Vacations Blog

Flying to see loved ones over Thanksgiving weekend? You are both a loyal and brave soul. But the prospect of the flight is daunting. You already know the horror stories about how 2007 has been the worst in history for flight delays and that the busiest days of the year at airports are near Thanksgiving.

Here are our recommendations on surviving – maybe even enjoying! – your family flight home.

Check in from home
Start your trip by eliminating one hassle. If you have an e-ticket, check in for your flight from the comfort of your home at your airline’s web site. Most airlines allow you to check-in online up to 24 hours ahead of your flight. Instead of arriving at the airport and waiting in line to check-in, you can move straight to security.

Confirm your seat early in the day to reduce your chances of getting bumped. Did we already mention that these are the busiest days of the year for airlines? The Air Transport Association said it expects roughly 27 million passengers to fly over 12 days beginning Nov. 16, with planes about 90 percent full.

Check your flight status before you leave for the airport, especially if you are not flying first thing in the morning because flight delays tend to snowball. You can do this at your airline’s site or type in your airline’s abbreviation (e.g. “UA” for United) and your flight number into a Google or Yahoo search box (e.g. “UA 565” or “AA 845”).

Arrive early – really early
Yes, it means having to find ways to amuse the children at the airport and it might mean spending a ridiculous amount of money on mediocre airport food, but the security lines are going to be huge. Based on historical data, the three busiest days of the year at airports will be Sunday, Nov. 25; Monday, Nov. 26; and Wednesday, Nov. 21, respectively.

Even if you have checked in from home, arrive early. Really early. Not just earlier than you ever do for your regular flights, but early in the day. The security lines will be epic. The general guideline is to arrive 90-120 minutes before your flight, which on a typical day travelers’ slice in half. It’s worth considering thinking about arriving two to three hours ahead if you are traveling on one of these busy days.

Divide and conquer
It will be a better family experience if the little folks aren’t subjected to the full rigors of Thanksgiving travel. We recommend four key places to divide and conquer. First, if you are driving to the airport, drop one of the parents at luggage check-in or at the start of the security line for the arduous wait.

Second, if you have baggage to check (this is an excellent weekend to try to avoid checking bags), you may still have to wait in line to check-in. But check to see your airline doesn’t have a sky cap who will take your bags from you at the sidewalk, or a “check luggage only (for those with boarding passes already)” line. If you do have to wait, this is another good place to divide and conquer.

Third, have only one parent wait in the security line. The other can take the little people to do something more interesting. Elevators, escalators, book stores, getting a snack, watching the paint dry are generally all more interesting then edging forward at ½ mph in a security line.

The final place to divide and conquer is after you have passed through security. If you have a long flight ahead of you, consider giving one parent an “official” break to nap, read the paper, enjoy a glass of wine whatever. The other parent goes off to entertain…Caveat: for these last two divide and conquer tactics to work, both parents must have their cell phones recharged, on and immediately accessible! Just in case something changes…

Be entertaining
John Candy, Mike Meyers and Robin Williams you may not be, but fortunately our children don’t need us to be that entertaining. But if you are planning to arrive early to minimize the stress of rushing, it’ll stretch your children’s limits.

Min wrote up 7 Tips to Entertain Your Kids on a Long Flight. In addition, for Thanksgiving, given the potential extra wait time before your flight and (shudder) potential flight delays, you may also want to consider these additional 7 recommendations:

1. Use the magic screen: Save the DVDs for two critical time slots. Either once you are through security and are settled in, but with a long stretch before boarding, or later in the flight for when they have gone through the toys/books and everyone is tired. In both cases, you may consider using them as a reward for good behavior through the prior tricky periods (yes, that is what might be considered a bribe ) And bring extra batteries on your carry-on!
2. Prepare the kids. Give the little people an honest but upbeat idea of how the day is going to go, and how long it could potentially be. Not to scare them, but to prepare them for the length of the flight, the need to take a nap at some point, the size of the crowds, that the DVD is being saved for ‘special’ moments…
3. Let the kids pack. If they are old enough, get your little folks a back pack of their own and allow them to pack their favorite toys.
4. Bring snacks. Bring lots of healthy snacks and water in your carry-on – and a few less healthy snacks that you know your children love (ah, that “bribe” word again). You can also entertain them by letting them choose their own snack at the airport. Bring extra just-in-case – through September, 24% of flights in 2007 have been delayed.
5. Retire toys early. Unlike home, where your children have access to all their favorite toys and books, you have to keep the limited selection you bring in your carry-on “fresh” and entertaining. So, take the books/toys out of circulation when they are still happily playing with them. That way there is latent demand for them later!
6. Take pictures. If they are old enough, it is truly amazing how long children can play with a digital camera. Taking photos, looking at the (generally bizarre) angles and cut off limbs and objects is fascinating for little people. So, if you have an old digital camera, charge it up and bring it along.
7. Pal up. There are millions (literally) of other children traveling. If the children are willing, set them up in ad hoc play groups right there at the airport. Bring along a few guaranteed toys that work for your child’s respective age group (Playdoh, slinkys, crayons and paper…). Ad hoc play dates can work very well on the plane too.

Dress (and pack) for success
Comfort trumps fashion on these, the busiest and longest travel days of the year. For the parents:

• Remember to recharge your cell phones and turn them on
• Dress in layers
• Bring a good (small) book
• Wear cargo pants. If you are comfortable enough with the (un) fashion (able) statement and you have small children, cargo pants are fantastic. All those pockets for all that junk and for a few extra toys (I have a friend who stuffs a small battery operated train in his pocket, he swears by it)…
• Dump the handbag. One less bag is one less bag is one more hand free…

The fine print via Air Transportation Association and Homeland Security: “If (you are) carrying any liquids or gels in carry-on baggage, they must be in containers of three ounces or less. Pack them in a one-quart zip-top bag and place it separately in a security bin for screening. Only one zip-top bag is allowed per passenger, so what doesn’t fit must be packed in checked luggage. Note that larger quantities of medications and baby formula can be carried onboard.”

For the family:

• Batteries for the electronics
• Snacks and water handy (purchased on the other side of security)
• Disposable wipes in resealable bags
• At least one change of clothes for pre-schoolers (more if potty training)
• Chewing gum to alleviate the pain with take off and landing
• Deck of cards – for kids of any age, there is some game they can be used for. The cards may never be usable again, but there is plenty of time to get a new pack as it will be 365 days before you have to plan for a family flight like this again…

Share your tips and secrets.
Please let me know your tips for surviving Thanksgiving. I would like to hear your travel stories, adventures and ideas.

Related Posts:
General reminders about Thanksgiving flights

Travel tips to simplify your Thanksgiving trip

(For next year) Planning when and how to fly on Thanksgiving

Airlines Committed to Improving Customer’s Thanksgiving Flight Experience

Avoiding Holiday Hell – avoid the angst and enjoy the holiday

With new restrictions on bringing liquids onto planes, I often run into trouble when thinking about suitable snacks for my kids when we fly. Our old standbys of yogurt and applesauce cups are probably not going to work. Thankfully, Biggie over at Lunch in a Box has some great ideas for packing creative bento lunch boxes for your next trip. Our favorite bento box is the Laptop Lunch box, created by two moms in Santa Cruz, California, which my kids use every day for school. Packing it to take along for airplane trip makes sense!

Do you stress when faced with a long flight ahead with your kids?

You might recall hearing about the mother and toddler who got kicked off a plane back in early July. This became a national story and a hot topic at preschool PTA meetings around the country. According to the mother, the flight attendant advised the mother to give the child baby Benadryl after he wouldn’t stop repeating “Bye, bye plane,” understandably upsetting fellow passengers. The mother took offense to the suggested ‘drugging’ of her 18-month old and refused. We’re not here to debate who’s at fault… but we’d love to offer you seven tips to calm and entertain your child/children during air travel. The Perrin Post also provides a quality list of tips.

#1：Books and Games

Babies and toddlers love pop-up books and stuffed animals they can interact with and talk to. New toys and books the kids have never seen before should be brought as a special treat. (Just be sure that whichever toy you choose is quiet so as not to disturb your neighbors). Older kids enjoy hand-held video games, books, card games, coloring books and even crossword puzzles. Make use of your surroundings as well – the phones, window coverings, and even plastic silverware can all be used to entertain the youngest of kids. See if you can find any games in our previous post: Kango’s Picks: Top 5 blog posts and sites about car games for kids.

#2：Movies and Music

Do you have a portable DVD player at home? Definitely bring it with you on the plane! (They also rent them for a small fee at most major airports. about.com has tips about renting DVD players.) Portable music players (iPods) are great as well for kids of all ages. The Berkeley Parents Network suggests picking an airline with TVs on the back of the seats, especially when traveling internationally (i.e. Japan Air or Singapore Air).

#3： Pack Your Kids a “Picnic”

Chances are that, unless you are flying internationally, the food selections on your flight will be limited to peanuts and drinks. Help keep your kids happy and entertained by packing each of them a “picnic” made up of their favorite foods. Check out Babycenter.com for other great recommendations about flying with kids.

#4：Take Evening Flights If You Can

Kids are likely to be more tired on evening flights, and are more likely to sleep. The lights will be low, and the atmosphere is likely to be more calm and peaceful. If you can afford it, book an extra seat for your baby or toddler so they can lie down in the seat and take a nap more comfortably

#5：Take Frequent Trips Up and Down the Aisles

It’s important to get up and stretch your own legs on longer flights to prevent circulation blockages, and it’s just as important for your kids. Frequent walks up and down the aisle are great for short breaks, and smaller kids will love the attention they will get.

#6：Get a Map of Your Destination

Slightly older children will enjoy figuring out where they are on a map, as well as looking at pictures of the places they are going to visit and even the hotel they will be staying at. Let the kids make a list of the things they want to do and see first.

#7： Book Ahead and Get the Bulkhead (First Row) Seat

This great suggestion comes from a forum on Flytalk.com. Have you ever been on a plane and envied the extra space for the people sitting in the very first row? It’s called the bulkhead row, and it’s a great idea for traveling with kids! When the seatbelt sign is off, your children can get out of their seats and quietly play on the floor with puzzles, books and toys. You’ll enjoy the extra legroom as well.

So there you have it, seven awesome tips intended to allow you to do what you’re supposed to do on your vacation – RELAX.