Glenda Haugen, a grandmother of four, loves flying with her grandchildren so much she’s done it three times. You read that right. She LOVES it. THREE times!
Haugen and her husband have even flown with their grandkids, who span ages between three to 12, internationally—to St. Maarten.
The long security lines don’t get her down. The salty assortment of in-flight snacks don’t bother her. Squishing into coach seats? No problem.
“It’s such a special one-on-one time with my grandchildren,” says Haugen, who owns My Best Friend’s Closet consignment boutique in Moorhead. “You can’t get that at home or on a visit to see them. There’s no TV. There are no real distractions. You can ask them questions and re-connect. It’s nice, quality time.”
Is she such a travel pro because she has lived through raising children, and is now onto her kid’s kids? Possibly.
So before you pack your bags (and possibly a bunch a diapers), check out Haugen’s—and a few other experts’—tips:
1.) Reserve your seats ahead of time
Haugen always makes a point to reserve seats for herself, her husband, and grandchildren when she purchases their tickets. “That way, we have a better chance of all sitting together,” she says. “With six of us, I book an entire row so we can mix and mingle with each other if we want to.”
Reserving seats ahead of time also eliminates the chance that you’ll be seated separately (and with new booking practices, it happens more frequently than you might think).
2.) Check-in online
In addition to reserving your seats, be sure to check in online as soon as the airline allows, advises Beth Blair of St. Paul, and author of Break into Travel Writing. “If you wait until the last minute or until you get to the airport the flight may be overbooked and you may or may not get seats.”
Checking in early also gives you an opportunity to pay for any luggage you may need to send to your destination and print your boarding passes. The less you have to do the actual day of travel, the better!
3.) Board last
Blair advocates being one of the last to get on the plane. “One benefit to pre-boarding is ensuring you have a place for your carry-on luggage in the overhead bins. But when you’re traveling with children it’s best to wait until the last minute because then you’re not sitting on the plane for a half-hour with antsy children waiting for departure.”
Even better? If there are two adults traveling, have one pre-board and get settled (perhaps install the car seat?) then have the other person board with the child/children.
4.) Pack plenty of food
Back in the day flight attendants used to be able to serve a lot of food but times have changed. “Sometimes all we have is peanuts, pretzels, and cookies,” says Tammy R., a veteran Delta flight attendant based in Minneapolis.
She recommends bringing plenty of snacks for the little ones but avoiding foods with lots of sugar (we’re talking to you, chocolate) or that are particularly messy (sorry again, chocolate). Packing plenty of food is especially important if you have a long day of travel ahead of you. The more connections you have, the more likely you are to stock up on costly airport fare. Having your own snacks on hand should keep the kids satisfied.
One caveat: on a recent Delta flight, Lila DeWolfe of St. Paul and her family were warned that persons with peanut allergies were onboard—and that passengers should put away any food that had trace nuts. Passengers were also informed that only pretzels and cookies would be served on that flight—no peanuts. “To be safe,” DeWolfe mentions, “bring fruit and cheese or yogurt without the granola toppings on the off-chance you are on a long flight and your nutty snacks need to be 86’d.”
5.) Bring a car seat
The safest way for a child to fly is the same way they travel in a car—in their car/booster seat. “Until they can understand the seatbelt sign, I recommend bringing your car seat,” says Tammy. “They should be in their seat at least until the age of five.”
Most airlines allow infants and toddlers under two years old to sit on a lap so bringing a car seat means you’d have to buy your child his/her own ticket, which is costly. But it also frees you up from having to corral a squirmy toddler in your arms for hours at a time.
6.) Bring a stroller
If you’re worried about how to carry all that gear, Blair says to bring a stroller. It’s useful if you’re passing through big airports with little children (and their tiny legs!). “Even if the children have lots of energy upon arriving and [they] want to walk, you can use the stroller to push your carry-on bags [or that car seat],” says Blair.
7.) Give it a wipe
Seat belt clips. Arm rests. Tray clasps. Window shades. “A lot of that stuff doesn’t ever get cleaned,” discloses Tammy. “I bring my own antibacterial wipes.”
She says once the kids are settled, wipe down all surfaces they might touch. Then give each child their own wipe to clean their hands. Finally, give your own hands a swipe.
8.) Outlines rules or acceptable behavior before the flight
When Haugen flies internationally with her grandchildren she takes the time to explain the customs procedure and how she wants the kids to behave. “I tell them that there will be very long lines and that they are not to say anything weird, like about bombs, or to make jokes,” she says. “I’ve found that if they know that ahead of time they will wait patiently. Having a Nintendo DS doesn’t hurt, either!”
9.) Keep them busy
Tablets. Portable DVD players. Nintendo DS. You can be overwhelmed just thinking of the electronics available to keep kids busy on flights. But do you really need them?
The answer is yes. And no.
“Entertainment needs to be planned out while keeping the length of the flight in mind,” advises Blair.
She uses this rule of thumb: there needs to be an activity for every 15 minutes of flight time depending upon the age of the child and their attention span.
Books, stickers, coloring books, word searches, and toys such as mini dolls or animals that allow them to use their imagination are all safe bets. They don’t need to be expensive, but should be new to the kids. You can stock up on plenty of fun stuff at the local dollar store.
10.) Obey the seatbelt sign
This can be a difficult tip to follow. If you’re in the middle of a long flight and your cranky three-year-old daughter is squirming and whining, you might think about getting up and letting her walk the aisles (if the seatbelt sign is off) to burn off some steam. Don’t, says Blair. “I’ve seen children get very hurt when walking through the cabin and the plane hits unexpected turbulence,” she says.
However, sometimes a bathroom trip is unavoidable. If your child is little, please hold their hand or carry them. And remember, if they’re potty training, take them to the bathroom mid-flight and before you start to descend!
Happy, safe, fun flying!
GONNA FLY NOW
Especially if you are traveling during a holiday (such as the upcoming July 4th week), or if you haven’t flown for a while, take note of the following tips from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, for a smooth journey:
Security screening
• Remember the Transportation Security Administration’s 3–1–1 rule for non-exempt liquids in carry-on bags: you can only have 3-ounce bottles or less for all liquids, gels and aerosols; they should be placed in a one-quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; only one such bag is allowed per passenger. Be sure to take your quart-sized bag of liquids out of your carry-on bags to be screened separately.
• Know your airline’s luggage weight and size restrictions. The charge for weight overages is insane crazy. For example, a bag one pound over the 50-pound limit will cost you $90 on a Delta flight. If over 71 pounds, it goes up to $175. American Airlines charges between $50 and $150.
• Save time at the airport: print your boarding pass at home.
Fun stuff
There are two children’s play areas at the MSP International airport. Terminal 1-Lindberg’s is in Concourse C by Gate C12. Terminal 2-Humphrey is by Gate H6. In addition, several “kiddie rides” are available in Terminal 1’s Baggage Claim area by Door 6.
You may also find works of art on display in Terminal 1-Lindbergh’s Concourse C gallery.
Internet service is now free at MSP, so if you have time to kill at your gate, power up, log on, and enjoy. You will find the newly renovated Concourse G near gate 2 filled to the brim with seating, each table with its own iPad for surfing, ordering food, and boarding alerts while waiting for a flight. There’s also a great “grab and go” area with tons of food choices, right by the gate.
Parking & information
There is ample parking at both terminals during the holidays. However, cost-conscious travelers can save $6 per day, compared with general parking at Terminal 1-Lindbergh, by parking in MSP Value Parking at Terminal 2-Humphrey. The ramp is directly adjacent to light rail, which passengers can ride for free between terminals.
For more information about airport amenities, including full-service restaurant menus, airport accessibility, and family services, visit mspairport.com or download MSP’s official mobile app, FlySmart. Also, MSP Airport customer information associates are available 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day—including holidays—by calling 612-726-5555 or dialing 201 from any Airport Assistance telephone. —Kathleen Stoehr
