Flying Rugrats
With great help for preparing
you and your young children
using proven travel tips
about infants and toddlers
on airplane rides

Mascot Photo

Help Support
Flying Rugrats

Travel Tips Resource Links

Passport Required

Parents flying with children should be prepared for new passport requirements. The United States is now requiring passport identification for travelers entering the country from Canada, Mexico and South American countries. Gone are the days when a birth certificate was enough! So next time you travel to one of the neighboring countries or take a cruise, be sure that you have a valid passport in hand. If you need to apply for a passport, do not wait until the last minute. It can take up to 8 weeks to receive a new passport. Traveling families have many passports and documents to organize together. Consider using a Family Passport & Document Case to make organizing your family's passports a little easier to manage during times when you need to quickly present your documentation.

TSA Family Travel Tips

TIPS Before you reach the airport

Please allow yourself and your family extra time to get through security - especially when traveling with younger children.
Call your airline or travel agent for their recommended check-in times for your departure airport.
Talk to your children before you come to the airport and let them know that it's against the law to make threats such as, "I have a bomb in my bag." Threats made jokingly (even by a child) can delay the entire family and could result in fines.

TIPS At the airport

Speak to your children again about the screening process so that they will not be frightened or surprised. Remind them not to joke about threats such as bombs or explosives.
Tell your children that their bags (backpack, dolls, etc.) will be put in the X-ray machine and will come out at the other end and be returned to them.
Let your children know that a Security Officer may ask to see Mom or Dad's shoes, but that they will get these back as well.
You may want to consider asking for a private screening if you are traveling with more than one child.

A parent and a toddler passing through an airport security check point metal detector

(Courtesy of TSA)

Flying Rugrats Website Resource Partners

This page is a new section to Flying Rugrats that includes links to websites that may be of interest to our visitors:

Bali Hotels - Discount hotel in Bali and cheap Bali accommodation for best holiday in Bali.

Blue Mermaid Travel Agency | Didim Travel | Altinkum Travel - Didim tour, travel, holiday, hotels, cars, and airport transfer; Altinkum travel, tours, and airport transfer; turkish airport transfer.

Book your holiday with Magi tours Egypt Cairo - Magi tours Egypt tour operator and travel agent in Cairo offers special deluxe tour in all Egypt, Luxor, Aswan, Sinai, Red Sea, Alexandria and hotel reservation in all Egyptian cities.

California's Best Incorporating Service - Online document preparation and filing service for California corporations, non-profits, LLC, LLP, good standing, corporate kits, and more.

Care Kid - Directory and database of kids resources on the web including Education, Parenting, Arts, Babies, Child Care and more.

Carolina Getaways - Carolina Getaways provides a comprehensive visitor's guide and numerous vacation rentals in the North and South Carolina mountains.

Charlotte Temporary Housing* - Charlottetemphousing.com serves a variety of clients to make their temporary homes into comfortable home-like accommodations.

Children's Educational Toys and Software - Quality infant, toddler and child educational toys, science kits, educational software and handmade wooden toys. Featuring Galt, Anatex, Toobeez and Elenco Science Toys. Enjoy shopping at www.4theKidsToyStore.com.

ComfyBummy.com - ComfyBummy.com offers a huge selection of cloth diaper products, moms' and babies' essentials, toys, great items for your children's rooms and tons of information and advice.

Cruises - CruiseDealership offers cruise deals & cruise specials, discounts, group rates and even last minute cruises to any destination worldwide.

Denver Short term Housing* - At Denver Temporary Housing.com we offer competitive pricing for short term housing and corporate housing services for ones needing to relocate areas.

Doodlebuckets Mom & Baby Store - Essentials for mom & baby, including Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers, an assortment of baby carriers, Vibe! by Eniva liquid vitamins, baby gifts and herbal remedies.

Family Vacation Critics - Families rating their vacations.

Home and Bedroom Furniture - Discount Bedroom Furniture, from wrought iron beds to modern platform beds, contemporary bedroom sets and children's bedroom furniture. We'll help to make your bedroom into a personal retreat.

Cheap Hotels Amsterdam - Hotels.nl is dedicated to providing the best prices and the easiest and most accurate online bookings for hotels in Amsterdam and Holland.

Houston Family Fun! - Great things for families to do around Houston, TX.

iRaiserMall - The Shopping Fundraiser - iRaiser mall is an easy way for a school or group to raise money. Our collection of on-line merchants offer great prices and great selection. Each purchase pays money back to the organization.

JetSetBabies - JetSetBabies ships everything from diapers to food and formula and many other baby and toddler consumables to your travel destination. Relax - we'll have it waiting for you when you get there!

Kids Furniture Farm - Kids wooden furniture at discount prices. Growing selection of affordable kids furniture themed collections, play tables and chairs, toddler beds, toy chests, step stools, kitchen and vanity sets.

Kids Travel Cards :: Safety ID for Traveling Children - Kids Travel Card.com offers child safety id cards and identification badges to identify children when traveling in the U.S. or overseas by airplane.

Luxury RI Real Estate Buyer Agent - Real estate and mortgage lending services, residential and investment property buyers agents throughout Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Milwaukee Short Term Housing* - Milwaukee Temporary Housing serves a variety of clients to make their temporary homes into comfortable home-like accommodations, and we are ready to help you as well.

Nashville Temporary Housing - From corporate housing to emergency housing after natural disasters, Nashville Temporary Housing offers everything you will need in your new temporary home.

New mom 101* - This site is dedicated to helping new mothers support each other with motherly advice. From pregnancy, birthing methods, to breastfeeding, eating solids, temperament, sleep habits, live forum & more.

Parenting Forums - Parenting forum, community and parenting resources for new and experienced parents alike. Discuss education, health and nutrition and child development issues with fellow parents and educators.

Portable Hot Tub* - Portable spas in stock year round ready for immediate shipment.

Roatan.ws - We write and photograph the Bahia Island Roatan. Adventure and activity articles with pictures of the Bahia Island Roatan, Honduras is how we invite our readers to Experience Roatan. Through Roatan.ws our readers grasp a sense of what it means to see the beautiful beaches and majestic coral reefs.

Salt Lake City Temporary Housing - For years, we have been meeting the short term housing needs of corporate employees, disaster evacuees, and military personnel.

Somerset Tourist Guide* - Somerset tourist guide caters for all the tourist needs in Somerset. It is an extensive guide for all tourism and leisure activities.

The Price Private Eye* - Browse and shop over 300 local and national retailers. State by state auction and flea market listings. Consumer news and information.

Tiny Sugars - amazing mothers bracelets by Bettyann - The perfect Baby Shower or Mothers Day gift! Our elegant mothers bracelets will shower her with hugs and kisses all year long - experience tiny sugars.

Wild Namibia - Namibia safari and travel review guide for information on safari lodges, hotels, game camps and African safari.

Do you know anyone who just had a baby or who might benefit from tips about traveling by airplane with small children? If so, help them prepare for their next family vacation by sharing the Flying Rugrats web site with them. By doing so, you will be providing them with lots of family travel tips and advice that has been gathered from families who have faced the same challenges before them.

Send your friends with newborn babies or small children an email to tell them about Flying Rugrats!

Flying Rugrats

Your Ad Here

The Parent-to-Parent Guide
to Traveling on Airplanes
with Infants and Toddlers

airplane graphic

Are you a parent who travels with kids?
Send us your tips and tricks!

Quick Tip of the Day

Before booking your next trip, check out our airlines portal to find special deals from many popular airlines. Click here.

Your Ad Here

Flying Rugrats
Flying Kids Mission

As parents, we are responsible for molding our precious babies into well rounded adults who have an appreciation for the variety of opportunities that they have available to them as they grow and develop as individuals. Exposing children to varying geographical locations and cultures around the world is an important teaching method that many parents have the option to use for developing generations of culturally aware future leaders who have childhood experiences that help them understand and personally relate to global issues. It is the mission of Flying Rugrats to arm parents with information about flying with children, toddlers or infants strategies in an effort to dispel fear or apprehension about family travel so that families may travel freely and better educate our future world citizens through positive travel experiences.

The Airport Screening Process when Traveling with Children

At the X-Ray

All carry-on baggage, including children's bags and items, must go through the X-ray machine. Examples include: diaper bags, blankets, and toys.
All child-related equipment that will fit through the X-ray machine must go through the X-ray machine. Examples include: strollers, umbrella-strollers, baby carriers, car and booster seats, backpacks, and baby slings.
When you arrive at the checkpoint, collapse or fold your child-related equipment. Secure items that are in the pockets, baskets, or attached to the equipment and place it on the X-ray belt for inspection. Plastic bins are provided to deposit such items.
If any of your child-related equipment does not fit through the X-ray machine, security officers will visually and physically inspect it.
Ask a Security Officer for help gathering your bags and child-related equipment, if you need it.

NEVER leave babies in an infant carrier while it goes through the X-ray machine.

The Walk-Through Metal Detector

If your child can walk without your assistance, it is recommended that you and your child walk through the metal detector separately. If you are carrying your child through the metal detector and the alarm sounds, the TSA Security Officer will have to additionally screen both you and your child.

Remove babies and children from their strollers or infant carriers so that Security Officers can screen them individually.
You may not pass the child to another person behind you or in front of you during this process.
Do not pass your child to a Security Officer to hold.
A Security Officer may ask for your help screening your child.

This is a picture of a child and parent passing through an airport security check point. When flying with children, infants or toddlers you should be prepared for the airport screening process by familiarizing yourself with the process and preparation tips that are available to you from the TSA and on FlyingRugrats.com.

(Courtesy of the TSA)

Flying Rugrats With great help for preparing you and your young children using proven travel tips about infants and toddlers on airplane rides

Help Support Flying Rugrats