Traveling Alone

Next Wednesday I am traveling alone with my three kids on an airplane to
Arizona. I have never done this before. I have traveled with just the girls
but not Evan too. Any tips or suggestions? How do we sit with four of us?
--
Erin
Morgan and Megan 2/15/97
Evan 5/14/00

Here are my suggestions as I have often posted to this group about
travelling (sometimes with flames, and sometimes with cheers...)

Is Arizona a mile away or 6000 miles away? Are you on one plane or
five planes? These should be YOUR questions to answer as this is very
important.

Things to note:
1) your children cannot sit in any exit row and SOMETIMES (I have seen
this problem more than 10 times) the airline personnel and flight crew
don't pay attention to that detail. Make sure when you get to the
airport that your boarding passes are not setup where you or your
children are in an exit row. Your goal is to have the RIGHT seats at
the right time.
2) Type of aircraft and carrier are very important. Seating
configuration can make your trip SIMPLE and pleasurable or a
nightmare. Find out what kind of plane(s) you will be on and ask
about how that airline configures their seats. 3) Do you have a
"bouncer" or a "kicker" in your group? This helps determine WHERE
they sit in relation to other passengers.
4) Who gets along well and who fights. This determines WHERE they sit
in relation to each other.
5) How far are you from the airport? Get there early to deal with
delays, security, baggage checks, to get HYDRATED (very important), to
eat (very important) and to blow off steam -- be it anxiety or
excitement. Let them run up and down the terminal rather than up and
down the aisle on the plane.
6) Can your children carry their own carry-on "stuff?" If they can,
make sure they pack their stuff lightly as YOU will become their
Sherpa. No bones about it.
7) Do you REALLY NEED that stroller? If they are over 3, they may be
able to get around without it and if you need one in Arizona,
dollars-to-doughnuts you can rent one.
8) Car Seats. We never go anywhere without them unless we can rent
something that we are comfortable with (only did that once). Tie up
the straps if you don't have bags for them. Don't let anything
dangle. Airlines usually take great care to make sure that carseats
are handled with priority to make it to their destination
appropriately.
9) Curbside Check-in. If your airport has it, use it. Tip generously
and don't carry anything other than your purse.
10) PIN a piece of cloth to the INSIDE of their clothes where you
write clearly their last name (no first name), address, and phone
number. This is not to label their clothing, it is to label THEM. No
first name due to the first rule of stranger danger

OK... now for the real meat. I (we) carry paper (lots of it),
pencils, pens, crayons, coloring books (thick ones), ONE favorite
doll/stuffed animal/toy (no bigger than a loaf of bread), small toys
-- real cheap things that you can buy easily like in a batch of 10
like mini transformers, etc and put them piled in a ziploc bag...
things that move yet are disposable without much cost. We also buy
something NEW that they don't know about until the plane is in the
air. Gift wrapping it helps to make it special and exciting. This
way, they have something fresh to keep their attention for a period of
time. Thin books (many of them) so that reading does not get
monotonous or boring. Snacks -- oh how important snacks are... from
Mini Ritz cheese sandwiches to those new "evil" fruit snacks (yeah,
they say they are not bad) -- but PLENTY of them. You never know how
long you will sit on a plane, at the gate, on the runway, or get
diverted due to weather, etc... Water -- forget about "favorite"
drinks, milk, juice, etc... simplify and lighten up. At the airport,
get everyone or give everyone something that they WANT, on the plane,
they should be able to get a juice that they like -- but CARRY water.
Everyone needs it and everyone drinks it... If you drink the plane
dry (which I have...) at least you have SOMETHING that everyone
(including you) can share.

We practice at home to help the girls understand the Hierarchy of
airline travel. "Who's the boss on the airplane?", we ask. They
answer, "The Flight Attendant (FA)." We play a game ON the plane that
when they see the FA coming down the aisle, they "dummy up" and sit in
their seat, make sure their belt is buckled, and are sitting
Angelically. Then when the FA passes, we giggle, give a High Five,
and go back to business. Eventually the FA catches on and gives them
some personal attention and they become Buds for the the rest of the
flight.

Given enough distractions, things to play with, reading time, and good
behavior, inevitably, one or both fall asleep for at least an hour or
two. They have plenty of diverse things to do -- color, read, write,
draw, play, eat, drink, etc... Now that my girls are four, they are
using headphones in our van so I think that either cheap MP3 players
or discman(s) will be in order. So music adds to the mix. But
remember, YOU are the one who ultimately has to schlep this stuff so
pack efficiently.

Now for some Airplane stuff:

737's and 757's are usually three seats per side (six across)
DC 9's are usually two seats per side (four across)
MD 80s are usually two on the left and three on the right (five
across)
Airbus planes are often six across

Knowing what equipment you are on helps plan your sitting. If you
have an opportunity to be on a plane that is FIVE across, I would get
four seats on the LEFT (two seat) side and sit back to front
(something like row 10A, 10B, 11 A, 11B). My reasoning goes like this
-- the KICKER goes in 11 and kicks 10s seat. 10 is you or one of your
children -- not a stranger. The bouncer goes in 11 because they
usually hold the seat in front of them (one of your seats). With this
configuration, you can also easily separate the ones that fight (one
in 10 and one in 11). Unfortunately, Evan will probably HAVE TO sit
next to you so the twins might need to tough it out. If they don't
kick or jump, I would put them in the row in FRONT of you so that you
can see them and talk to them without bending backwards. You can also
hand them stuff easily. No matter what, the "baby" goes closest to
the window. The aisle is reserved for the most able body. The baby
should ALWAYS be next to you. If you have to sit in a different
configuration, you should do baby at the window, mom in the middle,
one twin on the aisle (should be allowed) and the other twin either
DIRECTLY across the aisle or a seat in the row IN FRONT of you
(preferably the one directly in front of you or on the aisle)...

Most importantly, you have to look at this as an adventure, be VERY
WELL organized, travel lightly, keep your sense of humour, remain in
charge, look for the acceptable kindness of strangers, ASK the
airlines for information regarding their rules and suggestions -- let
the reservationists assist you, and keep TIME on your side.

OK... I am tired of writing as I can go on forever. Read this and if
you have any questions -- even if it is a question as to WHY? your
question for all to read. I accept all comments, concerns, and
questions ;-) This sounds like fun. You should have a great time
and don't let your kids slow you down. They only add to the
enjoyment.

AGE
Anna "Our Lady of Perpetual Motion"
Grace "The Drama Queen"
4 yrs and growing like weeds


"Kender" wrote in message news:5Ty%a.160534$YN5.103905@sccrnsc01...
Next Wednesday I am traveling alone with my three kids on an airplane to
Arizona. I have never done this before. I have traveled with just the girls
but not Evan too. Any tips or suggestions? How do we sit with four of us?

WOW,
Great tips, I think I may cut and paste and save this for future trips! You
really know your plane traveling!



~Kimberly
Mommy to Alexis Iliana 07/17/99 and
Emma Elidia & Aislyn Gabriela 10/01/02
come see us...
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aislynemma/

Thanks for all the tips! DH and I have traveled a lot with the kids but this
is my first time alone with all three. We are leaving Wednesday. I'll let
you know how it goes. On the way home we have three seats on one side and
one across the aisle. Are you saying I shouldn't sit across the aisle and
pretend I don't know them? : )
--
Erin
Morgan and Megan 2/15/97
Evan 5/14/00

"AGE" wrote in message
m...
Here are my suggestions as I have often posted to this group about
travelling (sometimes with flames, and sometimes with cheers...)

Is Arizona a mile away or 6000 miles away? Are you on one plane or
five planes? These should be YOUR questions to answer as this is very
important.

Things to note:
1) your children cannot sit in any exit row and SOMETIMES (I have seen
this problem more than 10 times) the airline personnel and flight crew
don't pay attention to that detail. Make sure when you get to the
airport that your boarding passes are not setup where you or your
children are in an exit row. Your goal is to have the RIGHT seats at
the right time.
2) Type of aircraft and carrier are very important. Seating
configuration can make your trip SIMPLE and pleasurable or a
nightmare. Find out what kind of plane(s) you will be on and ask
about how that airline configures their seats. 3) Do you have a
"bouncer" or a "kicker" in your group? This helps determine WHERE
they sit in relation to other passengers.
4) Who gets along well and who fights. This determines WHERE they sit
in relation to each other.
5) How far are you from the airport? Get there early to deal with
delays, security, baggage checks, to get HYDRATED (very important), to
eat (very important) and to blow off steam -- be it anxiety or
excitement. Let them run up and down the terminal rather than up and
down the aisle on the plane.
6) Can your children carry their own carry-on "stuff?" If they can,
make sure they pack their stuff lightly as YOU will become their
Sherpa. No bones about it.
7) Do you REALLY NEED that stroller? If they are over 3, they may be
able to get around without it and if you need one in Arizona,
dollars-to-doughnuts you can rent one.
8) Car Seats. We never go anywhere without them unless we can rent
something that we are comfortable with (only did that once). Tie up
the straps if you don't have bags for them. Don't let anything
dangle. Airlines usually take great care to make sure that carseats
are handled with priority to make it to their destination
appropriately.
9) Curbside Check-in. If your airport has it, use it. Tip generously
and don't carry anything other than your purse.
10) PIN a piece of cloth to the INSIDE of their clothes where you
write clearly their last name (no first name), address, and phone
number. This is not to label their clothing, it is to label THEM. No
first name due to the first rule of stranger danger

OK... now for the real meat. I (we) carry paper (lots of it),
pencils, pens, crayons, coloring books (thick ones), ONE favorite
doll/stuffed animal/toy (no bigger than a loaf of bread), small toys
-- real cheap things that you can buy easily like in a batch of 10
like mini transformers, etc and put them piled in a ziploc bag...
things that move yet are disposable without much cost. We also buy
something NEW that they don't know about until the plane is in the
air. Gift wrapping it helps to make it special and exciting. This
way, they have something fresh to keep their attention for a period of
time. Thin books (many of them) so that reading does not get
monotonous or boring. Snacks -- oh how important snacks are... from
Mini Ritz cheese sandwiches to those new "evil" fruit snacks (yeah,
they say they are not bad) -- but PLENTY of them. You never know how
long you will sit on a plane, at the gate, on the runway, or get
diverted due to weather, etc... Water -- forget about "favorite"
drinks, milk, juice, etc... simplify and lighten up. At the airport,
get everyone or give everyone something that they WANT, on the plane,
they should be able to get a juice that they like -- but CARRY water.
Everyone needs it and everyone drinks it... If you drink the plane
dry (which I have...) at least you have SOMETHING that everyone
(including you) can share.

We practice at home to help the girls understand the Hierarchy of
airline travel. "Who's the boss on the airplane?", we ask. They
answer, "The Flight Attendant (FA)." We play a game ON the plane that
when they see the FA coming down the aisle, they "dummy up" and sit in
their seat, make sure their belt is buckled, and are sitting
Angelically. Then when the FA passes, we giggle, give a High Five,
and go back to business. Eventually the FA catches on and gives them
some personal attention and they become Buds for the the rest of the
flight.

Given enough distractions, things to play with, reading time, and good
behavior, inevitably, one or both fall asleep for at least an hour or
two. They have plenty of diverse things to do -- color, read, write,
draw, play, eat, drink, etc... Now that my girls are four, they are
using headphones in our van so I think that either cheap MP3 players
or discman(s) will be in order. So music adds to the mix. But
remember, YOU are the one who ultimately has to schlep this stuff so
pack efficiently.

Now for some Airplane stuff:

737's and 757's are usually three seats per side (six across)
DC 9's are usually two seats per side (four across)
MD 80s are usually two on the left and three on the right (five
across)
Airbus planes are often six across

Knowing what equipment you are on helps plan your sitting. If you
have an opportunity to be on a plane that is FIVE across, I would get
four seats on the LEFT (two seat) side and sit back to front
(something like row 10A, 10B, 11 A, 11B). My reasoning goes like this
-- the KICKER goes in 11 and kicks 10s seat. 10 is you or one of your
children -- not a stranger. The bouncer goes in 11 because they
usually hold the seat in front of them (one of your seats). With this
configuration, you can also easily separate the ones that fight (one
in 10 and one in 11). Unfortunately, Evan will probably HAVE TO sit
next to you so the twins might need to tough it out. If they don't
kick or jump, I would put them in the row in FRONT of you so that you
can see them and talk to them without bending backwards. You can also
hand them stuff easily. No matter what, the "baby" goes closest to
the window. The aisle is reserved for the most able body. The baby
should ALWAYS be next to you. If you have to sit in a different
configuration, you should do baby at the window, mom in the middle,
one twin on the aisle (should be allowed) and the other twin either
DIRECTLY across the aisle or a seat in the row IN FRONT of you
(preferably the one directly in front of you or on the aisle)...

Most importantly, you have to look at this as an adventure, be VERY
WELL organized, travel lightly, keep your sense of humour, remain in
charge, look for the acceptable kindness of strangers, ASK the
airlines for information regarding their rules and suggestions -- let
the reservationists assist you, and keep TIME on your side.

OK... I am tired of writing as I can go on forever. Read this and if
you have any questions -- even if it is a question as to WHY? your
question for all to read. I accept all comments, concerns, and
questions ;-) This sounds like fun. You should have a great time
and don't let your kids slow you down. They only add to the
enjoyment.

AGE
Anna "Our Lady of Perpetual Motion"
Grace "The Drama Queen"
4 yrs and growing like weeds


"Kender" wrote in message
news:5Ty%a.160534$YN5.103905@sccrnsc01...
Next Wednesday I am traveling alone with my three kids on an airplane to
Arizona. I have never done this before. I have traveled with just the
girls
but not Evan too. Any tips or suggestions? How do we sit with four of
us?