Is it possible to fly with kids without losing your mind? In this week’s episode of Unpacked, we speak with Andrea Davis, a Delta flight attendant and parent of two. She shares her tips on packing, jet lag, crying babies—and why it’s worth it to travel with little ones, even when things go sideways.
Read the transcript here: https://rebrand.ly/0gjbal7
Discover more episodes of the podcast here: https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked
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Read the transcript here: https://rebrand.ly/0gjbal7
Discover more episodes of the podcast here: https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked
----
CONNECT WITH AFAR
Afar.com is a digital and print magazine that publishes travel tips, guides, news, and stories: https://www.afar.com
Get updates on the latest articles, travel news, and more from AFAR by signing up for the AFAR newsletter: https://afar.com/newsletters
Follow AFAR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfarMedia
Follow AFAR on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afarmedia
Follow AFAR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia
Follow AFAR on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afarmedia
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TravelTranscript
00:00 So many snakes.
00:01 When it comes to bringing babies, toddlers,
00:05 tweens or teens on a plane,
00:07 flight attendants have a front row seat to all of it.
00:09 In this episode, we're gonna be hearing
00:11 from one such flight attendant, Andrea Davis,
00:13 who's flown for Delta Airlines since 2019
00:16 and has two daughters of her own.
00:18 Andrea knows the value of getting kids out into the world
00:21 and making lifelong travel memories.
00:23 And she also knows the realities
00:25 of what it takes to get there.
00:26 She joined us between her busy summer flight schedule
00:29 to share her tips on how to navigate
00:30 the flight process with kids and keep your sanity intact.
00:34 Here's what she had to say.
00:35 - So first, I just wanna thank you for joining us.
00:40 And before we launch into some of the questions
00:43 I have for you, I just wanna admit
00:45 that I'm selfishly very interested
00:47 in the topic of flying with kids.
00:48 As a traveling mom of two kids,
00:51 a son age six and a daughter age four,
00:53 and we've definitely had our fair share of challenges.
00:57 In addition to, of course, amazing adventures,
01:00 we're getting ready to head out
01:01 on our first big international trip
01:03 as a family of four this month.
01:04 So I will definitely be taking notes.
01:07 But before we get into all that,
01:09 would love to get a little more background
01:10 on what it is you do and what life is like
01:13 for a flight attendant who's also a mother.
01:15 Because we all know that the juggle struggle
01:18 is so real for all of us working parents.
01:20 And when you add travel to the mix,
01:22 well, it's a lot to manage.
01:24 So first off, when did you first become a flight attendant
01:28 and what prompted you to become one?
01:30 - Well, thank you for having me.
01:31 And I hope I can give you some insight to this world.
01:36 So I originally became a flight attendant
01:40 back in 1999 with another carrier.
01:43 And I've shared a couple of times that it is,
01:46 it was a career that I didn't really even know much about.
01:50 I come from a family of six kids and two adults.
01:53 And so traveling on an airplane
01:54 wasn't the primary mode of transportation.
01:57 So in my early 20s, it was a friend of mine
02:00 that was recommended for the career.
02:02 And so she didn't wanna take the chance in interview.
02:05 So I took the chance in interview.
02:07 And so I went through the process kind of blindly,
02:10 but willingly.
02:11 And once I got with the first airline,
02:14 I was so blown back or surprised on what it all afforded
02:18 as far as the opportunities, the flexibilities,
02:21 all the things that I was seeing
02:22 in that first couple of years of flying.
02:25 And during that time with the other company,
02:28 we experienced 9/11, September 11th.
02:32 And what happened to the transportation
02:36 and the aviation industry at that time,
02:38 it was a slow decline.
02:42 And so I had gotten into a situation
02:44 where I was furloughed from the company
02:46 and I had started living and doing some other things
02:49 because I wasn't working or flying.
02:52 When they did callbacks,
02:53 I had already gotten involved
02:55 in some other career opportunities.
02:56 And so I wasn't able to go back to flying.
02:59 Fast forward, now we're going into,
03:01 so this was about 2003, 2004.
03:04 So then I just kept living and doing my regular thing.
03:06 I didn't go back to flying, but it never left.
03:09 Once you get a taste of the experience of on the go,
03:12 packing, hotels, people, connections,
03:15 I missed it.
03:18 And here it is, 2019, I missed it.
03:22 At 40 years old, I said, "I'm going back.
03:24 I'm going to go back to flying."
03:26 And at the time there was a lot of major carriers
03:28 and other carriers that were hiring.
03:30 But I remember being in the airport
03:32 and always saying, "There go the Delta girls."
03:35 They were the most polished.
03:37 They moved with such confidence.
03:39 They just seemed to have just a different way
03:42 that they approached the career.
03:44 And I said, "I'm going for Delta.
03:45 I'm going to go work.
03:46 I'm going to apply there
03:47 because if I'm going to come back to this,
03:49 I want to be a part of the best team."
03:52 So I missed it.
03:53 I came back and here I am.
03:54 And best choice, best career choice so far, certainly.
03:58 - So what is it that you love so much about the job?
04:01 - What I like the most, if I had to say anything,
04:05 and it may seem like a cliche thing
04:06 because we're always surrounded by people,
04:07 but it really is meeting the people.
04:11 It's connecting with people.
04:13 It's taking care of people.
04:14 By nature, I am a helper.
04:17 So to have the experience to now do this globally,
04:22 and I'm meeting people from different types of communities,
04:25 different countries, different dialects,
04:28 different socioeconomic backgrounds,
04:31 children, adults, elderly,
04:34 every walk of life from newborns
04:37 taking their very first flight to the mature age group.
04:41 I like to people watch.
04:42 And so I do enjoy seeing how people interact
04:45 with each other.
04:47 Seeing families on their very first trips,
04:49 sending their children away to college.
04:51 Once you're in this career,
04:53 you can kind of see the flow in the airport
04:55 of what's happening in the world around you
04:57 and the society around you.
04:58 And so I just love the people.
05:00 I love being around them.
05:02 - Absolutely.
05:03 And you're also a parent too, right?
05:05 - I am.
05:06 I am a proud mother of two girls.
05:08 They're age 10 and eight.
05:11 - And so how does that,
05:13 is it challenging being a parent and also a flight attendant?
05:17 - Oh, yes.
05:19 I say that without hesitation,
05:21 but just like any parenting career.
05:23 And I can't make it seem like it's too much more different
05:26 except the travel aspect,
05:27 but people are also in different careers
05:29 that do require travel.
05:31 As a flight attendant,
05:33 traveling and coordinating a school schedule,
05:36 extracurricular schedules,
05:37 their friend's birthday party schedules,
05:39 coordinating that with also being present
05:43 for any special moment or just our downtime.
05:46 You know, you have to be strategic
05:48 and you have to be intentional
05:50 and you have to plan,
05:52 plan as much as possible.
05:54 Sometimes I've had moments where the teachers have sprung
05:57 something at the last minute in the week of,
05:59 and then I'm going to my work schedule
06:01 to see and how to adjust.
06:03 But the career provides lots of opportunities
06:05 for flexibility and it works.
06:08 It can happen, yes.
06:09 And so I have found that this career
06:11 has afforded a lot more flexibility.
06:13 I've not missed first day of school, birthdays,
06:16 holidays, special events.
06:19 I'm grateful.
06:20 - That's so great.
06:21 - Yes. - That's so great.
06:22 So do you travel a lot with your kids too?
06:25 - I do travel a lot with my children.
06:27 When I first started,
06:28 they had to get accustomed to,
06:29 mommy, why are you not here for work?
06:32 As traditional jobs.
06:33 But they've gotten used to it 'cause I'm like,
06:35 well, this weekend we're going to Philadelphia, let's go.
06:37 We're gonna go to the museums
06:38 or we're gonna go to New York and get pizza
06:40 or we're gonna go see your aunt in Atlanta.
06:42 When I first started pre-pandemic,
06:45 our travel to different countries and places
06:47 were the agenda.
06:49 Again, I started in 2019.
06:51 So the first year I had to get used to everything,
06:52 but we did hop trips to family and out of town,
06:56 close locations.
06:57 And then the pandemic just shifted how we traveled
07:00 quite a bit.
07:01 You have to navigate around their school schedule
07:03 because I can't just fly them around the world all the time.
07:06 - Of course.
07:07 - But when the summertime comes,
07:09 it's like, let's make a plan, let's do.
07:12 I remember one of our most memorable trips,
07:14 they had a four day weekend at school.
07:17 I said, "Let's go somewhere."
07:19 And just took them to the airport
07:20 and we just went to Paris for the weekend.
07:23 I'm like, "What do you know about Paris?"
07:24 And they said, "Eiffel Tower and croissants and macaroons."
07:28 I said, "That's all you need to know, let's go."
07:30 And so we took a flight, we went one day
07:32 on the ground for about 24 hours and we just flew back.
07:34 And so it was just a sweet little perk
07:36 for their four day weekend to just get away.
07:38 - I love it.
07:39 Your kids I feel like are in the sweet spot.
07:42 My kids are just getting there.
07:44 My four year old obviously still kind of on the cusp,
07:48 just getting out of those challenging toddler years.
07:51 But what do you think are the benefits
07:55 of traveling with kids?
07:56 Why is it worth it to get out there in the world with them?
07:59 - So I would honestly say travel is probably one
08:05 of the top most important pieces of education you can get.
08:10 For children, they're gonna learn in school.
08:12 They're gonna learn in their textbooks
08:14 about the world around them.
08:16 But for them to actually get out there and see it
08:19 and touch it, it makes it more real
08:21 and it gives them a sense of ownership
08:23 and a sense of belonging.
08:25 And so I believe travel is extremely important for everyone
08:29 and as early as you can do it, you should do it.
08:32 Get the children out there, experience it,
08:34 let them taste it, taste the food, hear the sounds,
08:38 see the sights, just whatever's out there and available,
08:41 go see it, take those children, they need to see that.
08:43 - Absolutely, and I also say it builds character.
08:47 I actually love when we run into challenges on the road
08:52 because at home it's easy, it's comfortable.
08:55 We have our routine and they know what they're gonna eat
08:57 and they know what they're gonna do.
08:59 And I love that travel forces us to improvise as a family
09:03 because I feel like that's also a really important life
09:05 skill for kids and for parents and caregivers to be like,
09:09 okay, this is not how it is at home.
09:11 Like this is, the food isn't what we normally eat at home
09:14 or this setup in this hotel or apartment is different.
09:19 - Completely different, yes.
09:20 - And we just gotta make it, yeah,
09:21 and we just gotta make it work.
09:23 I just feel like that's a really great skill
09:25 in addition to obviously being exposed to other cultures
09:28 and other people and just getting out of your comfort zone.
09:32 - I agree, I definitely think it's one of the most important
09:35 forms of education for kids.
09:37 In your opinion, what's the ideal age
09:39 for kids to start flying?
09:40 So for instance, many people argue that babies
09:43 and younger kids don't even remember the trip.
09:45 So why bother with the real little ones?
09:48 What do you think?
09:49 - So precious, so, so precious.
09:53 You know, when it comes to traveling with children,
09:56 sometimes you just don't have a choice.
09:58 You gotta bring them and it doesn't matter their age
10:01 and that's okay.
10:02 Bring the children as early as you're comfortable
10:05 with traveling with the children is what I would say.
10:08 I am grateful that I had an opportunity
10:10 to represent Delta at a career day and kids were asking,
10:15 if I traveled as a baby, does it count
10:17 if it was my first flight?
10:19 And I'm like, well, it counts.
10:21 Yes, it does count.
10:22 And so they were so excited about that idea.
10:25 Traveling with children as early as babies
10:29 is such a welcoming experience.
10:31 Like for instance, on Delta, when we travel
10:34 on our international flights,
10:36 if you're traveling with a baby,
10:38 there's an option to request a bassinet
10:40 to assist you through that travel.
10:42 We accommodate children from any age.
10:46 And so there's a lot of things that we have
10:50 that we offer for children to feel comfortable on airlines.
10:53 We give children coloring books.
10:54 They love the wings.
10:56 They have special meals that could be just for them
10:58 so that they could feel a part of the travel experience,
11:02 not just being told, get on the plane.
11:03 Bring the kids as early
11:05 as you are comfortable with traveling, yes.
11:08 - Absolutely, and so what advice do you have for parents
11:10 sort of overwhelmed by the prospect
11:12 of flying for the first time,
11:14 maybe with a baby or a toddler, a young child,
11:16 especially because the pandemic put traveling on hold
11:19 for a lot of families.
11:20 So some of them might be feeling a little bit overwhelmed
11:23 by the prospect, especially since travel is so,
11:26 now it's really busy in the airport.
11:28 There's long lines to contend with and crowds
11:30 and the kids on top of it.
11:32 Just what advice do you have for those parents
11:34 doing it for the first time?
11:36 - Well, for the first time,
11:37 I would suggest that preparation is key
11:40 and understanding what does it really take
11:44 to travel with the child.
11:46 They don't need the crib.
11:47 They don't need everything at home.
11:50 They just need a few essential items
11:51 to get them through the process of travel.
11:54 And less is more because you also do not want
11:57 to be cumbersome with the children and the stroller
12:01 and the carrier.
12:02 And you kind of got, I would say,
12:04 minimize to the essentials of what you need to travel with.
12:07 The baby's formulas, blankets, special things
12:10 that help them feel comfortable in that space.
12:14 I would say if you're traveling with a little bigger kids,
12:16 something that I like to help children see
12:18 is the type of airplane they're gonna be flying on.
12:20 And you get the child excited about the experience too.
12:23 So you're saying like, "Oh, this is the plane
12:25 and these are the seats."
12:26 You kind of show them,
12:28 you're preparing them for their experience
12:30 as much as you are preparing for the experience as well.
12:33 So they become excited about being there
12:35 instead of mommy's taking me or daddy
12:38 or someone's taking me somewhere else.
12:40 No, get involved, get the child prepared
12:42 for the experience as well.
12:44 Once you get to the airport,
12:46 I can't say a lot about TSA PreCheck,
12:49 but if you can get TSA PreCheck,
12:50 that helps you get through the security lines
12:53 with a little bit more ease.
12:54 A lot of airports have lines for parents
12:57 traveling with small children.
12:58 So that also removes you from the larger group of passengers
13:02 so you can ease through there.
13:04 Take advantage once you get to the boarding door
13:07 of early boarding, pre-boarding.
13:09 We offer pre-boarding for families with small children.
13:12 And so if you feel like I need a little bit more time,
13:14 I don't wanna feel rushed when I get on,
13:16 flight attendants will be on board waiting for you.
13:18 Come on a little bit early, get the car seat settled,
13:21 get your younger children settled,
13:23 get everybody settled before the major group
13:25 of passengers come on board.
13:27 There's a few things that you can do
13:29 to prepare for the experience.
13:31 Like I suggest for parents,
13:33 again, you don't need a lot of things.
13:36 You just need the essential things.
13:37 I've seen parents seem like they had quite a bit of bags
13:40 and things of that nature.
13:41 Feel comfortable with checking your bags.
13:43 You can even check them at the gate
13:44 if you could get them through security
13:45 so that it just takes a little bit more pressure off of you
13:48 as you travel.
13:49 (upbeat music)
13:52 - Totally, totally.
14:02 And I know where I stand on this,
14:04 but when it comes to traveling with kids,
14:06 arrive at the airport early or get there a little later
14:09 so you don't have too much time to kill
14:11 with the little ones.
14:12 - Get there early.
14:14 Get there early.
14:15 - Absolutely.
14:15 - Get to be.
14:16 - That's what I'm talking about.
14:17 I will say the airport play areas are godsend.
14:22 - Yes.
14:23 - I mean, I am always looking in advance
14:26 at the airport map to see where are the play areas
14:30 that once we do get through security,
14:32 we have somewhere to go to get the wiggles out
14:35 and we're not getting under everyone's feet.
14:37 - Yes.
14:38 Get there early.
14:39 - I am team early.
14:40 I totally agree.
14:41 I get that some people get nervous
14:43 about spending too much time with kids at the airport,
14:46 but what's the alternative?
14:47 You don't, you want to be running to the plane
14:49 with your kids?
14:50 - And I've seen the parents running to the plane.
14:53 I'm not sure of their situation, but I've seen it.
14:55 And I know that it's stressful.
14:57 That, and that's one thing, once you're stressed,
14:59 then it transfers, the children are stressed.
15:01 And then the situation is shifting the experience.
15:04 Get there early.
15:06 The airport is also a wonderful learning experience.
15:09 And there's things that they can see there.
15:12 Get to a seat that looks out the window
15:13 so they can see the planes taking off and landing.
15:16 The internet works there.
15:17 So if you wanted to watch television
15:19 and have them watch their devices,
15:21 get to the airport early.
15:22 Bring snacks that can get through security
15:25 and enjoy the experience.
15:26 Take the pressure off.
15:28 You're already going to have enough
15:29 with making sure they get there.
15:31 Get there early.
15:32 Yes.
15:33 - Totally agree. - Team early.
15:33 - I am also team early all the way.
15:37 Leave that unnecessary stress behind.
15:40 - Yes. - Absolutely.
15:41 - And it sounds like you're also team board early
15:43 if you can, if your family,
15:45 if your kids are young enough for early boarding,
15:48 take advantage, get in early, get settled, all of that.
15:52 - Yes, I agree with that 100%.
15:54 If I can make my children smaller
15:56 so we could continue to be in that group, I would.
15:59 Because it makes a difference.
16:01 Children have the wigglies, they have the shakes,
16:04 they stop, they walk a little slower.
16:06 And you need that little extra time to, you know,
16:10 get them going in the right direction towards their seat.
16:12 Board early, that benefit is there for you
16:14 to support you and your family.
16:16 - So what are some sort of important
16:18 in-flight safety considerations
16:20 parents should keep in mind
16:21 when they travel with their kids?
16:22 Obviously, it's all different depending on the age.
16:25 There's always the option to travel with a car seat
16:28 or no car seat when you're with a baby
16:30 because the car seat's bulky,
16:32 but it can also be more comfortable.
16:34 So what are sort of the considerations
16:35 when parents, in terms of safety?
16:38 - The most important thing that I could say
16:40 is when you're interested in bringing a device,
16:42 such as a car seat or a safety seat strap for the child,
16:46 be sure that it is FAA certified to fly
16:50 and be attached to the aircraft.
16:53 We do have guidelines and we have certain codings
16:56 and things that we're gonna look for on that device
16:58 to be sure that it is.
16:59 I would be really sad for a parent
17:03 if they brought this device, they were ready to go,
17:05 and then we have to tell you that you can't use it
17:07 because it's not verified as a piece of safety equipment
17:10 that can be used for your child.
17:12 And we know we want to make sure your child
17:14 is safe and comfortable as well.
17:16 But if all that is approved and everything is a go,
17:19 bring the car seat if it's gonna help make the child
17:23 be safe and comfortable.
17:25 If you do the pre-boarding,
17:26 it takes away, again, a little level of stress
17:29 because then you can get all of that verified
17:31 before you get settled.
17:32 When you're waiting to board later,
17:34 now we have other passengers around
17:36 and it may be a little cumbersome or a little bit more
17:39 of a challenge to move the car seats and make changes.
17:43 Work with your flight attendants to make sure
17:45 that the child is in the proper seat
17:47 'cause you bring on a car seat
17:48 but it needs to be in the right positioning.
17:51 Make sure of that.
17:52 If a child is using a safety harness,
17:54 making sure that it's properly adjusted to fit the child.
17:57 I've noticed that recently a lot of parents
17:59 are bringing on inflatable comfort leg space items.
18:04 Again, get with the flight attendant to make sure
18:06 the proper time during the flight to use those items.
18:10 Perfectly fine, just make sure you're communicating
18:13 and also have done your research to make sure
18:14 that your device is compatible
18:16 with our safety responsibilities.
18:19 - I will say, even in the last few years
18:22 since my kids have been babies,
18:24 I always feel jealous when I see sort of the new innovations
18:29 like the car seats that have a little handle
18:32 that pulls up and you can just roll them.
18:35 - Yes. - Genius.
18:36 - Oh, I've seen recently this stroller
18:39 that goes straight down the aisle to the plane.
18:40 It's just as narrow and perfect
18:42 'cause sometimes it's easier to just keep pushing a kid
18:44 to your child to the seat.
18:46 And when I saw this aisle stroller, I was like,
18:48 "Is that gonna fit?"
18:49 And it just helped with the child get on.
18:51 And yeah, they didn't have that when my kids were little.
18:54 - Yeah, some of the innovations are amazing.
18:56 So, you know, parents should definitely take advantage.
18:59 So let's talk about tips or advice for parents
19:02 when things go wrong on a flight.
19:03 For instance, if the kids make a huge mess,
19:06 they have an accident, they get sick or throw a tantrum.
19:09 And I have to admit,
19:11 I have had my fair share of these honestly mortifying
19:14 and extremely stressful in-flight experiences.
19:17 And what struck me most was that for every passenger
19:20 who flashes you and you're noisy
19:22 or honestly just crazy sounding kid, the stink eye,
19:26 there are all the others who give you that,
19:29 "I feel you" look of empathy.
19:32 I'll tell a quick little story
19:33 and then you can sort of give me your advice.
19:37 But a couple of years ago on our first flight
19:39 to see family mid the pandemic,
19:41 my daughter was only two years old
19:44 and she had a truly epic tantrum.
19:46 She fell asleep, which is great during the flight,
19:49 but then I had to wake her during landing
19:51 so that to get her properly into her seat and buckled
19:54 and she was not having it.
19:57 She proceeded to basically physically assault me
20:01 and yell during the entire descent.
20:04 I mean, it was so bad, I had to take my glasses off
20:07 and hand them to my husband so that she wouldn't break them.
20:11 Of course she was fine as soon as we touched down
20:13 and pretended that it never happened.
20:15 It was just like, "Oh, we're here."
20:16 And I had multiple passengers as they were disembarking
20:20 ask me if I was okay.
20:22 One father jokingly asked if he could buy me a drink
20:24 at the airport.
20:26 Those little acts of kindness are everything
20:31 for a struggling parent in those situations
20:33 because every parent's different,
20:35 but I'm definitely the type of parent
20:37 who just gets so self-conscious
20:39 in addition to struggling with the situation at hand.
20:43 So in that truly challenging,
20:46 where you're in this challenging situation
20:48 and you have nowhere to go,
20:49 you cannot run away, you're on this plane.
20:53 - What advice do you have in that moment
20:55 that can be such a struggle for so many parents?
20:58 - Well, let's just take this moment
21:01 to just honestly admit something could go wrong.
21:05 And with children, it can go left, it can go right.
21:08 Something will go wrong
21:09 and we just have to take the pressure off
21:10 that it's out of our control, okay?
21:13 So parents, something can go wrong, it's okay.
21:17 When that happens, I say this,
21:22 this is my motto when I'm at work.
21:23 First of all, at Delta, we're safety professionals.
21:26 And then after that,
21:27 we provide wonderful Delta hospitality.
21:28 That's a statement that I work from.
21:31 We are prepared to assist.
21:35 We are prepared and we're open
21:36 and we're willing to assist a parent,
21:39 a traveling child through whatever it is
21:41 that they're experiencing.
21:43 I personally at work take on,
21:46 I guess you could say like an auntie role
21:48 to all the children on the plane.
21:49 I don't know you personally.
21:51 However, I work from empathy because I'm a parent.
21:54 So when I see you coming on,
21:56 I wanna say hi to your child.
21:57 I wanna let you know that it's okay, we're here to help.
22:00 When I see things go wrong for parents
22:02 or when they have a challenge that arises from the child,
22:05 how can I help?
22:06 First, I'm gonna listen to see,
22:08 do they look like they really need some help?
22:10 Is it medical related?
22:12 Is it, you know, is a child being nauseous?
22:14 Are they nervous?
22:15 Is a child doing something that's safety related
22:18 that I need to really step in
22:19 and really kind of help guide the situation?
22:23 If a child is just having an emotional moment,
22:25 this is where auntie kicks in and,
22:28 hi, little friend, what's going on?
22:30 You know, and mom is like, oh, thank God, someone else.
22:34 And I'm like, what do you need?
22:34 Would you like some cookies?
22:35 Well, you have to do this to get some cookies.
22:39 And they're looking like, what do I have to do?
22:41 Put the seatbelt on, it's time to take off.
22:44 And they start falling in line 'cause they're like,
22:47 I would like a cookie as a reward.
22:48 Yes, you did great, high five.
22:50 I'm gonna come back and check on you.
22:52 And so the mother or the parent
22:54 or whomever's traveling with the child is like,
22:56 thank you for that small sense.
22:57 Like you said, the sense of kindness goes a long way.
23:01 When dealing with the difficult situations,
23:03 we are ready and prepared.
23:04 Say if a child is, like I said,
23:06 experiencing nausea or ear issues,
23:09 we share our tips and tricks on how to deal
23:11 with ear issues for children, such as the swallowing,
23:14 chewing of the gum, massaging the ear area to help that.
23:18 If a parent has a crying child or young infant,
23:21 hey, if the seatbelt sign is off, come take a walk.
23:24 Come walk around 'cause sometimes you just need
23:26 to get that stretch and that bounce for the baby
23:28 to feel a little bit more settled and comfortable.
23:31 Things can go left.
23:33 A child may knock over their goldfish cup.
23:37 It's okay, it could be cleaned up.
23:39 It's okay that things may not go as perfect
23:42 or the children may not seem like
23:43 the textbook storybook traveler, but that's okay.
23:47 We're here to help you through that process
23:49 and make you feel comfortable as a parent.
23:50 And if we don't see you, it's okay, hit the call bell.
23:53 We'll come and see what you need, how to best assist.
23:56 - Well, speaking of the call button,
23:58 what advice do you have for travelers who aren't with kids,
24:02 but their flight is being disrupted by a crying baby
24:05 or a kid kicking on the back of their seat?
24:07 You know, it's so funny because people always assume
24:09 that if you're a parent, you're fine with a crying baby.
24:14 And it's like, just because I'm a mom
24:15 doesn't mean I like that sound.
24:17 - No, no.
24:17 - So obviously I have empathy and I'm not annoyed,
24:22 but of course it's not the most pleasant sound.
24:26 And you are, you know, as a passenger, if it's not your kids
24:30 of course you're hoping both for the family
24:33 and for everyone involved,
24:34 and for all of your fellow passengers
24:36 that the sound will eventually die down.
24:40 So what advice do you have for passengers
24:42 who get frustrated, you know,
24:43 even those ones who see a baby and they're like,
24:45 oh man, here comes a baby.
24:48 - Yes, and you see the faces.
24:51 I will honestly say that since I've been here,
24:54 I very rarely have ever had an adult passenger
24:58 have an outward discomfort about a child crying.
25:02 However, in the small opportunities where I've seen it,
25:05 you know, comfort is for everyone on the aircraft,
25:09 for the child and for the adult.
25:11 And so we do our best to first diagnose
25:14 what the situation is.
25:15 Is the child having a hard time maybe for whatever reasons?
25:20 You know, that's something that has to be
25:22 delicately handled 'cause you have to figure out
25:25 what's going on to determine how to intervene
25:28 and how to step in and how to assist.
25:30 If I had to deal with a passenger
25:32 that may be a little bit more annoyed
25:35 and outwardly expressive about how they feel about it,
25:37 then I'm gonna have a conversation with the passenger
25:39 to get them to understand that we're gonna do our best
25:42 to assist for the comfort of the child
25:44 because something may be happening that we're not aware of.
25:46 But how can I best assist you in this moment
25:49 so that I can do my best to take care
25:51 of make sure you're comfortable as well?
25:53 I hear your concern.
25:54 I'm gonna let the passenger know, I hear your concern.
25:56 I hear what you're saying.
25:57 Let me see how best we can problem solve
25:59 because it becomes a process.
26:01 It's not just an automatic go over to the child
26:04 and say, you know, you have to do this
26:05 and you have to do that.
26:06 It's not that easy.
26:08 So if I have a passenger that expresses their discomfort
26:11 or displeasure, you know, it becomes a problem solving task.
26:15 Maybe another flight attendant's gonna go talk
26:16 to the family and another flight attendant's gonna talk
26:18 to the passenger and we work things out.
26:21 If there is a child or an adult kicking the back
26:23 of the seat, that is something that, you know,
26:25 you gotta go in and gently explain,
26:28 oh, please don't do that.
26:29 We try to, again, do our best to make sure everybody
26:31 has a comfortable experience.
26:33 - Absolutely.
26:33 And what I always say is if you're no,
26:36 you're the type of person who doesn't love the sound
26:40 of a crying baby, noise canceling.
26:44 - Well, it can happen.
26:45 Not everybody has their noise canceling headphones
26:47 and, you know, we don't always know
26:48 who our seat mate is gonna be.
26:51 But, you know, we're there to help do our best
26:54 to make sure everybody's comfortable on the plane.
26:56 Definitely.
26:57 - Absolutely.
26:58 Absolutely.
27:00 So let's talk about long haul flights, especially,
27:03 you know, again, selfishly, since I'm about to board one
27:05 with my two kids later this month,
27:08 any tips on surviving them with kids?
27:11 - All right.
27:12 My favorite thing as a parent to do when I travel
27:15 with my children on long haul flights is to pack them
27:20 a bag that they can be responsible for
27:22 and get them a part of the journey.
27:25 So if they're old enough to hold their own backpack
27:26 or push their own roller bag, help them put
27:29 in their essential fun things for them to enjoy
27:33 on their journey.
27:34 Coloring books, art supplies, video game devices,
27:38 charging cords, headphones, snacks,
27:40 whatever could fit in that book bag.
27:41 Not too heavy, but just enough.
27:43 And it's their things.
27:44 And they got involved in putting in there,
27:46 like, this is what you would need.
27:47 This is how long we're going on the plane.
27:49 Surviving on our flights with children
27:53 has been very successful.
27:54 I fly mostly international trips.
27:56 I, you know, long haul flights, coast to coast.
27:59 That's like my perfect route.
28:01 And when I see children being most successful
28:03 in what I've done with my kids is make sure
28:06 that they have their types of snacks.
28:09 But if they don't, know what's on the aircraft.
28:12 You said you were traveling long haul
28:13 with your children over the summer, which would be great.
28:16 So throughout the flight, on a long haul flight,
28:19 I'll give you a tip that there's snacks
28:20 in the back of the plane as well
28:22 that'll be available for you to get
28:24 for them to nibble on and little juices
28:25 and beverages and things like that.
28:27 So they can survive the flight.
28:29 If they have a favorite stuffy, their own personal,
28:32 not their bedspread, please don't bring their bedspread,
28:35 but there's a travel blanket.
28:36 You can bring that or whatever makes them feel
28:40 like it's a sense of home and a sense of self.
28:42 Bring that to survive the long haul.
28:45 Their special little socks.
28:46 You could do like cute little compression kid socks
28:48 and make it feel like they are, you know,
28:51 cuddly up on their seat.
28:53 Whatever makes them feel comfortable on that flight.
28:56 - And what about jet lag when you get there?
28:58 - Jet lag, tip for jet lag.
29:01 When you're going East, when you get to your destination,
29:05 when you get to your hotel, Airbnb, grandma's house,
29:08 wherever you're going, take a nap.
29:10 Take a nap, you're gonna wanna go out
29:12 and immediately start, but I would say,
29:14 you're trying to get into the time
29:16 of the day that you're arriving.
29:17 Most of the times you're gonna be arriving early.
29:19 So I would say, take a nap once you get there,
29:23 two, three hours, do not take a very long one
29:25 because you're gonna throw off the clock.
29:27 So once you get there,
29:27 that's how you fight the jet lag once you arrive.
29:29 You'll be able to sleep on the aircraft,
29:31 but once you get there, take that nap.
29:34 And so that will help you survive going Eastbound.
29:37 If you go Westbound, jump right into the day,
29:40 get off the aircraft, hit the ground running,
29:42 participate in the time of day that it is.
29:44 So then by the nighttime, you'll be ready to go to sleep.
29:47 And so that'll help you with shifting your body clocks
29:50 during different timeframes.
29:51 If you spend more than two, three days outside
29:54 of your normal time zone,
29:55 those are some of the immediate tricks to do
29:58 once you get there.
29:59 And I will say this,
30:00 let me just put this out there as a reminder,
30:02 stay hydrated when you're flying.
30:04 Please drink water, juice,
30:06 something to keep you hydrated at that elevation of travel.
30:10 That's a pretty important thing to remind you.
30:12 For children and adults, please drink water.
30:15 - Yes, I am very curious to see how we get through
30:18 the jet lag later this month.
30:19 It will be an adventure.
30:20 Though I will say, you know, kids,
30:23 yes, they like their routines, but they also bounce back.
30:26 One good night of sleep and we are back in business.
30:30 So. (laughs)
30:31 - Yes, I will say when we did our Paris run,
30:34 and I say a Paris run because it was hit the ground,
30:36 sleep, go see, go to sleep.
30:38 And I will say once we did the nap,
30:41 got into the day, by the time it was bedtime at night,
30:44 they were ready.
30:44 It was, they were ready for when the sun set
30:47 and it's bedtime and our normal,
30:49 and it was in the normal timeframe
30:51 that they would go to sleep.
30:52 So the nap when you get there is very crucial.
30:55 All crew members, for the most part, take that first nap.
30:58 If you want our tips, that's what we do.
31:00 - I love it.
31:01 I love it.
31:02 And last words of wisdom from your experience
31:05 as a flight attendant for families gearing up
31:07 to head into the skies this summer.
31:09 - Summer is our busiest travel season.
31:12 So you have an opportunity to meet all kinds of people
31:16 while in your travel journey from everywhere
31:18 and enjoy the experience.
31:20 Take the pressure off.
31:22 Everyone is there trying to accomplish the same goal,
31:24 which is to get to somewhere.
31:26 Take the pressure off of yourself and be ready,
31:30 ready for the adventure.
31:31 Bring out your camera, take pictures,
31:32 let the flight attendants know if it's your first time,
31:34 tell us where you're going.
31:35 A lot of times we'll give you tips on what to do
31:37 when you get there so that you can have
31:39 a wonderful experience on your journey,
31:41 maybe something you hadn't planned on doing.
31:42 And a lot of us have quite a bit of experience there.
31:45 There's things that are outside of our control,
31:47 such as weather challenges.
31:48 And a lot of that seems to happen over the summertime.
31:51 However, there's a lot of personnel on ground
31:54 that will be able to assist you
31:55 for any of those types of delays.
31:57 So stay flexible, stay flexible.
32:00 If something were to happen
32:02 and know that we have teams available to assist you,
32:05 such as if there's a weather delay,
32:06 I will highly always recommend if you're flying on Delta,
32:09 please, please, please download the Fly Delta app.
32:13 Because if there's something that happens with your flight,
32:15 the communication will get to you faster
32:17 than we can get the information to you.
32:19 So download the Fly Delta app.
32:20 It will help you navigate even through airports.
32:23 It'll give you a map.
32:24 So enjoy the journey, take lots of pictures
32:28 and let your flight attendants know
32:31 'cause we're here to help you throughout your process.
32:33 - I love it.
32:34 And I always say flying is such a privilege, right?
32:37 It's such a privilege to be able to travel to the world.
32:40 So I feel it's, of course, it can be frustrating sometimes
32:44 if there's long waits or crowds
32:47 or flight cancellations and other delays.
32:49 But at the end of the day,
32:50 remember why you do it in the first place.
32:52 Because it was something amazing
32:54 that you wanted to experience together as a family.
32:56 So, you know, at the end of the day,
32:59 if it wasn't worth it, we wouldn't all do it.
33:01 We wouldn't want to do it.
33:02 - Right.
33:03 And understand this, your flight crews do this more than you.
33:07 So if you get through a delay
33:09 and you have a cancellation or a challenge,
33:10 we're in this with you to support you through that.
33:14 And we will share whatever knowledge that we have
33:16 so that you can be at ease through any challenges
33:19 that may arise through your summer travels this year.
33:21 - Well, thank you so much, Andrea.
33:22 This has been so amazing.
33:24 I really appreciate you bestowing
33:25 all your great knowledge,
33:27 both as a flight attendant and as a mom.
33:30 Thank you so much for all your tips and advice.
33:32 - It's been a pleasure talking with you, Michelle.
33:34 Thank you.
33:35 And hopefully some of this can help many parents
33:37 during the travels.
33:38 (upbeat music)
33:41 - Wow.
33:43 So many good tips.
33:44 And honestly, as a traveling mom,
33:46 one of my biggest takeaways after talking to Andrea
33:49 is that I don't have to feel overly guilty and stressed
33:52 during a difficult child moment on the plane.
33:55 This summer, I'm flying to Europe with my two kids.
33:58 And if things go sideways,
34:00 I'm gonna remind myself that InFlight Crew is there to help.
34:03 If you wanna hear more from me,
34:05 you can find me unpacking daily breaking news
34:08 and travel intel stories on afar.com.
34:10 Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter
34:12 to get travel news delivered straight to your inbox
34:14 at email.afar.com.
34:16 And you can follow my travel exploits
34:18 of my two boisterous young travel companions
34:20 on Instagram @michellehallbarron.
34:23 This season, we'd also like to hear from you.
34:25 Is there a travel dilemma, topic,
34:27 or trend you'd like us to unpack?
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34:41 If you enjoyed today's exploration,
34:44 I hope you'll come back for more great stories.
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34:55 It helps other travelers find it.
34:57 This has been Unpacked, a production of Afar Media.
35:01 The podcast is produced by Aislinn Green
35:03 and Nikki Gaulteland.
35:05 Music composition by Chris Collin.
35:07 And remember, the world is complicated.
35:09 We're here to help you unpack it.
35:11 (upbeat music)
35:13 you
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