I was on the plane heading home from a family getaway when we hit one final patch of turbulence.
My 2-year-old complained about his belly button after several minutes of bumping around in rough air. I thought he might have scraped his stomach, but he seemed so uneasy that I reached into the carry-on at my feet for the hospital-grade vomit bags I bring on flights.
A few minutes of distress later and, sure enough: I learned the hard way that both of my children get airsick, not just the older one for whom I had packed the bags. It was one last test in a journey that delivered many, and one that I’m sad to say I didn’t ace (more on that later).
Travel can make you feel small and helpless. Traveling with kids? I don’t care how prepared you think you are — how many stories full of tips you may have written in the past — nothing can bring you to your knees quite like it.
Here’s what I learned during my last busy, bumpy (but still actually fun) trip with small kids.
No seat guarantees
I started worrying about our flights weeks ahead of the trip. I’d booked tickets on Southwest months earlier, knowing the airline’s new assigned seating system would be in place. I didn’t realize that under the new program, scores of parents would complain that they were being assigned seats away from their kids.
When I booked tickets — yes, they were the cheapest ones — the website said seats would be assigned at check-in. I knew many airlines make an effort to automatically assign small kids next to an adult. Plus, I have the Southwest credit card with a perk of choosing seats within 48 hours ahead of a flight. I thought I had nothing to worry about, until I saw that even fellow credit card holders were running into problems getting seats next to their kids.
I called the airline to ask about the process if our seats weren’t together. (Answer: go to the gate agent for help, then to the flight attendant as a last resort.) We both laughed after she checked on the cost to upgrade our tickets and quoted me more than $1,000 just one way. Another option: paying about $120 for specific seats near the middle of the plane.
Ultimately, I hopped onto the app exactly 48 hours before the flight was set to depart and found enough pairs of seats together in the back that I was able to choose adjacent seats for the four flying members of my family. For the trip home, I paid $42 to pick two seats together mid-plane and felt confident that I’d be able to snag the other two with my credit card perk.
Takeaway: Make a seat selection plan, factoring in your risk comfort level. Understand the airline’s policies ahead of time so you can make the best choice for your family.
Hotel shuttle fail
Before we boarded our evening flight to Orlando, I called the inexpensive airport hotel where we planned to spend the night to make sure I understood how the shuttle worked. The employee told me to call when I arrived so they would know where we were. I had booked the hotel specifically because of the free shuttle, with plans for my mom, who lives in Florida, to pick us up the next morning and drive to a hotel closer to our destination. I had looked at reviews to make sure the shuttle seemed dependable.
When we landed, we used the restroom, waited for bags, grabbed some tea and schlepped to the shuttle pickup area. I called the hotel. The shuttle service ended at 10 p.m., the employee told me — a detail I had missed on the hotel website. It was 10:03 p.m.
I pleaded for the driver to pick us up. The answer was no. The hotel wasn’t walkable. But my husband checked Google Maps and found an alternative: We were close to a local bus stop, and the hotel was on several routes. Within minutes, we had boarded a public bus that deposited us a short walk away from the hotel.
Takeaway: Check the fine print; if you’re relying on a shuttle, make sure you know the operating hours. If that fails, don’t ignore the solution that might be right in front of you.
Bedbug horror
We were all exhausted by the time we checked into the hotel. My 5-year-old climbed into one bed. As I laid my 2-year-old onto the other bed, I saw something small, dark and fast crawl between the sheets. With reflexes I didn’t realize I had, I grabbed a tissue, snagged the critter and fished around in my carry-on for a baggie. (I always bring multiple baggies, dog waste bags or shopping bags on trips, because you never know when you’ll need to divvy up a snack or get rid of something gross.)
A quick search confirmed: This sucker looked just like a bedbug. I had found it in a bed. We were getting out of there. My husband brought the baggie to the front desk and showed it to the horrified employee. She asked if we wanted to switch rooms (no). We wanted a refund. She said she couldn’t authorize that and we’d have to call the manager the next day. In the meantime, I scrambled to find a last-minute room at another hotel and sent an email to the hotel brand detailing the issue.
When I called the next morning, the manager told me that they would need to follow a process of calling pest control and confirming the presence of bugs. I reminded him that we’d left the confirmation at the front desk and offered to send photos if that would help. He told me I had booked a non-refundable room. I said yes, but I had also booked a non-bedbug room.
I followed up with an email containing the pictures. Two hours later, he told me they had issued a refund.
Takeaway: Always bring a baggie. Document proof of any problem you run into. And don’t be afraid to ask for a refund if the situation warrants.
No-good phone
A few days into the trip, my iPhone started acting strange. Then it wouldn’t charge. Then the touchscreen stopped working altogether. My mom, husband and kids were already wandering around a theme park while I showered after taking part in a 10K race that morning.
I couldn’t power the phone down to reboot. I couldn’t text my husband. I couldn’t search for a nearby Apple store, because I needed the stupid phone to do that. Even worse, I had to get on the Southwest app in 20 minutes to pick seats for myself and my toddler as soon as they opened up 48 hours before our flight home.
I used the hotel phone to call my husband and ask him to search for shortcuts to restart the phone. And I made sure he could get on Southwest to pick seats if my phone was still a brick. Luckily, the trick he found worked just in time. And I realized my phone was due for an update — which I promptly put into motion.
Takeaway: Remember that your phone is an essential part of travel and make sure it’s up to date with software and backups before your trip.
Missed alarm
I have scoffed at the notion that a “Home Alone” scenario — adults nearly missing a flight because of an alarm clock snafu — would be possible in the modern age. But I scoff no more. After two early-morning wake-ups to run in pre-dawn races followed by full theme park days, I was so exhausted that I slept through every alarm I’d set on my phone the morning of our flight home.
When I finally woke up, it was 6:40 a.m. My husband’s alarm had not yet gone off. We were supposed to pack up our room, get dressed, load my mom’s car and be on the way to the airport by 7:20 a.m. — and that was cutting it close since we needed to check bags, grab food and make a final restroom stop before boarding.
We made it, with much stress and no wiggle room.
Takeaway: Set very loud alarms every few minutes if your wake-up time is crucial. Have other adults do the same. Ask the front desk for a courtesy call.
Puke on a plane
My first airsickness experience was less than a year ago, when I learned my then-4-year-old got queasy on flights. I had extra clothes and an airline barf bag to help at the time, along with clean-up wipes from a neighbor. Ever since, I’ve turned to kids’ Dramamine for her.
With the medicine, she’s been fine on all flights since. And my younger child has never shown a sign of sickness when flying. This time was different. And I was not as prepared as I should have been.
I had a carry-on under the seat with extra clothes for myself and for him, as well as sturdy emesis bags that helped but did not fully contain the mess. But the baby wipes? They were several rows ahead with my husband. And the extra clothes were buried so deep in the bag that I couldn’t easily reach them when the need became evident.
A kind mom in front of me handed over a small pack of hand and face wipes. My husband came to the back of the plane after we landed so we could get the kiddo and seat cleaned up. We alerted the flight crew and apologized. Once we were finally in D.C., I ducked into a restroom and changed my clothes. Yet again, a spare bag came in very handy.
Takeaway: So many. Never assume your kid won’t get motion sickness. Always prepare for it. Keep wipes close at all times. Make sure extra clothes are nearby. Bring those extra bags to tuck away soiled items.
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