Flying during a Pandemic

Lately, the topic of plane travel seems to come up often in my online mom support groups.  Obviously given the current situation (ya know being a pandemic and all) few people are considering pleasure travel.  What many people are considering though is travel to check on elderly family members or to get and bring family home where they can be more effectively cared for.  I’ve also seen moms post about needing to travel for funerals and other necessary events that they feel obligated to attend and I’ve seen them ask about how to keep children safe while traveling if necessity dictates that they tag along (i.e.: maybe you have a breastfeeding infant, maybe you do not have other childcare options, or maybe your whole family needs to go.)  Whatever your situation, I understand.

I have seen some rather harsh words and judgement passed on to the moms who have considered travel during this time but you won’t see any judgement here.  Before “The Virus” was considered a pandemic I flew to TX to visit my parents with my two kids (without my husband as he had to work) and ended up being there for 7 weeks instead of the 2 that I had originally planned on.  Now before you go and judge me for taking a trip with the virus going  around let me mention that my then two month old had an appointment with the pediatrician right before my trip and I actually asked them if travel was safe.  Believe it or not, they told me that they didn’t think that the virus was going to be a big deal and that it was going to blow over.  They actually encouraged me to go and not to change my plan which goes to show how this pandemic really blindsided a lot of us – including medical professionals! Trusting the advice of our doctor, I went through with my original plan to visit my family – alone with both kids.  Just one week after I arrived in Texas the pandemic hit the United States like a brick.  Luckily, being with family (and in sunny Texas) I didn’t mind being “stuck” so much as my return flights kept getting canceled by the airline but after 7 weeks my husband was starting to wonder if I was ever coming home and both kids had outgrown the clothes that I had brought for them.  It was time to go home.  As a result, I find myself in a unique position to offer some tips and personal insight into how to travel with kids during this time.  I hope they help if you too find yourself needing to travel to a destination too far to drive to.

Know your airline and destination

This might seem like common sense but during this time it’s especially important to be familiar with your chosen airline’s policies regarding flight changes and cancellations.  Some airlines are offering changes free of charge and others are not.  I personally love Southwest because they do not charge baggage fees, allow you two checked bags (free), and allow you to change flights without a service fee.  One of the biggest reasons that I ended up in Texas for 7 weeks was because my flights home kept getting canceled and rescheduling was difficult.  On two occasions, rescheduling took over 3 hours on the phone on hold and I was unable to change my flights online due because I was flying with a lap child.  Should your flight get cancelled or should you need to reschedule your flight it’s important to know your options and what it’s going to cost up front.

It’s also important to know the visitor and quarantine policies set in place by the destination that you are going to. Many states are requiring visitors to self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days and this also applies in many states to residents returning home after traveling out of state.  When I came home I needed to have a plan in place that my husband could follow so that he could do the grocery shopping and other necessary errands while the boys and I were under quarantine.  If you have a plan, a lot of unpleasant surprises and frustrations can be avoided.

Picking a flight

Picking a flight these days can be tricky.  Airlines are limited by how many planes they are allowed to fly each day and unfortunately this makes direct flights rare (or should I say even more rare then they were before) – especially if you are flying through or into a smaller airport.  For me, after my airline canceled my flight twice, my choices all seemed include a minimum of two layovers- something I wasn’t willing to do with the virus going around and two small children in tow.  My solution was to change my destination.  I live in Connecticut but instead of flying into Hartford (small airport with limited flights) I looked at flying into other airports within driving distance for my husband to come get us.  This was better than the thought of driving all the way home with hotels not being open (not to mention if they would be clean).  My options included Providence, New York, and Boston.  I immediately crossed New York off the list because the virus has been so bad there – which is another important factor to consider when booking your travel plans.  Providence is another small airport and didn’t have anything better to offer me than Hartford – which left Boston.  Boston was a riskier destination virus wise to fly into however I actually found a direct flight and it was priced less than my original flight had been before it was cancelled!  The fact that I wouldn’t have to change plans or deal with multiple airports outweighed the germier destination airport.  As luck would have it, that flight was also cancelled and I ended up of a flight with a layover but it was still a much better flight than my options into my home state were.  The downside was that my husband had to drive 2 hours to come get us and then of course turn around and drive us home…. But again… still better than the alternative options.  Being in our own car for 2 hours was much better than a secondary layover for 2 hours in another germy airport.

Packing for your trip                  

When you pack your carry on for your trip, don’t forget to pack at least two face masks for yourself and for each of your children.  Unless you are going somewhere close by, it’s going to be a long travel day and if one mask gets dirty for whatever reason, you don’t want to be forced to wear it anyway because you don’t have a backup.  Side note – keeping a mask on a 3 year old was tough but I made a game of it.  I told him that he looked like a secret ninja and that he had to play along and not touch his mask or people would guess his secret identity.  You might have to get creative mamas but do whatever it takes to get your kiddos to wear the mask if they are over 3 and can.  Babies cannot wear masks – it isn’t safe because their airways are so small.  I opted to babywear my 3 month old because he would be closer to me, I wouldn’t have to take him in and out of the stroller, and I could use the hood of the carrier I chose as a little bit of germ protection over him (since a mask was out of the question.)   Also make sure to pack enough snacks… planes aren’t serving snacks or even drinks during flights anymore so grab a couple of drinks in the airport and bring food on board.  The last thing you want is hangry kids who keep whining they are hungry!  Lastly, don’t forget hand sanitizer and wipes.  Sanitize your hands and those of your children frequently and when you get on each plane wipe down all of the surfaces before you use them – aka the seats, belt buckles, tray tables etc.

Travel day

On the day of your flight, do your best to stay calm.  The good thing is that since less people are flying, airports and planes are not full.  This means that generally speaking, there are fewer lines and fewer crowds.  Some things will be out of your control and some germy situations may be unavoidable but by staying calm, your kids will follow your example and be calmer too and hopefully – more cooperative.  Do the best you can and try to sanitize and wash hands as often as you can.  I found that flying was actually a lot less scary that I thought it would be and airline staff was friendly and helpful when it came to helping me get the kids squared away.  You will do great mama and try not to sweat the small stuff and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty or lesser for traveling during this time.

Wishing you safe, healthy, and stress free travels <3

My 3 year old son showing off his “ninja” mask on flight day