Flying with Kids! Two Under Two

Dear Flying Pinto,

I just stumbled upon your blog and I am fascinated!  But as a mom of two-under-two I don't have the time I'd like to scour your old posts.  My husband and I are planning a trip in a few months from Denver to Green Bay.  Our daughter will be 23 months old and our son will be 9 months old.  I am panicking!  What on earth are we going to do with two babies for the duration of these flights?  We are going to book a seat for our daughter and probably put her in her car seat, but any sort of advice you could offer would be so greatly appreciated. 

Thank you! 

NIchole

P.S.  Thank you for what you do.  Dealing with a happy flight attendant is one of the great parts of traveling.

Hi Nichole,

I posed your question to my followers on Twitter and Face Book and the overall consensus was, "Don't do it!!" 

They were kidding...well, at least most of them were!

Ok, in all seriousness: Fear not! I have been a Flight Attendant for eighteen years, and as well as observing families all those years I have a three year old of my own who I really enjoy traveling with. Here are my tried and true tips:

• Give yourself oodles of time. Your kids feed off of you, if you're stressed they will be stressed. Have enough time to be able to get on their level and let them know what is ahead of them. Involve them in the planning as much as possible.
• Bring what you need. Your carry on should have: healthy snacks. I pack a cooler with frozen veggies, fruit, nuts, peanut butter and jelly etc. Pack reusable empty water bottles and fill them once inside security at the water fountains, enough diapers for every hour of your trip (door to door) plus a few more, a change of clothes, small blankets, toys/activities, ear plugs for your neighbors, a small first aid kit, disposable place mats, and ziplocs for wet clothes and/or dirty diapers. You may bring a reasonable amount of breast milk or formula through security. To read more of what's allowed through U.S. security check out TSA.gov.
• Sling 'em! Forget strollers! Carrying your kids in slings, leaves your hands free. You can purchase a cheap umbrella stroller at your destination if you really need one and leave it for future guests or visits. If your two year old is too big for a sling buy "this" inexpensive strap so she can ride through the airport in her car seat.
• But, I'd still ditch the car seat at the gate. I'm serious. I know some people disagree with me on this, because they worry about damage. I have checked my daughters expensive Britax Car Seat about eight times a year for the past three years and there hasn't been any damage. I've also never seen a car seat come up to the jet way after a flight, damaged. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm just saying it's rare. (Don't bring a booster seat, they're not FAA approved.)
• What will you do without a car seat? Order the C.A.R.E.S. (Child Aviation Restraint System) If you fly once a year this product is worth the investment. It is safer than the aircraft lap belt, much easier to travel with than a car seat, and will give your child room. (You won't have to spend the flight telling your daughter not to kick the seat in front of her)
• Speaking of kicking the seat, if this is a real issue for you, you can request to have your  husband sit in front of your daughter's seat. (or if it becomes a problem during flight, offer to switch with the person who's seat is getting kicked)
• And, about those seating arrangements. Be prepared to be separated if you bought the cheap seats. More and more the airlines are giving the middle seats to the lowest bidders, (discount travel sites) The flight attendants will work with you to get at least one parent with a small child, but may not be that helpful to get all of you together if the flight is full and there are many families separated. They do what they can. When I travel with my family, I try to ask my neighbors myself, I've been known to buy drinks, headsets and even pay cold hard cash to bribe people to trade seats.
• Use night time diapers while on the airplane. This way your kids can sleep in peace or it will buy you some time if the seat belt sign is on.
• You're lucky to be traveling with your spouse, take advantage of the extra adult by having one of you board the airplane during pre-boards. You'll be able to get  your gear on board and your area all settled and ready while the other stays in the boarding area with the kids. This will allow your two year old to get out some extra energy and not be confined for an extra forty minutes. 

Here are a few Dont's:

• Don't hand the flight attendant a dirty diaper. We are not being rude when we don't accept them in our trash, we just can't bring them into the "kitchen" (galley) where our trash is stored for sanitary reasons. (same goes for throw up) Put it in a ziploc and dispose of it in the lav on your next visit.
• Don't change diapers on the tray table, also for sanitary reasons. (This does happen though as well as finger nail clipping, and feet resting, and is why I always bring above mentioned disposable place mats)
• Don't place any child on the floor to sleep. The thing about turbulence is sometimes it comes without warning and that is usually the worst kind. Always make sure your kids are buckled even when sleeping.

Here's what some folks via twitter and FB had to say:

@andybiggs Alcohol. And tons of it;-) (I'm pretty sure he's being funny at least about the "tons of it"), but he's right if you need a glass of wine to unwind go for it!) He's also a dad and an amazing photographer...check out his site at AndyBiggs.com

@FHxoxo give them something sweet/chewing gums before taking off because they'll focus more on enjoying it than the take off itself.

@rward75 Bring toys, dvd player, snacks. Ask FA for trash bag, don't change kid on seats or tray table. Be OK with kid crying!

@qfamily Read other family blogs (including this great one by them...The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog) 

Christy on FB (flight attendant) They may not put the car seat in an aisle seat and hold one of the children. It does not matter that the car seat is empty, it can not be in the aisle seat (this was a recent incident for me)

Above all don't worry about the other passengers. If you're relaxed your kids will be relaxed. You can also check out an article I wrote for Travel Mamas blog "here" and a few pointers from Travel Mama herself "here."

Happy Flying! 

Questions? Become a fan on Face Book, email or follow on twitter! Also, check out today's article in USA Today's Travel section by Kitty Bean Yancey. "Flight Attendants Face Soaring Tension in the Unfriendly Skies." Kitty will be joining us this week in The Crew Lounge to continue the discussion, which will be available for download on i-tunes this weekend.

#TT Travel Tuesday's Quick Travel Tip

Hi Everyone! Happy #TravelTuesday. This weeks tip was inspired by one of the questions that appeared in yesterday's Washington Post's Talk about Travel Discussion: Should there be child free zones on airplanes?

I posed this question on my new Face Book page too and I agree with Wil I don't think there should be child free zones. I recently had a passenger go ballistic because during boarding and well into taxi and take-off we had a screaming....blood curdling screaming toddler on the plane. I was more sympathetic towards the parents than the irate passenger. Here's why: Flying is public transportation.

With that in mind, my travel tip this week for him and everyone traveling is to bring some form of noise cancellation.  It doesn't have to be $300 Bose Headphones, simple earplugs will do and they're cheap. Buy a big box and share with the not so savvy travelers around you. I always recommend that if you're a nervous parent, bring the whole bag of ear plugs and offer your neighbors a pair. It breaks the ice when you know they are thinking, "Oh, great! They're sitting next to me!" We all know "the look."

First Class is a different discussion. I lean towards a minimum age requirement for FC. The reason I say a minimum age is because babies cry. You can't reasonably expect a baby or toddler who maybe be overstimulated and up way past bedtimes to act appropriately. You maybe thinking, Oh, sure so if you have the money you should be able to choose child free cabins. Not at all. Frequent fliers are the bread and butter for the airlines and are often upgraded from miles. They use the time in flight to work. But, again it's still public transportation so I'm on the fence. Bobbylaurie also wrote about this topic in an article for Flightster.com. you can check it out here.

So, what can Flight Attendants do to help? I know a lot of Flight Attendants decide to comp drinks to the passengers sitting around the screaming or crying child. I actually offer the drink, usually a glass of wine to the parents. It works, because the child is feeding off the stress of their parents and trust me there is a whole lot of stress going on with Mom and Dad! If you can get the parents to relax usually the child will follow suit.

That's it for this week. Thank you, to all my new Face Book "likes" If you haven't visited my new page head over there now and let me know what you think about child free cabins, by clicking "here"

Brace for Impact!

The double ding is sounded and the blue sterile cockpit light is illuminated. This is our indication that we're on our final approach into San Francisco. I perform one last cabin check and make sure my galley is secure.

I then strap myself into my jump seat. Once I am position, I begin my thirty second review:

Where are my exits?
What are my commands?
Who would be my able bodied assistants?


My thought process is suddenly broken by the captain speaking in a loud but controlled voice, "BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

Immediately I follow suit, "HEADS DOWN!" "STAY DOWN!" "HEADS DOWN!" "STAY DOWN!" "HEADS DOWN!" "STAY DOWN!" "HEADS DOWN!" "STAY DOWN!" "HEADS DOWN!" "STAY DOWN!" HEADS DOWN!" "STAY DOWN!"

"REMAIN SEATED!"

I release my harness, jump out of my seat and asses the conditions outside my window all the while repeating the captains directive, "REMAIN SEATED!" "REMAIN SEATED!" "REMAIN SEATED!"

"EASY VICTOR!" "EASY VICTOR!"

It's go time! I reassess my conditions. Looks clear: free of fire, smoke and water. I flick on the emergency escape path lighting, grab hold of the assist handle and rotate the door handle counter clockwise. Once the door is open and locked up against the fuselage, I pull the red inflation handle and begin my commands,   "UNFASTEN SEAT BELTS!" "LEAVE BELONGINGS!" "COME THIS WAY!" "JUMP!" "JUMP!" "UNFASTEN SEATBELTS!" "LEAVE BELONGINGS!" "COME THIS WAY!" "JUMP!" "JUMP!" "JUMP!""UNFASTEN SEATBELTS!" LEAVE BELONGINGS!""COME THIS WAY!""JUMP!""JUMP!""JUMP!"

Click here to read more...

#TT Travel Tuesday's Quick Travel Tip

 This weeks tip is for families traveling with small children. Everyone knows, and probably takes advantage of the airlines pre-board option when traveling with little ones. My tip is a bit of a twist on this idea.

I love that families can settle in ahead of the crowd, it's a great idea for all involved. The pack mule (usually, dad;-) has a chance to lug all the "stuff" on the plane and strap in the car seat without frustrating, less encumbered travelers boarding behind them.

My tip is this: If you have two adults involved, let one adult board the airplane with everything and leave one adult out in the boarding area with the kids. Boarding usually commences forty minutes prior to door closer. Why not let the little travelers get that last bit of energy out? This way it's easy for adult #1 to get settled into your row of seats and it's a breeze for adult #2 to stroll on with the kids when they make that last boarding announcement.

Happy #TT everyone! Visit Twitter for more #traveltuesday

USA TODAY survey: Surly flight attendants irk fliers

In todays USA Today, Kitty Bean Yancey writes:


"In an online survey of USA TODAY readers, more than a third of the 5,100-plus who answered say that what bothers them most about flight attendants' behavior is a surly demeanor.
As of late Sunday, 38% of respondents picked that as most bothersome, followed by gabbing together in the back (21%), refusal to deal with unruly passengers (20%), a schoolmarm attitude (12%) and slowness in serving drinks or food (9%).
I thought refusing to deal with bothersome passengers would come out higher; that's what irks me most. I rarely have seen an FA challenge an obnoxious drunk, the person who hogs more than his or her share of space or the loud talker who clearly is making the flight miserable for anyone within earshot."

Couldn't intervening in a situation such as this be taken as "surly?" The truth is Flight attendants can't please all the passengers all the time. There are over hundred passengers on each flight with different ideas on how situations should be dealt with.


Yancey also wants to know what we think:

"I will be writing a story on how flight attendants are perceived, and how they view passengers, and will be looking for stories from both sides."

"What's worst and best FA behavior you've experienced or observed on a flight? (e-mail me at kyancey@usatoday.com if you'd like to contribute to a story I will be writing. Flight attendants, feel free to fire back at misbehaving passengers or misperceptions about the job."

And so do I! Leave your comments here or on The Crew Lounge Face Book page and we'll get the comments over to Kitty. 

Jet Blue Flight Attendant Steven Slater: Is he a Hero to Airline Workers

I know, I know you're probably all Steven Slatered out by now. But, there's bigger news! I was published by the Wall Street Journal:

I headed to the airport on Monday having just heard about JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater's now famous jump to freedom. I expected a reaction, but not the phenomena that has followed. In the crew room, I could hear everyone sharing the news. The story was still unbelievable to me, and to everyone else. One fellow flight attendant didn't believe me when I told her, another heard it and thought there must be more to the story -- and, indeed, investigators are questioning the account.

But, mostly the reaction was the same: "I love this!" "Good for him!" "He's my Hero!"

So, why do flight attendants feel this way? Do we really think that Steven Slater is a hero?

Click here to read more

Dear Steven Slater

Dear Steven Slater,

What you did is unbelievable. So, unbelievable that when I showed up for my trip on Monday and told my crew about you in our crew briefing, they thought I was making it up. A flight attendant actually said, "Sara, what's wrong with you? Who makes up stories like that?" I just laughed, soon enough they would know I wasn't a story teller.

But, the real reason I am writing is because I want to thank you. Thank you for taking a stand. Thank you for fulfilling a fantasy I never even knew I had. While at work this week, I had many fantasies. Like when passenger 31C went ballistic because I coughed. Yes, you read that right. I coughed, (covering my mouth of course) and 31C decided to let everyone in ear shot know that she was now going to get sick, and that I ruined her vacation. When I politely apologized and explained that I only had allergies, she looked me up and down and said, "You sound sick to me! And, I have asthma and can't be around people like you!"

I was able to walk away from that situation, chuckle and think to myself, "Don't make me pull a Steven Slater on you!"

I really do love being a flight attendant, and I pride myself on being able to diffuse most situations. But, like anyone else I have my days where my patience level isn't quite where it should be. I think that's why so many people can relate to you, because we've all felt that way. We've all been one step away from losing it. Mean people suck. The reason I believe you've become a "folk hero" is because you were able to go out in such a fantastical way. How many people can say, "take this job and shove it" and head down the escape slide?

So, Steven Slater, although you may not work as a flight attendant again you will probably be the most famous flight attendant in history. In twenty years I will be telling the young flight attendants all about the infamous Slater. Maybe I'll change the ending and say your last flight landed in Bali where you grabbed a bottle of rum, and slid down the slide to freedom. And, if you head to the beach you'll find Steve, happily sipping Pina Coladas: )

Cheers!

*Read the full story about Steven Slater here

24 Hours and $50....A Flight Attendant Layover

"

"Do you get to stay here?" A passenger asked me as they deplaned in Boston. "Well, I hope so! Considering it is one o'clock in the morning" I laughed. "Well, I mean do you have enough time to actually spend here?"

This is actually a pretty common question, no matter what time of day or where I happen to be landing. The answer is, yes! Sometimes Flight Attendants have long layovers. A long layover is about 24 hours. You still may think that is too short to really do anything but, you'd be surprised at what I can accomplish in a day. When I first started flying, I used to have a thick "Go USA" book that went everywhere with me. I was able to find out everything I needed to know about seeing a city in a day. Today, there's the Internet so it's even easier to make a game plan. I've gotten so used to sight seeing in a day that if I go on vacation for a week it ends up feeling like an eternity!

I've also been getting emails lately with questions about a flight attendant's lifestyle so, I thought I'd share my long layovers with you. I'll have 24 hours in each city, and I will stay on budget with my allotted per diem of about $50. (At my airline we receive $2.08 per hour for each hour spent away from our home base.)

BOSTON

My hotel is located in the heart of the Back Bay, so I start my day out with a run along the Charles River. The trail is a 5 mile loop that links around to Cambridge and back. I think if I had an area as beautiful as this to run at home....I might just exercise more! (Ok, I might have walked part of it) Free

Next breakfast. I am famished. My Mom who lives about forty miles south of Boston came in for the day and met up with me at The Paramount Deli in Beacon Hill. A restaurant rich in history (the last victim of The Boston Strangler was killed in an apartment above the restaurant) was opened in 1937. The food is yummy and the attitude is New England, i.e., be sure to order before grabbing a table but, don't expect anyone to explain the rules. There is a sign but, who reads signs? Breakfast is hectic but, fun and social. And, when things slowed down, Gabe, the executive chef took time out for a photo op and even invited me behind the counter where all the magic happens. I spent $8.50 for a feta, spinach and tomato omelette.

Next up? Shopping. With our bellies full we head over to Newbury Street. "What?" You say, "That's the street with all the expensive boutiques, right?" Yes, that's true. But, it's a great street to stroll down while getting fashion ideas for shopping at The Closet and the other consignment stores in the lower blocks of Newbury Street.  (and the people watching is almost as good as the airport) The Closet is a hidden gem located at 175 Newbury Street, between Dartmouth and Exeter. (Bostons Back Bay is laid out in grid form and the streets that run perpendicular to Newbury are in alphabetical order as follows: Arlington, Berkely, Clarendon, Dartmouth, Exeter, Fairfield, and Gloucester. The further away from Arlington, the more affordable the store) Once inside The Closet expect to find in season designer clothing and accessories that are not more than two years old. Although I usually find a treasure or two I was out of luck this trip....being on my tight budget...but, I did find a funky bracelet at Second Time Around located at 219 Newbury Street. $10

Satisfied with our shopping spree we head over to the North End (Boston's Little Italy) for some sightseeing and lunch. A day in Boston would not be complete without a bit of history. One of my favorite spots, The Old North Church is part of Boston's Freedom Trail. This quaint little church is tucked away in The North End behind the Paul Revere Monument. Take a seat in one the boxed pews for a ten minute history lesson. It's so cool to realize this is actually where the lanterns were hung for Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. Talk about bringing history to life! A donation is suggested for the presentation. (recommended donation, $1)

Lunch time! What better place to grab food than Little Italy. My favorite pizza is Regina Pizzeria, located at 11 1/2 Thatcher Street so we head there. We order a small original North End Recipe Pizza for $8.39. Mmmmmm...I'm ready to go back just looking at the picture! After lunch we sight see some more and walk the waterfront area. It's a beautiful day and Boston is one of the best walking cities.

Another idea when checking out a city is to check out the local real estate market, if you like that sort of thing. I do, and when I saw this sign:  in a real estate office on Charles Street (Beacon Hill: 86 Beacon Street #4 $3,600,000.00) I decided to add it to the day. We even scored a glass of champagne out of the deal! Free, unless of course you put an offer in: )

Feeling relaxed from our champagne we head back down to the water front for a sunset harbor cruise. A 25 minute cruise to Charlestown and back for $1.70. How did we catch a boat trip for so little? We actually took a shuttle, subsidized by the MBTA. You can sit up on the top deck, and even buy snacks down below. (You can choose to stay in Charlestown and tour the U.S.S. Constitution for free, but the trip back will be another $1.70)

We decided to walk through Quincy Market on the way back to the hotel for dinner. Clam chowder was heavy on my mind so even though there is a plethora of food choices, I bee lined it for Boston and Maine Fish Company. I got a lobster roll for $14. added clam chowder for $3. and topped it all off with a Sam Adams Summer Ale for $3.50 for a total of $20.50.

There you have it, Boston in 24hours for a grand total of $50.09. Ok, I went a tad over but, that's pretty good! Proof you can still get a lot of bang for your buck in an expensive city.