Traveling with kids, for a while

I'm heading out for some real-life, traveling with kids shortly. For a little while, my updates here on the blog will be infrequent, but I will hopefully return with lots of new material and inspiration. There may or may not be a tan and beach time involved too...

Traveling while a kid

That's me, already on board.

When you're the adult traveling with your kids, it's sometimes easy to forget that once you were the child and someone else traveled with you.

My first trip outside Scandinavia was in the 1970s when my family went on a charter trip to Rhodes. I was probably 10 or eleven. What do I remember? The chef shouting out the orders from the kitchen at the hotel restaurant: "Spageeeettiiiii Bologneeeeeseeee", the novelty of lemon slices in tea, the beach with smooth rocks, the castle, the donkeys, the sunburn that crippled me.

Before that my family had traveled to Norway and Denmark when I was quite small. I don't remember much of the Denmark trip, though apparently I was saddened by the sight of "lonely" storks.

From the trip to Norway I remember damming up a small creek with the other children who came on the trip, the tiny green caterpillars on the leaves of a gigantic birch tree, and cracking my head when I tripped on the threshold of the cabin we were staying in (I swear there's still a ridge of scar-tissue there in the middle of my forehead).

My farmor, i.e. my dad's mother, standing outside the shed/outhouse in their summer house in Mjödvattnet.

Every summer my family would travel to the summer house my dads' parents owned, not far from where we lived. (Summer houses are a big thing in Sweden.) It was a tiny cabin in Mjödvattnet, sitting right on the shore of a lake, with lots of grass, flowers, trees, and hideous amounts of mosquitoes.

There was no running water, a gigantic wood-fired water-heater in the yard, a wood stove in the cabin and an honest to goodness outhouse. For a kid, that didn't seem daunting at all of course because there was also the lake, the row boat, the fishing, and the trees to climb in, the dew worms to dig for, and the ant-hills to investigate.

My morfar, i.e. my mom's dad, coming over for a summer visit in Mjödvattnet.

From all those trips, I don't remember any travel stress, any discomforts (apart from that sunburn, that one head injury and millions of mosquito bites) or any problems of any kind. I just remember the adventure and excitement of beaches, water, and the great outdoors.

I hope that when they grow up, my kids will have happy memories of their travels too.

More airline resources when traveling with kids

Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines has a lot of services available for infants and children, especially on their international flights. There are various meals you can pre-order for babies and older children, and you can also make reservations for other things such as child seats, bassinets and even diapers! JAL also offers their Family Service to certain travelers, and it sure sounds like a nice ride.

The airline provides detailed information about what child seats you can bring if you don't want to or are unable to reserve one with the airline. There is also some great information about strollers, and they do offer free stroller-service at certain airports:

You may use your baby stroller up to the boarding gate at some airports. Please ask the airport personnel if this is possible when you check-in.

Space on board is limited, so checking-in your stroller is strongly encouraged. Checked  strollers will be returned to you as quickly as possible upon arrival.

Please use the free baby stroller service provided by your departure airport. No reservation  is required. Please note that your request may not always be honored due to supply issues.

<Free baby stroller service> * The number is limited.

This service is available at the following airports in Japan and overseas:

Japan: Narita International, Kansai International, Chubu Centrair International and Komatsu.
Overseas: Frankfurt International (Germany), London Heathrow (UK), Indira Gandhi International (New Delhi, India) and Soekarno Hatta International (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Air France
Air France's site provides a lot of information about meals and services for travel with both infants and children, and they offer some good general information about air-travel with infants and small children. There is also some specific information about bringing strollers and car seats.

Did you reserve a seat for your infant? For his or her comfort, you can bring a car seat as long as:

• it is authorized for standard automobile use (a non-standard car seat may be refused by personnel upon check-in or boarding),
• it does not exceed 41 cm / 16 in. in width,
• you make sure to install the seat on board as indicated by the manufacturer's instructions (front or back facing the seatback),
• it can be held in place by a seat belt.

 There is also information about bassinets for infants and meals for babies and children:

On flights of 2 ½ hours or more, a special meal, including cookies and jars of baby food, is available for your infant.
You may also request a cradle on medium-haul flights (in the Affaires cabin) and long-haul flights (in the Affaires, Alizé, Premium Voyageur, and Voyageur cabins).*
Please note: these cradles are designed for infants who weigh less than 10 kg and measure less than 70 cm.
Changing tables are also available on long-haul flights.

Qantas
Qantas offers some really fantastic travel tips for parents traveling with small children, written by Dr Kathleen Warren who works as an Early Childhood Consultant for the popular show "The Wiggles". This whole section is a great and informative read for anyone heading out on a long-haul flight with kids.

Young children are not keen on surprises. They are more comfortable with things they understand and that are familiar to them. Talk to them about the upcoming flight and include them in the preparations - show them the tickets or make having passport photos taken a real adventure. If you are able, make a visit to the airport before you leave.

Talk about what will happen so they know what to expect. Young children love stories. Tell them a story about the flight.

Like most airlines, Qantas also offers a variety of information about their specific policies for baggage, seat reservations, meals, and child seats for those traveling with children. If you do want a kids' meal for your child, they recommend you request it when booking your trip, and that you inform the airline what age your child is at the same time.

Policies on bassinets vary between airlines, and Qantas gives this recommendation:

If you require a bassinet onboard, you must notify Qantas at the time of reservation. Bassinets may be requested for infants up to 18 months of age, but the recommended age limit for bassinet use on international flights is eight months. The weight limit is 11kg (25lbs). The bassinet size is 71cm x 31cm (28in x 12in). The depth is approximately 26cm (10.5in). Infants paying 10% of the adult fare who are too large for bassinets are not entitled to a seat and must be nursed. Alternatively, the payment of a child's fare would ensure a seat. Bassinets are subject to availability.

United Airlines & Continental Airlines
United offers some, though not a lot, of information for passengers traveling with children on their website. A lot of the information is about seating and fares. When it comes to child seats, they refer passengers to www.kidsflysafe.com, and they recommend parents use the "CARES" restraint system:

The FAA has approved the use of a child safety restraint system for travel. The system, named “CARES”, uses an additional belt and shoulder harness that goes around the back of the seat and attaches to the lap belt. Children weighing between 22 and 44lbs may use this device.

Continental also has a section on their website with information for those traveling with infants. There is information about bassinets, change tables and seating, but there does not really seem to be wealth of information there (at least to me). They do inform travelers that:

If you are traveling with an infant please be sure to bring enough food and supplies with you. Our flights are not equipped to heat baby bottles. You may request hot water or ice from a flight attendant to keep items hot or cold.

Which is good to know if you're traveling with a baby. Their meals page does offer some information about kids' meals.


Finnair
Finnair has quite an extensive section at their website about traveling with children. They have very specific requirements for child seats to be used on board, so that parents can make sure they're bringing a seat that can be used on board.

Finnair's infant beds are called baby baskets, and the airline's policy is quite restrictive for their use:

The maximum inner length of the baby basket is 70 cm and the infant using the basket may not weigh more than 11 kg or 24 lbs and must not be older than 6 months.

They also offer information about the use of strollers, aka pushchairs:

An umbrella pushchair is not automatically accepted for carriage in the cabin, as storage space is limited, especially when the flight is fully booked. At Helsinki Airport, pushchairs provided by Finavia may be borrowed to push children all the way to the departure gate.

Finnair does not offer any special meals for infants, though their site mentions that on international flights they do carry some jars of baby food in the cabin. Kids' meals are available however.

American Airlines
This airline offers a lot of information about their policies and services for those traveling with children. Like most other airlines, they recommend that you bring an umbrella stroller, if you're bringing a stroller, and such a stroller is allowed in the cabin as long as there's space for it in an overhead compartment.

American also allows FAA-approved child seats on board:

Most restraints that are used in automobiles are acceptable for use in aircraft by an infant or small child. Acceptable restraints manufactured in the United States will bear one or both of the following labels:

• “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Additionally, the restraint may carry a second label with red lettering which states the following:

• “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.”

Restraints manufactured outside the United States may be accepted provided that they bear either a label showing approval of a non-U.S. government OR a label showing that the seat was manufactured under the standards of the United Nations (U.N.).

U.N. approval is designated by a label with a circle surrounding the letter "E" followed by the distinguishing number of the country which has granted approval, plus an indication of the category and mass group of the child restraint which will be affixed.

One thing to note: American does not offer any special kids' meals. I find this surprising, since they do have other types of special meals. However, there is some service available for those traveling with infants:

If you are traveling with an infant, please be sure to bring enough food and supplies with you. American does not provide baby food, bottles and other related items. However, baby bottles can be heated on all flights operated by American Airlines.

American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights are not equipped to heat baby bottles.

All airlines: general ticket-price policies

• Children under 2 usually fly for a fraction of the price, as long as they don't have their own seat. You can sometimes get a cot/bassinet for them, or they travel on your lap.
• Many airlines allow car seats on board, if they fulfill certain requirements. If your child has a car seat, you will pay pretty much full price for their ticket because they need a seat.

More airline resources
For more airline resources you can read my other posts with information about these other airlines:

• British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS, Iceland Air, Delta, Air Canada.
• Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic, Air China, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines

5 ways long flights are improved by traveling with kids

My task-masters.

I'm currently fighting off a flu with the help of some strong antibiotics, while preparing for a family trip with the kids over spring break (details to come!), and trying to get a handle on what I need to pack. All this has made me think about how traveling on long-haul flights with kids is such a different experience than doing it without kids. Are the differences all positive? Sure they are! For example:

1. Reduced risk of blood-clots - I used to be worried that sitting still in my seat on a long flight would be bad for my health. I no longer worry about that, because of all the wonderful exercises my children provide for me. For example the "how can I reach that crayon under my seat" stretch, or the "yes, sure, let's get up and go to the bathroom for the 15th time this hour!" walk.
2. No more worrying about the food on board - I used to not be very impressed by the food-selection on board, but after helping the kids open their juice containers, wipe up tomato sauce, stop ripping the salt and pepper wrappers open, and helping them get the lids off their food containers without making a mess, I'm usually hungry enough to appreciate whatever was served. 
3. Increased check-in enjoyment - I used to think that check-in was a pretty ho-hum affair until my children revealed to me that it's a completely fascinating part of travel, what with all the stickers, scales, conveyor belts, and big suitcases jostling for position.
4. A new perspective on airplane washrooms - I used to think airplane bathrooms were cramped, claustrophobic spaces riddled with disease-causing germs. I still think they're riddled of disease-causing germs, but if I get to go into an airplane washroom by myself, without having to use the change table or assist a toddler, I actually think they're quite roomy.
5. Saving money in airports - Spending time in airports between flights used to mean wasting money on coffees, snacks, books, newspapers, magazines and whatever else I could get my hands on to pass the time. Now I don't waste any money because I'm too busy finding washrooms, constricting the use of crayons to paper (rather than chairs and tables), and limiting the areas used by my kids for foot-races to somewhere I can still see them.

Traveling with my kids: 13 dream trips

The world is big and wonderful place, even though recent events in Japan have reminded me that the world can also sometimes be a very frightening place. I've done quite a bit of traveling already with my children, and at age 8 and 4 they are rather seasoned air-travelers, but there are many more trips I would love to take them on.

1. A real safari in Africa
Seeing real-life lions, rhinos, elephants and gazelles, while also getting a chance to visit Africa would be a dream come true for me and the kids. My own parents visited the nature reserves in Kenya and raved about their trip there, and I've heard good things about South Africa as well.

2. Disney World
It's a long way from British Columbia to Florida, but I would like to see Disney World and Epcot some time. Not to mention that I'd love to see Florida itself! Disneyland is closer to home of course, and we will probably end up there sooner or later. My husband and I went to Disneyland before we had kids, but I have a feeling the experience will be quite a lot more intense when we bring the kids!

3. Yellowstone
Yellowstone is another place my husband and I visited before we had kids, setting up our tent in the park and seeing a lot of the sights. It was an awesome trip, and considering our children love camping and hiking, I think we'll be good to go here maybe even next year.

4. Driving across Canada

I've never been farther east in Canada than Alberta (I know, shame on me!), and would love to take the kids on an extended road trip across this wonderful country. Better do it before the kids get so big they don't want to come! We have a huuuuge map of Canada on our kitchen wall (across from our huuuuge map of Sweden) and I figure it will inspire us to head out some time.

5. Island-hopping in Greece
Greece is one of those countries that has so much I want to experience and see and show my children: the culture, the mythology, the food, the beaches, the ancient literature, the Minoan palaces... I want to just take them over there and backpack around using the ferries for a few weeks. Though knowing me, I might just end up too comfy on a beach somewhere that I won't go any further...

6. Riding horses in Iceland
Our layover in Iceland in 2010 piqued my interest. Next time I want us to go there in summer, and ride some Icelandic ponies. (My past as a horse-crazy girl plays into this no doubt...) I'd also love to rent a car with the kids and go on a road-trip to the more remote parts of the country.

7. Bike riding in Ireland
My kids are pretty out-doorsy, and I think some gentle bike-riding around Ireland would be a really fun trip to do with them. They're also fascinated by castles, so we'd have to fit some of those in too! (And maybe a nice pub visit for parents...)

8. Hiking the Inca trail in Peru
Visiting this area would be an amazing experience, and I would love to go here with the kids. It's not the easiest trail to do, especially because of the altitude, but I think we could manage it when the kids are a little older.

9. Traveling through Australia
Oh yea, Down-Under beckons too. The reef, the beaches, Sydney, Uluru, the outback, the koalas, the kangaroos... I want the kids to see it all with me!

10. Visiting Egypt
Once upon a time when I was very young, I went to Egypt and visited Aswan, Cairo, the sphinx, the pyramids, the valley of the kings and even went on a Nile-cruise in a felucca. It was an amazing trip (in spite of a bout of heat stroke and stomach illness...). This is another place that I want my children to see and experience: so much ancient mythology and history and culture. And on top of that, there's the Red Sea. Definitely on my list of places to go!

11. Traveling in India
The mountains, the tigers, the elephants, the Taj Mahal, Goa, and not to forget the cuisine of India: this would make for a great adventure with the kids.

12. Southern France and Italy
I'm imagining that I'd like to do this with the children by traveling by train. Heading down to Provence from Paris first, visiting places like Antibes and Nice, Gras and St Paul de Vance. Then heading across the border into Italy, visiting Venice, Florence and Rome. Good pizza and pasta, good ice cream and so much to see and do (including both beaches and cultural sights): I think this would make a great family holiday.

13. Train travel in Japan
I'm writing this only a few days after the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami in Japan. Traveling there with my family right now doesn't feel like a likely option of course, but I'd love to take my kids there sometime. Traveling by train maybe? I'd love to experience this place up close and personal when times get better there, as they will once again.