Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Hello everyone!

In a week I am going to be flying by myself with DS who is 17 months. It is a long flight as we are going out to Vegas to meet with DH. I have a few questions for those experienced in flying with small ones.

1) I purchased DS his own seat. Do you put the car seat on the plane's seat or do you just check/gate check the car seat. I would imagine that DS would be more comfortable if I could somehow use the car seat.

2) What type of games/toys did you bring on the flight. I know electronic toys keep his attention longer, but they might make too much noise. I am thinking coloring books with crayons, stickers. We might even get a portable DVD player as a saving grace.

Any tips you can give would be awesome! Thanks!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Hi. We just flew with my DS to LA. It was a really long flight!

We did not buy him his own seat, but I did see a lot of car seats when we were picking up our luggage. Also, we did not realize that you do not have to pay an extra baggage charge for baby stuff (stroller, car seat, pack n play). Definately check with the airline.

For games/toys, we bought a few new things that he had never seen. Each seat also had individual tvs with disney channel and cartoons. If you think the electronic games keep his attention, I would bring them. I honestly gave DS anything he wanted just to keep him from crying!

Have fun.

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

It's safest to have DS in his carseat on the plane.

I agree with AP about just bringing a whole bunch of things to keep him occupied. Whatever he likes now, bring those types of things. Paper to color on, toys, etc. Remember that you can fold down the tray, so he'll have a table to work with, although it may be a little out of reach.....

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

I have only flown when DD was younger, but we'll be flying to Vegas when she is 20 months and I am dreading it! We bought her her own seat. I am going to check the carseat and I bought one of these that we are going to use for her.

Kids Fly safe




I have friends who use this and rave about it.

From Site:
CARES is the only harness type child aviation safety restraint ever certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

CARES is an elegantly designed belt and buckle device for kids 22-44 pounds that is easy to use and creates a safe airplane seat for your child without the hassle of carrying a 20 pound car seat.

CARES weighs just 1 pound and fits into a 6" stuff sack! It is simple to install, adjustable to virtually any size airplane seat, and keeps your chilid as safe as a car seat would.

CARES is made of the same industrial-strength webbing as your own seatbelt. It is engineered and manufactured by AmSafe Aviation, the world's foremost manufacturer of airline seatbelts.

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Posted by Tine73

I have only flown when DD was younger, but we'll be flying to Vegas when she is 20 months and I am dreading it! We bought her her own seat. I am going to check the carseat and I bought one of these that we are going to use for her.

Kids Fly safe


IMAGE

I have friends who use this and rave about it.

From Site:
CARES is the only harness type child aviation safety restraint ever certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

CARES is an elegantly designed belt and buckle device for kids 22-44 pounds that is easy to use and creates a safe airplane seat for your child without the hassle of carrying a 20 pound car seat.

CARES weighs just 1 pound and fits into a 6" stuff sack! It is simple to install, adjustable to virtually any size airplane seat, and keeps your chilid as safe as a car seat would.

CARES is made of the same industrial-strength webbing as your own seatbelt. It is engineered and manufactured by AmSafe Aviation, the world's foremost manufacturer of airline seatbelts.

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

I have flown alone with 2 kids more than once and it's a PITA to be honest, but you make it work. I would take the carseat on the plane rather than gate checking it. My DD screamed for 3 hours both ways to FL because she was tired and if I had her carseat I know she would have just passed out and fell asleep.

Stickers can keep my DD occupied for hours so I would bring some of those!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

i would absolutely invest in a portable DVD player - it was a lifesaver when we last flew with DS (he was 14 months). just be sure that he will keep on headphones, cause if not the plane noise is way too loud for the baby to hear anything.

snacks also helped. and at 17 months, i'm sure the coloring books will be great too.

GL!!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Thanks everyone! I think I am definitely going to use the car seat and pray that he naps for a little while on the plane! I think it will be more comfortable for him!

Now I just have to stock up on new toys he hasn't seen before!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

I would suggest the washable crayons to travel...the regular ones are hard to wash off the tray but the washable were great with a baby wipe.

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Posted by GoldenRod



You just have to make sure that the person behind you is OK with having their tray strapped down so they can't use it....

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

We did a flight to St John when DS was about that age

I recommend taking the car seat on since DS was comfy during the flight and slept in his seat

He liked his books and crayons and portable dvd

He also enjoyed the books the plane had!!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

I flew with ds when he was 20 months alone. I carried the car seat and used it on the seat since we paid for his seat. I also kept him on those leashes. I was always against them but let me tell u when I had to take my shoes off I was thankful he had it on. I brought coloring books and snacks and toys. We flew jet plus and I made sure I kept his channel on boomerang. It was trying to say the least but the other passengers were very nice about him being a pita sometimes.

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

If you are bringing the car seat, definitely use it in the plane! He will be so much more comfortable and can sleep in it
Bring the noisy toys! With all the background noise on the plane, no one will even hear it
And as others have listed, crayons, snacks, cars, new toys, etc...

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Do you have a laptop? He could watch movies on that and save you the money of buying a portable DVD player.

HTH!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

Car seat is the way to go - he's comfy and he can't get anywhere.

I bought a whole bunch of cheapo toys from the $1 store - novelty was key to keep him entertained.

And bring whatever sippy cup he likes the best with you - you can pour whatever they have in that once you are on board.

Bring a binky - even if he's not usually a binky baby - it can help his ears.

And try to put everything you need to carry on in the diaper bag - you will be juggling him, the car seat and the bag.

They have these cute things that help roll the car seat through the airport - I wished I had one when we flew with Logan last time.

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!

PS - Nice avatar!

Re: Flying alone with 17 month old... Need advice and suggestions!