Air Travel Tips For Parents With Small Children

Airline travel today is a lot different than it used to be, with new rules and regulations, as well as security alerts and procedures. For parents who are traveling with small children, air travel can be a nightmare if you are not careful. Not too long ago, Delta asked a mother to leave the plane because she was a mother and she was breast feeding her infant child. That was the woman's only crime but she was forced off the plane by Delta authorities because another passenger thought that a natural beautiful bond between parent and child was obscene. Apparently Delta agreed with the passenger who complained, because the mother was not allowed to take the flight.

In the current world today, parents can no longer depend on airline personnel to use common sense, because apparently some people just do not have any. If you are traveling with small children, there are some tips to follow to try and make your airline travel as hassle free as possible. There are rules and regulations concerning what is allowed in your carry on luggage, and the limit for liquids is two ounces. For formula and expressed breast milk, this limit does not apply and you can carry enough of these in your carry on bag to last for the duration of the flight. The breast milk or formula must be kept separate from the other carry on liquids, and you must declare to security personnel what the liquid is and why it is needed. The exception only applies to the maximum amount that could be needed for your travel, so you could not take four gallons of formula or expressed breast milk for a two hour flight.

For parents who have small children who still use diapers, most airport bathrooms have changing stations, and you may bring diapers as well as wipes, small bottles of lotion and baby oil, and any other necessary supplies. Just make sure that the bottles are two ounces or less, not bigger bottles that are half empty. If your child is a toddler, it is also a good idea to bring books and toys to amuse them. Ever since 9/11, security checkpoints are slow, and passengers must be at the airport hours early, so make sure that you have something to keep your child amused and happy.