The Ultimate Guide to Flying with a Toddler

Taking your first flight with a baby can be nerve-wracking. Flying with a toddler can be an Olympic sport.

Honestly, traveling with a little one can be a LOT at any age.

The baby stage (under 1) was “easy” in some ways because babies sleep a lot, they’re portable and can be worn in a carrier, and you don’t need to worry so much about meals or meltdowns.

The toddler stage tends to get a bad rap.

From my experience, traveling with a toddler is not “harder”; it’s just different. Toddlers tend to want to MOVE their bodies, get bored and need to stay busy, can be picky eaters, etc.

But it’s also SO full of joy and laughter. You finally see their awe and excitement about the world around them. Plus, I do NOT miss traveling with formula.

I genuinely think Oliver’s (almost 2-year-old) excitement over adventures and airplanes is the cutest thing. He started “pretend flying” with his arms out at 18 months old and now excitedly asks to go to the airport.

Let’s break down everything you must know when flying with your toddler!

(PS If you’re flying with a baby for the first time, check out my Ultimate Guide to Flying with a Baby!)

What to Carry-On

I’ll share more detailed information throughout the post, but here’s a quick look at everything we carry on with our little one.

• A diaper bag is ideal for diapers, wipes, snacks, pacifiers, a few outfit changes, a white noise machine, etc.
• Baby carrier for wearing toddler and contact naps (if you use one)
  • NOTE: If you bring your travel stroller through security, you must fold it up and run it through the security scanner. If you have a busy toddler, you might want to put them in a carrier to have both hands free. You can walk through security in the US while wearing a baby/toddler, but you might not be able to do so in international airports.
• Travel-Stroller (you may opt to check this at your gate or bring it as your carry-on allowance)
  • NOTE: I always opt to carry on our travel stroller when flying internationally. Domestically, if you gate-check a stroller, it will be waiting at the airplane door when you deplane. However, we gate-checked our stroller on more than one international flight and had to collect it at baggage claim. So, we were stuck lugging everything + your toddler through the airport. I would recommend bringing your stroller as a carry-on on international flights.
• Car seat (We don’t always bring a car seat, so this is trip-dependent, but you can gate-check, use it in a seat, or check it with your large luggage).
  • NOTE: Most U.S. airlines allow you to check a car seat free of charge. You can check it with your luggage and claim it at luggage claim. You can also “gate check” it and leave it just before boarding the plane. You will then retrieve it immediately upon deplaning. International flights may have different policies, so check with the airline.
• Pack anything important or irreplaceable in your carry-on—checked bags are getting lost and delayed more than ever! What you carry on will vary from family to family, but we always carried ALL of our formula when Oliver was an infant, and we still carry on our Slumberpod (because I don’t think we’d survive a trip without it).

Carry-On vs Checked Bag Allowance

ALWAYS check the allowances for the airline you’re flying with because I’ve found that every airline has a different policy.

• Lap Infants (Under 2) Flying Domestically in the USA: Lap infants are usually allowed one stroller and one car seat to be checked free of charge. You can generally bring one of these items to gate check. You do not get a checked bag allowance for the infant. You (typically) also get to bring a diaper bag and your normal carry-on allowance.

• Lap Infants (Under 2) Flying Internationally To/From the USA: Your airline may let you check one bag for a lap infant for free. Often, this is not the case, and you must pay to check an extra bag for a lap infant.

• Seat for Child: Most airlines offer a car seat to be checked for a child regardless of whether they are a lap infant or have their own seat. Depending on the airline, you may have to carry-on, gate check, or pay to check a stroller. You may bring an FAA-approved car seat for use in their seat—this does not count as a personal item. With a purchased seat, your child would have the same carry-on, personal bag, and checked bag allowance as an adult ticket.

Flying with a Toddler Under Two On Your Lap

If your child is under 2, they can fly in your lap as a “lap infant.” Some airlines charge a % of the adult airfare (usually on international flights); some allow the child to fly for free.

Flying with a Toddler in Their Own Seat

You can purchase a seat for a baby OR a toddler regardless of their age. And there are a few reasons you might consider it. Once Oliver started crawling (around 8 months), we started booking him a seat on long-haul flights and never looked back.

It was simply way less painful to have him in a car seat, restrained, than trying to hold a wiggly child comfortably for hours on end.

This is a great example of YOU knowing what’s best for YOUR child and nobody else. I mention these scenarios so you can consider them!

Flying with a Toddler (2+) in Their Own Seat

Once your toddler turns 2, flying for free is, unfortunately, a thing of the past. You should still book a child ticket for them and specify their age.

Again, reviewing each airline’s policies regarding car seats and strollers is essential, as not all airlines will allow them for free once a child is 2.

Airplane Seat Essentials

We find that every type of flight requires a different “seat essential” for our toddler. Oliver hates napping on the go, so depending on the departure time and length of the flight, we either opt for a car seat, the Flyaway Bed, or the Jetkids BedBox if we plan for him to sleep.

Read More:

Best Economy Seats When Flying with Toddlers

Bulkhead:

These are the front rows of seats directly behind walls and can be located in multiple plane sections. These are also the economy seats where bassinets are located.

• Pros: Extra legroom, space for toddlers to move around and play
• Cons: Trays and screens are usually tucked away and somewhat cumbersome. You must keep the aisle clear and have all bags in the overhead bin for takeoff and landing. Sometimes, these seats are close to service stations and bathrooms; they can become loud, and other passengers often stand in your space, like a waiting area.

Center Row:

Some planes have a 3x3x3 seating arrangement with two aisle seats and one middle seat.

• Pros: Both parents can have aisle access with the toddler in the middle. As much as I love a window seat, I don’t LOVE the layout when traveling with a toddler. Suppose you bring a car seat or approved sleep product like an inflatable mattress onboard. In that case, they must be seated in the window seat, meaning one parent is stuck in the middle seat as the sole entertainer and caretaker for the toddler the entire flight.

• Cons: Really, only if you NEED a plane window (for anxiety) or if you’re traveling with a child without a car seat that sits independently and prefers the window seat.

Travel Snacks for Toddlers

Be sure to have some familiar snacks on hand. Some of our favorite flight snacks are pouches, puffs, and freeze-dried fruit. Anything non-perishable works well, but be sure to have lots of snacks and a tried-and-true meal, whether it’s pasta, pizza, or chicken nuggets. Worry about “healthy” stuff another time. You don’t want to get stuck on a plane with a toddler who refuses the in-flight meal!

Check out the post below for tons of travel snack ideas!

Toddler In-Flight Entertainment

I’ll admit that flights with baby Oliver were often easier than in his current toddler era. But there’s also not much you can do to entertain an infant.

For that reason, sometimes, babies can be more “work.”

We didn’t travel with many toys until Oliver was a toddler. I’d say the 8 to 12-month stage was the most challenging — he had started crawling and ONLY wanted to move his body and play peek-a-boo with other passengers.

Once Oliver was 18 months old, we introduced screen time for flights, and it held his attention for about 30 minutes. Now, he could probably watch the Pixar movie Cars or Bluey for 30 hours straight if I let him. Now that he’s a toddler, we bring a full carry-on with snacks and toys for flights.

And it’s actually pretty easy to keep them entertained the older they get.

Some of our favorite toys to bring on a flight for a toddler are:

Check out the post below for more travel toy ideas!

Keep Your Toddler Busy with a Device

When it comes to travel, we sometimes choose to break some of the rules we ordinarily set at home, including screen time.

At home, we almost completely avoid screen time unless our toddler is sick or one of us is solo parenting and needs to pack up the car or something.

However, when we’re flying, this is usually when I allow a MAJOR exception.

Even if you’re a family who tends to avoid screen time with kids, it’s quite a heavy burden to put that kind of pressure on yourself or your little one on a long travel day. I’ve seen grown adults ugly cry when their in-seat entertainment center doesn’t work on a flight.

You can’t expect to entertain a toddler for a 10+ hour flight.

Sometimes, screens save lives.

On travel days, I heavily advocate for screen time on flights. A little screen time won’t ruin your child’s attention span, and it will likely improve your experience, especially on a long-haul flight.

Here’s how we prepare screen time for our toddler:

1. Get Your Gear: From chargers to portable battery packs to headphones to cases, you’ll need quite a few accessories for your little one’s screen. I’ve shared some of our personal favorites in this section.
2. Practice, practice, practice: If your toddler isn’t entirely used to screens or headphones, you don’t want to throw in a new gadget in an already foreign atmosphere. In the next section, I share how I prepare for flying with a toddler when it comes to adding new essentials to their daily routines on the go.
3. Pick and Choose: Choose the shows/games you want ahead of time and make sure they’re downloaded and don’t require wifi. We avoid highly stimulating shows and pre-screen everything ourselves in advance.

These are our personal favorites when it comes to screen time essentials and accessories:

Try Before You Fly

As I mentioned above, it’s super important you try any new device (headphones & tablets) or important travel essentials before you fly. There are so many new obstacles and strange environments on the road that, at some point, your toddler will feel uncomfortable. Adding a whole new item to the routine will only throw them further into upset.

Here are some of my tips when introducing new products and gadgets before your trip:

1. A couple of weeks before your departure, you’ll want to introduce any new gadgets and gizmos into your at-home routine one at a time.
2. When it comes to introducing a new item, go slow. First, have them try it out for a few minutes (like with headphones). They may not like some of these right away, so starting slow and adding more time and experience with the item day by day will help your toddler acclimate.
3. Practice well in advance if your toddler needs more time or you need to try a new product altogether. Not every item will work for every toddler, and the more time you have to trial-run your product, the more you can tell its level of eventual success on your travels.

Timing is Everything

This gets more complicated as your little one gets older. When Oliver was an infant, he would pass out in his baby carrier almost anywhere and at any time.

However, this world-traveling mama now has a toddler who will NOT sleep on a flight or in a stroller. So, while some resources might suggest coordinating your flight with a nap or bedtime, which might be the best option for some, that is not the case for us.

If you have a sensitive sleeper like us, you might consider flying short distance legs between sleep hours. Or, skip a nap before you have an overnight flight to ensure they’re properly tired.

You will inevitably mess with your regular sleep schedule, and that’s okay! My honest advice is to focus on surviving the travel to your final destination by any means necessary (even if it’s tons of snacks, no sleep, and lots of screen time) and worry about sleep when you get there.

Pack Your Toddler’s Comfort Items

Pack a familiar and comfy blanket from home to create a sense of comfort and routine for your little one. And, if your toddler has an attachment to a lovey or stuffy, be sure to pack it (and a backup, just in case).

I often bring two lightweight blankets—one to put on the floor if we’re in a bulkhead seat so he can play on the ground. And one for sleepy time.

Pack a Change (or 3) of Clothes and Pajamas

Dress your little ones in layers for the flight. Airplane temperatures can be unpredictable, and having the flexibility to add or remove a layer ensures your child stays comfortable throughout the journey.

You can also expect a few spills and messes, so be prepared with a few changes of comfy, breathable clothes.

Embrace the Chaos

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, chaos ensues. Embrace it. Fellow passengers are more understanding than you think; a smile or a friendly gesture can go a long way.

Remember, you’re creating memories – even the messy ones!

Celebrate the Victories

Flying with little ones is no small feat. Celebrate every successful landing, each giggle, and the fact that you’re creating a world of adventure for your child.

After all, the journey is just as important as the destination.

So there you have it, jet-setters – my top tips for conquering the skies with your littlest travel companion. May your flights be smooth, your adventures epic, and your memories absolutely unforgettable. Happy travels!