Flying with kids can feel daunting, between navigating security with strollers, managing carry-on bags, and hoping everyone behaves on the plane, it’s easy to understand why so many parents dread family air travel. But with the right preparation, flying with children can actually go smoothly, and sometimes even be fun. After a flight or two with all the right strategies in your back pocket, it starts to feel like second nature. Here are the tips and advice that experienced traveling families swear by. Everything in this guide focuses on advice flying kids, giving you practical, actionable advice you can use right away.
What Every Family Should Know About Advice Flying Kids
Tips for Flying with Kids: Before, During, and After the Flight
Book Smart
The choices you make when booking your flights can make a significant difference in the experience. Choose direct flights whenever possible, layovers multiply the stress and opportunities for things to go wrong. Consider flight timing strategically: early morning flights tend to have fewer delays, while late-night flights can work beautifully for babies and toddlers who’ll sleep. Book seats together in advance so your family doesn’t get split up, and if possible, choose seats near the back of the plane where restrooms are easily accessible.
Advice flying kids is a topic that deserves thoughtful attention from every family, regardless of their current situation. When it comes to advice flying kids, small consistent actions tend to produce better long-term results than occasional bursts of effort. Most families find that investing time in understanding advice flying kids pays off in ways that extend well beyond the immediate benefit.
Pack the Carry-On Like a Pro
Your carry-on is your lifeline during the flight. Pack one bag specifically for in-flight entertainment and essentials: headphones for each child, tablets loaded with downloaded shows and games (don’t count on in-flight WiFi), snacks the kids love, a change of clothes for each child and one for you, any medications, and comfort items like a small stuffed animal or blanket. Keep it organized so you can find everything quickly without upending the entire bag mid-flight.
Bring Plenty of Snacks
Never underestimate the power of food to keep kids happy on a plane. Pack a variety of their favorite snacks, both familiar comforts and a few special treats that feel like a reward for good flying behavior. Avoid sugary snacks that create energy spikes and crashes, and opt for things like cheese and crackers, fruit pouches, granola bars, and pretzels. The act of eating itself occupies time and provides comfort, especially during ascent, descent, and ear pressure changes.
Manage Ear Pressure During Takeoff and Landing
Ear pressure changes during takeoff and landing are one of the most uncomfortable parts of flying for young children and can lead to significant crying and distress. For babies, nursing or offering a bottle during these times is the most effective solution, the swallowing action helps equalize pressure. For toddlers and older kids, gum, chewy snacks, or hard candy to suck on during takeoff and landing works beautifully. For very young infants, ask your pediatrician about strategies before your trip.
Keep Kids Entertained on the Plane
Download movies and shows to tablets before you leave home, never assume the plane will have reliable entertainment or WiFi. Beyond screens, a well-chosen new activity can buy significant quiet time: a fresh coloring book and new crayons, a small LEGO set, activity workbooks, or a brand-new toy revealed on the plane for the first time. The novelty of something new makes it far more engaging than familiar items from home. Pack one “surprise” activity to pull out if things start going sideways mid-flight.
Prepare Kids for the Airport Experience
The airport itself can be overwhelming for young children, the crowds, the noise, the security screening process. Talk through what to expect before you arrive. Explain security in simple terms: shoes come off, bags go on the belt, and you walk through a door. Practice at home if that helps. Arrive early so you’re not rushing, which is the single biggest source of airport stress for families. Once through security, most airports have children’s play areas, find yours and use it to burn off energy before boarding.
Embrace the Gate Check
Gate-checking your stroller and car seat is one of the most useful strategies for families flying with young children. You get to use the stroller all the way to the jet bridge, then it’s stored and waiting for you when you land. This keeps little ones comfortable and contained throughout the airport without having to carry them, and it’s completely free on most airlines. Check your airline’s policy in advance, as procedures vary slightly.
Flying with Kids: Quick-Reference Tips
- TSA PreCheck: If you fly more than a few times a year, TSA PreCheck is worth every penny for families, no removing shoes or laptops, shorter lines, and far less stress.
- Dress in layers: Plane temperatures are unpredictable, dress kids in layers they can add or remove easily.
- Bring an empty water bottle: Fill it after security to avoid paying airport prices for water on long flights.
- Lower your expectations: Things will not be perfect. Accept this in advance and you’ll handle the imperfect moments with far more grace.
- Be kind to other passengers: A quick acknowledgment and smile to nearby travelers goes a long way, most people are sympathetic to traveling families.
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For additional resources, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an excellent free resource families can rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no universally “best” age for a first flight, it depends on the child, the destination, and the length of the journey. Many families fly with infants successfully, as babies often sleep through flights. Toddlers (ages 1-3) can be the most challenging, as they’re mobile and easily frustrated but not yet old enough to engage with entertainment for long stretches. Ages 4 and up are generally easier, as children can watch shows, follow instructions, and understand what’s happening.
In the US, children under 2 can fly as a “lap infant” on domestic flights without purchasing a separate seat, though they must still be ticketed. However, aviation safety experts and the FAA recommend that even small children have their own seat with an approved child safety restraint for the safest flying experience. For children over 2, a separate seat is required. Check your specific airline’s policies, as rules and fees vary.
Stay calm, your energy is contagious, and a panicked parent escalates a meltdown while a calm one helps defuse it. Try a change of scenery by walking to the back of the plane. Offer a special snack, a new toy, or switch up the entertainment. Sometimes a simple position change or a hug and a quiet voice is all that’s needed. Remember that the flight will end, that most passengers have either been through this themselves or understand children, and that a meltdown at 30,000 feet does not make you a bad parent.
Arriving earlier than you think you need to is the single most important thing families can do to reduce airport stress. Plan for at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before international travel. With children, everything takes longer, checking bags, navigating security, finding a restroom, getting everyone settled for boarding. The extra time isn’t wasted; it becomes buffer that keeps the whole experience calm and unhurried rather than frantic.
Avoid bringing too many physical toys that have small pieces that can roll everywhere or make noise, these quickly become a source of stress mid-flight. Skip messy snacks like anything that crumbles or drips extensively. Don’t rely entirely on technology without downloading content offline first. Avoid heavy bags that are hard to get in and out of the overhead quickly when a child needs something urgently. And leave anything in your bags that you’d be anxious about losing, keep truly irreplaceable items in your personal item under the seat in front of you.
