Take a look around! I am glad you are here and hope you enjoy reading my tips as much as I enjoy sharing them with you. Read some, be inspired, and go ahead and plan your next vacation! Go from an "armchair traveler" to a Car Seat Traveler!
We’re snowed in! My husband actually flew out on a business trip and left a day early to leave before the storm hit. He flew from east to west, coast to coast. over the storm. He said he saw all the clouds until the middle of the US and then snowy earth, and then The Rockies. It feels like everyone was hit. Are you snowed in as well?
Weather like this either brings thoughts of warm weather places or makes you want to go skiing. Me? I am thinking ahead towards summer and where we can go to make the most of our vacation time.
Since we always go to see family in the summer, we want to coordinate this trip with a little time without the kids. Vegas maybe or even Central Oregon. We’ll be planning that in the next month or two.
Have you thought about your summer plans? Now is a good time to research flight prices or make hotel reservations since most people will be at most be thinking about spring break. Where will you be going this summer?
This is a question I’ve considered many times. Should you purchase a plane ticket for your child? If your child is under 2, you are not required to purchase a ticket for your little one. But is it worth the savings?
Here are some things to consider:
- How old is your child? If you have a really young baby, they may sleep in your arms and it may not be necessary for you to purchase a ticket for them. I wouldn’t even consider not buying a ticket for my near 2 yo. She would be all over me AND the person next to me, wanting to walk the aisles.
- How long is the flight? I held my 3mo boy in my lap the short flight to Vegas. Although it a somewhat short flight, it did not seem short by the time it was over. My arms ached and I was wishing I had the extra room that another seat would have provided. Anything over the 2 hours I spent on that flight, I would recommend anyone buy the extra seat.
- Are there more siblings or another parent traveling with you? If you have more children with you, they are smaller and do not take up as much room. So, for example you could feel like the space may be sufficient for 3 children with 2 seats. When two of them are playing close together, the other will have more room to him/herself. If you are traveling alone with children, you most definitely will want the extra space another seat provides.
I can tell you this. Flight attendants and ticket agents automatically assume you haven’t purchased a ticket for your child under 2. I have many times been questioned for ordering my even 3yo a snack box (when they came with the price of your fare). I guess they assume it’s the norm not to purchase one. I’ve had gate agents stop me with the car seat, thinking I hadn’t bought another fare and telling me I couldn’t use it because there was it was a full flight.
So you may have to remind people that indeed you do have another ticket for your little one, should you decide to go that route. I would say most of the time it is worth it to have the extra space and safety if you can swing it.
Another option is to book a flight that is not very full (a rarity these days) and then hope there is an extra seat when you check in. If so, you can ask to sit near that open seat and if not, you can check your car seat.
What have you done in the past that has worked? Not worked? Airplane travel is difficult most of the time anyhow, so I would prefer to make it as painless as possible (or at least plan for it).
Little Lovely has a couple great posts about family travel.
This one about a new travel guide for cities caught my attention. Small manageable sheets, like a deck of cards, they seem easy to take with you while you explore the city. City Walks with Kids have guides for New York City, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Washington DC.
Have you ever used these and care to share your experience with them? I may seek one out for our next trip to NYC (just thinking ahead). Amazon has it for only $5.83, which seems like a steal.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I have hearts and cute things on the mind!
It’s a tradition in our family to leave a little Valentine’s Day gift outside our childrens’ doors for them to find when they wake in the morning.
This is what they are getting this year…
What does this have to do with travel? These cute stuffed animals are actually backpacks that unfold into blankets the kids can use while en route. On a flight, it can get cold and while I do bring a scarf or shawl for myself, I usually end up giving it to one child who needs it for a nap or to cuddle up with. Well no more of that my friends!
By thinking forward to something we can use for travel, I am able to combine it into a nice Valentine’s Day gift too. Can’t wait to try these out on our next trip!
I found these at Target and you can also find some different cute ones here online.
“This is awesome and definitely needed. I will be flying in April alone with my 1.5year old to go help a friend when she has her first baby. Thanks for the giveaway chance!”
Yay Leslie! Congratulations. I’m so happy you have the opportunity to try this. Please email me your postal address and I’ll get that out to you this week. You can email me at tncornett {at} yahoo {dot} com.
After you get a chance to put it to use, let us all know your review.
Thank you everyone for all your lovely comments. It makes me want to do another giveaway just to hear from my great readers!
Frequent Flyer Miles are becoming so popular, they are now considered to be another form of currency. Just like any currency, inflation is of concern. So don’t wait to use your miles. One mile is approximately equal to one dollar. But this value goes down as more and more miles are out there in circulation.
Sign your Child up!
There is no reason that your child cannot have a Frequent Flyer card. My son has had one since he took his first flight. If you are buying a ticket for your infant or toddler, they can be accumulating miles just as quickly as you do, and of course older children will be sitting in their own seat and you are paying for them just like anyone else. Then you can eventually turn those miles around for a free trip.
Use your husband’s miles
If your husband travels as much as mine, take advantage of it. Some airlines let you transfer miles to another person. A fee may be charged in some cases but Delta allows the person with miles to buy tickets for family members for no extra fee. All those business trips he takes may actually benefit your family! International trips to Asia can accumulate up to 17,000 miles. Some airlines charge as little as 25,000 miles for a domestic round trip ticket (United Saver Awards for example). So, two trips to Asia can add up to one free domestic ticket. That’s worth checking into and tracking for the future.
Shop Online
There is no reason to buy anything online these days without getting miles for it. Just today, I got an email promoting a triple miles for Delta when buying from Red Envelope. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you can buy a gift while earning miles towards that next vacation. The airlines partner with many online shopping sites. Just go to your preferred airline’s web site and click through their web site to get to the shopping area. That way you are credited for coming through their site via the airline’s site and when you purchase something your FF account is credited. (Clear? Not sure I explained that fully so let me know).
Hook Up Your Credit Card
Now, we hardly use our credit card these days, but if you do your shopping with a credit card or if you own a small business, it may be worth it to get a card in which you earn miles dollar for dollar, even if you have to pay a yearly fee for that card. You can get a free flight in no time this way.
Rental Cars and Hotels
Get miles for for traveling. You can get miles for renting a car by adding your FF number to your account at time of pick up. When staying at a hotel, same thing. If you use your credit card for paying for these, you will get extra miles (the same goes for booking flights too).
Any other areas that I missed? Makes me think we need to return to being smart when racking up miles as well. Everyday activities can turn into planning for your next vacation. It does take some forethought for some things such as online shopping but can really pay off.
Today is your last chance to enter the free Tote-a-Tot giveaway!
Leave me a comment on that post, and I will choose a winner tonight at midnight EST. (Hey, I happened to be up that late last night so why not?) Good luck!
If you’re planning a trip soon, this could be of great help.
I have loved reading through your comments. It’s great to know I’m not just sending words out into the void. I have visited many of your sites too, if you included them with your comment.
So, I will choose a winner randomly tomorrow and post it on Sunday – Good luck!
Yes, I have an “About Me” page but nothing much for detail, and I would really like you to get to know “us”. You know, our family, our adventures, and I want to be as transparent as possible in this space so you can get to know the real person who is writing this. Sometimes blogs show a one dimensional view of the people behind them, and while this isn’t so bad, I want to be truthful too.
In that effort, this may surprise you, but we don’t go jetting off to exotic destinations 3 times a year, or even once a year. I do wish. Sometimes we simply take trips to the beach or New York, and often I am traveling as the lone adult off to see family with two kids in tow. There are various degrees of family travel and I feel like we cover many of them.
Most of the time I am not actually planning a trip, I am DREAMING of exotic destinations. I do spent a good deal of time fantasizing about the next big trip we can take, how old the kids will have to be to go to India for example, and when we can save up enough to finally go back to Ethiopia as a family.
So as we get acquainted, I hope you will see the true me and not think I’m exaggerating our travel experiences. We have had the opportunity to see many places and will continue to explore the world through travel. But until we begin planning our next adventure, maybe I can live vicariously through you.
