Are you taking your baby on an airplane for the very first time?  If so then there’s a good chance that you are nervous about the experience.  Many parents have questions about safety and health concerns when taking babies on planes.  Others are overwhelmed by the process of boarding the plane with the baby and the prospect of bothering other passengers if the baby starts to cry.  Arm yourself with the following important tips to get more comfortable with the idea of airplane travel with your infant.

Travel Planning with your Infant

Your airplane trip with a baby is going to go a lot more smoothly if you take the time to plan intelligently before the trip.  Some tips that can help:

• Book short flights.  More layovers are better than longer flights if you have a long distance to travel.  You may even consider staying over a night in a hotel on your way to and from your destination.
• Consider timing when booking flights.  Ideally you want to fly during a time when the baby is likely to be napping.  Be aware, however, that if the child has trouble falling asleep on the plane during a normal nap time then the baby will be cranky.
• Get the extra seat.  You aren’t required to buy a seat on the plane for your infant.  However, getting the extra seat and putting your infant in a car seat (see below) can make the trip go smoother.

What To Take on the Airplane

Some of the items that you want to be sure to take on the plane for your infant include:

• Layers of clothing and blankets.  Temperature can vary a lot from plane to plane so make sure that you have options for your baby.
• At least one change of clothes for the baby.  There’s a good chance your baby is going to spit up.
• Plenty of diapers for the trip.  You don’t want to be stuck with a baby in a dirty diaper during a long flight! Bring wipes, rash cream, etc.
• Any medicines that your baby needs.  This should go in your carry-on even if the baby doesn’t need them during the flight. You don’t want to be stuck without them in case there’s a delay or your baggage gets lost.
• Enough food/formula for your baby.  You are are allowed to bring formula and breast milk on the plane in amounts greater than the traditional 3 oz. allowed for other types of liquid.  However, you need to declare that you have this by letting someone at the Xray machine know.
• A car seat. (See below.)

Using a Car Seat on the Airplane

Many parents opt to take a car seat with them on to the airplane so that their infants are safer and more comfortable during the flight. Some tips for doing so:

• Realize that although this is not required by law, it is something that is recommended by child safety experts for infants and all children weighing less than forty pounds.
• Just like with car seats in the car, you need to use a forward-facing car seat for infants and children under twenty pounds.
• The car seat should be placed in the seat closest to the window.
• Your car seat must be airplane-compatible.  Double-check the manual for your car seat to make sure about this.
• Take advantage of the option to board in advance of others to facilitate getting your infant’s car seat situated.
• Put snap-on wheels on your car seat to make it easy to get it through the airport.

Making the Flight Easier on Yourself

Traveling with a baby can be very stressful. Some tips to help you out:

• Get assistance.  The cabin crew can help you out.  Don’t be embarrassed to take their assistance with getting luggage, arranging the baby’s car seat on the plane, warming baby’s bottles, etc.
• Give yourself plenty of time.  Traveling with a baby can slow things down.  You want longer layovers and a good amount of time to get from your plane to your hotel.
• Stop feeling guilty.  If the baby starts crying on the flight then you may feel guilty that other passengers are being bothered. This can stress you out, which reduces your ability to deal with the situation well.  This just makes things worse.  Feel free to apologize once to your fellow fliers or to crack a joke but then let the guilt go.

Lindsey has been a travel blogger for over 4 years. Most recently she is blogging for Airline Tickets & Airport Parking, which offers unique travel advice for air travel and getting around airports.

Are we there yet?

Are you packing and getting ready for a 4th of July long weekend roadtrip with the family? Whether you’re flying to France, traveling to relatives or heading for the beach, check out our newly assembled Trekaroo’s Activities and Games Guide for Traveling with Kids.

These are all based on recommendations from Trekaroo’s community of travel-savvy parents over the last year. We’ve got games that can be played anytime, anywhere and no gameboards required. Some will make your kids think, some will make them laugh and some will turn them into detectives.

Here’s a sneak peak at Activities #24 through 35.

Guessing Games

24. 20 Questions (Ages 2+)
25. Treasure in a Bottle (Ages 2-4)
26. Name that Tune (Ages 3+)
27. Mother Goose’s Mixed Up Words (Ages 3-6)
28. How Far Away is That? (Ages 4+)
29. True or False (Ages 4-7)

Simple Activities with Just a Piece of Paper

30.  Print out coloring or activity pages from websites like Education.com or Crayola.com
31.  Print out a map of the US and check off each state that you find a license plate for
32.  Free Roadtrip Bingo print-outs from MomsMinivan
33.  Write a letter to grandma or a friend. Write a journal entry.
34.  Travel Scavenger print-outs from Moms Minivan
35.  Take a crayon, stick a coin underneath a sheet of paper and make a coin rubbing

The Trekaroo’s Activities and Games Guide for Traveling with Kids also has our favorite toys for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age kids, tweens and teens that you can purchase ahead of time and throw in your Mary Poppins “entertainment” carpet bag. You’ll find books, puzzles, activity kits and more to choose from to keep the kids entertained and happy for your “family vacation”

Be sure to check-out Activity #68 in Trekaroo’s Activities and Games Guide for Traveling with Kids. It’s a great idea that I’d never heard of from happyonvacation.

Related articles:

• Best Travel Trays for Kids
• Toys on the Fly
• Preparing Kids to Travel

Visit Trekaroo’s Travel Store for more of our favorite travel gear, toys, and books for babies to teens!

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Esther Lee is co-founder and CEO of Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Have you ever looked at toddler who’s squirming in his airplane seat pulling the lap belt over his head with ease? My 2 year old son is never one to sit quietly on the plane and stay strapped in without a 5-point restraint system, but what airline has that? NONE.

Well, luckily the folks behind the CARES Kids Fly Safe aviation restraint know just what parents need for their little jet set. The CARES harness is designed specifically to keep children 1 year of age or older (weighing between 22 and 44 pounds) safe on an airplane. Between routine turbulence when flying over those Rocky Mountains to emergency situations, your toddler will be a lot safer traveling on an airplane with a CARES aviation restraint.

Pros:

• Only FAA certified alternative to a car seat
• 4-point harness that’s similar to your child’s car seat configuration
• Durable material that’s made by the same company who makes airplane safety belts
• Light (1 pound) and portable
• You can check-in your 50 pound car seat instead of lugging it on board

Cons:

• Simple to install, but requires an awkward moment when you ask the passenger behind your child to put their tray table down.
• No straps between the legs (the 5th safety point), so the straps have to be very snug or else smaller kids may slide down or wiggle out
• Red strap sometimes doesn’t align flush for curved back seats
• A big price tag if you don’t fly often

Here’s our full review of the Kids Fly Safe CARES Harness.

The Steal – Win a CARES Harness

We’ll be giving away 1 CARES harness.

Number of Winners: One (1)

Prize: 1 CARES Harness (Value $70)

To enter:

Share which is your FAVORITE airline when traveling with kids and why.

For additional entries, feel free to do any or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra entry but be sure to leave a separate comment for each one.

• Share which airline you think is the WORST when traveling with kids and why
• Tweet a link to this Monday Mad Steal via @Trekaroo
• Post this on your Facebook Wall using the Facebook Share link above
• Post this on your blog

Rules and guidelines:

• 18 years of age or older
• US Residents only
• One entry per person

Deadline to enter: Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 11:59PM PST

If you don’t want to register, but would like to purchase a CARES harness, it’s available on Amazon for $70. Go here to buy your child a CARES child aviation harness.

What is Monday Madness?

Every Monday, Trekaroo announces on our blog, either a fantastic giveaway or an incredible deal.  It could be a green water bottle or Broadway tickets. Return every Monday to the Talking Trekaroo Blog for the details. Want a reminder? Become a Trekaroo member or follow us on facebook or twitter.

Related articles:

• 10 Fun Travel Activities for Kids
• Travel Toys for Baby/Toddler
• Top 5 Travel Toys for Preschooler
• Best Portable Travel Cribs

Thanks to Contest for Moms, Online Sweepstakes, CashNet Sweepstakes, and Sweepstakes Advantage.

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Esther Lee is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TX | VA | WA

Your kids are tech-savvy and travel-savvy. Combine the two and you’ve got the 6 year old sitting on a plane with his backpack of fun. Inside that backpack, you’ll find a DVD player with a collection of movies including Up and the Clone Wars, an activity book with crayons, munchy snacks, and a handheld video game. With computer’s getting cheaper by the day, you’ll soon be finding your litle kids carrying computers instead of an assortment of electronics. If you thought that Wifi was only for the business traveler, think again. It’s only a matter of time before kids are checking in for flights and an hour later they’re checking in on their pet Webkin’s health and messaging their friend back at home.

The wireless Internet is slowly seeping into the life of folks everywhere across the US. Airtran and Gogo Inflight are working together to bring the Internet onto planes everywhere. Gogo Inflight Internet service is currently offered on Virgin America, Airtran and select Delta and American Airline flights.

Now until August 31, 2009, you and your kids can receive 50% coupon off your next purchase of gogo inflight internet.

Related Posts:

• Top 10 Travel Toys for Elementary School Kids
• 10 Fun Travel Activities for Kids
• Preparing Kids to Travel