If you’re a parent who travels often with children you know the challenges of doing so. We are very brave souls! Between the bathroom breaks, requests for snacks and “are we there yet” questions, everything from getting through security to finding the gate can be difficult.

My little ones on one of many Delta flights

Personally, I love traveling and having children only gives me more ideas of places to go—from Disney to Oahu, Hawaii, my kids love to travel. If you’re getting ready to travel with kids, here are some tips that can help you, your child and, well, the entire plane!

Take off and landing

The change in cabin pressure can be awful for little ears. If you have an infant, take off/landing are the perfect times to nurse or feed the baby with a bottle. For a toddler, a pacifier or a sucker can be a great remedy. Chewing gum is also great for the kids that can handle it (once my 3 year-old complained of her ears hurting and I gave her a piece of gum to help. She put the gum directly in her ear—so be sure to give a full explanation of the purpose!)

And if your child has a stuffy nose or isn’t feeling well, be sure to give them some Tylenol (or such) while sitting at the airport. Waiting until the plane takes off will be too late.

During the flight

Younger babies (under 6 months) tend to sleep on planes, and many are lulled by the engine noise. Let them sleep! If your baby is awake and fussy, use a Baby Bjorn or baby sling to walk up and down the aisle to give them a change of pace. Be sure to bring some toys (stuffed animal, books, rattle to keep the baby amused), and don’t forget teething toys for babies needing something to chew. For toddlers: movies, a variety of favorite snacks, and making a little tent on the floor with a blanket can be a great distraction.

Also be sure to befriend the flight attendants and gate agents. There are so many nice flight attendants out there who are more than happy to help you. I’ve had some flight attendants help make my trip go more smoothly by delivering some extra Biscoff cookies (a favorite for big kids, too), allowing us to move around in the aisle, or provide an extra blanket or two.

Overall, the best thing you can do is relax and enjoy your trip. Traveling with small children can be intimidating, but with the right tips and tricks you can make it easy.

Do you have tips for air-travel with children? Share them here on the blog, on the Delta Facebook page or tweet them to us! We’ll feature the best tips to share with fellow parents!

Libby H.

Manager, Internet Marketing

Delta Vacations

It’s almost that time of year we all look forward to—Spring Break! When the weather is warm and we get a break from our daily lives to enjoy time with friends and family. Whether you’re looking for a place to take the kids or a relaxing location for two, here are our Top 5 Spring Break vacation recommendations I know you’ll enjoy:

• Cancun/Riviera Maya, Mexico – For me Cancun and Riviera Maya are always the perfect getaway. Last year the Cancun area totally revamped their beaches and it has definitely paid off—the beaches are bigger and more beautiful than ever. Riviera Maya is about 30 miles south of Cancun and little quieter, so if you’re looking for a more secluded getaway for two then this is right area for you. Regardless of where you stay, you’ll be treated like royalty—resorts in Mexico are known for making their guests feel extra special and welcomed. 

• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – I was lucky enough to go down to Punta Cana earlier this year for the first time and I can say with confidence that I am absolutely going back. I stayed at the brand new Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe, which sits right on Bavaro Beach (voted by National Geographic as one of the top 10 beaches in the entire world!). It was absolutely gorgeous. I can easily see why Punta Cana is quickly becoming one of our most popular vacation destinations.

• Orlando, Florida – Orlando is a classic place to go for Spring Break and a family vacation. There’s never a dull moment with all of the theme parks, shopping areas, golf courses, restaurants and so much more. Orlando really takes me back to being a kid—it’s a great vacation for the young and young at heart!
• Jamaica – Another place I would recommend for a Spring Break destination is Jamaica. I took a vacation to Montego Bay and loved every minute of it. I’ve been to many Caribbean Islands before but only in Jamaica did it seem like I was lying out on the beach for days when only an hour had passed by—it was so relaxing time simply slowed. Minutes seemed like hours, and it was heavenly!

• Hawaii – Hawaii is another great Spring Break destination for the whole family. Because of the different islands you can really tailor your vacation for what you’re looking for. Whether you want a beach getaway, history and culture or an adventure, you can find it all in Hawaii. 

Wherever you decide to go for Spring Break I hope you enjoy it!

Sean C.
Delta Vacations

In August we introduced you to our new homepage and the new look and feel of delta.com – with faster, easier access to everything you need to plan and manage your travel. Based on what we’re hearing, many of you are excited about the new website design. In November, we continued our updates by releasing changes to the delta.com booking experience, giving you more options to filter, modify and sort flight search results to find what you want.

Just like we promised last year, we’ve now added the same design elements to the SkyMiles Award booking experience, making it easier for you to search for and find Award seats.

We’ve changed the way the Award calendar is presented.  We’ve also improved the Award Travel booking process to more clearly display flight information throughout the booking process:

• We have given you additional links to access our SkyMiles Award Travel Charts.   
• Just like when purchasing a ticket, you can now filter search results by number of stops, flight duration, connection and airport preferences.  
• Onboard flight amenities like Wi-Fi, in-flight entertainment, onboard power or full flat-bed seat availability will now be shown when searching for flights.

Book an Award ticket now and try out the changes to our site. Functional award calendar improvements are coming to the SkyMiles award calendar soon.  

As always, we’re making changes to provide a better experience for you, so let us know what you think and what features you would like to see added or improved.

Cheryl B.

Product Specialist, delta.com and Self Service