Last summer (before I was grounded with Baby #2), I had the chance to fly Southwest within a few weeks of the rollout of its new on-board WiFi and Dish TV offerings. I posted a review of the entertainment options at that time that has proven to be the most popular post I’ve ever published …
I recently booked a flight on Cathay Pacific to go with my husband and daughter to Hong Kong. We are planning to leave the baby behind so we can do our first international trip with our “big girl” before she starts kindergarten in the fall, and school schedules make traveling more challenging. For this flight, …
I noticed with great disdain United’s latest cutback — the removal of complimentary alcohol on its international transpacific routes in the economy section. Since I usually travel with kids, I’m not taking advantage of much booze in the sky (as much as I might sometimes need it!), so this really is a minor change for …
A reader recently posted a troubling comment on my post from earlier this year about preboarding with children. While traveling on Delta yesterday, she was told that families with infants and small children were not allowed to preboard on Delta anymore. The gate agent told her that, under new Delta policy, preboarding would only be reserved …
(Note: I’ve published an updated review to reflect the status of Southwest’s in-flight entertainment as of February 2014. Check it out! And if you fly Southwest as a family a lot, check out my Complete Guide to Flying Southwest with Kids!) On our recent flights to and from the Florida Panhandle, we flew …
As much as I complain about most of the major airlines, it’s time for a reality check. It could be worse. I could be flying an ultra-discount carrier. When infrequent travelers hear this moniker, their mind normally jumps to Southwest. But Southwest isn’t in this category. It is now considered a “discount” or “low …
If you travel even only occasionally these days, you are probably already aware that most airlines now charge fees for checked bags. Perhaps you’ve already heard about the increase in airline change fees the past few months. Both of these are fees that can really disproportionately affect families, since families have so many more people …
There’s a lot of flux in the airline industry at the moment. United recently announced a restructuring of its elite program, with minimum spending being added as a requirement to achieve different elite status tiers (in addition to miles flown). And they even followed up that announcement with an increase in change fees on award …
Parents are pretty deeply divided on the philosophical and practical question of taking a lap child on an airplane. Whether to buy a seat for the youngest travelers in the family is a tough decision. FAA rules, and the airlines, do not require that infants and toddlers under the age of 2 be in …
Airlines have been making a lot of moves in the past few weeks when it comes to change fees. And the news is not good. As you can probably guess, change fees are going up. Change fees are a real money-maker for the airlines these days, which conversely means you can be hit very hard as …
Welcome! I’m Leslie, a mom of two (ages 11 and 7) who loves to travel. Trips With Tykes is a family travel blog devoted to simplifying the logistics of traveling with young kids. With a little knowledge of airline rules & good planning, family travel can be really fun, even if it still involves the occasional in-flight tantrum or battle with TSA over your toddler’s juice box.
