Between us, we’ve taken dozens of flights with babies and young children across Australia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. These are the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
If you listened to Part 1 of our Flying With Kids series, you’ll know we have a lot to say about flying with kids.
In fact, we had so much to say that we ended up recording a second (and third…) episode.
From car seats and ear pain to flight attendants, boarding strategies and what we always carry in our travel first aid kit, this episode dives into some of the practical things that can make travel days a whole lot easier.
Here are some more lessons we’ve learned from flying with our daughters around the world.
1. A Car Seat Can Be Worth Its Weight in Gold
One topic that often surprises parents is that some car seats can actually be taken onboard the plane.
Carly first flew internationally with Chloe in an airline approved Britax car seat and found it made a huge difference to both comfort and sleep.
Not every car seat is approved for air travel, so check for the aircraft approval sticker before you fly.
Yes, they’re bulky.
Yes, they’re annoying to carry through the airport.
But if your child sleeps well in their car seat, it could make a long-haul flight significantly easier.
2. Research Car Seat Rules Before You Travel
Car seat rules vary wildly between countries and airlines.
In some places, children are expected to travel in a proper car seat. In others, they’re far less common.
Before travelling, it’s worth checking:
- Local car seat laws
- Rental car requirements
- Taxi expectations
- Whether your specific seat meets local regulations
A little research before you leave can save a lot of stress once you arrive.
3. Plane Ear Is Real
If you’ve ever experienced your ears popping during a flight, imagine being a toddler who doesn’t understand what’s happening.
Plane ear happens when pressure changes during take-off and landing.
We’ve had completely different experiences with plane ear. Kaia has never struggled too much but Chloe has had some really painful flights.
Some things that may help include:
- Breastfeeding
- Bottle feeding
- A dummy or pacifier
- Water bottles
- Lollipops
- Chewy snacks
- Swallowing regularly
Every child is different, but we always try to encourage swallowing or opening and closing their mouth during take-off and landing.
4. Don’t Let Sleeping Kids Sleep Through Landing
This one surprised us!
When children are sleeping, they aren’t swallowing as often, which means they’re not naturally helping equalise the pressure in their ears.
We’ve actually woken Kaia before landing to make sure she was drinking water and swallowing during descent.
It feels a little cruel at the time, but it’s potentially much kinder than waking up halfway through landing with painful ears, the seatbelt sign on and no way to get up and help them properly.
5. Carry a Simple Travel First Aid Kit
We never travel without a small ziplock bag of basic medications in our carry on.
For us, that usually includes:
- Paracetamol
- Nurofen
- Liquid antihistamine
- Teething gel
- Thermometer
- More than one syringe
Liquid antihistamine was one that surprised us and I was actually told by a pharmacist when we were taking Kaia to Thailand into the jungle for the first time and she had never been stung by a bee before. The pharmacist explained that if it appeared she was having an allergic reaction to anything, the antihistamine could buy us valuable time to get her to a doctor or hospital.
Of course, always seek medical advice specific to your child, but having a few essentials easily accessible has saved us more than once while travelling.
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Flight Attendants for Help
Flight attendants see travelling families every day.
Whether it’s helping warm a bottle, offering hot water for formula, assisting during boarding or simply giving you a few extra minutes to settle your child, we’ve found most are incredibly helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask them to hold your baby while you duck to the toilet either. I’ll admit it – I was always worried about needing the toilet when I was flying alone with Kaia and, on more than one occasion, actually avoided drinking water because I didn’t want to need the toilet. In our experience, flight attendants are usually more than happy to help. Even now Kaia does not like the sound of the plane toilets flushing so she will go out and sit with a flight attendant while I go back into the toilet to flush it!
Sometimes all you need to do is ask.
7. Think Carefully About Boarding Early
There are two schools of thought when it comes to family boarding.
Some parents love boarding first so they can get organised and settle their kids before everyone else arrives. Others prefer boarding last so their children can burn off as much energy as possible before sitting still.
We’ve done both and neither approach is right or wrong. It simply comes down to what works best for your family and your child’s temperament.
One thing to keep in mind is that on full flights, overhead locker space disappears quickly. If you board last, your carry-on luggage may end up several rows away from your seat.
8. Keep Your Most Important Items Close
Travel days can be chaotic.
That’s why we always keep passports, phones, money and other valuables directly on us rather than in overhead lockers whenever possible.
A small crossbody bag or bum bag can make life much easier, particularly on long-haul flights and overnight journeys.
Keep it just for the essentials: passports, cash, visas and any critical travel documents. Then you’re less likely to be constantly opening it throughout the flight and risk misplacing something important. Noone wants to end up in the immigration line unable to locate their passports!
Final Thoughts
Flying with kids isn’t always smooth. There will be delays, tantrums, missed naps and unexpected challenges.
But every trip teaches you something. Every flight gets a little easier.
And every adventure helps build confidence for the next one.
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is simply getting there.
Every family travels differently, and that’s okay. These are simply the lessons we’ve learned through our own adventures. Take what works for your family, leave what doesn’t, and keep exploring.
Listen to the Full Episode
In Episode 2 of the Kids Who Travel Podcast, Renee and Carly continue the conversation about flying with kids, sharing lessons learned from international travel, long-haul flights and navigating airports with little ones.
From aircraft-approved car seats and ear pain to travel medications and boarding strategies, this episode is packed with practical advice for travelling families.
Listen now and start planning your next family adventure.
Have a flying-with-kids tip we missed? We’d love to hear it. Connect with us on Instagram @kidswhotravelpodcast and share your best travel hacks.
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