7 Top Tips for Flying with a Toddler this Summer

It feels as if the airport has become our second home in recent months. Something I can’t complain about! When I was a little kid, I savored each and every visit to our local airport. Strolling through the terminals, people watching and hopping on a plane was just about as exciting as spending a day at a theme park to me. Things really haven’t changed too much on that front!

These days, I’m almost always flying with my toddler. And oh my goodness gracious an experience at the airport has taken on a whole new meaning! There was a while there where I’d look at flying with the family with anxiety and wonder “How on earth are we going to make it through this flight, that layover and then another flight!? But after dozens upon dozens of trips with my little girl – and a whole lot of trial and error in between – I feel like we have finally figured out our flying groove. In the hopes to help you all have a successful and enjoyable travel experience with your tots this summer. I’m rounding up a few tips that have helped us the most in today’s post.

And what’s better than a fuss-free flight with your child? How about an actual free flight!?!? That’s right, you heard me! I’m so excited to share that Frontier Airlines offers a Kids Fly Free Program that comes with their Discount Den membership (*kids 14 and under – restrictions apply!). Frontier is committed to “low fares done right” and getting families up in the sky traveling together in the most cost-effective way. Not only that, but Frontier is also hosting an AMAZING sweepstakes this month and offering up family flights & a trip to Legoland Resort in Florida too! Talk about an amazing vaca opportunity! Sharing more details on the program, the sweepstakes + my top air travel tips below, don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post!

7 Essential Tips for Flying with a Toddler

1. Plan Ahead & Save $$$ on Kids’ Flights

At most places, children have a discount on admission, right? Like the zoo, your local museum, even Disney World and your favorite restaurants. Airfare? Typically that’s not the case. And I’m not going to lie, there was a brief period of devastation when Annie was no longer considered a “free lap child” at 2-years-old. Stomaching a full price ticket here just a week after she turned two put a lump in my throat. But I will gladly admit I was SO ready for her to have her very own seat – that’s for sure.

Luckily, I quickly heard about Frontier Airline’s Kids Fly Free Program. (And sang cheers of joy!!) Through their Discount Den subscription, kids who are 14 and under, can fly free on select flights with an adult discount den member fare. The way I look at it, this means my family can hit the skies and travel more often!

Another way to save is to plan in advance. We all know that booking the furthest out that you can = the lowest fares possible. Now that our family trips require an additional plane ticket, I make a conscious effort to book months and months in advance. However, I’m a procrastinator at times and I sure love the idea of spontaneity – but it feels sooo good knowing you can grab 3 tickets to your destination for the price of two (sometimes even one) when planning far ahead.

2. Choose Flight Details Wisely

Timing is key when picking your departure time with a toddler. After much trial and error, we’ve realized that departing anywhere from 8:00 am to noon gives us the most agreeable child. Of course, our schedule doesn’t always allow this ideal timeslot. We’ve tried earlier AM flights where we’re waking Annie up at 3 am just to leave the house. By the time we reach our destination all bets are just off on behavior with that kind of exhaustion. Late night flights once seemed great because we figured, oh she’ll just sleep through it all! But sometimes your kiddo can’t get comfortable .. and doesn’t sleep. I’ve experienced this at 10:30 on a 3-hour flight. YIKES! If you can’t choose the ideal departure for your small children, there are still things you can do for a smoother journey while rolling with the literal and figurative punches.

Speaking of flight details, it is alwaysssssss worth it to choose the nonstop flight when traveling with a toddler. Trust me!

I also always grab a window seat for Annie and a middle seat for myself if it’s just the two of us. Choosing the window seat is a game changer when traveling with a toddler. It gives us a little barricade so to speak and a confined space we can fill with stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, blankets, snacks and more. The times I’ve been in the aisle and Annie in the middle have also been the times where flight attendants have repeatedly asked me if I’ve dropped X, Y or Z. Another reason why we like the window is that when we’ve sat aisle seat, Annie will see people walking the aisle here & there and think she has free reign to do the same. (Sometimes we will stroll it on super long flights … bc you just kind of have to) but I’d rather keep that knowledge as a last resort lol!

Now the window seat may not work for an older tot who is potty trained. If that’s your situation then I’d opt for aisle in case you’ll need to be rushing off to the loo on repeat.

3. Pack a Carry On with All the Essentials to Fly with a Toddler

I always opt for the biggest backpack I can carry and then stuff it to the brim with extra diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, snacks and games galore. Having a well-stocked diaper bag with everything you could think of needing and more is key to several hours up in the air with a small child.

Knowing that meals won’t be served on shorter flights, I will bring along heartier snacks for Annie to munch on like trail mix, peanut butter sandwiches, string cheese and oatmeal bars packed with protein. Sometimes air travel means flying right through our regularly scheduled meal times so I’ll pack something to satisfy Annie just enough to not notice. I also like to bring large lollipops or juice pouches for take-off and landing. Having something to suck on or swallow helps tremendously with air pressure ear pain.

4. Entertainment is Key for Flying with a Toddler

Now that Annie has her own seat (and is officially a big girl) she is allowed a carry on of her very own! Naturally, we travel with her bright pink sparkly unicorn backpack. It’s filled with oodles of toys in the hopes to entertain my tot from point A to point B. My favorite types of things to pack for my two-year-old are mess-free coloring kits with water-filled “markers,” window decals that won’t get stuck while decorating the airplane’s window & educational games on her tablet. We generally try to pull the tablet out only as a last resort but when you’re on a delayed flight and find yourself stuck for longer than expected it can be a life saver!

Another thing I like to do is browse around the “dollar sections” of my favorite supermarkets for small trinkets like sticker activity sets, character coloring books, and colorful notepads. These cheap thrills are new surprises that can enrapture my little girl for hours on end. At times, I feel like I’m Mary Poppins herself, always pulling something new and exciting out of a “bottomless” carry on bag.

5. Don’t Forget About the Security Line

On a peak travel weekend, the security line can be just as difficult to navigate as the flight itself. Often, we’ve had to wait 30-45 minutes just to pass through and hard is an understatement when describing that experience with a 2-year-old. To make things easier, I like to pack special “easy” snacks at the top of our diaper bag to whip out while we’re standing in line – like fruit gummies or an apple juice pouch. Toys can be finicky while standing and waiting so we will sing songs and play games like “I Spy”, head shoulders knees & toes and even peekaboo. Thankfully most people in line with us have always been pretty sweet, understanding and even helpful during the wait.

Annie gets to keep her shoes on while passing through security but I, of course, do not. I always try to remember to wear something easy to pull on and off like slip-on booties or flats. It just makes one less thing for her to wait on at such a hectic crazy area.

6. To Gate Check a Stroller or Not?

Gate checking strollers at boarding and picking them immediately upon arrival can be quite convenient. However, we stopped gate checking Annie’s stroller when she was around 18 months old and opted for dropping it off, along with her car seat, initially at check-in. The less I’m toting around the terminal makes for free hands and one less thing to have to keep an eye on while traveling. As we toddler mamas know, a two-year-old requires all the eyes and as many extra hands as possible! Plus, after your child has been sitting for so long, the last thing they are going to want to do is to hop into a stroller so soon after a flight.

7. Relax and Go with the Flow

My best piece of advice to parents traveling with their toddlers is to just do your best to relax and go with the flow. Toddlers are inquisitive, emotional and rambunctious tiny humans that are constantly soaking in the world around them and trying to make sense of it. An airport is a very overwhelming place and air travel is far from most tots’ routines. Going in with the expectations that it may be a wild ride and having full confidence in handling whatever comes your way at the onset is really all you need. After all, you’re up in the air for a reason. Whether it’s to see an exciting destination for the first time, to visit faraway family or even heading home sweet home, warm thoughts about where you are headed can get you through any 2-year-old’s meltdown!

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& While You’re Thinking About Traveling … Take a Chance on a Free Family Trip this Summer!

Frontier is celebrating their Kids Fly Free program with such a fun sweepstakes that will send a winning family of four to Legoland Resort in Florida! How cool is that?! Entering the sweepstakes is easy as pie and actually really fun too. Grab your video camera and snap a short story of you telling your kiddos that they can fly free this summer! Get your gang dancing and submit your video here for the chance to win. Check out our video below!