Traveling with Twins: How Do I Survive the Flight?
Welcome to TwinGo Carrier's Traveling With Twins Series, where each week we will answer new questions about the logistics of traveling with twins. We'll help you coordinate everything from stroller storage to in-flight baby soothing, and everything in between. Heading on a trip with your twins this summer? Fear not! We've got you covered.
Traveling with your twins, triplets, or more can be overwhelming and there’s usually a lot of questions about logistics going through a parent’s mind. Summer is coming and I’m getting lots of questions about flying as people plan summer vacations. It can be very stressful taking babies on a plane and that intensifies when you have more than one child to worry about. Many of these tips are general tips for flying with a baby and some of my adapted tips that are particular to flying with lots of toddlers and babies. We regularly fly domestically and internationally with my now 1-year-old twins and 2.5-year-old singleton. Hopefully these answers will help you understand some of the regulations and choices you have when flying and some extra tips to make it as easy as going to the park for the day.
#7 How do I survive the flight?
The answer to this question is like a lot of other TwinGo blog posts. The most important aspect of surviving a flight is to stay calm. Babies and toddlers can feel your tension, stress, and nerves and they react to it. If you stay calm and respond that way they will usually respond in kind after you fix the problem. Here’s a few other key tips that may help:
- Put any critical soothing items or snacks in the seat back pocket before take-off. It’s hard to grab under the seat and you won’t have access to bags in the overhead bin until you are up in the air.
- Don’t panic when they start crying. Everyone knows that babies cry and you’re in a public space. Many of us worry about the other travelers, but the person that is most bothered by the crying is usually the parents. Do your best and don’t worry about others.
- If you get lucky and have someone next to you offering to help, take it. I have met some incredible ladies (and a few gentlemen) on flights with my babies. People who had no obligation to help but were willing to hold my son or daughter for me to grab things out of my bag. I’ve had people dig through my bag and even hold my daughter while I took a restroom break because my helpers’ hands were full with her twin who is a bear to wake.
- With older toddlers, don’t worry so much about the limits you may place on screen time or certain snacks. Sometimes it’s about surviving the day and you can explain that flying is a special treat.
- Remember that the flight always lands no matter how good or bad it goes. You won’t be in that situation forever. There’s a time limit and goal you can work towards.
Be sure to check out our other Traveling with Twins tips!
Q: Can My Baby Sit on My Lap?
Q: Should I Take My Stroller?
Q: What Should I Do About My Stroller?
Q: What Should I Bring on the Plane?
Q: How Do I Get All This Through Security, and What About Liquids?
Q: How Do I Get Everything and Everyone on the Plane?
Q: How Do I Survive the Flight?
Aja Harris is a mother of three toddlers and the wife of a US diplomat currently residing in Moscow, Russia. She frequently flies with her 2.5-year-old son and twin 1-year-old daughters around the world and throughout the United States. They have taken their children to over 15 US States and 4 countries via planes, trains, and automobiles. She hopes that this article encourages families to be adventurous and eases the worries of parents getting ready to fly with their little ones for the first time. You can follow the Harris family’s adventures on Facebook at The Wandering Chaos.
