We are heading on a family vacation with the kids (with my parents and my brothers family) next week and I am slightly concerned about getting through airport security! We are going to look like a traveling circus... we will have the 2 kids (2 and 10 months), 2 car seats, two strollers, 2 rolling carry-ons and 2 backpacks. DH and i will each wear a backpack, roll a suit case and push a stroller (we will attached the infant seat to the city mini and hook the convertible to the back of the gluxe.) My question is- do the strollers and car seats go through the scanner? Obviously the backpacks and suitcases do. Should i leave the kids in their strollers or take them out? Should i wear my 10 month old in the ergo?
I know i can bring water through as I have a baby, but do you think i can bring through baby food pouches?
Yikes!
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Others may have more experience, but it is my understanding that strollers and car seats will have to go through the scanner. Also, baby's usually cannot be worn through security.
There is new rules though that kids dont have to remove shoes. So that helps.
Yes, you can bring through kid food/milk that is needed. Just let them know.
When we went, we checked our car seat.
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@cheert16: you will have to put everything through the scanner including the strollers and the carseats. Have you considered checking the seats or are you going to gate check them? I love the ease of checking them and picking them up at the luggage area at the end of our flights.
I can't remember if I could wear the ergo through the scanner or not. I do know your kids can wear their shoes and you can take whatever liquids you need through security as long as you have kids with you.
If you are both rolling suitcases and pushing strollers, how will you hold the 2 year old's hand or keep track of the 2 year old?
Pouches are fine.
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Yes, everything (including strollers) has to go through the scanners.
If you wear your baby, you will have to get your hands swabbed for bomb residue (unless at a super small airport that doesn't have that security capability).
Yes you can bring baby food pouches, but they may be scanned separately after you go through the normal screening (again, depending on what security capabilities your airport has).
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Also - it is free to check a carseat so if you're worried about the cost, that isn't a concern.
Make sure you take a birth certificate for the baby if you didn't buy her a seat. Some crazy TSA agents may not believe they aren't really 2. Seriously.
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@mediagirl: We are bringing on on the flight with us for our 2 year old to sit in and we are going to gate check the other along with the strollers.
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Stroller and car seats have to go through the scanner. I just flew last week and wore my dd through security - it wasn't an issue at all. Like pp said, I just had to get my hands scanned after walking through the metal detector. I just gave them a heads up that I had liquids/items for the baby and they scanned them separately! Good luck!!
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@mediagirl: Hopefully he will be sitting in the stroller , but if not my parents should be there to help hold hands! We are on the same flight!
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@cheert16: oh, phew! I was worried for you for a minute there!!
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Ditto the other posters--everything gets scanned or if it doesn't fit, they swab it and then test the swab, which takes forever. you can't wear a carrier through security. kiddos have to be in your arms. milk and pouches can go through, but sometimes they check it by hand/a little machine and it can take forever, especially if it's busy. give yourself lots of extra time!
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I have had strollers hand scanned, is that no longer allowed? They typically have a family line and we use that if possible.
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Having done this before, I would highly suggest checking your suitcases!!! I think pp have covered your other questions but that's what stuck out to me. The less "stuff" the easier it will be- not just in the airport but also getting on and off the airplane.
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@looch: They hand scan any strollers and car seats that don't fit in the scanner. Our gluxe fits but our BOB and our Car Seat always have to be hand checked.
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Car seats and strollers have to go through the scanner, unless the stroller is too wide for the scanner (like a double), then it'll be hand scanned. I can carry my baby through the scanner, but he couldn't be worn inside a carrier.
Now that DS is 2, he has to walk through the scanner himself. I normally walk through first, then coax him to walk through it.
Food pouches can be brought through.
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When we flew this summer, we had our Britax B-Agile and it was hand scanned. I had to take off our Ergo as well and still have my hands swabbed too. It was irritating, honestly.
I highly recommend checking anything you don't need in flight/airport. We did on our way back. We were travelling with one stroller, infant seat and convertible. On the way back all three items got checked. We were flying southwest so baggage fees weren't an issue for us.
It was just too much of a cluster the first go round having only checked the convertible seat.
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And also echoing take the birth certificate. Our baby was 7 months old when we flew and it was checked on both flights. It really sucked on the return because I was forgetful and it was packed in a suitcase and I was frozen trying to remember where I safely put it away during our stay.
I kept looking at the lady like it wasn't possible to think my 7 month old could possibly be two!
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I've flown twice with my twins (nearly 3 now). The first time, they were 16 months and they did not require us to break down the stroller and put it through the belt. They let us push it through the metal detector hand scanned it instead. Second time, they did require us to break down the stroller and put it through the belt.
When you arrive at the security line, you should get directed to the handicap/special assistance line since you'll have so much baggage.
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You might want to consider checking some luggage and putting some quarters in the rolling cart thing to help you lug your shit around!
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You definitely can wear your baby through security in an Ergo or similar - I have done this every time over 8 flights with DD. I checked on the TSA requirements before our first flight with her (she was 3 months old) and it is fine to wear through security - they will swab your hands, though.
You can also leave baby in carrier during the flight, BUT you will have to unclip and slide the straps down your arms during takeoff and landing. DD slept just great this way through several flights.
Good luck - it will probably be simpler than you are imagining!
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@nana87: We've flown tons with LO, I always wear her through security and never had an issue, no matter which carrier I've used (ring sling, tula, etc.). I just have to get my hands swabbed after.
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Strollers that can be folded small enough need to go through th scanner, as do car seats. If you have a stroller like the UBV where the seat comes off, you have to take the seat off so t all fits through. Giant pain in the ass! I've never had an issue wearing DD through. They just swipe your hands.
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The kids will have to come out of the strollers, so here's what I would do. Everything you described, except wear the baby and put your backpack in the baby's stroller. When you get to security stop, take a breath, and ignore the other passengers. You will get through smoothly if you don't try to hurry. You and DH remove shoes, pull out liquids etc. Put one folded stroller through before your stuff, then carseats and bags go through the scanner. Then DH walks through security, you take LO1 put of the stroller and LO1 walks through security to DH. You put the last stroller up, walk through wearing LO2, get hands swabbed, and if you're lucky by then DH has a big pile of your stuff. Because you put a stroller through first, DH strapped LO1 back in and had hands to collect your other stuff. Take another deep breath and take your time to reassemble. Remember you aren't doing anything wrong just by taking up some extra space and time.
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Clearly TSA agents aren't consistent on the carrier thing, I'd just be prepared to have to take baby out of the ergo.
It was in NOLA that I was specifically told to remove her from the carrier, I just undid the shoulders and flipped it down like an apron. The agent then told my husband that I needed to take it off the rest of the way (why he couldn't tell me, I'm uncertain). And then they wanted to swab my hands in addition. Preferably both at one time. Hello! I'm holding a baby! It wasn't a good day. And maybe that TSA agent was having a really bad day and I was his outlet.
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We just got back from a trip. We had two kids, a stroller, and one car seat. The car seat didn't fit through the scanner and we waited a LONG time for someone to come over and check it manually. I carried the little one through the full body scan thing, but then they also took me aside and swiped my hands with something and put that under a machine. We had baby food pouches in the diaper bag and weren't asked to take them out or anything.
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@cheert16: You didn't ask this but if you plan on using your car seat on the plane, make sure it is FAA compliant and will actually fit in the seat of the plane you are taking. We just flew in August and the flight attendants made the woman in front of us gate check her car seat after carrying it on because it didn't comply
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You can absolutely wear baby through security ... Huge help.
You won't need to go through the big backscatter scanner, but you will be asked to go through the metal detector, and have your hands swabbed.With the rolling bags + car seats, you have to take it all apart to get through the scanner. They never scan our seat, but they do pull it to the side to test it for explosives or whatever.
Some airports have carts you can use. SO HELPFUL!!
Just give yourself a lot of time.
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@blackbird: Urg. We are checking 2 bags. Its $25.00 a bag to check it. I am hoping with all our family on the same flight we will have help!
@MrsSRS: This is exactly what i needed to hear!! This seems like the most stressful part of our whole trip!
@Madison43: Yikes! It says in the seat manual that its airplane safe. Maybe i should bring the manual with me just in case!
@littlejoy: luckily our flight is really early (5 am) on a friday so i am hoping the airport wont be crazy!! i will make sure we have plenty of time!
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@cheert16: @Madison43: There should be a sticker somewhere on the carseat that says it adheres to the FAA regulations. As long as you have that, you're good.
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@littlejoy: good to know! I will check when i get home!
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