Plane Flight W/ Toddler, Infant...car Seats, Strollers, Etc.

I fly often with my two sons so I'm probably going to give you much more advice than you need but I'll try not to bombard you with too much info.

You can check the stroller before you board the plane. Be sure to ask for a gate check ticket at the gate before pre-boarding so you don't have to wait for it and miss pre-boarding. They don't tell you this, but you have to take the stroller down the jet way and right before you actually get on the plane, close or collapse the stroller and remove any detachable parts (cup holders or toys) as they can get lost or broken and the airline claims they aren't responsible.

You can bring an FAA approved car seat onto the plane for your toddler to sit on in his seat. The sticker on the car seat should say if it's FAA approved. I suggest you bring an infant sling/carrier such as Baby Bjorn or Wrap N Wear but the baby can not be in it during take off and landing. But it does come in handy so you can have your hands free while getting on and off the plane and to give your arms a break mid flight.

I also suggest you bring some disinfecting wipes on the plane and antibacterial wipes. You would be surprised at how much chewed gum I find on airplane arm rests or seats. Antibacterial hand gel is not allowed because it contains alcohol so airport security will take that away but the wipes are OK and the non alcohol gel should be OK although sometimes it's mistaken for the kind with alcohol and gets confiscated as well.

I also suggest you bring snacks and toys for you children. I often bring lollipops for my toddler (anything that encourages him to swallow often) and two bottles for my baby (one for take off and one for landing). I recommend you bring three toys per child, two favorites and one new one. Give her one toy at a time and switch them when your toddler gets board. Color wonder markers and coloring book come in handy except sometimes the markers roll away but you can tape string on them and tie the string to the book.

Check with your airline about checked bag fees because sometimes the fees are so expensive, it might cost less to have your family just buy you a car seat for your baby. Some airlines (like JetBlue) don't charge for the stroller, car seat or diaper bag if you are traveling with an infant but other airlines charge for checked car seats but not gate checked strollers and others charge for it regardless if it's checked at the gate so look into it before you travel.

Your toddler might have to take her shoes off to go thru security so you might want to dress her in shoes that are easy to remove and be sure she is wearing socks. Since I travel with two children (without my husband since he works a lot), I have a specific pair of shoes my toddler wears because he can easily take them off and put them back on himself and I usually have my hands full with my own shoes and my infant and my bottles of mommy milk which have to be removed from the cooler bag and opened and examined by security. Shuffling two children, milk, snacks, diaper bag and stroller thru security with impatient people behind me who often cut in front of me is the hardest part of traveling with small children. I have learned the hard way to close the stroller and put it on the x ray belt before I take off my shoes (ouch, that kick release latch hurts!) Once you get thru security with as much dignity as you can muster, the rest will seem easy.

Sorry for the excessive amount of advice but most of it, I learned the hard way so I thought I would let you learn from my mistakes. Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

No boosters but usually any carseats in cars are safe for flying, the sticker should say so on the carseat. "Inspected and in accordance with FAA guidelines blah blah blah"
GoGoBabyz, if ya dont have on GET ONE! Godsend!!! Check the stroller, get a gogobabyz.

yes.. you can check the double or single stroller as you board the plane.. you may want to invest in either 2 single umbrellas strollers or a double umbrella stroller,, I have also heard there is a kit to link to single umbrella strollers together.. 2 umbrellas will cost about $10 each.. cheap.. easy to manage.. the doulbe stroller is a pain unless you are going long distances..

we checked car seats with our luggage.. unless you have someone at the other end who has carseats you can use while you are in town..

I would get rid of taht big bulky infant car seat as soon as possible.. bring snacks.. I doubled the amount of food and diapers taht we would normally use and had that in my carry on .. just in case of delays.. you can bring empty sippy cups and fill after security.. milk for the toddler.. but pack all the formula you will need for the new baby..

You have a lot of good advice on here. Our own experience is that we gate checked an umbrella stroller so it was not heavy and also wasn't a huge deal if something happened to it. We rented a car seat from the car rental place and that worked out well for our toddler. As for toys, definitely bring a few for each. For the toddler I highly recommend one of those newer etch a sketch things with a pen. I found a 4 or 5 inch one for a few dollars at Target and it was perfect for the plane and while we waited. We now keep it in the car and a year later it's still a hit.

Please do not purchase a cheap umbrella stroller for your 7 week old as one poster suggested they are not made for babies that young.

I don't fly so I have no idea about checking your items I do know that they sell a thing that attaches to your car seat so you can use it as a stroller in the airport you could get one of those for your toddler seat and carry baby in a sling/carrier.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2658824
I don't know it seems like it would be better then dealing w/ a double stroller.

Do NOT check the car seats! They are not treated correctly, they hav bags and other luggage thrown on them and they get shifted during flight, they WILL be damaged even if its unseen. Much like damage done in an accident. Checking them at the gate doesn't make a difference, they still get stored with baggage. BRING THEM ON THE PLANE! Your toddler should be strapped into her car seat on the airplane. It will not only keep her safest, but it will keep her restrained and make the flight much more enjoyable for you AND her.

For your baby, bring the car seat on the plane but put it up bulkhead or up where the carry on bags go. You do not want it damaged!

Its not worth getting the seats damaged, especially unseen damage that will compromise your seat in a crash.

Yes, you cn check your stroller at the gate.

I have been flying with my kids since they were about 3 months old (15 mo and 4 yo now). They sale car seat check bags for check in, target (online) has them for cheap. I find it easier to gate check the car seats and strollers and double stroller is my suggestion. Both of your kids seem to be "lap" children for the flight. You don't need to purchase a ticket/seat for them until they are over 2 yo...up 'til then you can simply hold them in your arms. The only restriction is you can't have an exit row.

Take busy/filler toys to occupy the 22 month old and snacks. Pack all the baby things in the same (1) carry on bag and you should be fine. Get nthe 8 oz individual baby waters if needed and the smaller 12.9 oz cans of formula...larger cans or gallons of liquid will be wasted, as they may get thrown out by security.

Yep, you can check the stroller and infant car seat right at the door of the plane. They tag it and take it under for you.

Your owner's manuel or the car seat itself should say whether it is approved for aircraft use. Most for a child that age are. And I would highly recommend using it. That way it's more like what toddler is used to. We go bye bye and I get in my car seat to go!

Get a sling for the baby. It makes getting around the airport so much easier! The toddler should be in his carseat on the plane. Most of them are FAA approved. Of course he is safest in it, but he will also be happier in the carseat, he is used to being strapped in and is probably used to sleeping in it. It will be much easier to deal with him in a carseat than wiggling around without it.

We used to use a big duffle bag type carseat carrier (from Target) to get around the airport, but I wish I had one of those go kidz things. Recently we bought a seat that folds up and you can attach a strap and carry it like a briefcase (Sunshine kids, maybe). That is the best. We needed a carseat for a second car, and that is great for travel.

Not sure if any one mentioned a go go babiez . You hook the toddler car seat on it and can wheel the child around the air port. It is great! You should buckle your toddler into a carseat on the plane. Most are certified for airplane use, double check. You can also check the seat at the gate, that way you can ask if there is an open seat then your infant could also stay in the car seat during the plane ride.