Little one through security checkpoint.

[maxiesmom]

I'm asking for a friend of mine. She is flying in a couple of months with her son, who will be about 18 months old. Will he have to walk through the security checkpoint? Or is he young enough that she will be able to carry him through? Or is this another thing that may change depending on the airport and who is staffing the checkpoint?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

At that age, we were always allowed to carry our kids through the metal detector (but one of our kids also didn't walk until he was 19 months, so there was no option with him). If the detector goes off, they'll both be subject to additional screening, so tell her to make sure she's not going through with metal on either one of them, but as a baseline, she should expect to be able to carry him. However, with the TSA there are never any absolutes, so if he can walk, she should be prepared to be asked to send him through alone. Is it just the two of them? When our kids became old enough to walk through, we'd go through in the following order: parent-child-child-parent so there was always one adult on each side.

 

[maxiesmom]

She is flying with her parents. So I will let her know she should be able to carry him, but just in case send her dad through first. He loves his Grandpa and would go to him, no problem! Thanks for the info!

 

[maurene]

This is from the TSA website:
"Children who can walk without assistance should walk through the metal detector separately from their parent or guardian. If they alarm, TSA has procedures in place that have reduced, but will not eliminate, the need for pat downs to resolve the alarm, including multiple passes through screening technologies and other procedures.

Infants and small children may be carried through the metal detector, but if the alarm sounds, the officer will have to conduct additional screening on both the passenger and the child. If a baby is carried through the metal detector in a sling, additional screening may be required even if there isn’t an alarm."

In my limited experience, the TSA agents usually follow the parents lead. If you're carrying your child as you approach the metal detector, they'll probably let you continue to carry the child (esp. for children under 2). If they see you going to pick up your child right before going through the detector (thus they see the child can walk) -- they'll probably be more likely to ask that the child walk through alone. But, I don't think I've ever seen them ask a parent to put a child down (and they never asked me).

 

[puffkin]

We fly fairly frequently with our kids and its about 50/50 in my experience. If they can walk, they usually want you to at least try and send them through walking. IF they freak out or resist too much, then you can carry them through. I usually send DH through then follow behind with the little one.

 

[alvernon90]

On a related note: be on the lookout for a special "family" line when you arrive at the screening area. In some airports it can get you past long lines. If there is no sign, find the TSA worker who is guarding the entrance to the priority/PreCheck lane and ask if there is a family lane.