-old to Orlando, Fla., instead of the intended destination of Fort Myers. Spirit apologized, fired the gate agent responsible and offered reimbursement to the boy’s grandmother for her travel to Orlando. But while the boy was unharmed, his grandmother expressed worry that he had been kidnapped .

If you decide to fly your child unaccompanied, you’ll discover that each airline has its own procedures, fees and routes open to children. While some may find the process complicated, flying alone may be exciting for your child, instilling some independence. Here’s what you need to know.

Before you book, know the process

Regardless of the airline or route, flying an unaccompanied minor differs from an adult or a family catching a flight. Airlines require a trusted pre-authorized adult to be at the departure and arrival gates, and will ask you at booking to provide contact information for those adults. They will also need to present identification at the terminals.

The journey begins at the originating airport’s airline ticket counter. There, airline staff will check your identification and check in the child, perhaps handing them a lanyard or wristband to wear. The agents will provide you with a pass to get through security with your child. You will accompany them to the gate, where you will hand them off to a gate agent. You must stay at the gate until the plane takes off.

In the air, the flight crew will keep watch — but will not babysit, or sit with, your child. If the flight has a connection, a crew member will walk your child off the plane and a gate agent will take him or her to the next gate.

At the arrival airport, the child will be handed off by staff to the authorized guardian or parent who should have already checked in at the ticket counter with proper identification, gone through security with their gate pass and be waiting at the gate.

To learn more about this process, read the Department of Transportation’s online guide, “When Kids Fly Alone,” followed by the website of your selected carrier.

Choosing an airline and paying an extra fee

Before purchasing a ticket, experts advise you to consider an airline’s on-time performance. “Solid on-time performance is hard-earned, and signals a carrier that has tight control of its operation,” said the Ask the Pilot author, Patrick Smith. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics has those numbers.

Booking procedures vary. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines require you to call. United Airlines allows bookings online. JetBlue Airways does online bookings, too, but asks for three printed copies of its forms upon arrival at the airport.

International flights may call for a notarized consent letter describing where the child is traveling, with whom they’ll stay and how long they’ll be there.

On top of the ticket fare, flying an unaccompanied minor can be pricey.

Southwest Airlines charges $100 one way for each child, regardless of distance. Alaska Airlines charges $50 per child if the flight is nonstop; a connection adds $25. On Delta, one $150 fee will cover up to four children, and American’s $150 covers all siblings, with no cap on number. United charges $150 for one child, or two children flying together.

Restrictions: There are plenty

U.S. carriers allow children to fly as unaccompanied minors once they turn 5 and before they turn 18. But regardless of your child’s age, make sure he or she is ready by discussing the trip details and your expectations of their behavior. No policy can replace your judgment.

The low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air don’t allow unaccompanied minors, Other airlines have restrictions that, in the broadest terms, differentiate between young children and teenagers. American and Delta restrict children under 8 from routes requiring connections. Both airlines allow children between 8 and 14 to take some connecting flights.

On American, no unaccompanied minor is allowed to take an overnight flight requiring a connection, or a flight that includes a connection on its final leg that also happens to be the last such flight that day (“unless it’s the only flight,” the company adds). Minors are not allowed on code-share flights.

United and Delta have similar rules. Southwest, JetBlue and Spirit don’t allow unaccompanied minors on connecting flights.

JetBlue prohibits minors from flying to Europe, and limits the number of unaccompanied minors in one party to three. Spirit does not allow children on flights to Central or South America. Southwest doesn’t allow children on any international flights. American, United and Delta let minors fly abroad, but restrictions on connections, code-shares and overnights limit options.

American and Delta allow children to opt out of flying as unaccompanied minors once they turn 15 — that is, the child can fly without the assistance of airline personnel. JetBlue ends unaccompanied minor service at 14, while Alaska has an opt-out option at 13. Southwest boasts the lowest opt-out age: 12.

However, you should be able to accompany your child to the gate even if they’re not flying unaccompanied. American requires that you do so for teens between the ages of 15 and 17, even if they’ve opted out.

What to pack

Have a plan to head off your child’s hunger, boredom and thirst. If they are older, make sure they have emergency money and a charged phone.

When her two daughters, then 9 and 11, flew to Denver, Joey Conover of Charlottesville, Va., had a long list for their carry-ons.

“Pack a backpack with iPad, headphones, lightweight book to read, a pad of paper and colored pencils (markers might smear), a small travel game, water bottle (bring empty and fill in airport), snacks, some kind of surprise fidget or animals to play with, hoodie, and a lovey,” she wrote in an email.

“Write your name and phone number on the inside of their arm in Sharpie and put a parent’s business card in a luggage tag on both suitcase and backpack,” Ms. Conover said. (A sheet of paper with all their identification, and their guardian’s contact information, also works. Simply stick in an easy-to-access pocket.)

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

More From Forbes

How ai is set to transform airports and air travel.

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In the rapidly evolving world of air travel, artificial intelligence is being applied to provide innovation throughout the entire experience. As we navigate through airports today, most of the seamless operations we take for granted—from security screenings to baggage handling—are powered by technologies which include AI. Yet, we’ve only just touched the surface with how AI can continue to transform air travel and the airport experience.

At the recent 2024 SXSW Conference and Festivals that took place in March 2024, Bernadette Berger, Director of Innovation at Alaska Airlines, presented on The Sky's the Limit: How AI will Reimagine Airports . She shared how AI-enabled technologies optimizing operations and transforming passenger experience. As AI technologies such as facial recognition, predictive analytics, personalized digital assistants, and real-time navigation are further brought into the entire travel experience, airports will be transformed into fully accessible and immersive hubs for travel, retail and entertainment.

The panel “The Sky's the Limit: How AI will Reimagine Airports” focused on AI within the airport. The panel had additional experts in the aviation industry including Celley Buchanan (Alaska Airlines), Matt Gilkeson (Transportation Security Administration) and Ian Law (Los Angeles World Airports).

In a followup interview on Cognilytica’s AI Today podcast , Bernadette expanded on her talk, and shares more insights for this article.

Q: How do you see your role in expanding the use of AI in air transport?

Bernadette Berger : “I am the Director of Innovation at Alaska Airlines. I got my professional start actually in aviation. I'm a trained industrial designer, which means that I design physical and digital and spatial things and jumped right into designing aircraft architecture for over a decade. I fell in love with airplanes. I am a huge airplane nerd.

At Alaska, my team and I have built up the innovation practice for the company. We work on bringing together emerging technologies and human needs, either for our own employees or for our guests. We prototype in our innovation lab quickly to develop technology demonstrators, experience demonstrators, proof of concepts, test these experiences out at the airport, and eventually move them into our operations. That way, we can make sure that when we do launch new technology, we do it quickly, but also we do it in a way that's still a great experience for our employees and for our guests”

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Q: How do you see AI transform the passenger experience?

Bernadette Berger : There's two types of travelers. There's the folks who skate into the airport at the last minute. They don't want to check a bag, don't want to hang out at the airport, and just want to go from one mode of transportation to the next as quickly as possible without stopping. Then there's the passengers who want to get to the airport hours ahead of time. They want to hang out at the lounge. They want to buy a book and buy some coffee. They need things to be able to do at the airport as well. On the panel, the first thing we talked about was how we are creating a space and offering to help both types of travelers.

People may not know that AI is already very prevalent in the airport. As a passenger, you might not really feel it, because I would say we are in our efficiency era right now. Airports, airlines, and our security agencies are looking for ways to do what they're doing today, but with greater efficiency using AI. Layering computer vision algorithms on top of all of the security cameras, or using AI to be able to reduce the number of lanes that need to be used or machines that need to be used in security, or even creating tools for our employees to be able to help guests get the customer service that they need faster are all examples of how AI is currently being used in travel. All of these examples are still very much in the efficiency space, and I'm really interested to see as we evolve past just understanding the data we have, where we might go next.”

Q: What are some of the challenges you see with AI adoption within the transportation industry?

Bernadette Berger : Transportation is such a complex ecosystem. I mean, airports are cities in themselves. Every airport is controlled and governed differently. As an airline, we operate at 113 different airports with thousands of employees working across those airports. The differences between those operations is immense.

So, to be able to begin a conversation about how you can develop an AI solution for a complex problem, let's say, around bags, isn’t always as easy as it sounds. However, it’s a great application for AI because we have so much data around bags, and we can be more proactive and predictive around the way that we move the thousands of checked bags daily.

So what we do to break down this big, gnarly challenge in our innovation practice is we break down those human challenges and technology gaps into the smallest, quickest test that we can prove. And that way, an entire program might include the proving out of eight different components. First we need to collect data. Then we need an approach that can be specific for this need. Then we need to communicate those results in an interaction form for a very, very busy airport employee. And we need to communicate that to our guests. So, we need a solution that’s actually easy to interact with.

In my innovation group we break all those down. We run very fast tests in our innovation lab, where we build things out of cardboard and wood and we mount kit cameras and train and refine our algorithms there. Then we move them into the airport where we can test it in the real airport environment with real passengers and real customer service agents. From all of those small, fast iterations, we learn so much, and we learn quickly. This approach allows us to move on from programs that we otherwise could have sunk an entire team’s efforts over the course of one year only to find out it is not the right way.

Once we have proven those small tests, that's when we move it into operations. And that's where you then can say, because we've broken down this problem into its eight sub components, those are different modular ways that this AI model can flex in this situation for the way that we are handling bags at this airport. All these steps build together. It can be very daunting for teams to figure out how to apply especially such a broad topic of technology to their challenges. But we see it as human needs, technology gaps, and how can you find those small wins along the way.

Q: How do you see AI impacting passenger and customer experience?

Bernadette Berger : This is really an efficiency game, right? So the things that you might feel as a passenger is just that your checked bags have arrived at their destination. The things you might feel as a passenger are around safety and security. As you move through the airport, as you move through the air, you might feel that your interactions with a gate agent feel really warm and personal and they knew that you needed to have your seats reassigned so that you could sit with my family. They also knew that, hey, you’d love to have a coffee and a cookie or a chocolate bar when you get on the plane.

It might just feel like a good experience, but there's a lot behind the scenes that are working to make that happen. Biometrics is one of the things that I think is going to become a really big shift for passengers, but also continue to help us be able to navigate your day of travel with more simplicity. If you're traveling in a group, and you've got four different passports, do you ever do the juggle of trying to fumble for the phone to get the boarding pass going trying to manage all the different ways to prove that you are who you are and that you're supposed to be there and you're supposed to be on this flight?

We're excited about moving to a model where you can move through the airport and onto the plane with just your face or with just your phone, whether that's your mobile digital identity, whether that's comparing your beautiful face to the image that our government agencies already have of you from your driver's license or from your passport. Just comparing that photo will make it a lot easier for our guests to be prepared for a day of travel and move through the airport. Guests can experience faster lines, less lines, and less hassle. No one wants to wait in line. The hurry up and wait game is not fun.

But as we think about moving ahead and we think about being proactive and predictive for our guests now, we think about how we can make that big morning rush start to taper out so that there are no lines at the airport. Because I've sent you a real time offer saying, hey, I know that it's 09:00 a.m. and you're rushing to the plane. Just one tap here if you want to order your favorite coffee drink ahead of time. It'll be there at the counter near your gate, ready for you. All you have to do is walk by and grab it. Just making these offers and recommendations at the right time in an interaction that isn't requiring a guest to read and comprehend and make a decision has a big impact. You're in decision fatigue by the time you've gotten to the airport. It just needs to be easy. Everyone wants to feel escorted from home to the plane. And if there's ways that we can use our algorithms and our recommendations and technology to do that, then we're going to make travel not only easier for all, but more accessible for more people.

(disclosure: I’m a co-host of AI Today podcast)

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April 15, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Kathleen Magramo, Antoinette Radford, Maureen Chowdhury and Amir Vera, CNN

Our live coverage of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has moved  here .

Israel delays Rafah offensive as it weighs response to Iranian attack. Catch up here

From CNN Staff

Israel was set to take its first steps toward a  ground offensive in Rafah  this week, but has delayed those plans as it mulls a response to Iran’s attack, two Israeli sources have told CNN.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long stressed the importance of invading Rafah to dismantle Hamas’s remaining battalions, despite significant international pressure to call off an all-out ground offensive. But, a military response that risks escalating the conflict with Iran further would pull the military’s attention and resources away from Gaza.

Here's what to know if you're just joining our coverage:

• War cabinet meeting : Israel's war cabinet reviewed military plans for a potential response against Iran, an official said. The cabinet remains determined to act , but it's not clear if a decision has been made. Israel has vowed to "exact a price" after the unprecedented large-scale drone and missile attack .
• White House urges de-escalation: US President Joe Biden is focusing on preventing Iran's attack from spiraling into a wider regional conflict , spokesperson John Kirby said. Kirby said ultimately the US wanted tensions to de-escalate.
• Countries urge restraint : Biden's sentiment is echoed by various countries who are urging Israel and Iran to avoid further confrontation that could plunge the area deeper into conflict. Indonesia, Malaysia , Jordan , Germany , the UK , South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia — among others — have all expressed concern about rising tension in the region.
• Iran's stance : Iran maintains its attack on Israel was a "legitimate" and “responsible” reaction , the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.
• Flight operations resume : Airports in the Iranian capital of Tehran resumed flights at 6:00 a.m. local time on Monday, according to Iran's state-aligned Tasnim news agency.
• Israel warns Palestinians to avoid the north : After thousands of Palestinians attempted to return to their homes in northern Gaza, Israel's military warned it was a "dangerous combat zone" through social media and airdropped leaflets .
• Gaza death toll : The Health Ministry in Gaza says that 68 people were killed in the territory over the past 24 hours as a result of Israeli military operations. A further 94 were injured. CNN cannot verify the figures, and the Ministry does not provide a breakdown of civilians and fighters among the casualties. The Ministry said that since October 7, 33,797 people have been killed and 76,465 injured.
• West Bank shooting: Israeli gunfire killed one person and critically wounded another in Nablus , in the occupied West Bank, on Monday, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health said. Israeli police described the man as a "terrorist" and said he threw an explosive device at their forces.
• Palestinians released : Israeli authorities have released 150 people previously detained in Gaza according to the Palestinian General Authority for Crossings and borders on Monday. Two of the detainees were ambulance workers for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
• Israeli soldiers wounded : An explosion near the northern border has injured four Israeli soldiers , one severely, the military says.
• Gaza aid : The Israeli government agency that coordinates the delivery of aid into Gaza says that a new crossing in the north has again been used to deliver food aid .
• Hostage talks: Hamas has slashed the number of hostages it is willing to release during the first phase of a ceasefire deal by more than half, from 40 down to 20, an Israeli source close to the negotiations said. This represents a significant step backward in the talks.

The post has been updated with details on the war cabinet meeting and the hostage talks.

2 Palestinian farmers killed after confrontation with Israeli settlers near West Bank city of Nablus

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq

Two Palestinians were killed Monday south of the West Bank city of Nablus, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.

The Palestinian official news agency WAFA, citing a local official, said the two were killed by Israeli settlers in Khirbet at-Tawil, which is near the settlement of Gitit. 

According to WAFA, Israeli settlers attacked and killed two farmers who were tending their farmland. 

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah identified the deceased as Abdul Rahman Maher Bani Fadel, 30, and Muhammad Ashraf Bani Jame, 21.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement it received a report Monday "about a Palestinian suspect who attacked a Jewish shepherd" in the Gitit area in the West Bank's Jordan Valley. "A violent confrontation developed there between Palestinians and Israeli citizens," the statement said. 

When IDF forces arrived, they "worked to disperse the confrontation," and "during the incident, two Palestinians were killed," the statement said. 

A preliminary investigation into the shooting appears that IDF forces did not do it, the statement concluded. 

The IDF and the Israel police are investigating the incident, the IDF spokesperson added.

China notes Iran's position on Israel attack and does not condemn strikes

From CNN’s Manveena Suri, Simone McCarthy and Wayne Chang

China said it noted Iran’s statement that the actions against Israel were an “exercise of the right of self-defense” during a phone call between the foreign ministers of the two nations on Monday, and did not condemn the weekend strikes.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that China condemned the attack on a consulate building in the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, according to a statement issued by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese foreign minister added the incident “seriously violates international law and is unacceptable.”

“China has noted Iran's statement that the actions it took were limited and it was an exercise of the right of self-defense in response to the attack on the embassy building,” the statement said. “The current regional situation is very sensitive, and Iran is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of further escalating the situation,” the statement added, quoting Amir-Abdollahian.

Separately, China’s Special Envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, met with Irit Ben-Abba Vitale, Israel’s Ambassador to China, on Monday, in which the latter expressed Israel's position and concerns on the conflict in Gaza.

Zhai said China was “deeply concerned about the current escalation of regional tensions, and conflicts and bloodshed serve the interests of no one.”

“What is pressing now is to achieve an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, ensure humanitarian aid, release all detained personnel as soon as possible, and achieve a political settlement of the Palestinian question based on the two-state solution for the peaceful coexistence of Israel and Palestine,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

15 more bodies recovered from around Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital as exhumation process continues

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem

Fifteen bodies were recovered Monday from around Al-Shifa Hospital following the withdrawal of the Israeli military from the area two weeks ago, Gaza residents and medical crews told CNN.

Health workers and residents in northern Gaza have been searching for what they believe are mass graves and looking for their loved ones after they said Israeli forces killed hundreds of Palestinians and left their bodies to decompose during their two-week siege of the complex.

Hundreds of bodies have been recovered from areas around the hospital complex since the siege ended April 1, a Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson told CNN last week.

Video filmed by CNN Monday shows medical workers, some wearing UN-marked vests walking around the site over mounds of sand, digging up bodies. White body bags can be seen on the side of the excavation site, some marked with text that read “unidentified body” and some with names of people on them.

“Today I bid farewell to my mother who was inside Al-Shifa Hospital during the invasion and attack by the vicious Israeli occupation on this medical complex that has been turned into a big mass of rubble,” Mohammad Al-Khateeb, a resident of Gaza told CNN. “The Israeli military deprived patients, nurses, doctors and the displaced of water, medicine and food."

 Al-Khateeb’s mother, Khawala Al-Khateeb, was 75 years old when she was brought to the hospital three days before the Israeli military siege on the complex and surrounding neighborhood of Al-Rimal, and was killed three days after, he said.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on these allegations but has not received a response.

Waleed Abu-Laila told CNN he had been searching for his mother since the Israeli siege on the hospital ended on April 1. On Monday, he said he found her body and was only able to identify her "from the specific markings on her feet and hands" from when she had a toe and finger amputated back in November.

Video shows Abu-Laila opening a white body bag, revealing his mother’s decomposed body.

“The hospital was blocked from all sides and there were bodies were scattered all over, squashed on the streets from the tank rails. When I got a call to come check the unidentified bodies, I opened a bag that was marked 'unidentified' and immediately found my mother’s body decomposed,” he said.

Khadr Al-Za’anoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, contributed to this report.

Hamas lowers number of hostages it's willing to release as part of a ceasefire deal, Israeli source says

From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv

Hamas has slashed the number of hostages it is willing to release during the first phase of a ceasefire deal by more than half, an Israeli source close to the negotiations said.

In its latest counterproposal, Hamas offered to release fewer than 20 hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire, more than halving the number of 40 hostages that has been the basis of negotiations for months now, representing a significant step backward in the talks.

A senior Biden administration official confirmed that Hamas is focused on those 20 for the first phase of a potential ceasefire deal. The official also confirmed Hamas is telling mediators that it only has around 20 remaining hostages who are women or sick, wounded and elderly men.

Hamas also called for the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for fewer hostages, the source said, as well as a higher number of prisoners serving life sentences.

The Israeli source said the latest Hamas counterproposal signals that Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, does not want a deal, seeking to exploit fissures between the US and Israel over Israeli military operations in Gaza and domestic pressure on the Israeli government.

Basem Naim, a Hamas spokesperson, said Hamas had proposed “releasing (three) captured Israelis each week,” but said “no one is talking about final numbers.”

Beyond the ratio of Palestinian prisoners, Hamas is continuing to demand assurances about a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and unrestricted access for Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.

“I think part of this is Hamas thinks they're winning. Because their definition of success is survival and they've survived so far,” the Biden official said. “The longer the conflict has gone on the more recalcitrant Hamas has become rather than the other way around.”

This post has been updated with remarks from a Biden official.

Israeli prime minister says international community must "stand united in resisting this Iranian aggression"

From CNN’s Eugenia Yosef in Haifa and Larry Register in Atlanta

It's imperative the international community "stand united in resisting this Iranian aggression, which threatens world peace," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Monday statement from his office on X .

Netanyahu added:

“Directly and through its terror proxies Hamas and others, Iran is conducting a full-scale campaign of aggression that threatens not only Israel but the entire Middle East.”

Netanyahu's comments follow an Iranian strike against Israel over the weekend in which more than 300 missiles and drones were launched.

Tehran said the attack was in retaliation for a deadly Israeli attack against a consulate building in the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus.

Golden Gate Bridge reopens after protestors against the war in Gaza block traffic  

From CNN’s Cindy Von Quednow and Jeffrey Kopp

The Golden Gate Bridge has reopened after demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza shut down the busy roadway Monday morning, California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Barclay told CNN. 

Traffic is beginning to flow again as both sides of the bridge reopened, Barclay added. 

Earlier in the day, protestors also blocked Interstate 880 in Oakland and the roadway remains impacted, Barclay said. The northbound side of the interstate is almost completely clear, while the southbound side remains closed, the officer detailed. Protests continue on the interstate, aerial and ground video from CNN affiliate KGO showed .

“Arrests have been made, and are continuing to be made,” Barclay said in an email early Monday. 

Before the law enforcement response, protesters held signs, including one that read “Stop the world for Gaza.”

I-880 reopened traffic later Monday, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel told CNN. Protesters are still demonstrating on city streets near the interstate, the officer added. 

Montiel was not able to say how many people were arrested in the incident.

US military assets remain in Middle East as Israel debates response to Iran attack, Pentagon says

From CNN's Haley Britzky

Additional US military assets that had been moved into the Middle East before Iran’s attack on Israel remain in place, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Monday.

Ryder's comments come as Israel debates possible retaliation to Iran’s attack. 

"As (Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin) has said, both publicly and privately, we don't want to see escalation, but we obviously will take necessary measures to protect our forces in the region and as was demonstrated over the weekend, we'll take necessary measures to defend Israel," Ryder said.

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