Air travel with 14month old..

[raesana]

I've taken my son on 4 trips that were 23 hours. The longest flight was 14 hours.
He's such a good traveler... for the most part, he sleeps!

I always pack his own carry on with little toys/snacks from the dollar store. I try to estimate 1 to 2 hours per toy. So for 23 hours, I bought 10 different toys. When he starts getting a little anxious, I just pull a new toy out for him to get excited about. And I present it to him as if I just found a treasure.

-coloring book
-figurines
-flashlight/booklight
-cars
-fun snacks (candy necklace, shaped fruit snacks)

I figure if they get lost, they were $1 and an hour of sanity.

I really suggest a blowup ball and the toys that shoot little frisbees in the air. During layovers, we'd find a quiet part of the airport and run around a bit. I think that's why he always slept!

[loladooder99]

I have traveled with my son who is 11 month from the time he was 3 months and up. I had no problems with bringing milk on the planes. They just recommend you only take enough to get you to your destination.Also I really recommend some typing of baby backpack they do have them for older babies. I had one for my son and it helped so much but he was used to being in one. Also with most airlines you get two baby items which count as one bag out of the two bag limit.Such as a baby plan pen(i've taken one). I don't have advice for the toys because the last time i went anywhere with my son was when he was 6-7 months and he was just playing with teething toys.

[sumo]

Thanks every one for valuable suggestions. !!

[Aleja]

I just traveled cross country last month with my 14 month old, and it actually went better than I thought it would!

My grandma got me a travelmate, which is basically a set of wheels with a handle that attaches to the carseat. It was a lifesaver since I was travelling alone with him! I just put him in the carseat, wore a backpack, and rolled him around the airport.

As for the actual flight, don't be paranoid about the toys making noise. You don't realize until you pay attention just how loud the background hum on the plane is. I brought a toy that's his favorite, but seemed fairly noisy at home, and you couldn't hear it beyond our row in the plane.

Also, if you have a layover be on the lookout for a play area. At the Seattle airport there is a great play area (like the ones at the mall) with adjacent family restrooms and a nursing room.

Good luck, hope it goes well for you!

[Ames0508]

It's likely your DS is big enough for the CARES restraint. We fly enough that we own one and LOVE it. Car seats are just inconvenient on a plane. Typically you are only allowed to place it in the window seat and it puts your child's feet just in striking distance to the seat in front of you. If you don't want to invest in one I think people rent them on ebay & such. Very easy to use and it converts the seat into a harness. We have a bag specifically designed to check the carseat and have never had a problem. In fact it's one way to get around the whole checked luggage fees because you can load it up with extra diapers, blankets, toys, etc. Most airlines still don't charge to check a carseat. We always gate check the stroller.

Next, I have never EVER had to taste anything I had in a bottle going through security. You do need to separate everything though. Grab a bin and only put the baby food/juice, diaper cream, meds, etc in that one. You can take whatever you need for her, you just have to 'declare' it. One way to simplify that is the little bitty gerber juices that are sealed. PP is correct that shoes, belts, etc have to come off, even for baby. I'm finding that more & more airports are setting up a check point for people that are going to take longer, like people with small kids or disabilities.

We let him take his own little back pack with dollar store toys/books and his portable DVD player. A spare change of clothes, a small blanket & plenty of his preferred snacks.

Don't hesitate to get up and pace the aisle if need be either.