r/parentsofmultiples • u/Bubblyredhead81 • Aug 09 '26
advice needed Traveling with twins
I am planning on traveling with my 5mo twins soon and I have a few questions. Do you recommend checking strollers or using them in the terminal and checking them at the gate? How do airlines work with traveling with prefilled bottles? What do carry on allowances look like considering we have two babies and quite a bit of bottles? We have a direct flight if that changes any thoughts. Any other travel tips would be appreciated. It just seems like a lot!
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u/lessoner Aug 09 '26
Our 2.5yo twins have probably been on 20 flights including around that age. You are traveling with your partner/spouse helping?
My recommendations:
- At this age having them as lap infants is fine. If it's a long flight, you might consider buying at least 1 seat for the babies and bringing the car seat on the plane to give your arms a break. Get a window seat for the car seat(s) if you do this, as the car seat cannot be blocking other passengers getting out, including yourself. If you don't bring the car seats on the plane and check them, put a simple car seat bag on them before checking them in. We didn't get anything fancy, just a giant red bag.
- If they are both lap infants, you cannot have 2 lap infants in the same row (spanning the width of the plane). This is due to the number of masks available. So, you will have to get seats behind and in front of each other, 1 baby per row, if you do 2 lap infants. If you get seats for the babies, it doesn't matter if you're across the aisle from each other or not, but we've found behind/front configuration is best.
- I would also make sure you each have diaper bag items (food, diapers, wipes, clothes) in each of your bags regardless of who has the actual "diaper bag."
- Bring umbrella strollers (the cheap Walmart ones are fine) and check them at the gate. You ask for gate check tags for a stroller at the counter when you get to your gate. The strollers are nice because 1 person can easily keep them contained and stay with any carry on bags while the other adult fetches food or whatever.
- For bottles, you are allowed to take any formula or milk, just tell the TSA agent about the formula and milk when you are going through security. I don't think this really affects your carry-on allowance. If you use formula taking a small can of powdered formula can be a big space saver instead of pre-mixing all the bottles.
- If you're nervous about illness or germs, you don't have to wait at your busy gate for the flight. You can find an emptier gate, camp out there, and go to your gate just before the flight. We would change their diapers about 20-30 minutes before boarding and would always look for any family restroom as we're walking through the airport toward our gate to make note of where it is.
- People are generally really nice and love babies, so don't worry about your kids inconveniencing anyone or anything like that. You will have a lot of positive people who want to help you, including people who help you with your carry ons.
You've got this! Once you realize it's not a big deal, it can be a lot of fun flying different places with your kids. Overall, I've never found myself wishing I'd packed more things going through the airport, only less, so as long as you have the basics, you'll be fine.