FLYING WITH TWINS

“My wife and I recently flew with our 11 month old twin boys and our 2- and 4-year old girls. It really wasn’t bad at all, and we would do it again. We flew Southwest and got 2 bags checked free for each of us with a ticket. We ended up checking three suitcases, two Graco Pack ‘n Plays, and a Summer Infant Pop N’ Play Portable Playard. We gate-checked two double strollers and two car seats. Every time we moved, all four children were in double strollers: our twins’ Britax B Safe 35 Infant Seats sit in their Baby Trend Universal Double Snap-N-Go Stroller Frame, and the girls sat in a Jeep Brand Scout Double Stroller. When we got to the gate, we checked with the gate attendant to see if we could bring the boys on the plane in their car seats, and there was room on both flights so we could! During waiting times, we kept their favorite snacks flowing, and that kept them happy. They stayed in their car seats the whole time on the planes, and we waited until take-off for bottles, which helped with equalizing air pressure in their ears. My wife sat in the seat in front of me, on the aisle, the 2 year old in the middle seat, and her twin by the window. I sat by the aisle, with the 4 year old in the middle seat, and my twin by the window. We each had a backpack that contained everything we needed to take care of one child and one twin.  The 2 and 4 year olds were happy watching videos on the portable DVD player and playing games on our phones. Our advice – focus on one thing at a time, and don’t get in a hurry. Prepare your travel backpacks Going through security was the hardest part – when I was trying to get everything through the scanner and twins were crawling away in opposite directions. But the TSA agents stepped over and helped. Just be careful with all that equipment – I tripped on a car seat strap in the middle of the airport, flipping my 2 and 4 year old in a double stroller and landing right on top of them! 2 older ladies jumped up to help me off my face!” – Matt, MO

Q.  What do you do when you have one layover to and from and are trying to figure out how to deal with two car seats, two umbrella strollers, carry on luggage, and three kids? We are flying this winter with our toddler boys and this is the first time they will have a seat. Do you have your toddlers sit in their car seat on the plane? How did you manage carrying everything through the airport?

A.  Here’s what parents of multiples suggest:

• GO-GO BABYZ TRAVELMATE Car Seat Travel Stroller for Toddler Car Seats
• Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory then got super light weight Cosco car seats. We used the strap to attach them to our roller carry on luggage and let the boys ride in them. We checked our stroller. Worked great because the boys thought it was fun to ride that way, knew they had to stay strapped in their seat while on the plane, and left our hands free.
• Wore them through the airport, put them in their carseats on the plane (safer for them and the car seats). We use the Cosco Scenera NEXT Convertible Car Seats for travel (light and cheap). We stacked them and bungee corded them to a Magna Cart (folding/collapsible rolling hand truck/cart that fits under a seat or in the overhead compartment) I could stuff our coats/small carryon/diaper bag in the seat of the top stacked seat