Traveling with infant twins: tips and tricks
Jose, Laura, Vera and I just arrived yesterday in Michigan after almost 24 hours of travel from Spain. I am exhausted still but am so thankful that our long journey with our two babies went well, with only one hiccup at the beginning. I was having a lot of anxiety about flying with our girls for weeks before we headed out and I am happy to say that they behaved wonderfully on all three flights.
We left our apartment early on Monday morning and were driven to the airport by my father-in-law. When we walked up to the ticket counter we were told that Vera and Laura did not have tickets and would not be allowed to fly unless we got it figured out. Remember that this was at 5:00 a.m. and I tried to remain calm as I immediately got on the phone with American Airlines. It took a while and quite a bit of extra money but we finally got all four tickets. Tip number one for flying with infants: make sure when you book your flights that the children show up on the reservation. Chances are you will have to pay for them to fly even if they are on your lap.
The first leg of our journey was Seville-Madrid which only took about 45 minutes once we were in the air. I viewed this flight as sort of a test. Both girls slept in our arms the entire time. This was the bonus of getting an early morning flight, Vera and Laura were still in sleeping mode. I was relieved that the take-off and landing didn't seem to affect their ears at all, something I had been concerned about. Tip number two: have a bottle prepared for your baby(ies) before boarding and try to feed them at the beginning of the flight. Trying to hold a squirming baby and make a bottle without spilling is a difficult task in itself without having to be strapped into a tight seat which I discovered early on. That's why I say make it before you board. Then you have it ready to go if needed. I think the action of suctioning and swallowing helped relieve the pressure and made our girls relax.
About a week before we left we bought a secondhand stroller for our trip since I knew we would want an easy way to move the babies around the airports during our layovers. I am so happy we got one that folded quickly and was lightweight. Plus since it was already sort of beat up I didn't mind that the baggage handlers were going to throw it around. This would not have been the case with our regular every day stroller. Laura and Vera were also able to sleep in the stroller during our four hours in Madrid waiting for our next flight. Tip number three: bring a stroller and remember that you can take it right up to the airplane. It's best if it folds easily and quickly since you have to pass it through a metal detector.
On our two shorter flights we held the girls in our arms. On our long 8 hour flight we were able to get bassinets which screwed into the wall in front of us (we were both seated in the front rows). You cannot have two lap infants sitting in the same section in a row since there is only one extra oxygen mask in each section so Jose and I weren't able to sit together. On our short flights we sat across the aisle from one another and on our long flight after some begging and pleading we were finally seated in the same row but on opposite sides of the plane. Jose was by himself and I was next to a nice French Canadian man who traveled often and wasn't phased by having a baby close by. Tip four: ask for a bassinet on long haul flights but remember to arrive early since it was first come, first served. Also, be very polite when asking flight attendants or airline personnel to help you out. Most people were very understanding about the difficulties of traveling with a small child and even more so with two.
Vera and Laura slept most of our long overseas flight so the bassinet came in handy. They really didn't cry at all until the last maybe 20 minutes and I think that was because of the changing pressure. People around us commented on how well they did. I don't take that as a compliment since you can't really control how a baby is going to react in that kind of a situation but I was happy that it went easily. People in general were quite kind to us. I think they saw our situation and saw us as a stressed and tired couple traveling with two little babies and felt sorry for us. Lots of the folks seated around us offered to hold them or to help us out with whatever we needed right after we had boarded. That made me feel more comfortable since I didn't know how the babies would be and I was stressed that there would be some jerk there making us feel worse if they cried.
I had just read an article a day or so before we left on our journey about those now popular little goody bags that people give out on flights to pre-apologize for their baby. The article basically called for people to stop this practice since it feeds into our society not being family friendly. Babies are going to be babies and you shouldn't have to apologize for them. Believe me, I would have avoided traveling with mine at all costs if I could have but for them to be able to meet their family there was no other choice. I think most parents feel this way about traveling with small kids. You don't do it for pleasure, you do it because it's necessary and hope that your kid isn't horrible the whole time. I am so thankful that Laura and Vera behaved so well and that I didn't have to deal with anyone around us complaining or making us feel bad. Even when they did cry towards the end the other passengers got it and were sympathetic. Just in case, Jose and I had discussed offering to buy the people close to us a drink had the girls really freaked out to try to ingratiate ourselves with them. Luckily we didn't need to do that.
Our babies were held by at least four different unknown people while we were traveling. I am thankful that there were so many people willing to lend us a hand when we needed it it whether that be while going through security or boarding the plane. People were willing to help us out. It doesn't hurt that our girls are so cute. Tip number five: accept help when it's offered and ask when it isn't.
Here are a few more tips for flying with infant twins:
Tip six: pre-board the plane so that you can get yourself prepared for the flight. If you are in a front row since you have a bassinet you won't be able to have a bag with you because it will have to be in the overhead locker so put what you will immediately need in the pocket in front of you. I put a prepared bottle, pacifier and a toy there for take off and until we were able to get up.
Tip seven: have one parent be in charge of travel documents, passports, tickets, etc. That way you can keep track more easily of everything. I was the one who kept all this together in our diaper bag.
Tip eight: bring a change of clothes for babies and for yourself. We brought a few for the girls and one for ourselves in our carry on luggage and ended up needing to change Vera once. I did see a toddler getting off the flight shirtless after having gotten sick. You never know how a kid is going to react to flying so bring extra clothes.
Tip nine: take layers and a blanket for the flight. Our long haul was freezing and I put both the airline blanket and our lightweight muslin one on Vera to keep her warm and I froze.
Tip ten: wear a backpack to keep your hands free. I brought a small backpack and the girls' diaper bag as my carry on luggage.
Tip eleven: both parents should have the necessary baby gear with them in their carry on bag. This is necessary with twins because you might be like us and not be seated together. José and I both had diapers, wipes, bottles, toys, a change of clothes and a blanket. That way we could each take care of one baby without having to move from our seats.
Tip twelve: pack a few plastic bags in case like us you need to carry soiled clothes or for trash throughout your journey.
Tip thirteen: remember that you can take extra liquids with you through security if you need to feed your infant. We brought both a bottle of water and powder formula as well as liquid prepared formula. These items were checked separately but we had no problem taking them through even when one TSA agent tried to tell me otherwise. I insisted she check with her supervisor about a sealed bottle of water which we needed for our formula and it was allowed through.
When we finally arrived we were greeted by my parents, sisters and nieces at the Detroit airport. Now we are back at my parents' house trying to adjust to the six hour time difference and trying to catch up with everything that has been happening since the last time we were home. I am so excited for the next month and a half and to be able to see everyone here in the states!
We left our apartment early on Monday morning and were driven to the airport by my father-in-law. When we walked up to the ticket counter we were told that Vera and Laura did not have tickets and would not be allowed to fly unless we got it figured out. Remember that this was at 5:00 a.m. and I tried to remain calm as I immediately got on the phone with American Airlines. It took a while and quite a bit of extra money but we finally got all four tickets. Tip number one for flying with infants: make sure when you book your flights that the children show up on the reservation. Chances are you will have to pay for them to fly even if they are on your lap.
The first leg of our journey was Seville-Madrid which only took about 45 minutes once we were in the air. I viewed this flight as sort of a test. Both girls slept in our arms the entire time. This was the bonus of getting an early morning flight, Vera and Laura were still in sleeping mode. I was relieved that the take-off and landing didn't seem to affect their ears at all, something I had been concerned about. Tip number two: have a bottle prepared for your baby(ies) before boarding and try to feed them at the beginning of the flight. Trying to hold a squirming baby and make a bottle without spilling is a difficult task in itself without having to be strapped into a tight seat which I discovered early on. That's why I say make it before you board. Then you have it ready to go if needed. I think the action of suctioning and swallowing helped relieve the pressure and made our girls relax.
About a week before we left we bought a secondhand stroller for our trip since I knew we would want an easy way to move the babies around the airports during our layovers. I am so happy we got one that folded quickly and was lightweight. Plus since it was already sort of beat up I didn't mind that the baggage handlers were going to throw it around. This would not have been the case with our regular every day stroller. Laura and Vera were also able to sleep in the stroller during our four hours in Madrid waiting for our next flight. Tip number three: bring a stroller and remember that you can take it right up to the airplane. It's best if it folds easily and quickly since you have to pass it through a metal detector.
On our two shorter flights we held the girls in our arms. On our long 8 hour flight we were able to get bassinets which screwed into the wall in front of us (we were both seated in the front rows). You cannot have two lap infants sitting in the same section in a row since there is only one extra oxygen mask in each section so Jose and I weren't able to sit together. On our short flights we sat across the aisle from one another and on our long flight after some begging and pleading we were finally seated in the same row but on opposite sides of the plane. Jose was by himself and I was next to a nice French Canadian man who traveled often and wasn't phased by having a baby close by. Tip four: ask for a bassinet on long haul flights but remember to arrive early since it was first come, first served. Also, be very polite when asking flight attendants or airline personnel to help you out. Most people were very understanding about the difficulties of traveling with a small child and even more so with two.
Vera and Laura slept most of our long overseas flight so the bassinet came in handy. They really didn't cry at all until the last maybe 20 minutes and I think that was because of the changing pressure. People around us commented on how well they did. I don't take that as a compliment since you can't really control how a baby is going to react in that kind of a situation but I was happy that it went easily. People in general were quite kind to us. I think they saw our situation and saw us as a stressed and tired couple traveling with two little babies and felt sorry for us. Lots of the folks seated around us offered to hold them or to help us out with whatever we needed right after we had boarded. That made me feel more comfortable since I didn't know how the babies would be and I was stressed that there would be some jerk there making us feel worse if they cried.
I had just read an article a day or so before we left on our journey about those now popular little goody bags that people give out on flights to pre-apologize for their baby. The article basically called for people to stop this practice since it feeds into our society not being family friendly. Babies are going to be babies and you shouldn't have to apologize for them. Believe me, I would have avoided traveling with mine at all costs if I could have but for them to be able to meet their family there was no other choice. I think most parents feel this way about traveling with small kids. You don't do it for pleasure, you do it because it's necessary and hope that your kid isn't horrible the whole time. I am so thankful that Laura and Vera behaved so well and that I didn't have to deal with anyone around us complaining or making us feel bad. Even when they did cry towards the end the other passengers got it and were sympathetic. Just in case, Jose and I had discussed offering to buy the people close to us a drink had the girls really freaked out to try to ingratiate ourselves with them. Luckily we didn't need to do that.
Our babies were held by at least four different unknown people while we were traveling. I am thankful that there were so many people willing to lend us a hand when we needed it it whether that be while going through security or boarding the plane. People were willing to help us out. It doesn't hurt that our girls are so cute. Tip number five: accept help when it's offered and ask when it isn't.
Here are a few more tips for flying with infant twins:
Tip six: pre-board the plane so that you can get yourself prepared for the flight. If you are in a front row since you have a bassinet you won't be able to have a bag with you because it will have to be in the overhead locker so put what you will immediately need in the pocket in front of you. I put a prepared bottle, pacifier and a toy there for take off and until we were able to get up.
Tip seven: have one parent be in charge of travel documents, passports, tickets, etc. That way you can keep track more easily of everything. I was the one who kept all this together in our diaper bag.
Tip eight: bring a change of clothes for babies and for yourself. We brought a few for the girls and one for ourselves in our carry on luggage and ended up needing to change Vera once. I did see a toddler getting off the flight shirtless after having gotten sick. You never know how a kid is going to react to flying so bring extra clothes.
Tip nine: take layers and a blanket for the flight. Our long haul was freezing and I put both the airline blanket and our lightweight muslin one on Vera to keep her warm and I froze.
Tip ten: wear a backpack to keep your hands free. I brought a small backpack and the girls' diaper bag as my carry on luggage.
Tip eleven: both parents should have the necessary baby gear with them in their carry on bag. This is necessary with twins because you might be like us and not be seated together. José and I both had diapers, wipes, bottles, toys, a change of clothes and a blanket. That way we could each take care of one baby without having to move from our seats.
Tip twelve: pack a few plastic bags in case like us you need to carry soiled clothes or for trash throughout your journey.
Tip thirteen: remember that you can take extra liquids with you through security if you need to feed your infant. We brought both a bottle of water and powder formula as well as liquid prepared formula. These items were checked separately but we had no problem taking them through even when one TSA agent tried to tell me otherwise. I insisted she check with her supervisor about a sealed bottle of water which we needed for our formula and it was allowed through.
When we finally arrived we were greeted by my parents, sisters and nieces at the Detroit airport. Now we are back at my parents' house trying to adjust to the six hour time difference and trying to catch up with everything that has been happening since the last time we were home. I am so excited for the next month and a half and to be able to see everyone here in the states!
I'm so glad you made it safely and without many problems. Your girls are adorable. Have a great vaction!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! We are enjoying everything about being here in Michigan!
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