8 tips for traveling by plane with electronics

Not too many years ago, I traveled with no electronic devices at all except a cell-phone, and I can even remember a time when I didn't have one of those. These days, it's a different story: my Kindle, my laptop, my cell-phone, and on our upcoming trip the kids' tablets all have to make it on the plane.

Here are some of my tips for flying with your electronics while also keeping your devices safe and in good working order while you travel. These tips apply to things like:

• laptops
• tablets
• cell-phones
• e-readers
• cameras

and anything else you would consider a "small-ish electronic device".

1. Pack electronic devices in your hand-luggage if possible
If you've ever seen how your suitcases are handled as they're loaded into an airplane, you will probably want to keep your electronic devices in your carry-on. Another thing to consider is that occasionally, thefts do occur from checked luggage. Personally, I would not put any of my electronics in the checked luggage: the risk of things getting broken or lost is just too great.


2. Get protective covers
As a parent traveling with kids, you will probably be putting your devices into your hand-luggage with a bunch of other items, which may include more or less messy things like toys, snacks, diapers, changes of clothes, and so on. It's a very good idea to buy some kind of protective cover for your electronics to keep them safe in that muddle - those screens can get damaged easily otherwise.

For our trips, I've purchased a zip-up neoprene cover for my laptop, and some practical and protective leather covers for the kids' Samsung tablets. My cell-phone has a protective cover on it anyway, so it's reasonably safe. 

3. Charge all devices fully before you leave
This is really important to remember, so I'll repeat it: charge everything up before you leave. Many airports now have electrical outlets where you can charge your devices, but it's not always easy to find them or take the time to use them (or find one that's not already taken!). And a device that is taking up space in your carry-on, but won't start when you want to use it is really, really annoying.
 

4. Bring all needed chargers and cables
When you're busy trying to remember everything you need to bring for your trip, this can easily slip your mind. Make sure you bring any battery chargers and cables you need for your devices along on your trip, or they won't be very useful at all! I usually put all these items into a small bag or pouch and pack it into the checked luggage so they're easy to find.


5. For international travel: bring adapters and converters
This is another thing that might slip your mind in the heat of packing for a trip: electrical outlets are not the same the world over. That charger or cable you brought, might not plug into the wall-outlet in a foreign country. Make sure you bring an adapter or converter, as needed, to simplify your life.


6. Bring some headphones
If you or your children are using devices that make noise, to play games or watch movies or listen to audio-books for example, it's a very good idea to bring along some headphones on your flight. That way, you won't be disturbing other travelers, and you will also be able to hear your devices better: the background noise on airplanes can drown out many sounds.

Get child-sized headphones for your kids so they're comfortable: these can often be used for the on-board entertainments system as well.


7. Pack your devices so they can be easily accessed at security
When you go through airport security, small devices like cell-phones and smaller cameras can usually just be left in your hand-luggage. However, security personnel will probably ask you to take out larger devices like laptops and sometimes (not always) tablets and e-readers before putting them through the x-ray machine.

Some backpacks and carry-ons are designed with a special compartment for things like laptops that you can zip open, and easily show your laptop or tablet. But at some security checkpoints you will still have to remove the device from your carry-on. Just make sure your electronics are easy to access to make this process easier.

8. Think about data charges before you go
If you're traveling outside your own country and want to use devices like smart-phones, tablets, laptops and so on that require you to access and use the internet, you should think about what that is going to cost you. Talk to your cell-phone provider about special plans for data-usage when you're abroad, and check how this will affect your other devices as well.

More cell-phone travel-tips can be found in my post: Cell-phone tips & apps when you're traveling with kids (or without!).

Flying with kids - 5 rules-of-behaviour to follow on board

When you're on an airplane with your kids, you will probably feel a bit stressed out at some point. No matter how experienced a traveler you are, and how well-behaved your children are, it's just a fact of life that most regular kids will not behave as perfect angels for the duration of a long-haul flight.

In my experience though, most kids do OK on flights, even long ones. Yes, they can get bored and fidgety, and sometimes they cry, but on the many flights I've taken, I've never seen children totally out of control. Kids are people too of course, and if they're tired, hungry, scared or uncomfortable they might act out rather than tell you what's wrong. I've seen some adults act a lot worse than most kids I've traveled with, and they have way fewer excuses in my opinion!

Still, there are certain behaviours that should be avoided at (almost) all costs on board a plane. And most parents know that with kids, especially younger ones, you better pick your battles and focus on stuff that is REALLY important, rather than nag them about every little thing. So here are my 5 most important rules on board:

Behave, or the t-rex will get you!

1. No kicking the seat in front
Nobody wants to get kicked in the back every two seconds, so to preserve peace and good-will on the plane, this is my number one no-no for the kids: squirm in your own seat if you must, but don't kick the seat in front of you.

2. No tugging on the tray table
This is just as bad as kicking the seat, since the effect is pretty much the same for the poor passenger in front of you. The tray table can be rather irresistible for kids, so it's best to keep an eye on this and lay down the law as soon as you can. Using the tray-table is alright, but don't pound on it, or tug on it so that it causes distress for others.

3. No screaming (unless you're really in pain)
Let's face it: sometimes kids get loud. This is when we as parents sometimes tell them to use their "indoor voices". On the plane, indoor voice is important. Babies can cry: they don't have any other way of telling adults if something is wrong, so they're excused. I tell my kids they can whine and complain to me if they like, but please, no loud voices. With everyone in cramped, close quarters on a flight, too much noise is not a good thing.

See, perfect angels...

4. Always clean your hands after going to the bathroom
This rule is good all the time, everywhere, but I especially enforce it when we're on a plane. Why? Because airplane bathrooms are very, very cramped and very, very dirty. Anyone who goes in there will touch something that makes them pick up unwanted germs. Antibacterial hand-wipes and hand-sanitizer is a must to reduce the risk of catching a cold, flu or stomach-bug.


5. When you board the plane: get into your seat right away
When people board the plane, they should get out of the aisle and into their seats as fast as possible. Get your carryons out of the way immediately, or sit down and do it later. Standing in the aisle means you're holding up the entire boarding process, and that other passengers will have to stand around and wait for way too long. I enforce this rule for my kids when we board a flight, and would like to be able to enforce it for every adult on the plane too. My kids (and most other kids I've seen) usually get into their seats quickly, while adults often stand around fiddling with bags, coats, cameras, newspapers, headphones, laptops, tablets... forever.

Bonus rule: help out if you can. If you see a fellow passenger that needs help entertaining a child, getting their carry-on out of the overhead compartment, finding a pen that fell on the floor... help out. Small acts of kindness can go a long way on a long flight.

Flying with an anxious child - 7 potential flashpoints for trouble

Many kids (and adults) struggle with anxiety when traveling by plane. My son, now 10, would become very anxious whenever we got to an airport or boarded a plane when he was younger (he's been traveling by plane at least once a year since he was 10 months old), even though he has always been interested in and fascinated by planes. The last few years, he's become much more able to deal with that anxiety, and his fears have subsided somewhat, but he is still not a completely relaxed air-traveler.

I think that one of the best ways a parent can help an anxious child, is first of all to be prepared for the anxiety so that any "outbreaks" do not catch you off-guard. Being prepared makes it easier to stay calm, and in turn easier to help your child calm down.

Here are some of my thoughts and tips about seven situations during your trip that can potentially trigger problems for a child that is anxious about flying. These are all trouble-spots that I've had personal experience with when traveling with my own children.

1. Parting with your luggage at check-in
To an adult, this might not seem like a very big deal at all: put your suitcase on the conveyor, then pick it up at your destination. For a child, who might not yet know the particulars of how luggage is handled on a flight, this can be a very big problem. My son would sometimes cry, cling to the suitcases and refuse to let go of them at check-in. Part of the reason why was that he was worried he'd never see those bags again.

To make this step easier, prepare your child ahead of time. Tell them that your luggage will go on the same plane, and will arrive at the same place as you do (then hope it does not get lost in transit...). Also, letting your child help put some name-tags on the suitcases, and help you put the luggage on the conveyor, might also help.

2. Going through security
Going through security can be a stressful experience for all travelers. There are often lineups , and you might have to remove shoes or other items of clothing. My kids are sometimes a bit reluctant and fearful of going through the metal detector on their own.  If there are two adults traveling with the children, it does help if one of them goes through first. If you're traveling on your own (as I have done on several occasions), you might have to gently push them ahead of you, and hope the staff at the metal detector are helpful and encouraging.

Another problem for kids can be that they find it difficult to part with their carry-on, including any safety blankets and stuffed animals they've brought, and put their belongings through the x-ray machine. Both my kids have had minor or major panic attacks at security for this reason. Explaining exactly what is going to happen before you get to the x-ray machine and metal detector usually helps reduce those fears.

3. Getting settled in your seat
This was one of the biggest flash-points for trouble when my son was younger. Sitting by himself (rather than on my lap) and putting on a seat-belt he didn't necessarily want to put on, would often cause him severe fear and anxiety. On one flight, he refused to put his seat-belt on so loudly and strenuously that I feared we'd end up delaying the flight.

What worked for my son was mainly just experience: as he got older and more used to flying this anxiety subsided. In the moment, when he was almost terror-struck, what worked was basically just to hold him as best I could, hug him and quietly talk to him to reassure him. Occasionally I would have to strap on his seat-belt while he was still very fearful, and those were not feel-good parenting moments, but holding him close as he sat next to me, and leaning over to comfort him did help us both.

As always: talking about what is going to happen and why ("you need your seat-belt to be safe") ahead of time is helpful both in the short-term and long-term.

4. Take-off
There are a lot of strange stuff going on during take-off: loud engine noises, bumps on the runway, air rushing around the plane as it climbs, changes in air pressure, and so on. If your child is scared of flying (and even if they're not usually frightened), it can be a rather intense and scary experience. My daughter, who is not that scared of being on a plane in general, sometimes holds my hand very tightly and hides her face in my shirt during take-off.

Be prepared for this. Hold your child. Talk about what the different noises are and what is happening: "We're going out on the runway. We're waiting our turn. The engines are starting up" And so on. Reading about airplanes and airplane noises before your trip can also help.

5. Landing
Just like during take-off, there is a lot going on when the plane starts to descend. Wings change shape, the landing gear thumps as it comes out, engine noises increase, and the change in air pressure often becomes really noticeable. All of this can be extremely stressful for a child, especially an anxious one.

Be ready for this. Talk to your child about what is happening and what is making all those noises. Hold their hand, and hug and comfort them as best you can while you both remained strapped in. Being ready with a favourite comfort-item like a stuffed animal or blanket can also help. Chewing gum, sucking on a pacifier or bottle (or maybe a lollipop), can help with the ear-pressure.

6. Noises and turbulence during the flight
I think pretty much everyone that travels on a plane gets at least a little nervous when there's turbulence during the flight. I know both of my kids do. To help them, I try to stay calm myself, and explain why the turbulence is happening. Even a simple explanation like: "It's just some bumpy air, just like a bumpy street", seems to help at least a little bit. Other than that, it's just hugs and hand-holding.

7. Getting off the plane
The mad crush of passengers getting out of their seats and standing up in the aisle waiting for the airplane doors to open can cause real stress and anxiety for kids. Children might be very impatient to get off the plane, and might not understand clearly why they can't do so. If you can, and you're not in a big hurry for a connecting flight, then try to remain seated until most people have cleared out of the plane. That doesn't always work with eager kids (like mine).

The main thing I've found that calms my own children down in this situation is once again to talk about what is happening and why. I explain that the crew is waiting until everything is ready for the passengers to get off the plane, that doors must be opened, maybe stairs have to be brought over, and so on.

To reduce stress and anxiety when you're disembarking, it also helps if you've taken your kids to the bathroom before the plane lands. Otherwise, the moment when everyone is standing up waiting to get off the plane, seems to be when my children suddenly REALLY need to go, and then it's pretty much impossible to get to a bathroom.

Flying with kids - 7 questions for the airline

When I choose a flight for my family, the main thing I want to find out from the airline is how much that flight is going to cost. The second most important thing I want to find out is usually flight departure and arrival times, and any transfer times (including potential layovers) if there is more than one flight involved.

However, once you have picked a flight, there are some other things that can be very useful to find out about from the airline. Here are my suggestions for things you should ask your airline when you're traveling with kids and booking a flight. 

1. Can you reserve cots/bassinets for babies?
If you're traveling with an infant on a long flight, this is definitely a question you should ask. Different airlines have different policies regarding what age and size your child has to be in order to qualify for a cot, and getting one is usually done on a "first come, first served" basis, but always, always ask about this option. Getting a bed (usually for free) for your baby is an amazing perk on a flight.

• Find out more about cots and bassinets here.

2. Are there special meals for kids?
Many airlines do offer special meals with more "kid-friendly" foods, but often you do have to order them ahead of time. Some airlines (Iceland Air for example) will offer them automatically, based on your child's age when you book your tickets, but it's best to ask. Other special meals, like baby meals, vegetarian meals, and more are sometimes also available.

• Find out more about special meals for kids here.

3. What are the policies for bringing a stroller?
If you're traveling with younger children, you might want to bring a stroller on your trip: either to use at the airport, or to use at your destination. It's a good idea to ask the airline about this. For example:

• can you bring the stroller to the gate?
• does it have to be checked with your luggage?

To protect your stroller if you have to check it, it can be a good idea to use a so-called gate-check bag. There are many brands available, including JL Childress and Prince Lionheart.

• Find out more about bringing a stroller here.

4. Where do you sit?
When you're booking your flight, make sure the airline is seating your family together, and that you get the kinds of seats you want ("always have access to aisle" is my mantra...). It would seem logical that they'd always seat a parent next to their children, but if there are not enough seats available to do that, they will put you wherever they can - even if that means seating your child separately from you (this has happened to me). If you are not seated together, the airline will try to remedy that once you're at the airport. Also, once you're on board, your fellow passengers will probably help out as well: I mean, who wants to sit next to a child separated from its parent?


5. Can you bring car seats?
Just like with strollers, you might want to bring a car seat to use on board the plane, or to use at your destination. Different airlines have different policies on what kinds of car seats can be used on board and some don't allow it at all, so definitely check this before you travel. If you're checking the seat with your luggage, you can use a special bag to protect it. Gate-check bags for car seats are available from many companies, including JL Childressand Britax. Sometimes, special plastic bags are provided for free at the airport to put "special luggage", like seats and strollers, into before checking them.

• Find out more about bringing car seats here.

6. What is the checked luggage allowance?
How many pieces of luggage you can bring, and how much that luggage can weigh before you have to pay a fee, varies from airline to airline. It's a good idea to check carefully what the allowance is, so that you don't have to pay extra at the airport.

7. Are there individual entertainment screens on board?
Being able to watch movies and play games on a screen right at your seat can really help pass the time for both kids and adults on long flights. On long flights, most airlines do provide this service, but ask anyway, just in case. I know at least one family that traveled from the US to Australia on a flight with no individual entertainment screens. If you know that's going to be the case, you can prepare accordingly by bringing extra activities for the kids, and maybe some electronic devices of your own for games and movies.

Flying with kids - handling flight-delays

Traveling by plane always involve the risk of delays: congested airports, mechanical problems, weather, strikes... there are many reasons your flight might be delayed. And if you're traveling in winter, the risk is even greater in my experience since bad weather like snow and fog can really mess up the flow of traffic at any airport. When you're flying with kids, this can be extremely stressful, since most children (young ones especially), don't always do well when they have to wait around for anything.

Last year when we were headed to Sweden for Christmas, a very short hail-storm at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport ended up delaying us a lot. Not the greatest travel experience ever, but once we reached our destination it was OK of course.

Most flight-delays can't be avoided, but there are things you can do to make things a little easier on yourself and your children when you run into unexpected wait-times. 

1. Explain what's going on to your children
As a parent, it's easy to assume and take for granted that the kids have understood the announcement over the speakers, or what the person at the check-in counter just told you, but that's often not the case. Kids do not always pay attention, and might not be able to grasp exactly what's happening. I try to go over with the kids why we are delayed simply but in some detail (hail puts ice on the wings - then they have to remove the ice - that can take a long time).

I'm a big believer in that most kids handle problems and challenges better if you explain what is going on to them quite thoroughly. This is why I do a step-by-step walk-through of our trips with the kids before we leave, for example. Same thing goes when unexpected things happen while we're traveling. I find that with my own kids, this tends to reduce their worrying and can also re-direct their attention so that they're not just wondering when we're going again, but can look out at the tarmac and try to spot de-icing trucks, mechanics, a new plane, or whatever. 

2. Make a plan
Once you've explained what's going on to your kids, you can try to make a plan together. Does somebody want to stay at the gate (if that's where you are) while others go looking for some kind of activity? Can you ask the ground crew approximately how much time you have before it's reasonable to expect the flight to leave? Tell the kids what you know, and then try to lay out a plan for how to spend the time. (Sleeping is not a bad idea in some cases!)

T-Rex to the rescue!

3. Do something useful and/or fun
Here are some examples of things to do in an airport while you're waiting for the flight to take off:

• Go to the bathroom (much nicer than airplane bathrooms!)
• Go for a snack or a meal at a restaurant
• Stock up on extra snacks and maybe magazines or books
• Find the play area
• Go shopping for souvenirs or gifts, or just window-shop for the heck of it
• Dig out the activities you hopefully brought along in your hand-luggage
• Play simple games like "I Spy", 20 questions, or "Rock, paper, scissors"

If you're stuck on board the plane, it can be a little worse. Some things to try:

• Those activities and games will come in handy now
• Watch movies or play games on your electronic devices (this is why you should have them fully charged before you leave on your trip!)
• Read books
• Draw or color
• Make up stories together - each person makes up a bit of a story and the others follow, taking turns
• Play with hand-puppets - my kids really love this, and it often helps them and me relieve some stress.

4. Try not to stress
This is often really difficult to do when you're stuck in a place like an airport or airplane for an undetermined length of time during a travel delay (my main worry is always connecting flights, and that can stress you out a lot). However, try to remember that you will eventually reach your destination one way or another (in most cases anyway!). Also, if I'm stressing out, I know my kids will respond in kind: nothing seems to set their stress-level like me acting slightly unhinged.

Try to bottle up that worry and stress, and pass the time with them the best way you can. Some deep breathing exercises, maybe some stretching to relax those tense muscles, and why not a cup of nice coffee, or tea or some other easy to consume treat might be in order.

Flying with a child who has special needs - my experience & tips

My 9-year old son is an experienced traveler who has traveled by plane every year since he was born from our home in Canada to Sweden, Maui, the Canary Islands, and other places. He also has special needs. He doesn't have a clear-cut diagnosis like autism, but he has various issues with learning and speech, and also how he experiences and processes certain sensory input like sounds.

It hasn't always been easy for him to travel by plane. Don't get me wrong: he loves planes, but being on a plane is a little different than looking at them from the outside. There's a lot of travel-related stress, and there are strange noises, sights and smells on board. Airports are also strange places: big and busy, full of places where you either have to rush, or wait around for long periods of time. All of this can be, and has been, challenging for him.

He has overcome the challenges however. Once upon a time he was extremely anxious and fearful on flights. Any noise from the plane would make him hang on so tightly to my arm that I could barely move. There were times when he refused to put his seatbelt on because he was so scared. Those times are mostly over. He now knows what to expect on board, and at the airport, and that makes things a lot easier for him.

Over the years, as I've watched my son and learned from him, I've tried to better understand how he experiences travel-situations. Based on that, I've tried to use various strategies to help him cope with the stress of travel. After having my second child, I've also realized that many of these strategies can be helpful for any child, whether they have special needs or not.

All these tips are very personal, and I know that each child, and each child with special needs, is unique, and each family will find their own way to make airplane travel easier for them. 


1. Preparation & walk-through
My son handles any activity a lot better if we prepare for it ahead of time. We talk about the trip in general for weeks (and months) ahead of time, and we also talk about each step of the trip in detail. This means talking about in what order things will happen: first we go to the airport, then we park the car, then we go to the checkin counter, then we go through security, then we wait at the gate, then we get on the plane, then we get off the plane, then we go to the next plane, or wait for our luggage. And so on.

This might all seem like too much (my daughter sometimes gets annoyed with this detailed walk-through), but my son likes to know exactly what is going to happen, and in what order. These days, the walk-through is somewhat less detailed, and he doesn't need it to be repeated as frequently as he did when he was younger, but he still likes to go through the steps.


2. Be ready to answer questions
Understanding why things happen, and how things work is a big thing for my son. For example, the various strange noises on the airplane was a source of much anxiety and fear for him when he was about 2-5 years old. (I'm pretty sure they're a source of anxiety for many grownups too!)

What worked for him in this instance was that we read books about airplanes, and that we learned about what those noises meant. Then, once we were on board, we could name the noises and talk about them: that's the wheels going up, that's the wing-flaps changing position, that's turbulence ("bumpy air"). Knowing what is causing the sounds makes it easier for him to cope.


3. Visualize it
Using a visual planner to show the different steps of the trip can definitely be very useful. I haven't used one for my son, but I think if I had known about them when he was younger, it would have really helped. These days we count down the number of planes we need to catch when we go to Sweden (usually three), and that helps him. A countdown calendar to prepare ahead of the trip is also helpful to manage pre-travel anxiety and the question "when are we going?". These days, my son also likes looking at the maps on board the plane, the ones where they show how far the plane has traveled and how far it still has to go.


4. Manage the noise
Using earplugs or headphones to manage the noise-level on the airplane can be helpful for many kids. Usually both my kids wear headphones and listen to whatever movie they're watching (if they're not sleeping), but if your child is OK with it, noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs is definitely an option to consider.

5. Give yourself some extra time
Most kids don't respond well to stress and having to rush or hurry through any activity, let alone something as inherently stressful as travel. For kids with special needs, this problem is often exacerbated. I always arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare, just in case of long lineups or other problems. (3 hours ahead of an international flight is just fine by me.) It's just easier for my son and the rest of us if we don't have to hustle through the airport to get to the plane on time.

6. Talk to the airline ahead of time & talk to staff at the airport
In my experience, airline staff are usually very willing to try and help make your travel-experience better. I have mentioned my son's anxiety and special needs-issues to airplane crews at times, when I thought it might cause, or was causing, an issue.

If you think you might need some special considerations or help, let the airline know ahead of time, and also mention it when you check in at the airport. Things like wheelchairs, a ride between gates in the little airport cars, or maybe early boarding, can often be arranged for those who need it, but it's good to talk to the airline about it ahead of time. 


7. Keep calm
My own anxiety would sometimes get the better of me when I traveled with my son in the past. I  worried about him being anxious and in distress. I worried about us causing "a disturbance" on the plane. I worried about what fellow passengers would think and how we might inconvenience them.

It can be hard to manage these feelings, but I do a better job of it these days I think. Partly because my son is such a travel pro now, and partly because I've decided that other people can either show him some compassion, or they can choose not to do so. I can't control them, I can only control myself, and help my children to the best of my abilities. I come prepared, and I do the best I can. And that is good enough.

For more tips, check out these old blog-posts:

• Traveling with kids who have special needs
• Flying with kids: a step-by-step walk-through to reduce anxiety