LilSugar

5 Products to Ease the Airport Experience With Kids

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:10:47 PDT

While the debate over family-friendly and child-free airplane zones rages on, Spring break is upon us and families are hitting the wide-open skies. If mama feels overloaded with gear when simply out for an afternoon stroll, she'll feel like a pack mule once she gathers all of her goods to get her tots from the airport door to the gate. Having the right tools on hand makes the airport experience – including the security line – a breeze. Check out these five items to get you to your plane on time.

Should Airplanes Be Divided Into Kid-Friendly and Child-Free Zones?

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:30:21 PDT

You don't have to be a parent to have a bad in-flight experience with a child. While some tots are easily distracted by the seat-back entertainment systems, others spend the duration screaming, crying, and kicking their way to their destination. In today's USA Today cover story, the paper reveals that "59 percent of (British) fliers supported a section reserved for families" or cabins designated for adults. Just last week, 56 percent of SavvySugar readers said that kids shouldn't be allowed to sit in first-class seats. While some airlines cater to families' needs with tot-friendly onboard snacks and in-flight nannies, the trend seems to be moving in favor of more childless travelers. Do you agree with the trend?

Lil Community: Tips For Surviving a Long Flight With Baby

Lil Community — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:05:57 PST

Motherhood can be a mind-boggler! forevasun submitted this question in our The Mommy Club group.

I'm about to take my very active 7-month-old baby on a 14 hour plane ride. Any tips or advice for us? I'm so nervous and scared! I don't know how the little one will react and don't know what to expect. Thanks so much!

Do you have a treasure trove of sweet baby suggestions? Start sharing your advice and tips in our The Mommy Club! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

5 Exercises to Get Fit in Flight

Michele Bell — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:32:18 PST

In my mind, there may be no better perk for the wealthy than having your very own plane. Aside from coming and going as you please (with a few minor limitations), you can eat better, relax properly, and even fit in a little exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if Madge has a yoga studio on her jetliner. While I can dream of being a yogi in the sky, I'll just settle with a few moves to help keep me fit and flexible in flight. Come check them out and keep them in mind when you take to the clouds this holiday season.

Southwest Airlines Attendant Takes Baby to Calm Parents

LilSugar — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:27:40 PDT

Tensions literally built in the air on a Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas to Albuquerque yesterday. A couple quarreled over their sobbing 13-month-old until attendant Beverly McCurley stepped in. According to one report:

McCurley further stated she walked to the rear of the aircraft and observed the mother of the child identified as Lee Ann Cid strike the child with an open hand on the face in an attempt to get the child to stop crying. McCurley further stated the mother appeared agitated with the child and that the husband continued to yell at his wife to shut up due to her screaming at the child.

Out of concern for the baby (who allegedly had a black eye the parents attributed to a dog), the flight attendant took the girl from her mother and walked to the back of the plane until her father came to the rear and lulled the babe to sleep. Have you ever helped defuse a tense familial situation in midair? Share your tips.

Jennifer Garner Keeps Seraphina Affleck Busy While Traveling

dannysf — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:00:17 PDT

Jennifer Garner knows how to keep her fellow airline passengers happy – by keeping her girls occupied in the air! The mama of two was spotted leaving LAX Airport with a very happy Seraphina, 1, in her arms. Perhaps it was her Travel Activity Kit ($14) that kept her daughters busy during their transcontinental flight from New York. Families headed out of town can keep their own lil ones occupied with our free downloadable travel games.

Nine Tips For Breastfeeding While Traveling

babysugar — Sat, 01 May 2010 06:00:44 PDT

You are now free to move about the country! Breastfeeding is an intimate activity, but it doesn't mean you have to stay in the privacy of your own home. Nursing moms can get out and see the world, they just have to be prepared. Even mamas who are comfortable nursing in public can become anxious at the thought of nourishing their lil one en route to a new destination. Here are nine tips to make both mom and baby comfortable along the way.

Will Carry-On Baggage Charges Change Your Travel Habits?

babysugar — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:00:32 PDT

Jet-setting families know a thing or two about packing for air travel. Simply bringing carry-on luggage can alleviate a baggage carousel meltdown upon your arrival while a spare set of clothing (for both mom and tot), extra diapers, and plenty of snacks should be brought on the plane in case of emergency.

Spirit Airlines' announcement that it will begin charging $45 for each piece of carry-on luggage placed in overhead bins might just change the way moms and tots pack for flights. Though infant diaper, camera, and laptop bags will be exempt from the fees, the giant tote bag filled with toys, games, and movies for your lil one will be charged. Other airlines are keeping a close eye on how consumers react to Spirit's latest cost cutting move, and could implement similar charges later in the year. Will you change your travel habits if you have to pay to carry luggage on board the plane?

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Traveling With Kids Isn't For Wimps

babysugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:00:00 PDT

There are two camps when it comes to traveling via air with kids. Those who feel your pain and those who believe you never should have brought your tots in the first place. Comments on a recent CNN.com story about air travel showcased this as honestly as I have ever seen.

As a proud new aunt, I quickly booked tickets for a cross-country trip when my first nephew was born last week. With my husband, preschooler, and infant in tow, we arrived at the airport for our daybreak flight with every supply known to man shoved into my diaper bag and accompanying totes. Armed with lollipops, baby bottles, quiet toys, books, blankets, a personal DVD player, and enough snacks to feed the entire back of the plane, we took off and landed six hours later with barely a peep out of my lil travelers. To say I was beaming as we deplaned would be an understatement. To see what happened,

read more. Aware of how smooth my first flight was, I arrived at the airport with a swagger in my step as we prepared for our return. I should have known the trip wouldn't go well when, as I stood at the end of a 50-person line at security, my infant proceeded to have a diaper blowout and then scream until I was able to change him 20 minutes later. Once on the plane (which didn't have a single empty seat), my husband and I spent the better half of the trip walking the kids up and down the aisles to keep them occupied but that did nothing to temper the minor meltdowns both had when the aircraft ended up circling the airport for an hour before landing. Once we actually began our descent, my older tyke proceeded to get sick all over his father (and the floor below him) and just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, we deplaned to find that the airline had jammed our stroller when we gate-checked it, leaving it unable to unfold properly. Not knowing whether we should laugh or cry, my husband glanced over to me and gave me a knowing smile that could only mean – never again!

Five Tips For Choosing a Family Friendly Airline

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:50 PST

Pack those bags and don't look back! Last week we had the pleasure of traveling down to Paradise Island in the Bahamas to check out the grand opening of the Atlantis Resort's new kids club courtesy of JetBlue, Atlantis and LEGO. All week we will be reporting back on what we saw and how it might be suitable for your family. Today, we start with our trip down to the island resort and a few things to consider when booking a flight with tots in tow. Airline travel is not what it used to be, so seeking out an airline that caters to the littlest travelers in your group will make the flight that much more enjoyable for everybody. Here are our five tips for choosing such an airline.