A Comprehensive Guide to Air Travel with Children of All Ages

To ensure a smooth flight with your kids, you'll need patience, careful planning, a selection of travel snacks, entertainment options, and maybe a dash of luck to cope with any mid-flight restlessness. Don't forget to bring plenty of distractions; given the tight seating, varying meal choices by airline, costs for checked luggage, and a growing absence of courtesy in travel, flying can be quite the undertaking even under ideal conditions.

Whether it’s your baby’s first flight or you’re navigating the challenges of restless toddlers and sullen teens, here are strategies to make your journey as smooth as possible.

Essential Tips for Traveling by Air with Kids

No matter your child's age, these tips can significantly reduce stress during your family travel adventures:

Ensure You Have the Proper Documentation

The first step is to have identification for your child(ren). While you might not be required to show it for domestic flights (except when traveling with a lap infant), international travel necessitates a passport for every family member, regardless of their age.

If you anticipate traveling internationally soon after your baby is born and you have a birth certificate, it’s time to apply for a passport for your child. A passport serves as excellent documentation since it includes their age and photo. Just keep in mind that children's passports are only valid for five years (or effectively 4.5 years of actual use), unlike adult passports, which last for ten years.

Select the Right Airline

The choice of airline can greatly influence your travel experience, particularly when flying with children. For instance, some airlines may charge higher fees for lap-infant tickets, while others provide more spacious seating and better flight schedules from your local airport. Additionally, certain airlines offer superior and more dependable inflight entertainment options and generous family boarding times, which can be crucial when you're juggling a baby, stroller, car seat, and other belongings.

Overall, some airlines are more accommodating for families, so it's wise to keep these considerations in mind when planning your trip for the whole family.

Pack essential items, but avoid overpacking

Prepare for the possibility of lost or delayed luggage by bringing a carry-on filled with essentials for both you and your kids to last about 24 hours or to handle any onboard mishaps. While it’s important to have the basics, overpacking can create more problems than it solves, so strike a balance.

You can typically find almost everything you need at your destination, but make sure you don’t run out of diapers, formula, or clean clothes before you get there.

Obtain Global Entry

When parents enroll in Global Entry, the entire family gains access to the TSA PreCheck program, as children aged 13 and under can use the PreCheck line when accompanied by a qualifying adult. This significantly simplifies the security process with kids. Just place all your belongings on the conveyor belt, keep your shoes on and iPads stowed, walk through the metal detector, collect your kids, and be on your way.

If you travel internationally at least once a year, it’s wise to enroll your kids in Global Entry too, since every family member must have their own Global Entry to utilize the expedited immigration lines (unlike PreCheck). A five-year Global Entry membership also grants you five years of TSA PreCheck access — just remember to include your Known Traveler Number in your airline bookings. You can also add it when checking in online or at the airport.

You might also consider signing up for Clear, which facilitates expedited security screenings at airports and venues like stadiums. The advantage here is that your identity can be verified using just your eye scan, and children under 18 can use it for free when traveling with you.

Traveling with an Infant

Although it may not always seem that way, babies spend the majority of their days eating and sleeping, especially during their first three to four months. Even when they are awake, they aren’t as mobile as toddlers. So, while the thought of flying with a baby can be daunting, you have several factors on your side.

However, there’s plenty to learn, such as how to transport breast milk while flying in the U.S. and these guidelines for award travel with a lap child.

Traveling with Toddlers

In contrast to infants, who generally want to be held constantly, toddlers are full of energy and want to explore. Traveling with toddlers is entirely doable, but keep in mind that from about 9 months to around 18 to 24 months can be one of the trickiest stages for keeping little ones calm and content.

Here are some strategies to help manage that extra energy and (fingers crossed) prevent meltdowns:

Sanitize Your Surroundings

Today, this advice is beneficial for travelers of all ages, but it's especially crucial for toddlers, who will inevitably touch nearly every surface on the plane. Bring along some cleaning wipes and ensure your area is sanitized before letting your child explore the tray table and beyond.

Carefully Curate Your Toys

Avoid revealing all the toys you've packed for the kids at once.

Prepare engaging toys to keep your child occupied throughout the flight, and introduce them one at a time as needed. Besides tech options, consider packing activities like travel games or a fun coloring book for additional entertainment.

Bring a variety of snacks

While toys can serve as great distractions, food often works even better. Pack an assortment of snacks for different phases of the flight to keep your kids busy and satisfied. Don’t hesitate to ask the flight attendants for assistance in warming food or a bottle, though this might not always be feasible, especially on some domestic flights.

Take short walks

You wouldn’t enjoy sitting in an airplane seat for hours, so why should your energetic toddler? A quick walk down the aisle can help break up the time spent doing activities in their seats and may help prevent a meltdown if your little one starts to feel restless.

Utilize Technology — or Go Analog

For many families, electronic devices are the most effective way to keep kids engaged during a long flight. For children under 5, movies, TV shows, and videos are particularly effective, followed closely by gaming devices. Don’t forget to pack your charger (and adapter, if needed).

However, technology isn’t suitable for every family, and there are plenty of travel-friendly games and activities to entertain kids on board. As mentioned earlier, avoid showing everything at once. Structure the flight into 20-minute activity segments, each with a unique theme and sensory experience. Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! activity books are a huge hit with young travelers — just fill the wand with water, and you have a reusable coloring book. After that, pull out a picture book or two (bonus points for “look and find” books where they can spot specific items on the pages), and maybe introduce a learning toy like the Boogie Board tablet. Another fun idea is to wrap random items from Dollar Tree as gifts and reveal them during fussy moments.

Engage in Conversation

Enjoy chatting with your toddler about your destination to build excitement — if it’s an international flight, consider teaching them a few words they might hear in the country you’re visiting, and discuss the various sights and sounds they can expect to experience on the plane.

Traveling with School-Aged Kids

Fortunately, children in kindergarten through elementary school typically have longer attention spans and fewer meltdowns. However, keeping a young child content during a long flight can still pose a challenge. Here are some tips to help:

Make it a Memorable Event

Kids love special occasions, whether it's attending a birthday party, enjoying ice cream after school, or swimming at night. Apply this same idea to flying by turning it into a fun experience and preparing a special bag.

Including items like crayons, small toys, and a few of their favorite treats can be very effective. To further enhance the special occasion, allow them to choose a movie or TV show they don’t usually get to watch, or offer a snack that isn’t permitted at home.

Explore Seatback Games

Packing enough games to keep a child entertained for hours can be a challenge, so don’t rely solely on what you’ve brought. Encourage your child to check out the seatback entertainment system, if available. Many systems feature games designed to keep passengers engaged for long periods. They can even compete against other passengers on the plane; just show them how to get started, and they'll be entertained for hours.

Include a Book About the Destination

Elementary school kids are eager learners — use this to your benefit. If you're traveling to a new place, bring along a book that explores that destination. Involving them in planning the activities you’ll do once you arrive will not only keep them engaged during the flight but also build excitement for the trip.

Have Kids Sit Together

Children tend to enjoy themselves more when seated with their peers, so unless sibling rivalry is particularly fierce, allowing the kids to sit together (with you nearby) can be a smart approach, especially as they enter their tween and teen years.

Traveling with Teenagers

One of the main challenges parents face during flights is keeping kids from feeling restless and bored, which can lead to various forms of misbehavior. With teenagers, their ‘angsty’ side might emerge after some time. Make it the bonding experience you envision by trying the strategies below:

Share a Meal as a Family

A flight provides an excellent opportunity for family members to swap seats, allowing everyone a chance to sit next to someone different, provided you’re all in the same cabin and the change isn’t too disruptive. It’s a perfect moment to share a meal and converse without the distractions of TV or smartphones.

Initiate a Dialogue

Being confined on a plane together can create a fantastic chance to engage with your kids. Picture having their undivided (or at least partially undivided) attention for hours. Start a conversation by asking about what they’re most excited about for the trip.

However, don’t push too hard — teenagers appreciate their space, even when seated right next to you.

Choose a Flight with Wi-Fi

Naturally, we know that teenagers must stay in touch with their friends, even when soaring at 35,000 feet, so make the most of onboard Wi-Fi whenever possible. Opting for the right airline or using the right credit card can even turn Wi-Fi into a complimentary perk.

While in-flight connectivity can range from $10 to $35 per device on various airlines, both Delta Air Lines and JetBlue offer free Wi-Fi, and on Southwest Airlines, all-day access is just $8.

The Takeaway

Regardless of your children’s ages, keeping them happy, comfortable, and entertained during a flight requires some effort and planning on your part. However, the rewards of sharing a new and exciting adventure with your loved ones make it worthwhile.

Your attitude influences your children. Maintaining a cheerful outlook (even when things don’t go as planned) can significantly enhance everyone's enjoyment of the trip. Prepare as much as you can, but be ready to adapt — it’s all about turning the journey to and from your destination into part of the fun.