First time flying alone with both DC - HELP!

[nrp]

I've flown before alone with DD when she was smaller, and I've flown with both kids with DH, but I just booked a flight in August for just the three of us. Am I crazy??? I haven't thought through all of the logistics yet, but so far here is the plan - please advise and fill in any holes as you see them!

Through the airport:
DS in my Ergo (and praying that they don't make me take him off through security). He is pretty heavy, but I think I'll be fine with him on my back.
DD in DS's carseat on our Go Go Kidz

On the plane:
DD in a (not yet purchased) CARES harness.
DS in either my Uptown or my SIL's Roundabout (leaning towards the RA)

Entertainment:
Our DVD player just died, so I'm going to buy a new one, and that should keep DD pretty content. As for DS, I'm more concerned. He isn't really into videos, so I'm hoping a lot of snacks will work. Maybe buy a couple of new small toys to keep him occupied. Any ideas??

We're flying airtran and they charge $18 for seat assignments. That burns me up so I think I'm not going to pay it and assume that they'll put us together when we check in. I mean, they're not going to separate a 1-yo and a 2.5-yo from their mother. Heck, if someone else wants to entertain DS during the flight, all the better!

What am I not thinking about? It's only a 2-hr flight, but I'm terrified!

ETA: My parents have a Scenera, so I'll put DD in that when they pick us up.

[tylersmama]

You absolutely should not have to take your DS out of the Ergo to go through security. I *still* wear DS in the Ergo through security at 3, and it's fine. Every once in awhile, they'll question it, but almost always as soon as I reassure them that it doesn't have any metal, they're ok with it. Only one time has it been questioned more than that, and the guy immediately asked the supervisor (who was right there) who said um, yeah, it's totally fine (in a "DUH" tone, LOL). You WILL have to take your DS's shoes off if he's wearing them, though, just a heads up.

Snacks will probably be good for your DS. Maybe the post-it notes that other BBBers have mentioned in the past? At that age, DS was pretty happy to just look around and take it all in. And two hours is a pretty short flight, relatively speaking. :)

[Momof3Labs]

Ask at check-in for a pass to allow someone (DH on one end, a grandparent on the other end) to help you through the airport to the gate. I would expect that you'll have to take off the ergo through security, so include that in your plans. And YES, pay the fee for assigned seats!! You cannot assume that you'll be seated together otherwise. Heck, we paid for assigned seats and the flight attendants STILL gave them away more than 20 minutes before scheduled take-off (we were stuck in the airport restroom dealing with a nasty diaper) and was VERY reluctant to give them back to us, which would have left both of our kids (5yo and 2.5yo at the time) sitting apart from us. At least the fact that we chose and paid for the seats ahead of time gave us a strong argument that we should get our seats back.

If you don't have someone helping you through to the gate, think about how your configuration will work if you have to use the restroom, if you are delayed a couple of hours, if you have a diaper leak or other mess to deal with, etc. Only you know your kids' personalities to know how that all might go.

[Momof3Labs]

You absolutely should not have to take your DS out of the Ergo to go through security.

That has never been my experience. You can certainly try to go through with it and fight it if they want it removed, but in the end, need to follow their decision. IMO, it's much better to plan to have to remove it and be grateful if they do not require it.

[TwinFoxes]

On my trans-continental flight we paid for seat assignments. There were many other families on the plane. There were definitely families who were split up. It really depends on how many families, and non-assigned seats there are. You may think they won't split you up, but if the choices are splitting you up or moving someone who paid for their seat assignment, they will split you up. (note: I was on United not AirTran.)

How long is your flight?

Someone posted once about giving DC an old wallet with business cards etc in it. I plan to use that as a time killer some day.

[ErinMC]

Don't worry, the anxiety beforehand will most likely be much worse than the flight itself. I DID once have to take my DS out of the Ergo, so just be prepared to do so if they ask.

I think that as long as you get there early enough, you should be ok without assigned seats - just let them know you're traveling with 2 babies (which they are!) when you get to the gate desk and I'm sure they'll accommodate you. if anything, you should be able to get passengers to move for you.

I have travelled alone with my 2 DS's to visit my family (DH works a ton) since the younger was 3 months old (DS1 was 2.5) and while it was exhausting, it was fine. Bring lots of snacks and new (or hidden for a while) toys, and the DVD player for the older DC.

As a PP mentioned, ask at check-in for a pass to allow someone (DH on one end, a grandparent on the other end) to help you through the airport to the gate. Depending on the airline, they may not allow it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. I've had it go both ways.

Good luck!

[tylersmama]

That has never been my experience. You can certainly try to go through with it and fight it if they want it removed, but in the end, need to follow their decision. IMO, it's much better to plan to have to remove it and be grateful if they do not require it.
Hmm, I travel a LOT with DS by myself, and have NEVER had to take him out. And like I said, only once have I really even been questioned about it (beyond the cursory "Does that have any metal in it? No? Ok, then...").

To the OP, I would probably have a back-up plan in mind for how to do it if you have to, but you really shouldn't. If they ask you to, you can always ask them (nicely, of course) to double-check with a supervisor.

[TwinFoxes]

Don't worry, the anxiety beforehand will most likely be much worse than the flight itself.


Very true. In general people want to help.

Will your 1 year old have a ticket? If the flight is full it will be harder to get seats all together if she's not ticketed. Airlines are hard up for $$ these days so they are more conscious of thngs like lap babies taking up a seat. But if the flights not full they shouldn't care.

[nrp]

Will your 1 year old have a ticket? If the flight is full it will be harder to get seats all together if she's not ticketed. Airlines are hard up for $$ these days so they are more conscious of thngs like lap babies taking up a seat. But if the flights not full they shouldn't care.

Yes, my 1-yo has a ticket. After reading the PPs who said that they had seen families split up, maybe I should reconsider paying for the seat assignments. I guess I figured that they would maybe split up a foursome (i.e., DH with one DC and me with the other DC), but I couldn't imagine them putting one of my babies with a stranger. But, I guess you never can tell these days.

[egoldber]

I agree that you cannot count on being able to wear your Ergo through security. I have never been able to wear a kid through security, I have always had to take them out. I would not wear him on your back unless you are expert at getting him in and out of a back carry in a hurry.

Do you not have a double stroller? I would take that personally and hang the carseat from the stroller.


In general people want to help.

People do want to help. But IME people flying are always busy and rushed and not usually in the most considerate of moods. And frequent travelers/business travelers tend to get irritated with people who don't know their way around airports and through security. I always offer to let anyone in a hurry behind me go through first. Also their "help" may not necessarily really by helpful and may mess up your system or upset your kids. BTDT.

For a two hour flight, for entertainment I would mainly bring food and simple things to do. I would be wary of bringing expensive, fragile electronic entertainment that may break, not work, cause sibling disagreements, need to be balanced on tray tables amongst drinks and snacks and can't be used during takeoff and landing.

[TwinFoxes]

Yes, my 1-yo has a ticket. After reading the PPs who said that they had seen families split up, maybe I should reconsider paying for the seat assignments. I guess I figured that they would maybe split up a foursome (i.e., DH with one DC and me with the other DC), but I couldn't imagine them putting one of my babies with a stranger. But, I guess you never can tell these days.

They might put one of your kids in front of you or across the aisle from you. There were a LOT of families on the flight where I saw people split up. They all had little kids. At some point it's just not possible to configure a plane so that all of those people who didn't have seat assignments get to sit where they want, there are a finite number of seats after all. We had paid for assigned seats, and for some reason they still had to juggle to get us all together. There were two other families that got split up, I can't remember the adult to kid ratio. (I do remember in one of the families the kids didn't have tickets, and so they had to gate check their car seats that they were planning to use on the plane and fly cross-country with lap babies.) It's one of those things where you can get totally lucky and have plenty of room on your flight and all sit together, or it could be over-sold and you'll be wishing you'd paid the $$. Good luck whichever way you decide to go!

[HIU8]

I have only flown once alone with DD and DS and the worst part was security (b/c DS was scared to take off his shoes and it just took so long to get through). They would not allow DH to help us down to the gate. Plus, they took our gate checked stroller to baggage claim and left our gate checked carseat at the gate. Thank goodness my mother was able to meet us at the gate in FL or I would have had a heck of a time getting a 1 yr old and 3.5 yr old, 3 carry on's and two carseats to baggage claim. Absolutely no one from the airlines offered to help and when I asked they said they were understaffed and I was on my own (of course they probably heard that I was a B*** on the plane and threw one of our MA at a flight attendant who yelled at me b/c I was installing a carseat for both DS an DD). I will never fly spirit again....

Funny though, the trip home was sooooo much easier and better.

[nrp]

I agree that you cannot count on being able to wear your Ergo through security. I have never been able to wear a kid through security, I have always had to take them out. I would not wear him on your back unless you are expert at getting him in and out of a back carry in a hurry.

Do you not have a double stroller? I would take that personally and hang the carseat from the stroller.


That's a good point about the back carry. My only double stroller is a phil and teds, and I can't imagine trying to gate check it. I suppose one other option is to bring my maclaren and the go go kidz, and push DS while pulling DD, but that seems a bit unwieldy as well.

[hannah]

One cautionary note about having someone go through security with you. I was traveling alone with kids and wanted DH to come through security with me to help with bags, car seats, stroller and kids. I was able to get him a pass to come with me - but when I got to security they made DH go through a special security line where the metal detector puffed air at DH when he walked through. I didn't know how the kids would react to the puff of air so I didn't go through that line and ended up going through security without help from DH since he was sequestered into the special line. Just my experience.

[tylersmama]

Wow, I'm amazed at all the people who've had trouble wearing their DC through security. Seriously, we fly at least 3-4 times a year, and have since DS was born. I've never had to take him off. We flew this morning, in fact, and the TSA guys never even gave the Ergo a second glance!