Single mom flying with 2 young kids, will someone help me on and off the plane?

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Bella

Make sure you call the airline ahead and request assistance. Of course, the assistance they give you is pretty worthless/ They are usually miserable people who move as fast as a cow.

Good luck

Priscilla L

I do not think so...I have flown all around the world with two little kids and rarely somebody helps you! Pack carefully and take a minimum of things. I only took the stroller and a diaper bag, no seats and I was still "soaked in sweat" until we finally all sat down in the airplane.
Good luck in finding people to help you!

sahel578

No. You can get a trolley when you come into the airport to carry your things. They often have a seat for your children.

jerrry.

Yess. Just contact the airline ahead of time and ask for assistance. They SHOULD be happy to help you with it!

joyfulgirl

if you have someone to help you you - friend/family member then they can get a pass that allows them to help you to the gate and the flight attendants will help you from there. the pass is free, just call ahead and request it.

Lance

Yes they will.

chickybabe1371

probably if you ask for it put as much as you can in the luggage compartment have just one backpack and your kids with you on the plane backpack for their toys nappies etc and your purse & tickets. this way if no one helps you you have a far better chance of containing all your gear and keeping hold of your kids. I put a walk leash on my todler when travelling some people passed comments about getting a dog instead of having kids but with the device she was still attached to me when i needed both hands at checking points. good luck

hr4me

Call the airline ahead of time and tell them you need special assistance. Don't depend on someone being "around to help". They run pretty lean on employees now a days and some times there is not an extra person in the area who can do it.

Eclipsepearl

This is debatable. I worked as a Flight Attendant for two companies and both were really bad about getting help for parents alone with small children. I depends on both the airport and the airline.

One of their "excuses" was that they needed the personel for the handicapped customers. As you probably are already aware, they are protected by law and are held accountable if the requested services weren't in place. While parents can usually "make do", for those with mobility, the question of needing assistence is usually not.

That was the bad news. The good news is that I usually fly alone between Europe and California with three children. I've been doing it about every six months since my 8 year old was 4 months old. I do bring a carseat and I never get any help.

My advice is to organize yourself so that you wont absolutely need help, and then still request it when you get to the airport.

You don't mention the age of your little ones but if they can walk, think about checking the stroller and attaching at least one of the carseats to something with wheels. Also, you could wear one child in a carrier, have the other walk, and then pull the carseat(s) yourself.

They sell gizmos to do this specifically;
http://www.go-baby.com/Products/gogokidz.html

In fact, if you look at any of the travel children products websites, there are all sorts of ways to cart around a carseat, including on your back. Be careful that it accomodates your specific seat.

I simply put the car seat on an all-metal luggage cart (a relic from my first airlines) with an extra bungee cord and presto! off we go... My three year old can even sit in it. I then check the stroller. You could also do a version of this; bungee the car seat to the stroller. This works too for many parents. Try both at home before heading to the airport.

Before leaving, make sure your seats are FAA approved. Here is the site that explains more. Also look at the CARES harness, a car seat alternative that might be useful (albeit expensive) in your case. Note that the child has to be a year old;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

For my carry-on, I use an oversized backpack which just meets the carry on limit. Each child carries a small backpack with their toys. I have also brought a small diaper bag, which I hang. It's a good idea to bring a carrier for a child under 2 (good carriers should go to this age) since they often can't walk far enough. I make sure I can "switch" everything. Backpack on back, child in stroller, bags in stroller/hanging off carseat while carrying the child, etc. so that we can get through the airport in more than one fashion.

When I pack my things, especially the changes of clothes and extra diapers, I bag them and secure them with rubber bands to make more space in my bag.

So you have several ideas to play with here. I actually commend you for taking your car seats and not renting them at your destination. This is dodgy. I had a bad car rental seat story and I'm not alone! Bravo for not risking your child's safety on something that might be too old, not fit, etc. Remember too that boosters can't be used on airplanes so make sure to check them.

Also this is the only way to fly safely with a child. There is no other way but to put them in their own seat with the car seat. Under age 2, they're allowed on laps for purely marketing reasons. Under age 4, they're usually too little for the adult seatbelt. Having said this, I do want to emphasize, commercial air travel in the industrial world is safe. I flew for a living for 13 years and nothing scary every happend to me and the vast majority of my coworkers.

Please be careful if you have to check a carseat. They can get damaged in baggage so attach the straps and make sure it's in a secure container. Car seat techs actually recommend using the original box but I can see this might pose some practical problems.

Since I got a lot of questions on the subject of flying with children, I wrote an article on the subject about seven years ago, which I later expanded and put on a blog to share with other parents. Most of the info on the web is either commercialized and/or written by people who have never actually worked in the airline industry. It was helpful watching other parents manage this for over 10 years before I flew with my own babies.

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a good flight and good luck!

bmoody32726

call the airline for help before you get there, they will help you. once my daughter flew from UT. to fl. by herself and i was terrified to let her fly alone. not only did the captain stay with her until left the plane but i had to show i.d. to release her to me. they are good about things like that.

Matthew D

Instead of taking car seats, which are the most awkward things in the world to carry. Rent them at your destination. Or if you are visiting family see if they can borrow some from anyone they know.

hottie4u197

yea just ask for help.

isotope2007

When your flight is ready for boarding they will make an announcement asking for those passengers who require pre-boarding assistance.

When you get to your holding room let the attendant(s) know you will require assistance boarding the aircraft.

Car seats will be checked in with your luggage. You are only allowed so much carry on luggage for obvious reasons, and it has to meet specific criteria for size and weight as well.

Check with your airline ahead of time to find out what you can carry on board.

You are usually allowed two bags (a purse and a tote or diaper bag, or briefcase, or laptop for example) that will fit either under your seat or in the overhead compartments. You are not allowed to carry two car seats, and several bags onboard.

slick_3501

Yes. They usually call boarding for parents with young children first, so you'll be able to get on and off relatively hassle-free.

mikah_smiles

If you ask for assistance, then yes, they will help you.

mishkin

probably not but call the airline

[peaceâ™¥]

change your seat

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