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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Janet Libert
Aired July 13, 2002 - 09:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if you're planning a summer vacation that involves these two components, airline travel and small children, you're probably about to break out into a cold sweat over the prospect.
Let's get some tips on how to do it and make everybody happy on board the aluminum tubes. We turn now to the publisher and editor in chief of "SkyGuide" and "SkyGuide Go" magazines, Janet Libert, joining us from New York. Good to see you, Janet.
JANET LIBERT, EDITOR, "SKYGUIDE GO" MAGAZINE: Hi, nice to see you.
O'BRIEN: All right. What's the best way to make this a pleasant experience?
LIBERT: You know, it really should be quite an adventure. Remember, children love planes, and the key to a successful airline trip with your kids is lots and lots of preplanning. And preplanning starts when you select your flight, when you call your airline or your travel agent.
Make sure they know that you're traveling with children (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
O'BRIEN: Well, now, wait a minute, children love planes, though, what do you mean by -- I mean, they -- they -- they don't love the thing with the ears, and they don't like being cooped up. They don't really -- they may like the concept of flying, but actually being in that seat is another thing.
LIBERT: You know, being in the seat is definitely a difference in watching them take off and land. But actually as a parent or an adult traveling with children, you can make the experience really good for yourself and for your child.
Remember that there's lots of things you can do while on board. But talking about the flight in advance and preparing them for the experience can really make it quite the adventure.
One of my nephew's first words was, "plane."
O'BRIEN: Ah, interesting. Now, couple things that I have noticed over the years, being both a business flyer and a flyer with children, is that a lot of people forget that maybe the kid likes planes, but the kid also likes to have a toy to play with, and they forget to bring things to entertain the children. You recommend having a lot of toys?
LIBERT: You know, one of my tips for parents who are traveling with children is to really preplan in that area. So not only -- we'll talk about toys, but also bring water and food. These days, a lot of airlines are not serving food on board, so you want to be prepared.
As far as toys, a suggestion that my sister talks about all the time is wrapping new, inexpensive toys in advance, having enough for the duration of the flight. And as the flight progresses, just handing out those preselected, prewrapped toys.
O'BRIEN: Wow, make it Christmas.
LIBERT: Yes, exactly. And also, you can check with the airline, because they also will have some amenities on board for kids.
O'BRIEN: Now...
LIBERT: So keep in mind...
O'BRIEN: I'm sorry, go on, finish up.
LIBERT: Well, I was going to say, also keep in mind that a lot of aircraft are now equipped with videos for the older kids.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, yes, I mean, I think a DVD player is good when they're a little older. My little boy likes to bring one of those little magnetic checkers deals or Battleship, that kind of stuff is always good.
All right, one thing, though, when they're very young, and with the pressure differential, that really can mess up a baby. What can you do about that? First of all, the baby, I guess, bring a bottle. But what about for older kids? How do you keep their ears from hurting?
LIBERT: You know, the same concept, food and drink and chewing gum, those are the kinds of things that'll help reduce your ear pressure. There's also things on the market called earplanes, which you insert in your ear, and that sometimes helps reduce the pressure.
O'BRIEN: All right. What about this whole issue of when, you know, to put a child in a seat, in the lap, when to bring the car seat, all these questions have been kind of in play for a number of years now. What's the current thinking on all this?
LIBERT: Well, here's the story on that. Children under the age of 2 can fly for free, and they're considered lap children, meaning they'll sit on your lap. The airlines and the FAA strongly recommend that you buy an infant ticket for your child so that you can have a set-aside seat and put in your car seat from your car, any FAA- approved car seat.
If you (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
O'BRIEN: But that costs, that costs quite a bit more money to do that, to reserve a seat for the child.
LIBERT: To buy -- it does cost a little bit more. Generally the infant ticket's about half the price of a -- of what you're going to pay for yourself.
O'BRIEN: OK. All right.
LIBERT: But at least then you do have a reserved spot for your child. I...
O'BRIEN: So you would recommend parents do that, budget for that.
LIBERT: I do.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LIBERT: Budget permitting. And a tip, if you don't want to buy the ticket, is to reserve in advance your seats, and to reserve an aisle and a window seat with the center seat left open. And then if the flight is not full, which is not so likely to happen this summer, lots of planes are full, but the airline will try to accommodate you and leave that seat open for you to put your child in it.
O'BRIEN: And I would just...
LIBERT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
O'BRIEN: ... I would just underscore the point by saying if you fly at -- you know, it's -- you know, people fly at the peak times. If you fly at the -- kind of the offbeat times, you're apt to get a wide-open plane, or at least some empty seats, you can get away with it. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when you show up with a baby, believe me, you'll have plenty of empty seats around you.
LIBERT: Oh, absolutely. Flight selection is key. Select a flight during nap time, select a red-eye, select -- you know, those -- early in the morning, select flights off-peak is a good suggestion.
O'BRIEN: All right. Janet Libert, who is with SkyGuide Publications, we thank you very much for joining us, and we appreciate your insights.
LIBERT: It's been great being here.
O'BRIEN: All right.
LIBERT: Thanks.
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