WSJ: Kids-free flights?

The Wall Street Journal has brought up the tired debate over kids on airplanes yet again. An article in The Juggle blog asks whether there should be planes segregated into kiddie and kid-free zones.

One well-publicized (and admittedly unscientific) survey last summer of some 2,000 passengers by Skyscanner, a fare-comparison site, found that nearly 60% of passengers supported creating special sections on flights for families, and some 20% hoped to see child-free flights. There’s an increasingly popular Facebook group called “Airlines Should Have Kid-Free Flights,” founded by a frequent flier from Boston who suffered through a flight from Los Angeles to the U.K. near a screaming kid, according to the New York Times. And there was even a bill introduced in Congress several years ago that would require family-only sections on flights (to protect kids from violent in-flight films), the Times reported; the bill has yet to come to the floor for a vote.

However, the Air Transport Association, the airline trade group, told the Times it’s unlikely that the airlines would ever offer child-free flights, given the many logistical and scheduling challenges involved, especially as they seek to return to profitability and attract more customers. Creating families-only sections would also reduce flexibility in seat assignments, critics say. (Some handy tips for reducing drama–and trauma– while traveling with kids can be found in this previous Juggle post and at the site JetWithKids.com.)

What do you think? Should there be special kid-free flights as well as flights geared to families?

How to put joy into the drive to grandma's house

For many families grandmother's house isn't simply over the river and through the woods. Rather it's a long, four-, or six-, or even eight-hour straight shot down the highway. For kids in the car, this can be rather...b-o-r-i-n-g. And when the kids become bored, they drive mom and dad nuts.

Here are a few tips on keeping everyone happy and entertained on a long holiday road trip:

Sing Christmas carols. Yes, it's corny but singing Jingle Bells is bound to put everyone in the holiday spirit. Find song lyrics online at christmas-carols.net, print them out, and pass them out in the car.

Stop every two hours: You're probably in a hurry to get a taste of Aunt Sue's mincemeat pie, but it's wise to slow down and take the time to pull off the road so the kids can stretch their legs.

Listen to A Christmas Carol: Everyone in the car, even the driver, can listen to a Book on Tape, which you can borrow from your public library. You can also easily download audio books onto your iPhone or iPod. Holiday favorites include Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, The Night Before Christmas read by Meryl Streep, and A Christmas Story, the Jean Shepherd book that inspired the hilarious classic film.

Pack snacks. Fill a cooler with healthy snacks—dried fruit, cheese, crackers, fruit, and a few holiday treats such as homemade cookies.

Write holiday cards. Put the kids to work and have them help you write and address holiday cards. Younger kids can decorate envelopes with stickers.

Decorate the car. Kids can adorn their windows with holiday scenes by using Crayola's Window Crayons, which easily clean up with baby wipes.

The perfect winter travel boot

I'm preparing for a winter trip to London, which means I'll need warm clothes and a comfortable pair of waterproof boots.

Enter Rieker's Sybille, a German boot that's lined with real wool. I just bought a pair and tested them out on a five-mile walk on a rainy day in San Francisco. No blisters and warm, dry feet.

I purchased mine for $149, which seems like a lot but these boots are well-made and will last many years. I found this pair for $150 at Pegasus Shoes.

Handmade travel games on Etsy

Who knew? Etsy, a website where artists feature their handmade items, is a great place to find travel games for kids.

I recently came across these three while browsing the site. They all make great stocking stuffers—though you might want to give them to the kids before the long drive to grandma's house.


My Pocket Games is a portable handheld game free of annoying beeps, buzzes and batteries. It contains five fun games: Tic Tac Toe, Dots and Boxes, Hangman, Alphabet Game, and Pipes. Directions for each game are included. There is also a blank page where kids can draw or make up their own game. The rainbow colored pages pictured are just for example. $5.50.



Never lose a crayon again with this Cloth Wallet. Each crayon has it's own little pouch. They won't fall out in your purse or get lost under the car seat! Comes with 8 Crayola crayons and one pad of paper. Lined with fleece to offer a bit of padding and support. Machine washable. $11.




Turn off the car's DVD player and drum up some imagination... get them looking out the windows at the world around them! TravelnPlay features three laminated cards and three dry erase markers with built in erasers. Two of the cards have bingo for a little healthy car competition each card with a different set of activities on the reverse side so once you are done with your game you can switch with the other person! The third card is the ever popular license plate game that the whole family can play together! Every time you see a different state's license plate x off the state... Not only is the game fun... but you may just learn where each state is located! $15.

Flying with kids this holiday? Here's how to get through airport security

If you're flying this holiday season, you might bump into the new full body scanners at airport security, or you might not. The Transportation Security Administration is rolling out the scanners, and by Thanksgiving some 70 airports will be equipped with them.

This is likely to cause some confusion. The TSA will allow you to opt out of the full-body scanners but then you do need to undergo a pat down. Here are some tips for families on getting through security from the LA Times:

Body scanner: Everyone being scanned through the new machines must be able to walk into the device and raise their arms as instructed by TSA staff. This applies to 3-year-olds and 93-year-olds. No one is allowed to, say, hold a young child or accompany an elderly person through the scanner. Be sure to take everything out of your pockets, not just coins and other metal, before going through the scanner.

Special cases: People who are unable to stand and raise their arms to be scanned (but aren’t opting out) will be screened using a metal detector, Melendez said.

Child pat-down: If a child is 12 or younger and unable to proceed through the body scanner alone or opts out, then he or she is subject to what the TSA calls "a modified pat-down" search. If the child is older than 12 and opts out of the scanner, he or she is subject to an "enhanced pat-down. " The TSA, citing security reasons, has not provided details on either type of pat-down. But the enhanced pat-down is widely understood to include closer examination of genital areas. It is unclear whether the modified pat-down includes the genital areas.

That said, if an alarm goes off during screening by the new scanner or regular metal detectors, any passenger will be subject to an enhanced pat-down (except for those 12 and younger, who get the modified pat-down).

How to prepare: I suggest parents explain to their kids all the procedures that they may encounter as they pass through security, including the possibility that they may be touched by TSA personnel as part of a pat-down. Parents won’t necessarily be with their kids as they pass through the scanner or get patted down.

I also advise checking out the TSA's advanced imaging technology web page that explains – in pictures, words and video – what the full-body scan entails.

To learn more: For more on the TSA's take on the security changes, check out the TSA blog post "Pat-Down Myths and Facts." To read about the controversy over the changes, see "TSA body scanners still raising concerns? Here's why" and "Government holding firm on airport pat-downs and body scans despite deluge of complaints."

How to make your holiday flights jolly

Long lines, lost luggage, storm delays-flying during the holidays can quickly turn you into Scrooge. But if you follow these tips, you'll still be in the holiday spirit when you arrive at your destination.

Lose the layovers Avoid stopovers, especially in airports such as Denver, Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis where weather delays are common. If a connection is necessary, fly through a Southern hub such as Dallas, Charlotte, or Phoenix, where you can at least eliminate the possibility of weather being a problem.

Check in at home Most airlines' Web sites now make it possible for passengers to print out bar-coded boarding passes at home.

Beat the traffic If you live far from an airport and have an early flight, stay at an airport hotel the night before; some allow you to park your car at the hotel until you return. Check www.bestwestern.com.

Reserve parking During the holidays, airport parking lots fill up fast. Luckily, you can reserve spaces ahead. Even better, ask a neighbor to give you a lift or arrange for a shuttle.

Avoid gift glitches Leave the presents unwrapped because security measures may require wrapped packages to be unwrapped. Another option: To avoid gift wrapping late into the night after your arrival, mail gifts ahead.

Carry on some fruitcake—and a sandwich Food is nonexistent on most flights these days so bring a sandwich from home and a holiday treat to keep yourself in the spirit.

Entertain the kids...or just yourself Play holiday movies such as Polar Express and Elf on the DVD player; bring paper, stickers, and crayons to make holiday cards; and pack travel Scrabble but play with new rules—holiday words only.

Spread the joy Pack a box of chocolates to pass out to other passengers, or bring a treat for the flight attendants.

Bedeck your bag The last thing you want to deal with is a piece of lost luggage so tie a red ribbon around the handle.

TSA pats down a screaming 3-year-old: Has airport security gone too far?

I'm all for airport security but I'm afraid the TSA went too far when they accosted a 3-year-old at an airport in Tennessee. Three-year-old Mandy Simon (pictured) got upset when she was forced to put her teddy bear through the X-ray machine. And then when she walked through the metal detector she kept setting it off. This led TSA workers to demand a pat down.

Mandy screamed, yelled and kicked--and her father, Steve Simon, who happens to be a news report took video footage with his phone and later did a news segment. Watch the video.

What do you think? Did the TSA go too far with this one?

Thanksgiving travel tips from travel expert Peter Greenberg

Just how safe is holiday travel?

Many people who don't ordinarily fly hop on planes over the holidays. Even those who fear flying will do so in order to pay visits to great-grandmothers, long-lost friends, and aunts. This infographic from blog.friendlyplanet.com is a great reminder that flying is actually the safest way to travel.

San Francisco Giants Victory Parade

Our beloved San Francisco Giants won the World Series and I pulled my kids out of school for the Victory Parade that passed down Market Street. Here are some images from the day.

Kids travel smoothly with 'Let's Go Chipper'

The "Let's Go Chipper" activity kit and book are designed to take the stress out of traveling with children. Told through a fun, perky squirrel named Chipper, the book offers up tips for kids on what to pack for a trip and how to get through airport security. And it takes you through the experiences of boarding, flying, and arriving. There's also an activity book with crayons nestled into a plush, self-adjustable pillow backpack that helps prepare kids for flying before you even pack a bag. (The only thing missing is a bottle of wine for mom...) $14.98, letsgochipper.com.