Trips that include multiple generations of family are one of the hottest travel trends right now. Over the holidays, we had the opportunity to travel for a big family trip which included my husband and I, our kiddo, and one set of grandparents. We were all looking forward to the trip! As a mom of a young kid I prepare for everything, especially for air travel, and I’d made sure to plan for traveling with our toddler. Plan for potty breaks? Check! Snacks and distractions for the plane? Double-check!

The thing I hadn’t anticipated? We should have had a better plan for traveling with the grandparents. My husband and I just wish we had been more prepared to help them with things during our travel.

Here are our tips for air travel with grandparents:

1. Know before you go. Be on the same page with your spouse and know who is responsible for what luggage, which shoulder has a carry-on, who’s gonna hold the kiddo’s hand, and who has the stroller.
2. Coordinate the schedule. Make sure someone in the party is responsible for the schedule and travel arrangements. My mother-in-law and I split duties here, and had a rockin’ itinerary in the end.
3. Check your luggage. During our trip, we had 10 pieces of luggage and a stroller between 4 adults and one child. It was a lot of stuff.  My husband and I didn’t have an extra hand to help because our hands were full of bags. I know it would have added time on the backend, but we should have at least checked our bags. Our hands were full when they needed our help most.
4. Get through security. Set a simple goal of getting through security.  After that debacle, it’s all downhill. Mom takes care of her shoes, belt, pockets, etc. first, and gets bags on the belt, then carry the kiddo through the metal detector. Grab what you can and sit down with the toddler.  Help as you can and keep a close eye and hand on your kids and things.
5. Go with the flow. If Grandpa is set on seeing the airplanes at the airport, go do it! Make sure everyone knows the boarding plan and if you need to hit the bathroom before getting on the plane.
6. Set up camp. When you have to be at the airport for a while, say for a layover or you like to be there early, find a central location to settle in.  Make sure it’s a spot that’s easy to get to from food spots or the bathroom, and has plenty of room for the kiddos to get some wiggles out.

These tricks will help for smooth air travel with your family, and most importantly, you’ll be ready to make lasting memories! What are your best tips for air travel with extended family?