Take Separate Flights When Traveling With Children
It started out of necessity – our son didn’t want to miss the baseball banquet, so he and I flew out a day later than my husband and daughter for a family reunion. Then it happened again: for a low-cost trip to Spain, we accumulated miles from different frequent flyer accounts and credit card reward programs, and to make it all work, we had to split up and fly different airlines.
We soon realized that flying alone – each of us taking one child with us – makes travel better for everyone. Now we only fly this way. When it comes to overcrowded cabins, unexpected delays and security lines, I am convinced that one-on-one protection is indeed the best approach.
For those with two parent families, this is why you might want to consider separation as well.
Easier to manage different temperaments
My husband gets on board as soon as he can, and I like to wait as long as possible to get into the sealed metal tube. Our son loves to play cards on the plane, and his sister wants to move in with her tablet. Balancing travel styles can be difficult, but when divided, each family member is more likely to get things done.
No one loses control
People often assume that we are breaking up when we fly because of an irrational fear that the plane will crash and our children will become orphans. This is not it. (I don’t know of couples who wouldn’t travel together in a car, but car accidents are a thousand times more common than deaths .) I joke that we broke up to avoid leaving children orphans with our own hands. Fights between traveling spouses are incredibly common, according to one travel blogger . Dealing with this stress separately makes both my husband and me feel better. Each parent can have their own way, without the need to discuss, justify or apologize for hasty decisions.
More attention – more attention
Traveling in isolation allows us to give the child our full attention. My daughter was very worried during the flight. Instead of suppressing her fears, I often made the situation worse. My husband, who has experienced similar experiences himself, was able to give her a lot of attention and taught her some skills to overcome fear.
Focusing on one child has other benefits as well. A one-on-one meeting can give you the opportunity to have a deeper conversation. I remember very well sitting on a bench waiting for a transfer from the airport, when my son and I remembered his grandfather, who passed away a year earlier.
Less is more flexibility
When my daughter and I missed our connecting flight to San Francisco last summer, we were able to get the last two spare seats for our next flight. This would not have been possible if the whole family were traveling together.
Of course, this hack has several limitations: when you are traveling with babies, toddlers, or children with special needs, it is often easier to travel with another adult. Additionally, arrivals and departures at different times may mean higher Uber or taxi fares. We try to minimize this by using public transport whenever possible. In Spain, for example, even after a 24-hour hike with changing carriers and airports, my son and I had enough energy to find a bus to the city center.
What we saw when we got off the bus: two beautiful smiling faces were waiting for us. There were hugs all around, and as our “advance team” had already checked us out, they grabbed our bags and walked forward as we all walked excitedly towards the hotel, nonstop discussing our individual trips and our upcoming adventure. we would take together.