FIGHT OR FLIGHT
How to minimize mid-air meltdowns when flying with kids,
Travelling with children requires a good deal of preparation ahead of the trip, a lot of patience en route and going at a much slower pace than adults are accustomed to.
Getting away is all about leaving the routines of our daily lives behind, but the same doesn’t apply to kids, especially youngsters who need stability and structure around meals, sleep and activities.
While we may find unfamiliar environments exciting, it can be very stressful for youngsters. Aspects of air travel we’ve become accustomed to, like changes in airplane cabin pressure, effects of motion (sickness) and jet lag can be extremely uncomfortable, painful, and traumatic for children.
Tantrum and panic-inducing factors lurk from the moment of arrival at the airport, when lining up to check baggage, going through security screening, waiting to board, and the possibility of a departure delay or inflight emergency. Then there’s the flight, connections, arrival at the destination airport, waiting for luggage, clearing customs, and the trip to the resort, hotel, attractions, etc.
Kids need supervision but they also need to be entertained or they can get antsy or irritable, so bringing along toys, books, games, or devices will keep them occupied during a flight or delays.
A good place to start planning and organizing a trip abroad is at the Children and Travel page of the Government of Canada’s website.
It covers all aspects of kid travel, such as documentation, things to pack, airport security screening procedures, taking children on a plane, child travel health, welfare, custody issues and more. Key trip-planning components include:
Documents Regardless of age, a Canadian pass- port is a must, and additional identification, such as a birth certificate or citizenship card may also be required, along with legal documents, such as divorce papers, custody court orders and even a death certificate, if one parent is deceased.
It isn’t mandatory, but the Canadian government “strongly” recommends anyone under the age of majority (18 or 19, depending on the province or territory) carry a parental/guardian consent letter if going abroad alone, with only one parent/ guardian, friends, relatives or a group. It’ll simplify things when entering or leaving a foreign country.
As each country has different entry and exit rules regarding visitors, it’s wise to check ahead with a country’s consulate or embassy at home when planning a trip.
When children travel alone, a parent or guardian must check if someone with their airline will escort and supervise them from check-in to arrival.
Airlines require a parent/guardian be present at the airport until the flight departs, and whoever meets a child on arrival must have identification and authorization.
Airport security screening Canada’s travel and tourism website lists the Do’s and Don’t’s of taking small children through security screening.
Do’s include packing toys in a carryon, so a child has familiar stuff to play with, carrying or walking a child through the metal detector, as strollers and carriers go on the conveyor, and having a “reasonable” amount of baby food, formula, medicine, drinks and snacks for the flight.
Don’t bring toys that look like weapons, squirt or cap guns, knives or grenades. Handing a child to a screening officer to hold before stepping through the security device is a no-no.
Amounts of liquid, aerosol and gels are limited to 100 ml on board a flight. Exemptions for things like baby food, breast milk, medicine and other health-related items are listed on the Canadian Air Transport Secu- rity Authority (CATSA) website.
Children on a plane Canadian aviation regulations require each child under the age of 2 to be accompanied by an adult (16 or older) on an aircraft. If there are two kids that age — say, twins — two adults must fly with them.
The logic of this rule stems from the difficulty and danger posed in one person evacuating an aircraft in an emergency with two infants in their arms.
You can hold a child under the age of 2 in your arms when seated but Transport Canada “highly” recommends using an approved child restraint (car) seat, which involves the cost of an additional seat, as the best protection from things like turbulence, hard landings and maintaining comfort for the child. It must meet Canadian and foreign standards.
Most airlines don’t charge for an infant to fly in the arms of a parent, but you have to check with the airline and connectors about their policy. It can be a percentage of what passengers pay or no charge if it’s a domestic flight.
Airlines accept infants starting from between 8 days to two weeks old on flights and don’t usually charge for kids up to 2 years if they travel in the lap of a parent, guardian or someone 12-16 years of age.
Strollers must be checked as baggage unless they are collapsible to carry-on dimensions, and many airlines provide bassinets, depending on the size and weight of the infant and the type of aircraft. Policies vary.
The Canadian government’s website details the rules, precautions and useful tips for planning ahead of a flight.
Health and safety Travelling with children aged 15 and younger requires making preparations in advance.
Six weeks is suggested by the Government of Canada to ensure kids have necessary vaccines and a doctor’s OK to travel.
Children and adults alike are susceptible to the same travel-related illnesses, but the younger the child, the less developed the immune system and the greater the impact can be, whether its exposure to insect, animal, human, food or water-borne illnesses, and factors like high altitude and risky recreational activities.