Hello!
And thanks for stopping by. I wanted to share my first experience in traveling with a small child. Beforehand, just the thought of this would give me the highest anxiety LOL. But honestly, it wasn't so bad if you plan accordingly. This was definitely a test drive to see how it would go. My first thought when we got home was that I needed a vacation from the vacation (; . But anyways, we went to Dominican Republic for one week. We always fly with American Airlines. This is my preferred airline because I have their advantage card and I like racking up air miles! With that being said, everything that I am sharing is based on their travel guidelines, which you can find online (although I will share some below) I made sure to research all of the things before booking the tickets. I'll also make sure to talk about the places in the photos, just in case you're interested :)
TRAVEL TIPS:
- A good thing to know when traveling with a toddler via AA is that you have to add them to your reservation. Kids under 2 can travel as a "lap infant" for "almost" free (I'll get to that later lol). Kids over 2 need their own plane ticket/seat.
-If you are traveling within the USA it is super easy to add them online on the AA website. However, if you're going on a international flight like we did, you have to call their customer service line and have them add the baby to your reservation over the phone. It was fairly quick and easy. You only have to pay the taxes for them of your total air fare I believe. Our was around $30. You also cannot check in online if its a international flight, you would have to check in at the airport and show the baby's passport, etc.
-When booking the flights, I was really intentional about the time I chose for the flight. I made sure to pick a time around Serena's naptime and it worked out. She was really curious most of the flight so she was basically touching everything (my anxiety about the germs on planes was high around this time LOL)
-Invest in a good travel stroller! This is the one I decided on. It fit all of my current needs for Serena. Although its a bit bulky when folded, I didn't mind because she sat comfortably and was able to nap in it on the trip. I wanted to get one of the ones that fold super tiny, but I found them not to be so practical when opened so I passed on it. This one is super popular because it folds so small you can put in anywhere! They check the stroller for free at the gate before you board the plane!
-AA allows you to pack baby food (if needed) and milk (whichever you're currently feeding your child). The TSA check was fairly easy. They only stopped us briefly to check the milk thermos and it was fine! This was all included in Serena's diaper bag (diaper bag is separate from your carry on and personal bag FYI), which had all her necessities and mine as well.
-I booked for a middle and window seat. I always hope no one sits in the aisle seat so we could have the row to ourselves and it happened to us on the way there! It was great. Serena napped in the middle seat. LOL
-I tried to not go overboard with the packing of her toys and entertainment. So I just brought a few teethers, books, puzzles, one stuffed animal, and these suction fidget spinners that you could stick to the windows to keep her entertained. I also downloaded a few episodes of her favorite shows on the iPad too.
- I also made sure to pack a good amount of snacks. She was pretty content eating her snacks and watching the iPad.
-Once the plane departed, I gave her a bottle of milk while the plane ascended so it wouldn't bother her ears.
-Another thing I brought with me is this baby carrier that is kind of like a fanny pack but has a seat for your baby LOL. I got it in the leopard print and thought it was practical to have when walking around the airport. Not necessary but I thought I would mention it. :)
** Something to note: this flight was under 2 hours. So I believe it was manageable. LOL.
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