6 Things I Do To Make Air Travel With My Preschooler Easier

I was extremely nervous before I flew with my newborn. How many diapers would I need? What if they spit up, or worse, had a blowout? It turns out that traveling with a newborn is much more of a breeze than I thought. When my son was a baby, he snoozed the whole time on nearly every flight and never had bothersome ear issues or moments of intense crying.

Then my baby became a mobile 18-month-old toddler. Everything changed.

My son traded hours of snoozing on a flight for standing up, screaming, and wanting to run up and down the aisles. Long-haul flights were more exhausting than ever, as providing consistent entertainment and trying to keep him from bothering other passengers was an intense job.

After a few adjustment flights, I worked out a fairly solid system I’ve stuck to consistently, and I now feel like my 3.5-year-old is on his way to being the traveler I always thought he would be. These are the things I do to make air travel easier with my preschooler.

1. Prepare Together

Bringing my son into the entire process of travel and flying starts with discussing everything about travel with him.

We discuss planning our trip, where we’ll go, and how we’ll get there. Playing pretend boarding and sitting on an airplane, talking about jobs like a pilot, a flight attendant, and a gate agent, and modeling how to go through security prepares him for a trip. He loves to read books about planes, and he also has toy airplanes and tiny play suitcases.

I explain to him the process of buying plane tickets and how we’ll get to the airport. We pack our suitcases together, and he gets to help pick out what clothes and toys go into his bag. I even talk about past flights, like what went well and what didn’t, and why. We discuss the concept of space, how each passenger has their own (albeit very small) section of space, and how we can’t violate that by kicking seats or throwing toys. I even let him weigh in on the hotels we’ll stay in or activities we’ll do at our destination.

Doing this gets him excited about flying and helps him understand the social norms surrounding it. Little by little, armed with our preflight prep and play, he’s able to see how travel unfolds in the real world when we begin our trip, helping him to understand the behaviors he’s supposed to have.

2. Book the Right Flights and Right Seats

Setting us up for success puts my family on the right track toward a smooth travel day. Even if it’s cheaper, I never book flights late at night or early in the morning. Starting things off with my preschooler lacking sleep is never a good idea. I try to select midday flights for short-haul and medium-haul flights and never arrive home too late.

I always check airport maps before the flight to make sure we let our son run around a bit in a child-friendly space or play area so he can release all his energy. This is especially helpful before a long-haul flight overseas.

Seating is also important. Because I live in Europe and sometimes fly low-cost carriers like Ryanair and Easyjet, sitting together as a family is never guaranteed. Since my preschooler likes to get up and jet off without warning, I always put him in the window seat. When we travel as a family, I pay extra to ensure the 3 of us sit together. Having my husband as reinforcement and being able to take turns (or manage a classic “get the wipes!” moment) is key for keeping things under control during the flight and making sure he doesn’t go running down the aisle.

3. Use an AirTag

Although my son is a little older and getting a bit better about not taking off into the crowds, I always slip an AirTag into his shoe or on an ankle bracelet to find him if he suddenly runs or wanders off. This is especially helpful if I’m traveling alone with him and need to speak to a gate agent or handle the check-in process because it can be hard for little ones to stick by your side.

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Airport routines sometimes dictate that my eyes can’t be directed solely on my son 100% of the time. I have to lift my suitcase onto the belt, open a bag for security inspection, dig around in my purse for the passports, and speak to staff. I only needed to rely on this once during an especially crowded airport moment, but it always gives me peace of mind.

4. Use Suitcase He Can Ride

My preschooler is at an age where he hates the stroller but also doesn’t want to walk long distances. At nearly 40 pounds, carrying him, plus carry-on luggage, isn’t feasible. I swear by the JetKids by Stokke BedBox, a suitcase he can ride through the airport (or, if he’s tired, I can pull him on it). He loves it and feels so cool riding it, and he can still carry his mini backpack, too, which means we don’t have to carry him or his luggage.

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Even better, the suitcase comes with a mini fold-out bed that turns an economy plane seat into a more comfortable bed-like space for him to sleep on long-haul flights. The suitcase comes with stickers, and he loved personalizing it just how he wanted. This makes him excited to go to the airport and use it.

5. Board Last

When my son was a baby, we’d all scramble to be first in line to board because it seemed like it took forever to get ourselves and our items settled on the plane. These days, I send my husband to board with the gear. Then I board last with my preschooler, letting him release all his energy before we get on the plane. This minimizes the time he spends sitting, and he doesn’t take part in the worst of the dreaded boarding process, as we avoid waiting in line and fighting for overhead bin space.

6. Model Proper Behaviors During Travel

I always model the behaviors I expect him to learn. How can I expect my preschooler not to have a meltdown in the airport if I lost it because our flight was delayed?

I expect him to treat other passengers, flight attendants, or gate agents with respect because I treat them with respect. If I’m complaining about lines and cranky about the lack of overhead bin space, why should I expect my preschooler to be calm and happy? Modeling the behaviors I want my preschooler to emulate when we travel is key for his learning, as he often learns from watching me.

This trick doesn’t work overnight, but I’m in it for the long haul because I want my son to grow into a savvy and respectful traveler.

Final Thoughts

The above tips might not benefit my son if he flies just once (though they could), but as I repeat these processes more and more, allowing our travel routines to flow and move with how my child grows, it makes flying a part of his routine. Little kids love routine, and the more they understand how things work and how they’re a part of it, the easier it will be. Just like adults, kids aren’t born as travelers, but they learn to be. My preschooler is slowly but surely becoming a little traveler, and I can tell he’s beginning to love it as much as I do.

If you’re at a different parenting stage, check out our guides on flying with babies or toddlers. You may also want to prep ahead with our guide to less stressful flights with kids.