Tips for Taking Your Toddler on a Long-Haul Flight
Toddlerhood is so special. Yes, it can be more challenging. But starting to learn more about their personality, hearing their new words, and seeing them make sense of the world around them is such a magical time.
And the good news is that that makes traveling with a toddler really special, too.
BUT it can be easy to forget how magical toddlerhood is when you’re managing big feelings and lots of energy in a stressful situation, though. Especially on a long-haul flight.
If you traveled when your child was a baby, you’ll probably find that traveling with a toddler is harder than traveling with a baby. But to us, it’s always been worth it and the good has always outweighed the bad.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed (let’s be honest, even without kids, long haul flights are a little intimidating!), so this article is all about making it as easy as possible so you can focus on the fun part. And seeing the world through their little eyes is so special!
I also want to say that these are things that work for us. And yes, we are experienced travelers, but we’re experienced travelers IN what works for us, not what works for every single individual person. So it’s ok to tweak what you read or to fully ignore anything that doesn’t feel like a good fit to you.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this travel guide on our best tips for flying with a toddler are affiliate links (including links to Amazon) providing us with a small commission if you make a qualifying purchase – at no extra cost to you. We greatly appreciate your support! As always, we share our honest opinion and everything is written by us.
Get to the Airport Early
Give yourself plenty of time at the airport. It is easier to stay calm when you’re not rushing through TSA and to your gate. It also leaves plenty of time for your toddler to get some of their energy out.
Get Energy Out
Before you board the plane, get out as much energy as you can. Our toddler loves the walking escalator, so we’ll try to find one that isn’t too busy. Some airports have play areas which we always utilize when we can.
You don’t have to overthink it or make it hard – toddlers love just walking around and will more than likely be happy exploring a new place!
We do still bring our stroller with us in the airport instead of checking it because you never know if you’ll need to strap them in to get somewhere quickly. It’s also nice to have to hold your bags.
Board at the Right Time
Most airlines will give families priority boarding meaning you can board before most passengers. It’s nice to be given the extra time to settle in, but often times this will put you on the aircraft for an extra hour before the flight takes off.
The best option we have found is sending one adult onto the airplane to get car seats installed and baggage put away while the other adult boards as late as possible with the kids.
This is ideal because while we don’t like our kids being on the airplane any longer than they need, it really is nice to have more time to get settled on the plane, especially if you’re bringing a car seat. It can be stressful to install carseats, find storage for your carry ons, entertain curious kids who want to climb around and explore all while it feels like the entire plane is staring at you.
If you’re traveling alone or can’t split up, you’ll have to decide what feels best for you. For shorter flights, we usually opt to get on the flight a little earlier to have the extra time but for longer flights, we will wait as long as possible.
Choose the Right Seats
On most airlines, children under the age of 2 fly for free as lap infants. If your toddler is under the age of 2 and you can afford to get them their own seat, I recommend this. The “extra seat” gives you more space, it gives your arms a break, and it also gives you the option to bring a car seat.
We find the best seats for our toddler to be the window seat. It kind of boxes them in and also gives them the chance to look out the window.
I have found that most people have a strong preference on this – either they love bulkhead seats or hate them for flying with a toddler.
Pros – there is more room, they can stand and get their wiggles out, and they aren’t kicking strangers’ seats in front of them.
Cons – sometimes people will try to walk across this area to get to the restroom. If you want to travel with a toddler airplane bed, you really can’t use them in bulkhead because they need to be flat against the seat in front of you (also note that some airlines don’t allow these beds). Finally, you’ll need to store your stuff above you since there’s no seat in front, so if you’ll need to be in and out of your bags a lot, this is an annoying option.
Ask for Help
Usually, flight attendants are understanding and willing to help. If you need anything they can help with, like an extra snack, usually they’re happy to do so. They have also been happy to hold our baby while we install our toddler car seat.
Invest in a Plane Bed
Most airlines have rules about which beds or seat extenders they allow, so definitely do your research first.
But if your airline does allow them, these options for toddler sleep are a good idea! They can really help them sprawl out more to be comfortable:
Pack Efficiently
I know it’s so easy to overpack and I don’t have this down perfectly yet. But if you can help it, try not to – it will make everything so much easier.
I find it to be really helpful to keep one bag of snacks, one bag of toys, one bag of clothes/diapers, etc. That way, you’re not fumbling through the entire bag to find one little toy or wipes.
Important things to pack:
- A change of clothes (for everyone, including yourself – there will be accidents!)
- Different snacks (probably more than you think you’ll need)
- A sucker or a drink to help with the pressure change during takeoffs/landing
- Toys!
- Tablet and bluetooth headphones if you’ll be using screen time
Best Toys for Toddlers on the Plane
When our friends prepare for flights with their small children, the first thing they ask me about is toys.
And it makes sense why it’s so popular – we all want the happiest toddler possible on the flight! And toys are a great way of keeping them entertained.
I have a full post on the best toys for toddlers on an airplane. If you also have a baby in the family, I have a post on toys for babies on airplanes, too.
If you don’t want to read my entire post on the best toys, here are some highlights:
- You don’t need to spend a ton of money on new toys.
- BUT you do want “new” toys (this can be something entirely new or just something they haven’t played with in a while)
- We like to go to the dollar store to get a few little toys that we don’t mind getting lost
- If it is a brand new toy, I do introduce it to them a few weeks before travel to make sure they like it before I take up valuable packing space
- I also use packing cubes to put all of the toys in so I’m not digging all over my carry on to find the toy I want.
- Some fan favorites are sticker books, a smaller size/travel size magnatiles set, and play dough. Comfort items (like a blanket or stuffed animal) are also great things to have but make sure you don’t forget it on the plane.
- We do allow screen time on travel days (more on that below)
Check out my Amazon Storefront of toddler toys
Screen Time
This is personal preference, but we don’t limit screen time on travel days. If you plan on allowing screens, then make sure you have shows pre-downloaded. Depending on the airline for entertainment/working wifi is dangerous.
We always screen record an episode of Ms Rachel and will also download a few Netflix shows.
Also make sure you get some headphones for your kids to wear. We practiced wearing headphones before our flights, but I don’t think it ended up being necessary – our kids didn’t really have a problem wearing the headphones.
We try to limit screen time in general, but before a long trip, we try extra hard to limit screen time even more than usual so that it’s new and exciting on the flight.
Consider Layovers
If you are lucky enough to have a direct flight, that’s amazing! I avoid layovers whenever I can.
But if you do have a layover, you might want to consider a longer layover. I know that might sound crazy, but we have found that it’s nice to have more time in between flights to stretch legs and run around.
Another thing that’s nice about a longer layover is that you have a buffer if your first flight is delayed for some reason. So you are less likely to miss a connecting flight and it also gives ramp agents plenty of time to get your luggage to the right plane, too.
Finally, it’s easier to be more laid back when you’re not rushing from one gate to another and the entire family will pick up on that energy.
If you have enough time, some airports even have playgrounds.
Bathroom
Getting up to use the restroom can be a good opportunity to stretch legs and get a little energy out.
But even when potty trained, we do use a diaper. The last thing you want is for your toddler to have to sit in dirty clothes if you hit turbulence and can’t get to the bathroom with the seatbelt lights on.
Some kids don’t like using the airplane bathrooms due to the space and noise, so the diaper is nice for this reason as well.
I am not a potty training expert, but this hasn’t caused any regressions for us.
Have the Right Travel Stroller
We never travel without our Zoe double travel stroller (an absolute must with having 3 under 3). We also have the single which we’ll use as the kids get older and don’t all need the stroller.
Use this link for $15 off of your own Zoe travel stroller
Car Seat
We find traveling with a car seat to be the easiest. It’s also the safest for them, but we’ve taken our kids as lap babies too and are comfortable with that.
Our kids have always liked their car seats so if your kid despises theirs, this might not be the greatest option. But it’s nice to have them strapped in. The biggest downside is that they are closer to the seat in front of them for kicking.
If you take off their shoes, it’s supposed to help with the kicking – but unfortunately that hasn’t ever really made a difference for us.
Mindset Matters
Things can (and will) go wrong. And chances are that it will have nothing to do with you or how well you planned things. But the more you practice doing it, the more confident you’ll feel and the less those things will bother you!
It can be really hard to stay calm in airports and on airplanes – entertaining your toddler in tight quarters, lugging around luggage, navigating the airport, loading the plane, and all of the other things.
But if you can stay calm, it’s best for everyone. Everyone feeds off of your energy (and vice versa).
Things can, and honestly probably will, go wrong but a positive outlook will make the travel day so much easier for you and everyone around you!
Also, I really like to remind myself that kids don’t know that airports are stressful. They can be fun new places to explore!
Once you are on the plane, try not to worry too much what people are thinking. I know how hard this is. It is truly the hardest part of traveling with little kids for me. But something I try to remind myself is that the flight is the shortest part of the trip! It feels daunting sometimes, but it’s such a small amount of time compared to the trip itself.
Final Thoughts
Those were our top tips on taking a long-haul flight with a toddler!
Whether it’s your first time or whether you’ve done it several times, hopefully you found some great tips in this article.
Air travel with toddlers takes more work, especially a long flight, but it’s so worth it! And while the right preparation doesn’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, but it will help you feel more confident and prepared!
