How to Travel With Children: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning, Packing and Flying

Families planning a trip with young children face a different set of logistics than solo or adult travelers: vaccine timing, airport screening rules, in-flight restraint requirements and packing for unpredictable needs. Below is a step-by-step guide drawn from U.S. aviation and public-health authorities, plus pediatric guidance on international travel.

Step 1: Start health planning weeks ahead

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), via its HealthyChildren.org site, advises scheduling a pediatrician visit four to eight weeks before departure for international trips, so there is time to administer vaccines or order specialty doses if needed. The visit should confirm the child is current on routine immunizations, including DTaP/Tdap, MMR, varicella, hepatitis A and B, polio, Hib, meningococcal, pneumococcal, COVID-19 and influenza, according to the AAP.

For infants under one year traveling internationally, the AAP notes the MMR vaccine may be given as early as six months instead of the usual 12 months. Depending on the destination, a child may also need travel-specific vaccines such as yellow fever, typhoid, rabies or Japanese encephalitis, and the AAP says some countries require proof of yellow-fever vaccination for entry, so parents should carry the child's immunization record.

Step 2: Know the airport security rules for kids

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2025 began rolling out a program called "Families on the Fly," which introduces dedicated family screening lanes at select airports to ease the screening process for parents and children generally, according to a TSA press release republished by the Hawaii Department of Transportation. The release also says the program is paired with plans for discounted TSA PreCheck fees for families and dedicated PreCheck lanes for military service members and Department of Defense staff, whose children age 12 and under may accompany them in those PreCheck lanes without restriction.

At the time the program launched, participating airports included Orlando International, Charlotte-Douglas International, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Jacksonville International, Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma, T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, according to the same release, with further expansion planned to other hubs.

Step 3: Choose the right restraint for the flight

Children under two may fly on an adult's lap in the United States, since no rule requires a restraint for them, but aviation-safety resources say a government-approved child restraint for the entire flight is safer, according to car-seat safety resource Safe in the Seat.

A car seat approved for aircraft use carries a label on its side or bottom stating it is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft, the same source says. Airlines generally do not allow car seats in exit rows, and because the seats cannot block an aisle, they must be installed at a window seat, the source adds. For children who no longer fit a car seat but are too small for a regular seatbelt alone, the CARES harness — described by its manufacturer AmSafe as the only FAA-approved harness-type restraint for air travel — is built for children weighing 22 to 44 pounds and under 40 inches tall who can sit upright unassisted. AmSafe says the device weighs under one pound and installs in under a minute by looping webbing over the seat back and threading the airplane's own seatbelt through it.

Step 4: Pack for health and comfort, not just convenience

The CDC's Yellow Book guidance on traveling with infants and children covers more than vaccines. It recommends children nurse or use a bottle during descent to help equalize ear pressure, while older children can chew gum; antihistamines and decongestants are not recommended for this purpose and are contraindicated for some ages, the CDC says.

On food and water safety, the CDC notes breastfeeding offers protection against foodborne illness, and that for formula-fed infants, caregivers should disinfect water used for preparation because bottled water can be contaminated in some regions. The AAP similarly advises avoiding street food or food prepared in unclean settings and choosing bottled or chemically treated water.

For sun and insect protection, the CDC recommends EPA-registered repellents containing 20–30% DEET for young children, applying sunscreen before repellent, and keeping repellent off hands and faces; physical sunscreens containing zinc or titanium oxide are suggested for children over six months. The CDC also flags that children face jet lag and altitude-illness risks similar to adults, recommending a gradual sleep-schedule adjustment and a slow ascent at altitude when possible.

Step 5: Prepare for the security checkpoint itself

The Hawaii DOT-republished TSA release lays out two separate age thresholds rather than a single rule: children age 12 and under may accompany a service member or Department of Defense staff member in TSA PreCheck lanes without restriction, while minors age 13 to 17 must be on the same airline reservation as a TSA PreCheck-eligible parent or guardian to receive expedited screening. The release does not spell out checkpoint procedures for strollers, car seats, formula or liquids, pointing families instead to TSA's main website and its TSA Cares program for passengers needing personalized assistance.

• Confirm routine and destination-specific vaccines with a pediatrician 4–8 weeks before an international trip, per the AAP.
• Carry the child's immunization record, since some countries require proof of vaccination such as yellow fever, the AAP notes.
• Book a window seat if bringing an FAA-labeled car seat; it cannot go in an aisle seat or exit row, per Safe in the Seat.
• Consider an FAA-approved harness device such as CARES for children in the 22–44 lb, under-40-inch range who no longer use a car seat.
• Pack water-treatment options or bottled water for formula preparation in regions where tap or bottled water safety is uncertain, per CDC guidance.
• Bring EPA-registered insect repellent and sunscreen suited to the child's age, applying sunscreen first.

What sources disagree or stay silent on

The TSA release reviewed ties its '12 and under' language specifically to children of service members and Department of Defense staff using PreCheck lanes, not to a universal minimum age for the dedicated family lanes themselves; the release did not detail checkpoint specifics for strollers or baby food, referring readers instead to TSA's main site. Car-seat age/weight thresholds for mandatory use on aircraft were also not spelled out by the source reviewed, since U.S. rules do not require a restraint for children under two who fly on a lap; aviation-safety advocates simply recommend one.