Flying with a Toddler: Our Best Tips Based on Countless Flights

Last Updated on Sep 30, 2024

The first flight with a baby can be daunting, so many parents wait till their little baby becomes a toddler. It’s a mistake if you ask me. I’m yet to meet anyone who thought that flying with a baby was harder than flying with a toddler.

12 to 20 months is THE most difficult age to travel with kids. Babies sleep a lot and need to be changed and fed. Toddlers, on the other hand, don’t sleep that much and need to be entertained on top of wanting to be on the move nonstop.

We flew with our first toddler over 20 times before he even turned 2 and many more times before he turned 3, then flew a bunch with the second toddler as well. We did several 15 and 17-hour flights, often combined with another 5-hour layover (I believe our longest route was 36 hours total). This is not an article based on a one-off flight as many things came to light after various flights, different airport experiences, and different procedures depending on the country.

Flying with a Toddler: All Your Questions Answered

Have Realistic Expectations

Let’s be real for a second and think about your expectations before you fly with a toddler. If you’re used to flying with a baby that just sits there and falls asleep, keep in mind that you WILL need to be entertaining your toddler the entire time.

Flying with a toddler is possible, but it can be exhausting.

How to keep a 1-year-old entertained on a flight?

Simple answer – they might simply not be entertained by the whole experience and there’s not much you can do about it.

How’s flying with a 2-year-old?

It might be tough, but it also might be easy.

How’s flying with a 3-year-old?

Honestly, if you survived a child under 2 years, flying with a 3-year-old is blissful. I would fly with my 3-year-old all over the world, because he’s self-sufficient and can occupy himself but I won’t say the same about a barely 2-year-old 😉

That might sound daunting, but that’s the reality. You can be the most prepared person in the world but if your toddler is just not having it that day, there’s not much you can do.

After our flight from Europe to the US when Dylan was just 14 months old, we actually gave up on flying with ours for a few months because we had had enough (and we’re very determined people who travel all the time). He wanted to run around the plane and wouldn’t stay seated. He slept maybe 30 minutes out of the entire flight.

Since he was 3 years and 3 months, flying has been blissful and he’s been on over 50 flights since then. Honestly, he never makes a peep and he’s better behaved than some adult passengers.

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Best Time to Fly with a Toddler: Daytime or Red-Eye Flight?

For shorter flights, many parents claim they like morning flights not to mess with bedtime, but for us, red-eye flights have been best without exceptions. The toddler will fall asleep eventually if you tire them out by running through the airport and then stay calm most of the time at the airport when we get our luggage and ride home. He usually wakes up briefly but goes right back to sleep.

The easiest flights for us that also cause no jetlag are overnight flight to Europe from the East Coast or overnight flight to the Pacific from the West Coast USA. We’ve done these routes multiple times and they never failed us: kids sleep, we sleep and we arrive in the morning ready for the day and fight the jetlag off instantly.

Some parents like to plan trips during nap times, but I think it can easily backfire when kids are distracted. My toddler is one of those who stopped most naps at 20 months and will only occasionally sleep for 20 minutes during the day at the most, so I cannot help you in the nap department I’m afraid.

Getting a Toddler to Sleep on the Plane

Getting a toddler to sleep on the plane isn’t an easy task. Most toddlers will fall asleep right when you’re landing – we always laugh about it with other parents on board.

If you’re changing time zones then it really doesn’t matter when you fly and truth be told, most of the time you have no choice because flights are at the same time and only once a day.

If you’re traveling with just one toddler you may try the Flyaway Kids, but quite frankly even though we fly a lot we never thought that was much help. Keep in mind that many airlines approved it, but many have actually banned it – including United Airlines or Emirates. So if you take it you might be asked to deflate it and put it away.

There’s also JetKids which is gaining more and more popularity along with other ride-on suitcases. I was skeptical about getting one, but it does the job in terms of extending the seat in economy class for a toddler to sleep.

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Pros and Cons of Taking a Car Seat on Board

We don’t bring a car seat on board for a baby or a toddler because it doesn’t work for our kids. I also hate dragging it around the airport, but some parents swear by traveling with a car seat onboard all the time.

The chances of a child getting hurt on the plane are next to 0% if you look at actual statistics, and my kids hate sitting in their car seats, so why torture them on the plane as well (we tried once, never again). Every friend of ours who tried to have children in car seats on long-haul flights had the same experience – it sucks because no one can sleep comfortably.

If you have a full-size car seat you need to lug it around the airport. While you can buy a stroller for it and strap your kid in, it’s really not as convenient as it’s a giant item.

If you’re worried about having a toddler restrained, it’s better to just get an FAA-approved Cares seat harness and check your car seat for free – either at the gate or check-in counter (I personally say check-in counter) so you don’t have to drag it around the airport like a mad man.

NOTE: Not all airlines approve harnesses. For example, Lufthansa doesn’t allow it and many airlines require you to contact them in advance as they only allow it on specific seats.

Should you bring a car seat on holidays?

It depends. If we travel to places where we’re renting a car, then yes. But if we’re going to places like Asia where it’s mostly tuk tuks, or spots where we know we’ll only be traveling on public transport then no, there’s no point. I explained all the rules and tricks in a separate article.

We travel with a car seat because it’s costly and annoying having to rent it at the destination, but never bring it on board to use it as a seat. We have a foldable WayB Pico carseat (full review here) that fits in the overhead compartment. It’s expensive, but if you plan on traveling a lot it’s a must.

It’s not the most comfortable car seat for sleeping, but it does the job of keeping the child safe on rides where we need to. We did take it on a road trip and it was just fine.

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Newly Potty Trained Toddler on the Plane

We first flew with our toddler when he was only a month into potty training. He was doing great at home and daycare, but on a plane, clothed, was a different story. I highly recommend pull-ups for the plane and airports.

It will not destroy your potty training routine. It’s for everyone’s sanity. There might be lines to the toilet at the airport and you don’t want your toddler to pee his pants.

Either way, do bring a change of clothes just in case. On our trip to the ZOO, my toddler went through 3 pairs of pants even though he was in pull-ups and went to the toilet various times. I still have no idea how it happened, but it did, so be prepared for such situations on the plane.

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Flying with 2 under 2 or Twins

If you have two kids under 2 then it’s slightly more complicated. If both parents are flying with two lap infants, you cannot sit together in one row.

Yes, you need to sit either on the opposite sides of the aisle or behind one another. It was something that really took us by surprise. It’s due to the lack of two infant oxygen masks in one row, but ironically, many airlines will let it slide if you purchase a seat for one of the babies – but then you cannot get a bassinet.

Truth be told, the infant mask doesn’t suddenly appear if you purchase the seat and they’ll still be too big for the adult one, so it’s a bit of an oddity.

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Flying Alone with Two Under Two

While it’s usually possible, it’s not always possible and requires some extra money and gear.

Not all airlines will allow you to travel with two infants on your own, so that’s the first thing you need to check. If they do, they always will ask you to purchase a seat for one of the kids and you can have another one on your lap.

However, not in Canada. You cannot fly alone with two under two in Canada, so if you have twins or kids close in age you just cannot fly alone without exceptions. Even if you purchase both seats. According to Canadian regulations, the ratio of an infant to parent has to be 1:1 for evacuation procedures.

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Keeping a Toddler Occupied at the Airport

It might be an unpopular opinion, but especially when flying with kids I don’t like to come to the airport too early. It drives my own husband crazy and we disagree on that, but I feel like the last thing you want to do is already have a bored toddler before you even get on the plane. It happened to us twice already because flights were delayed.

That being said, make sure your toddler has time to burn off some energy in the airport. Some airports even have their own mini playgrounds for parents’ sanity, but use the moving walkways if necessary.

When you travel with a baby or toddler, you are in fact a priority customer. Technically, because things can be different in reality and they might decide to board everybody – it happened to us various times, so don’t count on it.

Same with security – know where all your liquids are, don’t wear things you need to remove (like belts), and unless you have to, don’t intend to have millions of liquids in a carry-on bag. You’ll have to remove it all while making sure the kids don’t run away – and that’s not fun.

Similar to when you fly with a baby, I don’t recommend boarding first with a toddler either. Boarding can take up to 40 minutes and you can spend this time letting your bub run around the gate rather than trying to climb on everyone’s seats and losing his mind trying to get out of your row.

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Essential Gadgets for Flying with a Toddler

How to Entertain a Toddler on the Plane

Don’t ever listen to a person who recommends Play-Doh or markers for the plane. Seriously, I was given such advice by some people and I’ll spare you the details about the outcome. Just don’t do it.

Kids’ Tablets

If you ask other parents what to bring on planes or road trips for a toddler, one thing keeps popping up for good reason is a tablet.

Even parents who limit screen time for their kids will tell you that it’s a must-have item for your own sanity (and other passengers’ sanity).

Keep in mind that kids are different. My friend’s kid can be glued to Little Baby Bum for two hours, but my Dylan won’t do it for more than 20 minutes. Have some new games and apps installed.

We had an Amazon Fire Tablet with the case and it does help, even if it’s just for half an hour here and there (and later when you actually want to take an active toddler to a restaurant). Since then we switched to iPad mini and it’s way easier for toddlers to figure out – and apps are simply better.

Reusable Stickers

Remember when I said markers are a bad idea? Even if they’re the write-on wipe-off type, you never know what surface your kid will choose to write on instead of the board.

Reusable stickers do the magic in our case. With reusable ones, I won’t need to worry about my child sticking it somewhere where he shouldn’t as they’re easy to remove.

Board Books

Board books are fun too! Difficult to tear, they’re able to withstand a lot of tossing, chomping, or banging. If you’re headed for a trip, books about exploration, busy cities, or simple travel stories give your little one an idea of what to expect while traveling. Grab a few different books while traveling.

Finger Puppets

Finger puppets are great! The five or ten minutes of relief you get from your kid talking to themselves instead of talking to you is a godsend.

These animal-shaped soft finger puppets are plush enough for use, especially these cat-shaped finger puppets. And if the puppets are going on your hand, what’s more magical than hand unicorns?

Water Wow Boards

At first, I wasn’t too sure about these Water wow boards but the fact that your kid has to use water instead of paint to reveal the design on the cardboard is so good.

But I’ve noticed that if the little one uses it too often, the cardboard tends to take time to dry. So if you get these, remember to get the multi-pack so that you can alternate. The second and third will help keep the bub occupied while the first one dries out.

Color Wonder Markers

Toddlers and markers never make a good combination. But there’s a magical marker out there that allows your toddler to color on paper without coloring their skin and yours, or for that matter not even fabric or furniture.

The Crayola Color Wonder Markers only work in conjunction with the Crayola paper, and won’t color on anything else! It’s also cheaper to get the set instead of the markers and pages separately. This set of 5 Crayola Color Wonder Markers with 18 pages is perfect for a mess-free holiday!

You could also try the Crayola mess-free touch lights that play music while your toddler draws on by touching it with his or her fingers, but this may only be okay for the airport and not on a noisy flight.

Magic Sketch Boogie Boards

Boogie Boards are a more technical version of the magic sketch Crayola Markers. Not as colorful, but they’re good too. The little ones can draw and paint on them, or simply scribble for as long as they want. And once they’re done, they just press a button and watch their art magically disappear.

These toddler boogie boards are like the old PDA phones. The boards for age 4+ offer a bit more color, so you could skip the initial one and get that too!

Buckle Toys

Good for developing motor skills, the buckle toy teaches color coordination, numbers. and more. You’ll also find some versions of buckle toys that moonlight as a tiny backpack.

Headphones

Probably the most important item in your flight arsenal, these toddler headphones are perfect for playing nursery rhymes, or just soothing music so your kids can relax.

If you want headphones that also make your little one look good so you don’t have to take them off for travel photos, try these Bluetooth LED light cat ear headphones or these cute unicorn headphones.

Bring Lots of Airplane Snacks For Toddlers

You absolutely must bring snacks for the plane, even if they serve food. Don’t bring anything too messy or sticky or easily mashable.

We usually get popcorn, goldfish crackers, grapes, broccoli. On top of his favorite sippy cup that doesn’t leak.

Milk, Formula, and Diapers

Our rule is to bring enough supplies to last for the flight and first day.

I know some parents who bring formula for their entire trip for a baby or toddler. While you can technically bring as much as you can in your checked luggage and a “reasonable amount” (as airlines like to put it) in a carry-on, personally I think it’s insane. I always want to ask a question – what if this formula gets discontinued, then what?

Babies are just fine all over the world and you can easily get formula at most typical holiday destinations. Both of my kids ate different formulas their entire lives and they’re just fine. We intentionally kept switching formulas for the first month or two to keep them used to changes.

European formulas that are available in Latin America and Asia are actually better than US formulas as they contain no sugar due to regulations. They also contain a better iron allowance. This article explains this in detail in case you’re worried.

Also, most popular formulas are available in different places with slight modifications (depending on the countries’ regulations), but under different names. For example – formula called Bebilon in Poland is called Aptamil in Italy.

Same with diapers. I’m yet to see a place where you cannot find diapers, even if you’re using organic diapers, bamboo diapers, or other fancy diaper types.

Travel Stroller

I cannot stress enough how important is to have a travel stroller. There are many reasons why you don’t want to travel with a giant full-size stroller that I already described in a separate post, so it’s a must-have item.

From all travel strollers on the market (and I tried various) I wholeheartedly recommend Babyzen Yoyo if you have just one kid and Zoe Tandem if you have two kids.