While cheap travel options, including cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages often are required elements of planning an affordable family vacation, additional planning is needed if you want to comfortably fly with children.
The following are tips Frommers solicited from travel experts as to how to survive flying with kids:
Purchase your airline tickets early to increase the odds of your familys airplane seats being together.
Make a point of becoming familiar with whichever airports you will visit before your day of departure. Airports can be confusing particularly when you are connecting and arrive at one terminal but have to connect via another. Everything takes longer when traveling with kids. Consider downloading an app such as FlightTrack or FlightStatus that will send alerts to your mobile device if there are any changes to the gate, departure time, or plane.
Arrive early to the airport so that you do not feel rushed. Bring good carry-on luggage with pockets and storage areas to help keep things organized.
If possible, free up your hands by checking your stroller. Children young enough to be carried in a baby carrier or sling do not need a stroller at the airport. Aggravation can be minimized by not having to fold up a stroller when going through security and then again at the gate.
Bring a car seat for the plane. While this necessitates purchasing an airplane ticket for your child (most airlines allow a lap infant under the age of 2 to sit on a parents lap at no extra charge), often children are more manageable once placed in car seats. The FAA recommends placing any child 40 pounds or less in a FAA approved child safety seat.
Set expectations for kids (such as who gets the window seat) prior to boarding and consider letting your kids know that good behavior will be rewarded with special treats during or after the flight.
Keep kids busy in the air to avoid meltdowns. Consider loading up devices such as an iPad, iPod, laptop, and/or a portable DVD player with lots of movies and games. Crayons in a zippered pencil pouch, a coloring book and a spiral notebook can all come in handy in occupying your kids.
Minimize jet lag caused when crossing time zones by following the light and encouraging your kids to sleep when it is dark and be awake when it is light. When traveling east try to keep your child awake and go to bed closer to local time. Traveling west is often more challenging. Wake you child at local time the next day regardless of the time he fell asleep.
Rather than having to deal with car seats at your destination, consider renting them along with your car.
Pack snacks for your return flight. Whole fruit is often available at a hotels reception desk or in its restaurant. www.cheapfares.com