Flying with Kids: Tips That Actually Work

Before anything goes in a bag, I picture the whole trip.

Every bag, from the front door to the overhead bin. Does everything fit in the car? Don't forget to picture the stroller in the car. Can I get from the car to check-in with all of it, with kids? Now I'm at security -- everything on the belt, coats, the diaper bag, while I keep a hand on whoever can't walk yet on their own. Now I'm at the gate. On the plane. Bags in the overhead bin. Everyone in seats. Bags under the seats.

Can I see it working?

If I can't, I'm overpacking. Cut something. And if there's a layover, I picture all of it twice, because I'll have to do it again.

That's where every trip starts for me.

Start With the Right Seats

Rear of the plane. Engine noise is loudest back there, which means ambient sound covers a lot of fussing. You're also close to the lavatories, which matters more than you think when a four-year-old announces a bathroom emergency at 35,000 feet.

Aisle seat for the parent who will be up most. You will be up. Plan for it. An aisle seat means no climbing over strangers and no apologizing every time someone needs a walk or a bathroom break.

Bulkhead rows if you have a lap infant or a very wiggly toddler. The floor space in front of a bulkhead seat is real. Kids can sit on it, stretch on it, and play on it. If you're traveling internationally with an infant, check with your airline when booking to see if bassinets are available on the bulkhead rows.

One more thing on seats: If the booking site shows no adjacent seats, call the airline directly. Most have a family line and will note your reservation. Ask again at check-in. Ask again at the gate. There's usually a way.

At the Airport: What You Actually Need to Know

Get there early. Early enough that if the stroller wheel catches on something, or someone needs a bathroom before security, or the car seat doesn't cooperate, you have margin. With young kids, add at least 30 minutes to whatever you thought was plenty.

TSA in 2026: Kids under 12 don't need ID for domestic travel. They can keep shoes and light jackets on through the metal detector. They won't be separated from you at the checkpoint.

TSA PreCheck: Kids under 13 come through with you at no cost and no separate enrollment.

"Families on the Fly" lanes: TSA has family-dedicated security lanes at select airports: MCO, CLT, TPA, and others. Look for the signs when you arrive and use them if they're there.

Formula, breast milk, and baby food: Exempt from the 3.4 oz rule. Bring as much as you need. Pull it out at the checkpoint and declare it, just know that TSA will likely test it.

For the adults: REAL ID or passport required. Make sure yours is current before you pack anything else.

Boarding: United boards families with children under 2 in Group 1. Delta's early boarding covers children 2 and under. American preboarding is for children 2 and under; children under 13 are guaranteed adjacent seating at no extra cost regardless of fare type.

When in doubt, ask at the gate. Most gate agents will work with a family even when the official policy is narrow.

What to Pack (The Short Version)

Snacks. More than you think.

Snacks are doing four things at once: distracting, comforting, helping with ear pressure, and buying about 5 minutes of calm per item. Pack for the whole flight plus a delay.

What actually travels well: blueberries in a container, string cheese, Cheerios, pouches with control-valve caps so they don't spray, pre-sliced apples, crackers. Freeze yogurt tubes solid before you leave and they'll thaw to perfect by the time the kids want them.

Skip anything crumbly, anything that needs refrigeration, and anything that will cause a scene if it spills at altitude.

Activities, in rotation.

A tablet is not the plan. It's part of the plan. Toddlers and preschoolers don't stay interested as long as you think they will, 15 to 20 minutes per thing is realistic. No single item holds a young child for a whole flight. You need options.

What works: sticker books (Usborne has good ones for ages 3-7), Water Wow pads, scratch art notebooks, a few crayons and blank paper in a small pouch. If your kids use a Yoto player, bring it to use with headphones or Bluetooth, either works.

I have strict screen rules at home. On a flight, I let them go. Tablets are out, everything is downloaded before we leave, and internet access is turned off. I'm also the one who picks what's on there, so if there's a game I don't want running for four hours straight, I delete it before we leave. If they ask where it went, that's when you shrug. It must have "disappeared".

The saved toy.

There's a way to avoid buying travel toys. What I do instead: when the kids get small gifts from birthdays or holidays, I set a few aside before they really see them. Nothing they've played with yet. Then, when a trip comes around, I have a small stash of toys that are technically theirs but still feel completely new. Save one for the hardest stretch of the flight. It'll work better than anything you could buy during a layover.

Ear Pressure

This is the most common reason young kids struggle on flights, and it's fixable.

Keep kids awake during ascent and descent. We swallow less when we sleep, and swallowing is what equalizes pressure in the middle ear. If your child falls asleep while you are cruising, wake them gently before the descent begins.

Give them something to swallow. For infants, nursing or a bottle during takeoff and landing. For toddlers, a lollipop, a straw, water. Older kids can chew gum.

If your child has a history of ear pain: give children's Tylenol or ibuprofen about 30 minutes before takeoff. Check with your pediatrician on dosing.

EarPlanes: They make a child size. Earplugs designed to slow the rate of pressure change in the ear. CVS, Walgreens, Target, Amazon. In before takeoff, in before descent. They help, especially for kids who've had ear infections.

One More Thing

Most people on that plane are rooting for you.

When your kid cries, you feel every second of it in a way nobody else on the plane does. Most passengers are more patient than you expect. Most flights are shorter than they feel from the middle of them.

You packed the snacks. You have the new to them toys. You know what to do at security.

Getting there is the whole goal. Just land.

*Ready to plan what happens when you land? Every Vacay builds personalized family itineraries so you know exactly what to do once you're there. Try it free.