Can I take my own food past security--plus, do I need my child's birth certificate?

Question

We are flying on the 4th with Northwest and our layover in Detroit is only 59 minutes(I'm so worried that we won't make our connection....if our plane from Jackson has landed will they hold the plane to Pittsburgh or give our seats away?)....Anyways, I'm pregnant and I am also traveling with my one year old, and I have heard that NWA does not give out pretzels anymore. Can I take my own snacks(crackers, baby yogurt bites, granola bars, etc)past security, or do I have to buy snacks on the plane or at the gift shops. I can't go the 5 or 6 hours to Pittsburgh w/o eating....especially since my brother-in-law is only picking us up there, and our final destination is 2 hours away, so it's more like 8 hours. I know we can't take anything but juice and stuff for the baby in small amounts. What can I take?

Also, do I need to take my son's birth certificate to get on the plane?

Answer 1

You can take onboard snacks however no liquids. As for your child yes a birth certificate is suffice if he is under 18. If over he needs a government ID such as a Drivers License or DMV ID.

Answer 2

Feel free to take onboard any snacks you may need for yourself and your child. You may want to wait to purchase any beverages inside security or wait until you get onboard (NW still has free nonalcoholic drinks) instead of dealing with TSA. They will allow small amounts of liquids needed for a child but unless yours needs something specific, it's not worth the hassle.

If your son is traveling for free on your lap, then yes, you should bring along a copy of his birth certificate so his age can be verified. If he has his own seat then you don't need to worry about it.

Answer 3

I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my three children. I've flown transaltantics pregnant with toddlers too.  I'll try to answer your questions in order;

1. The TSA allows those flying with children to bring more than 3oz. of liquids (the usual limit) in "reasonable" quantities for your journey. You simply have to show them what you have.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/c...

I would recommend that you bring the liquids only for your child and you buy what you want either in the terminal or wait to get on board.

Snacks are not a problem. I've never had anything taken away. Bring what you want from home.

Even if something is not allowed, they simply remove the item. You aren't risking any fines or punishments by bringing what you want. I had small water bottles thrown away and it was not a big deal.

2. You have a tight connection but remember that airline schedules are usually "padded", meaning they base their flight times on the longest possible time so if you leave on time, you'll probably arrive earlier than scheduled.

Once you check-in, you are the airlines' responsibility. They have you in the computer and they know what you are doing. When you initially check-in, you will probably be given your seat assignments. In the case of a delay and a missed connection, they look on the screen and usually simply book you on the next flight.

Look at NWA's timetable and see how many other flights are going to your destination that day. Whether or not they hold a flight depends on a lot of factors, such as, if there are 20 people with the same connection on the same flight, the flight is only slightly late and what kind of space they have available on the other flights going to the same place.

3. Bring a certified copy of his birth certificate, especially if you need proof that he is under age 2 and doesn't have a seat.

I really do though recommend bringing his car seat and trying to use it on board. Lap children are allowed because there's very little chance of anything going wrong but in an emergency, they aren't protected.

Especially with a tight connection and a long drive afterwards, it would be better if your seat is with you and not lost and/or broken in the baggage hold. Airlines consider them delicate items and wont compensate when they're lost and/or broken.

Children are calmer and more settled in their familiar car seat, plus, you don't risk his running around during taxi and take-off. Some families have been off-loaded as a result of not being able to hold their child.

If you don't have a seat for him, request it at check-in. Ask if the flight is full, and if not, they can "block" the seat next to you, only using it if they really need it. They often do this for families.

Bring the seat to the gate, even if they are unsure that you'll get a seat. This way, if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentlier than checking it in at the desk.

Make sure your car seat is approved for use on aircraft.  See the below link for information on if it's approved. Most car seats sold in the U.S. are.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...

To get it through the airport, they sell all sorts of gizmos. Here are just a few examples;

http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_k...

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-...

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/...

Some people are also able to bungee cord their seats to the strollers or wedge them in the seated part.



I simply use a small metal luggage cart with an extra bungee cord and it works great. I skip on the stroller and she can even ride in it. If mine prefers to walk and then I load the carry-ons abord.

Here are just a few odd tips;

For entertainment, get him a new toy, anything and it doesn't have to be expensive. Keep it and give it to him once you're on the plane. My son at that age liked anything with wheels. Once, I simply had a package of plastic animals. Kept him busy for ages!

I actually don't recommend a portable DVD player *unless* he can watch it without sound. I doubt he'll wear the headphones but try it at home. It's such a short flight, I'm sure he'll be fine without.

I found that stickers, coloring stuff and books were better at occupying them at this age. No one will mind if you read to him.

Just some other small tips;

-Bring a change of clothes for him and you (at least a T and shorts for you if he spills)

-Bring way more diapers than you think you'll need

-Learn to change him standing up (don't try to fit him on those tiny babychangers and toddlers hate to lie down in strange places) This is especially helpful when pregnant!

-Bring an empty sippy cup to fill during the services. This will prevent spills in the air.

-Get up and move around with him but keep an eye out. Those carts the F/A's use are the perfect height for hiding little ones

-Try to sit in a bulkhead seat so that there's no one in front of you

-Bring slippers, especially if you're not in the bulkhead!

-Make sure you have a good baby carrier. Fiddly hot front packs like the Bjorn are useless. Get something comfortable and in your condition, perhaps a carrier that goes on the front and the back (wrap, Ergo, Becco, Mei Tai, sling, etc.). A good carrier is *the secret* to easy flying with a baby. Parents kept asking where I got mine when they saw how useful it was.

It's actually a myth that children need to suck on something for take-off and landing. I rarely saw it in my 13 years as a Flight Attendant and my children have been flying about every six months between Europe and California since the oldest, now 8, was 4 months old. I have never, ever done anything special with them for take-offs and landings.

ENT specialists simply recommend that the child is awake for landing;

http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandalt...

The delicate time is not during take-off or landing/touchdown but at the *top of descent*. This is usually 40 minutes to an hour before landing and everyone's ears have to reverse the pressurization. I can confirm that when I worked, if any passengers had ear problems, this was the time. Not just children either! They actualy felt *better* as we got closer to landing.

If he falls asleep on either take-off, please let him sleep! There is no reason to wake him and force him to suck.

The BEST way to avoid ear issues is to take your little guy to the doctor a few days before flying. My son was good at getting symptomless ear infections. Make sure yours' doesn't have one of those! The doctor will look in his ears and make sure they're clear and infection-free. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes.

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.

Feel free to visit;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a good trip!