Have diapers, will travel

Let's show our kids the world!

  • Home
  • Family Travel
  • Flying
    • At the airport
    • Before the flight
    • On the plane
    • After the flight
  • Products
  • U.S.A
    • California
    • Florida
    • Hawaii
      • Hotel Reviews Hawaii
    • Massachusetts
    • New York
    • Washington DC
  • International
    • Canada
      • Hotel Reviews Canada
    • Iceland
    • United Kingdom
  • Disney, Universal & Central Florida
    • Disney
      • Dining Reviews
      • Disney Hotel Reviews
    • Universal
    • Legoland
    • Sea World
    • Holidays
You are here: Home / Flying / Surviving flight delays with kids

March 15, 2017 by Kate

Surviving flight delays with kids

Flight delays are never a good thing, but oh my goodness, do they suck when you’re traveling with kids! I speak from experience; I have been that mom stuck at an airport alone with a 6-month old baby who was tired and hungry with no plane in sight! No matter how much you plan for a trip, a flight delay can throw plans completely off, leaving you scrambling for ways to entertain your kids and wondering why you didn’t pack more goldfish crackers. Chances are that, if you travel enough, you are going to encounter a flight delay at some point and sadly, there is nothing I can do to help you with that. What I can do, however, is give you some of my tips on how best to survive flight delays without any meltdowns – from you or the kids! Read on for my been there, done that tips on flight delays with kids:

Prepare in advance

I am normally an optimistic, positive person, and yet I go into every trip assuming that somewhere along the way, something will go wrong. I don’t do this to put a damper on the start of the trip; I do it to be prepared. I overpack on every single thing that we might need in case of a flight delay, even a flight cancellation. Airports will usually stock basics for babies and kids, but you can guarantee they will be five times the price they are at a grocery store, and if you’re in a foreign country or somewhere unfamiliar, you might struggle to find what you need. Alternatively, your flight delay might occur while you’re on the plane (yep, we’ve been there too – four hours on the tarmac at Newark!) leaving you no options to buy more supplies. With this in mind, I would suggest bringing way more than you think you need of the following:

– Diapers. I pack one diaper for every hour of travel, and then I throw in a few more for good measure. Running out of diapers would be about as bad as it gets when stuck on a plane with a baby!

– Wipes. Again, not a great thing to run out of, and they take up so little room in a carry on that you may as well bring an extra pack.

– Baby food and snacks. The other absolute worst thing to run out of. For babies, be sure to pack more than enough formula and water to mix, if necessary. Pack extra baby food pouches too, since most airlines don’t carry baby food at all. For toddlers and preschoolers, snacks work as an excellent distraction when flights are delayed. I try to pack several individual Ziploc bags of things like goldfish crackers, dried fruit, Cheerios, and fruit snacks so I can alternate what I hand out. I also pack applesauce pouches since they are low on mess and somewhat healthy. In case of super long delays and frayed tempers, I pack small treats like Rice Krispie squares to keep little ones happy.

– Changes of clothes. We recently had a flight delay that meant we missed our connection and had to spend the night in New York City; our suitcases, however, made it to Florida just fine! Luckily, I had packed changes of clothes for the kids in our carry-on, so they had clean clothes to wear the next day. My husband and I were not so lucky, and I felt a little sorry for the people sat next to us on the plane the next day! Read more about what I and the kids wear for plane travel here.

Don’t panic!

Getting kids to the airport only to find that a flight has been delayed or cancelled is not a good start to the trip! This has happened to me more than once, and honestly, my first reaction is usually “oh my goodness, what do we do now?!” It’s easy to panic and assume that this is going to be stressful, but take a deep breath; it will be OK. A flight delayed by an hour or two is probably not a huge deal, even if you have a connection to make. Even a cancelled flight is not the end of the world. When this happens to me now, before I do anything else, I take a deep breath and stay calm. Kids will look to you to see how they should react, and if you make it through the situation calmly, they’ll be calm too. Chances are that you will get to your destination at some point, and you’ll look back on your delay and realize it was not that big of a deal.

Look for alternatives

When your flight is delayed, or cancelled, know that you do not have to just sit around waiting for an airline to take care of you – because they might not have any plans to do so! Talk to an airline representative (and remember to be nice, they’re probably dealing with many angry customers!) and find out what your options are. If there are a few delays and the lines for guest services are long, try calling the airline instead; we’ve done this in the past and been able to hop on the next flight when the lines to speak to someone were over an hour long!

If your airline can’t offer you an option that will work for you, see if they will partner with another airline to get you to your destination. If you have travel insurance, give them a call to see if there is a way you can get on another flight. If you explain that you’re traveling with kids, especially if you’re alone with kids, people are generally more sympathetic and willing to help. There are usually a few different options out there if you’re willing to hunt them down.

Make the most of it

Sometimes, you just end up stuck somewhere. It might be weather related, it might be a plane that just can’t decide if it wants to work or not, it might be a volcano effectively closing the path across the Atlantic (yep, been there too!) If you’re stuck at home and can’t get to your vacation, that’s certainly disappointing – but at least you’re at home, with everything that you need. If you’re away from home, that’s more challenging, but if you can, try to make the most of it. Maybe you can take one more trip to the beach, or fit in an activity you thought you didn’t have time for. Make it an adventure for the kids, and they’ll probably think it’s awesome!

If you’re trapped at the airport, go for a walk. We’ve traveled through many airports that had play areas for kids, so take a look at a terminal map to see if you can find one. Look for places where you watch the planes land and take off, as this can entertain kids (and adults!) for hours. Lastly, play a game, like this airport scavenger hunt!

flight delays with kids

What are your top tips for surviving flight delays with kids? Let me know in the comments below!

Related Posts

  • How to prepare kids for international travel

    Traveling to a new country can be a bit scary for anyone, no matter how…

  • 10 fantastic reasons to travel with young kids

    Sometimes when I tell people about the places I've been with my little ones, they…

  • Kids' Travel Guides from FlyingKids: A review and a giveaway

    "Mommy I'm bored, I've run out of things to do!" Hearing your child complain that…

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Jasmine A says

    March 15, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Oh my gosh, I never would have thought to call the airline while you are in the airport! Such a genius idea!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      March 18, 2017 at 10:22 am

      I’m going to give credit to my husband on this one, but I was amazed how much quicker someone in a call center could fix my issue than someone sat 20 feet in front of me! Always a good choice!

      Reply
  2. Christina Shoemaker says

    March 16, 2017 at 11:25 am

    Great advice! This has definitely happened to us a few times! And you’re totally right – snacks are sooooo important!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      March 18, 2017 at 10:23 am

      Snacks can fix almost anything!

      Reply
  3. Yolanda says

    March 22, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    Lots of great tips here. Glad my kids are a little older, I don’t miss all the extra stuff you need for the littles.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      March 27, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      Lol yeah I’ve yet to master traveling light with kids!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. My top 10 essential apps for traveling with kids (iPhone & Android) says:
    September 30, 2017 at 12:52 pm

    […] I hate sticking my kids in front of a screen to keep them quiet, but sometimes, it is a lifesaver; on a recent flight delay, this saved both mine and my kids […]

    Reply
  2. 10 things to do before flying with a baby; what to do before you leave says:
    February 12, 2019 at 9:57 am

    […] If at all possible, try to avoid connections when flying with a baby. The thought of a 10-hour direct flight to Hawaii with a 12-week old baby was horrifying to me, but it was a whole lot less horrifying than a connection somewhere (which is what we had to do on the way home). Nothing adds stress to a trip like a delay on the first flight, worrying about making your connection, running through the airport like a loon with all of baby’s stuff – I’m anxious just writing about it! Once you’re on a plane, no matter how long the flight, you can get settle in knowing that you don’t have to move around too much until you reach your destination. If the best of the best happens and baby falls asleep, you can stay in one place without thinking about waking him or her up to get off one plane and on another – the last thing you want to do on an airplane is wake a sleeping baby! If you do get delayed, read more on flight delays with kids here. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow me


ABOUT

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Work with us

Travel shop

Follow on Instagram

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

Kate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Walt Disney World rides for Toddlers; a Complete Guide

The best pools at Disney World Resort Hotels

15 things you didn’t know you needed for your Disney World packing list

Visiting Warwick Castle with kids; everything you need to know

  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Media kit
  • Features and partnerships
  • Travel Shop

Pretty Chic Theme By: Pretty Darn Cute Design

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy