How to Navigate the Airport with Kids

Airports are loud, crowded, and boring to kids, and that can make the kids anxious and uncomfortable — and then that makes the parents uncomfortable, too. If you’re about to travel by plane with your kids and are wondering how to navigate the airport without the entire journey becoming any more stressful than it already is, you can relax. There are plenty of ways to make the trip more fun for your kids and less nerve-wracking for you.

Make Sure You Have Entertainment

The growth of streaming services and the ability to watch videos on personal phones has been a blessing for every traveling family. You won’t be able to access a connection at all stages of your trip, so you’ll want to download videos your kids can watch as you wait in the airport and travel on the plane. Take all your kids into account; don’t leave the older ones to fend for themselves. Talk to them about what they might want to see. Also, look into downloading ebooks, too.

Visit the Kid’s Corner

If you travel through Philadelphia International Airport with younger children, visit the Kid’s Corner page! This is a section with educational games, including some you can print out, plus a wealth of information on planes and aviation. Look through the website with your kids and download or print anything they think they want to play with on the plane. You’ll find claims that the airport has two children’s play areas, but the first-hand reports about seeing those are several years old. The Philadelphia airport’s website lists exhibitions and shops where you can find children’s books and toys, so you may want to see for yourself what is still open or not if you are interested.

Address Ears and Air Pressure

The air pressure change can hurt your children’s ears during takeoff and landing. You can buy special earplugs for your children – even infants – that help equalize the pressure so their ears don’t hurt. That allows the kids to feel better and enables you to stay calm.

Get PreCheck as Soon as You Can

The PreCheck system lets you go through security with fewer requirements, and if you have kids, the process is faster and much easier than the regular security line. You don’t have to wrestle with as many bins or shoe regulations, for example, making it easier to keep an eye on your kids.

Find a Parking Lot With a Direct Shuttle

Instead of parking nearby and trying to walk your kids across a huge parking lot or trying to take taxis or buses, do something that may seem counterintuitive at first: Park further away at one of the off-site lots that have a shuttle. Instead of circling, parking, and walking (and possibly arguing with your kids during all of it), drive in, park, get on the shuttle, and before you know it, you’ll all be at the terminal. The best long-term parking in PHL may initially seem like it should be close, but the off-site lots can be more affordable. Plus, that shuttle lets you and your kids arrive at the gate relaxed and ready to fly. If you need short-term Philadelphia Airport parking, you may still find better deals at an off-site lot.

Keep Itineraries as Simple and Direct as Possible

Last, the number of stops and plane changes should be kept as low as possible. If you can book direct flights, that’s even better. You don’t want the stress of running across the terminal to another gate for the next leg of your trip, even when traveling alone, much less when you have kids. Jet Stream Parking offers short- and long-term parking lots with complimentary shuttles that take you straight to the airport. Contact us to find out rates and make reservations for your next trip.