Navigating the Airport with 3 Kids

[matt1979]

Flying down on Wednesday with my wife and 3 sons (2, 5, & 8). I'm used to traveling by myself for business...but I always used to just carry on bags. Haven't flown with the kids since our oldest 2 were much younger...and our load was much lighter. Honestly I'm not terribly worried about the actual flight...but pretty stressed out about just getting to the airport, through security, and boarding. We're flying Jet Blue and flight departs about 8:10am.

Just looking for a few answers and any last minute tips getting through the airport with the kids. Here's our plan:

-Online check in the night before
-We'll have 2 bags to check, then an additional small suitcase, double stroller, and personal bags for carry-on/gate check. Since there's no way we can get the baggage and the kids from parking to the airport in one trip...I was planning on dropping my wife and oldest son off at the terminal and letting them handle checking in the bags.
-Can my wife check my bag without me present? Or when I check in should I just mark it as my son's bag since he'll be with her when she checks the two bags?
-For security, either my wife or I will be in charge of getting the youngest out of the stroller and getting the stroller through the x-ray machine. The other will supervise the older two and all other carry on items...including making sure the laptop and liquids are out for screening.
-I'm a bit bummed that early boarding for parents/families is only for those with kids <2, as I originally planned to have either my wife or I board first with the two older kids and get the CARES harness set up...while the other boards a few minutes later with our 2 yo and gate checks the stroller. I guess that can still be the plan, just without the advantage of pre-boarding.

Any other tips to get us through the airport smoothly? Honestly I'm dreading it...and wishing I could just fast forward through to our arrival at the resort. My wife does not enjoy how stressed and grumpy I get for this sort of stuff.

 

[letsgoreds]

We always stick together. One adult handle the two checked bag, other adult push the double stroller (with 2 kids), 8yo handle the carryon suitcase. My 8yo typically handles one of the bigger checked bags : )

Everyone just carry their carryon, or use the stroller. We often use the stroller more as a luggage carrier, and have the kids walk.

Everyone check in together, and start in security together. Remember shoes can stay on (kids). Lately Delta has put us through TSA pre-check line, which has been great. Stay together to load up the bags on the xray machine, then once everything is loaded, send DH with the stroller to get it checked. Mom watches all the other kids. 8yo and 5yo buddies (stick together), mom keeps hold of the 2yo.

Usually by the time we all get through the xray part, DH is back, and we load back up. Your 8yo should be able to help out in a big way, don't forget that.

You will be fine! We always bring a carseat, and DH boards ahead of us to install that, so I can breeze in with the kids and take our seats. Many airlines are back to allowing people to board early. For a while Delta stopped this, but now are totally A O K with it. I'd also send the stroller with Dad. Sometimes it takes a minute or to to get the stroller locked and loaded for gate check.

Have fun! The xray part is the trickiest part, and it just takes time. Not Stressful, just time consuming.

 

[mikehn]

TSA will probably have special accomodations for families with young kids, making it a little easier for you to get through security.

 

[KaLyn]

Flying down on Wednesday with my wife and 3 sons (2, 5, & 8). I'm used to traveling by myself for business...but I always used to just carry on bags. Haven't flown with the kids since our oldest 2 were much younger...and our load was much lighter. Honestly I'm not terribly worried about the actual flight...but pretty stressed out about just getting to the airport, through security, and boarding. We're flying Jet Blue and flight departs about 8:10am.

Just looking for a few answers and any last minute tips getting through the airport with the kids. Here's our plan:

-Online check in the night before - Yes. Are you printing passes then too? That can save time in the airport.

-We'll have 2 bags to check, then an additional small suitcase, double stroller, and personal bags for carry-on/gate check. Since there's no way we can get the baggage and the kids from parking to the airport in one trip...I was planning on dropping my wife and oldest son off at the terminal and letting them handle checking in the bags. -I'm assuming you're then using DME once you get to MCO.

-Can my wife check my bag without me present? Or when I check in should I just mark it as my son's bag since he'll be with her when she checks the two bags? - I'm not sure on the rules for who can check bags for who. But will you already have boarding passes from checking in online the day before? If not, you will all need to be present at that time so your IDs can be matched with your ticket.

-For security, either my wife or I will be in charge of getting the youngest out of the stroller and getting the stroller through the x-ray machine. The other will supervise the older two and all other carry on items...including making sure the laptop and liquids are out for screening. - Good idea. Divide and conquer. We do this too but its more like I take care of DD3 while DD6 takes care of DH.

-I'm a bit bummed that early boarding for parents/families is only for those with kids <2, as I originally planned to have either my wife or I board first with the two older kids and get the CARES harness set up...while the other boards a few minutes later with our 2 yo and gate checks the stroller. I guess that can still be the plan, just without the advantage of pre-boarding. - You can usually get a gate check tag as soon as you get to your gate before they even start boarding. Then, when you get to the end of the walkway, before going into the plane, just drop the stroller there for the workers to get and put under the plane. No splitting up during boarding necessary.

Any other tips to get us through the airport smoothly? Honestly I'm dreading it...and wishing I could just fast forward through to our arrival at the resort. My wife does not enjoy how stressed and grumpy I get for this sort of stuff.

My answers are in purple in the quote above. I've flown with my girls who are now 6 and almost 4, for many years now (started when DD6 was 8 months old). I've done it a majority of the time myself, without DH.

When my youngest was a year old, we used a hiking style back pack carrier (Chicco Brand) the get her though the airport. This allowed her to be carried, while leaving the adult carrying her with 2 free hands! Then we rented a stroller at our destination. It worked beautifully, I recommend this to everyone instead of taking a stroller but hey, whatever works for you!

Also, please do not under estimate how much the kids can help. Starting at 2 my kids pulled either own carry on roller backpacks with their in-flight entertainment in them. At 3 they were responsible for a small backpack with their toys as well as a carry on size suitcase because we weren't checking bags. Now, at 4 and 7 they will be responsible for backpacks with their flight toys as well as a carry on suitcase that has their booster car seats attached to it. My view is that mommy and daddy will not become pack mules.

Good luck! Keep thinking positive thoughts and if you encounter a hiccup, just roll with it. Getting through the airport used to stress me out big time too, you'll be fine!

 

[NotUrsula]

IME, TSA only has "family lines" at a few major airports, although at some (TPA comes to mind) the TSO's may wave you through to the disabled line, if there is one.

You're a seasoned business traveler, so make that work for you; make sure you approve what everyone wears and carries for the flight (CHECK the boys pockets when they get out of the car; Hot Wheels cars somehow always manage to sneak in there when boys travel. Also, make sure there are no toys in their backpacks that look anything like guns or knives, and that they are not wearing clothing with a lot of metal on it.).

For your sanity, minimize the number of carryon items the party has, or you will be scrambling like a madman to clear security and not forget anything. (One trick I've learned when doing TSA with kids: bring a largish thin cloth bag (mine is a one of those cheap Tyvek shopping/laundry bags) and put as many of your "personal items" in it as you can while you stand in line for TSA. That way, you only have to grab that one one thing and your valuables/electronics/liquids bag as you exit the line. (DH & I also put our shoes and jackets in that bag; we're not squeamish about walking the whole security line barefoot or in stocking feet; but I know that doesn't work for some people.)

Once you get past security you can stop and hand the kids their backpacks and stash the cloth bag in your own carryon -- I find that having a bag like that is handy for bringing groceries into hotels if you need to. If your little one normally carries a stuffed animal, make sure that he knows ahead of time that animals need to be napping in his backpack (or the diaper bag) while he goes through security, otherwise you might have a meltdown on your hands. BTW, if you were unaware of it, if you need multiple 3-1-1 baggies one person can carry them all and put them in one bin, as long as each one is labeled with a different passenger name.

We have what we call the "hand rule" (which we created when traveling overseas with young kids whilst dealing with public transit and luggage): you are only allowed to bring as many rolling items as you have hands to manage them.

So, if we have myself and DH and the older child; that equals 6 hands. The hands of kids who are not old enough to reliably pull a 22" carryon do not count for this calculation, though like the PP I do expect walking kids to tote their own small bag. If you need two hands on a stroller, then subtract 2 items from your count. If you need to hold a walking child's hand, subtract an item. Backpacks are freebies, so make sure that all carryons over the number limit are backpacks. (Shoulder bags are NOT freebies -- if you bend down to deal with a child while wearing one, it can swing down and take both of you out.) We count checked baggage, too, because if you are negotiating a train from the airport you will have to handle it yourself.

So in our case, with 6 hands, the limit would be 1 stroller, 2 rolling pullman suitcases, two rolling carryons, and 3 backpacks, one of which contained a carseat for the plane ride. If we skipped the stroller then we could have an extra pullman or rolling carryon, but most of the time we try to limit our rolling carryons to no more than two, and preferably one. Normally, one 22" bag is enough for the valuables and 1 change of clothing for all of us.

Generally speaking, we don't do piggybacked bags if we can at all avoid it, unless we're just doing it for convenience through the airport due to the bags' weight. (If you try to take a piggybacked bag up or down steps it will almost always slip to the side and unbalance the load.)

Disney trips require a bit of extra stuff, but the usual for us when we still used a stroller was one 27" checked bag, one 22" checked bag (depending on the season - we only need the 27" in summer), one rolling carryon, the stroller, the carseat backpack, and two other small backpacks containing snacks and/or in-flight entertainment materials. The two small backpacks made the trip through security inside the carseat backpack; fewer items to deal with since the shoe thing is awkward enough. (Now that we no longer carry a carseat on board, the cloth bag holds these items instead.)

I'm not really sure why you can't shuttle with 2 pullmans, a stroller and five people, but doing a drop-off does save time in line, so we do it often. If each passenger only gets one checked bag, then label the bag as your son's so that his mother can check them both while he is with her.

Also, re: the stroller. If is is not a compact-fold model such as a Maclaren or Chicco, I'd advise you to invest in one for travel. If it's one of those big Graco tanks or a sit-and-stand, you are in for a hassle getting it moved around both at the airport and at WDW. If it is large, what I would do is leave the stroller with your wife when you drop her off, and that way she can also pile the carryons in the stroller. (I also advise taking ALL removeble attachments, including the hood, off the stroller before you leave home and putting them in one of your checked bags. Those plastic parts can be brittle for awhile after being in the cold temps in the hold, so they can break if they bang into anything. Also, it makes the stroller lighter and less bulky for travel.) You come back on the shuttle with the two youngest with your hands free, holding the baby and leading the 4yo by the hand, and you all go through security together.

 

[matt1979]

IME, TSA only has "family lines" at a few major airports, although at some (TPA comes to mind) the TSO's may wave you through to the disabled line, if there is one.

You're a seasoned business traveler, so make that work for you; make sure you approve what everyone wears and carries for the flight (CHECK the boys pockets when they get out of the car; Hot Wheels cars somehow always manage to sneak in there when boys travel. Also, make sure there are no toys in their backpacks that look anything like guns or knives, and that they are not wearing clothing with a lot of metal on it.).

For your sanity, minimize the number of carryon items the party has, or you will be scrambling like a madman to clear security and not forget anything. (One trick I've learned when doing TSA with kids: bring a largish thin cloth bag (mine is a one of those cheap Tyvek shopping/laundry bags) and put as many of your "personal items" in it as you can while you stand in line for TSA. That way, you only have to grab that one one thing and your valuables/electronics/liquids bag as you exit the line. (DH & I also put our shoes and jackets in that bag; we're not squeamish about walking the whole security line barefoot or in stocking feet; but I know that doesn't work for some people.)

Once you get past security you can stop and hand the kids their backpacks and stash the cloth bag in your own carryon -- I find that having a bag like that is handy for bringing groceries into hotels if you need to. If your little one normally carries a stuffed animal, make sure that he knows ahead of time that animals need to be napping in his backpack (or the diaper bag) while he goes through security, otherwise you might have a meltdown on your hands. BTW, if you were unaware of it, if you need multiple 3-1-1 baggies one person can carry them all and put them in one bin, as long as each one is labeled with a different passenger name.

We have what we call the "hand rule" (which we created when traveling overseas with young kids whilst dealing with public transit and luggage): you are only allowed to bring as many rolling items as you have hands to manage them.

So, if we have myself and DH and the older child; that equals 6 hands. The hands of kids who are not old enough to reliably pull a 22" carryon do not count for this calculation, though like the PP I do expect walking kids to tote their own small bag. If you need two hands on a stroller, then subtract 2 items from your count. If you need to hold a walking child's hand, subtract an item. Backpacks are freebies, so make sure that all carryons over the number limit are backpacks. (Shoulder bags are NOT freebies -- if you bend down to deal with a child while wearing one, it can swing down and take both of you out.) We count checked baggage, too, because if you are negotiating a train from the airport you will have to handle it yourself.

So in our case, with 6 hands, the limit would be 1 stroller, 2 rolling pullman suitcases, two rolling carryons, and 3 backpacks, one of which contained a carseat for the plane ride. If we skipped the stroller then we could have an extra pullman or rolling carryon, but most of the time we try to limit our rolling carryons to no more than two, and preferably one. Normally, one 22" bag is enough for the valuables and 1 change of clothing for all of us.

Generally speaking, we don't do piggybacked bags if we can at all avoid it, unless we're just doing it for convenience through the airport due to the bags' weight. (If you try to take a piggybacked bag up or down steps it will almost always slip to the side and unbalance the load.)

Disney trips require a bit of extra stuff, but the usual for us when we still used a stroller was one 27" checked bag, one 22" checked bag (depending on the season - we only need the 27" in summer), one rolling carryon, the stroller, the carseat backpack, and two other small backpacks containing snacks and/or in-flight entertainment materials. The two small backpacks made the trip through security inside the carseat backpack; fewer items to deal with since the shoe thing is awkward enough. (Now that we no longer carry a carseat on board, the cloth bag holds these items instead.)

I'm not really sure why you can't shuttle with 2 pullmans, a stroller and five people, but doing a drop-off does save time in line, so we do it often. If each passenger only gets one checked bag, then label the bag as your son's so that his mother can check them both while he is with her.

Also, re: the stroller. If is is not a compact-fold model such as a Maclaren or Chicco, I'd advise you to invest in one for travel. If it's one of those big Graco tanks or a sit-and-stand, you are in for a hassle getting it moved around both at the airport and at WDW. If it is large, what I would do is leave the stroller with your wife when you drop her off, and that way she can also pile the carryons in the stroller. (I also advise taking ALL removeble attachments, including the hood, off the stroller before you leave home and putting them in one of your checked bags. Those plastic parts can be brittle for awhile after being in the cold temps in the hold, so they can break if they bang into anything. Also, it makes the stroller lighter and less bulky for travel.) You come back on the shuttle with the two youngest with your hands free, holding the baby and leading the 4yo by the hand, and you all go through security together.

Thanks...sounds like I'm on the right track with the planning. The stroller is a Graco Duo Glider...it collapses down surprisingly well for a double stroller (it's a front/back double, not a side by side double FWIW). Whether it's small enough to go through the x-ray machine...I've got no idea. Although I did a quick Google search and seems like the consensus is it's a tight squeeze, but it will fit. Investing in another for the trip just doesn't sound worthwhile to us...as I don't think our 2yo is gonna tolerate a stroller much longer. We'll have my parents with us once we're in FL...so we will have help getting around with it. Getting there is my main concern.

One last question...as someone mentioned the ME. I don't have to do anything different checking our luggage for ME other than making sure the ME luggage tags we were sent are on the bags...correct?

 

[Gracie09]

If possible utilize curbside checkin for checked bags. It cost a few dollars but worth it. Then park car and travel with other bags together. Check the TSa website for rules about kids and the security check point. Limit everyone to one bag and they have to carry it. Even the kid in the stroller, put it on their lap. Get you gate check tag early. If you are using a travel bag for your stroller put the stroller in there while waiting at the gate. You can send one adult into the plane with the stroller and the cares harness to set up and then the other adult can come at the end with the kids. Plop them in the seat, buckle them up and you're ready to go

 

[monorailsilver]

We have flown with our 3 twice, the last time was August but the time before that was. 5 years ago and they were 2 1/2, almost 5 and 7 1/2.

They each had their own airplane bag which for the older 2 was a small backpack on wheels and the 2 yo had a smaller one that could fit in out bag.

Dh and I each had a carryon as well and we had 2 suitcases, a sit and stand stroller and a car seat.

We all walked to and from the airport together.

My youngest and 4 yo alternated sitting in the stroller at times but we did ok. The car seat and some carrying stayed in the stroller or we were able to attach it to the luggage.

We got our own luggage and I hung out with our stuff and kids while dh went down to baggage claim.

Your oldest child should be able to help pull bags. In August we had 3 suitcases and 5 carry ons and let's just say I only carried my carryon which was more like a purse! My kids, even my 7 yo, wanted to pull the luggage.

We didn't do the extra leg room seats for the way to fl but I am glad we did them on the return. The security line was crazy long and we got to bypass it.

 

[malibuconlee]

ONe thing my husband always did with the suitcases we check was to tether them together, he only had to roll one then.

He used to take two suitcases tethered in one hand and pull those behind him while pushing another rolling suitcase. His backpack with his laptop was his carry-on item while I pushed a stroller, had the car seat strapped to my back and my purse and the diaper bag were on the stroller handles.

Something similar would work for you?

The other thing we did, and it may have only worked because we flew out of a smaller airport (El Paso) was we would pull up in front of the SW skycap desk and deal with checking in bags and pulling the carseat out to check while it was parked there. It wasn't that busy and we never truly left the car unattended since we were right next to it. THen the hubby would park the car while I headed inside with the stroller, my daughter and our things. He just had to bring his carry on with him from parking.

(Yes,I know that's a lot of luggage for 3 people, but when traveling North for Christmas for 10 days.....)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

TSA will probably have special accomodations for families with young kids, making it a little easier for you to get through security.

Not really. They are supposed to have family lanes at all airports, but I haven't noticed them except at MCO.

 

[airplanegod]

Not really. They are supposed to have family lanes at all airports, but I haven't noticed them except at MCO.

I remember at my local airport they had "Family" "Casual Traveler" and "Expert Traveler" lanes but I noticed they are gone now.

 

[KaLyn]

Not really. They are supposed to have family lanes at all airports, but I haven't noticed them except at MCO.

Tampa has them but I don't think they are labeled or used specifically for that purpose too frequently. I was frazzled and about in tears when we were there (DD got a stomach bug 15 minutes into our 2 hour ride to the airport) and when they saw me coming they waved me right to that lane. I thanked them over and over and after they helped to wash our...ahem...stinky items that we were carrying in garbage bags.