When flying with a toddler, be sure to arrive early to check out all the planes. Alex loved to point out the choo choos taking off:
For three out of our four flights we ended up in a three-seat-row with an empty seat. At each gate we would ask the airline attendant if there were any seats and they were happy to rearrange things for us. On today’s flight from Seattle to Minneapolis we had an extra seat and decided to use Alex’s car seat (which can be checked at the counter or gate-checked). The biggest problem was Alex figured out he could kick the seat in front of him. Otherwise it worked like a charm and he took an hour nap:
Our layover in Minneapolis was pretty short (thank goodness). Having a husband that flies quite a bit comes in handy. Wade knew some great spots to camp out where Alex could run around.
Our last flight was a breeze. We had a third seat and didn’t even use it. Alex fell asleep in Wade’s arms before takeoff and had to be woken when we were ready to get off the plane.
A list of tips that worked for us:
*Now that airlines charge for checked baggage, every bag counts. Thankfully all airlines will check strollers and car seats free of charge – at the counter or at the gate. Having a husband with a perks card helps too – we each got to check two bags for free.
*Children under two can ride in your lap for free. It’s not always comfortable but it saves enough that we took advantage. We always asked about an empty seat and got one 3 out of 4 flights.
*If your child does well in a car seat, then it might be worth it to lug it to the gate in hopes of an empty seat. We tried this the second time around and would probably do it again.
*Lots of snacks, milk, new toys, and new books. We tried the DVD player on the way home, but Alex isn’t quite old enough to be interested.
*Sitting in bulkhead seats was great. Alex had floor room to get down and play.