Toddler on Plane

[xkwisit]

I was searching thru the forum & couldn't find an answer to my question.

I have never flown with a toddler before. My DD is 2 1/2. I am flying Jet Blue to MCO & Southwest back. I do need a car seat for her on the plane, right? Also, we are brining our own stroller with us. We thought it would be easier to push her thru the airports than try & get her to walk or carry her. We don't have to check our stroller as luggage right? We can bring it on the plane with us? Its an umbrella stroller. Will they have us put it overhead with our carry ons?

Any tips for traveling with a toddler on a plane? I have a bag full of activities for her to do... dolls, coloring books, crayons, books etc... I even bought her an Mp3 player & loaded a tons of toddler tunes on it. I thought I would bring a sippy cup for her for take off & landing so her ears don't pop and/or some chewy candies since obviously she doesn't do well with gum. Any other ideas??

 

[MRYPPNS]

We flew with our (then) 18 mo old last October on Southwest. You do not need a car seat for them in the plane but I highly recommend one. It will keep you DD confined so she isn't trying to get up out of her seat. Plus I think it's comforting for the kids to be in their familiar car seat while they are in a whole new envirnoment. We brought our son's stuff animal that he always has in the car with him....trying to make the experience as normal as possible for him. There isn't any thing you can do about it but I was surprised how loud the plane is inside the cabin....I had never really noticed it before I flew with my son for the first time. Oh and a tip that worked for us....we put our son in a Huggies Overnight diaper before we boarded the plane....it holds much more then a regular diaper so we got thru our 3 hour flight with no diaper changes. I don't know about an umbrella stroller but they gate checked our regular stroller....that means I had it with me right up until we walked into the plane.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[bratmomma]

Thank you for the tips. I am flying with a 3 yr old for the first time.

We are bringing her carseat and plan to gate check the stroller (also an umbrella). I have activities, ear plugs and chewy things. I hadn't thought about the overnight diaper, but I do it on long car trips so why not the plane? She still wears it at night but it fully trained during the day. She is good about knowing she needs a pull up or diaper for sleeping times and long car rides, so she will probably agree to wear one on the plane.

Keep the tips coming please! Thanks to the OP for starting this!

 

[MRYPPNS]

Links to my PTR and TR for that trip are in my siggie.

 

[treehugnmama]

I flew with my 2.5 and 4 yr old in feb and I did not bring a car seat. I will not be bringing one this time either. He was happy beeing able to snuggle up beside me and read stories etc.....he would not have been happy in a car seat.

 

[Tara]

You won't be able to take the stroller on the plane - you'll gate check it. The gate agent will give you a tag to put on it and you'll fold it and leave it at the end of the jetway before you get on the plane. It will be placed in the hold along with other gate checked items and then when you get off the plane at your destination, it'll be brought back up and left for you right outside the airplane door.

And you don't have to use the car seat on the plane, but it's safer and I think more comfortable for little ones.