How to manage large amounts of luggage and children at the airport?

[ZingyLemon]

Not sure that my title is clear and am bracing myself for snooty 'pack light' 'have less children' comments 😅

I only have two children actually but both under 10 and the youngest has additional needs. We are travelling at Easter for a weeks holiday (Covid allowing natch). We previously travelled regularly but it will have been more than two years and in that time the children have gotten physically bigger (bigger clothes) and youngest child now has a wheelchair. We always struggled a bit to manage and I'm wondering how we will do it this time given we will have:
Luggage - at least two decent sized suitcases. We have the one on wheels but they still need pulling!
Wheelchair
2 x car seats - we have a special travel bag for these which means one of us can carry them on our back. (We need a special car seat for youngest so no possibility of renting).
Hand luggage.

It's too much to fit on one luggage trolley and one person needs to be free to push DD!

Any good tips? I know the airport will help us but just getting from the car park is an issue (we usually pay for premium parking because managing a transfer bus is impossible)

Firstly, I’d make sure you only bring things you actually need. Depending on your daughter’s needs I’m sure you may have extra equipment etc but when it comes to clothes I find we almost always bring too many for the kids - and ourselves!

Secondly, I’d consider at least one large backpack type bag instead of a suitcase. We have a few made by ‘Cabinmax’ and for about 9 years now, since our youngest was out of nappies have travelled with hand luggage only for a week-10 days with our 3 kids - we’ve only had a bigger suitcase for ski trips.

We usually use 2-3 of the cabin max style backpacks and then 2 small wheely suitcases. Being hands free makes travelling so much easier, and because they’re soft sided I find we can fit a lot more in.

Enjoy your holiday!

Get as much luggage on "wheels" as possible. Back packs for hand luggage will keep you hands free.

I have travelled a lot with lots of luggage and babies and toddlers and almost always people offer to assist and are really helpful.

If you can get a suitcase on four wheels then you can pop something on top an push them along. Biggest challenge is always from the car to check in. After check in you have a lot less luggage.

Your airline may offer assistance as well, worth looking into. In addition they may have a family check in zone, where the staff are specifically trained to deal with large amounts of luggage and kids as well as everything under the sun.

How old is your oldest?
They could quite possibly push a trolley under supervision (or their sibling?)

Or - would you qualify for assistance if you pre-booked it?

Child in wheelchair, everyone has their own hand luggage rucksack, Youngest child's rucksack on back of wheelchair? Then you should be able to fit 2/3 suitcases plus car seats on a luggage trolley. You only need to get them to the check in desk.

When we went on holiday in the summer DD age 5 managed her own cabin size suitcase.

Which airport are you travelling from?. I think you will find it is they rather than the airline you need to contact to arrange special assistance through the airport.

Two suitcases should fit ok on one baggage trolley, possibly car seats as well (we got a suitcase and three holdalls on one!). Make sure you have a pound coin.

Elder child.. little wheelie case.
Use backpacks fir your handluggage.

I used to travel alone with two U5s (but no wheelchair). Its not as scary after the first time.

Oh loads of tips, thank you. I won't try to namecheck because too complicated on my phone

We could travel lighter of course but frankly we don't want to! I find it much more relaxing when the kids have familiar stuff and everything they need rather than making do.

I don't think switching one of our wheeled bags to a backpack would help either - we only have two adult backs available (weird phrase but you know what I mean) if one is being used for the car seats and the other for a big bag then we would have to switch our cabin bags to wheeled cases which wouldn't help much.

Four-wheeled suitcases is what we have so we can put stuff on top when needed 👍

Oldest is 9. I don't think he could safely push a trolley but he can manage a wheeled bag as long as it's not too heavy. He has never pushed his siblings wheelchair (haven't had it long) but actually that's a great shout and they would both enjoy it. We should practise this because it would help a lot.

The wheelchair is very small and couldn't fit more than the smallest child size bag on the back but we don't take that much hand baggage (because we take so much cabin luggage!). Two rucksacks is usually plenty between the four of us.

Oh and it's Heathrow this time but we fly from
various (mainly southern) airports regularly plus of course the return leg from a foreign airport so general tips appreciated.

Phone assistance at the airport and ask what they can offer, someone may be able to help meet you at the car/taxi rank.
Also for a brief time - drop off to check in, an adult might manage one backpack/car seat on their back and one on the front. I usually manage the kids backpacks this way when they get fed up, mine on the back and theirs on the front

www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/accessibility-and-mobility-help/request-assistance

They are very good.

It doesn’t sound like you have too much to fit on a trolley. Those airport trolleys are big. Two suitcases ought to fit either on top of each other or side by side. And then you can probably put more on top or hang off the back.

Driver drops one parent with luggage and kids at curb. That will seem scary, but you aren’t going to try to get very far, just inside the doors where you will wait for other parent.

9 year old is absolutely going to help. Consider making sure one of the larger suitcases is a 4 wheel roller so that it is upright when rolling, have the 9 year old move that bag. Luggage trolley piled high with remainder pushed by one parent. Wheelchair pushed by other.

Can the oldest go on a backless booster seat on holidays? Then get a travel one (bubblegum and trunki are the ones I know). Much smaller! Trunki is a backpack and has space for a small amount if hand luggage. Bubblegum fits in a rucksac.
Get a 4 wheeled case the oldest can manage (or get them to push their sibling?). Hand luggage in a backpack for 2 adults. Whoever is carrying the carseat, rucksac on back of wheelchair. Then oldest plus 2 adults have a wheeled item and a back item each.

I’ve been you but alone at times and have a few tricks such as pushing two 4 wheeled suitcases with one hand by putting them back to back and holding them as if one handle. I used this trolley and bungy cords for my car seats and trailed it behind my trolley, they are absolutely brilliant and I then took it as hand luggage.
www.argos.co.uk/product/9278840

Was also going to say Trunki boostapack for the 9 year old. They hold more than enough for hand luggage.

Get special assistance. They are wonderful and really will help with the luggage / navigating through the airport. Don't stress yourself trying to do it on your own, that's what they are there for!

If using premium parking can you use the meet and greet kind? Then you are dropped at entrance closest to assistance desk. As per pp it the airport usually not the airline who provide this, but maybe if you have your own wheelchair you won't be using them at all? My flights are just me and DD. Up to 14 hours fly time and multiple stops. With my child from age 4 up they wheeled their own 30" case but definitely an upright with multi direction wheels as a pull along is so damaging for shoulders etc. I used a rein to keep them close to me in airport (actually a brightly coloured cheap 1.5m dog lead attached to the case) and absolutely drummed it in that they must always have a hand on their case until I gave permission otherwise. Around age 8 they were experienced enough to come off the lead. I also use a luggage hanger to attach the backpack to the case while wheeling. I use a backpack in airport and pack an empty handbag for on holiday or my handbag has to fit in backpack Once you're checked in then you've got more freedom. Back when I was on one cane before two sticks & needing airport's own wheelchair and full assistance this got me through the little areas between carts/security etc. And give yourself a lot of extra time to stop, rest and regroup through long concourses. But travelling disabled generally means you do have to use checked luggage and the extra cost and time around airport transfers etc that requires - just eat the cost to ensure convenience. Hope you a great time.

Ps book your assistance as soon as you book the holiday so you get staff allocated, I feel only a little sorry for people who thinl they can turn up and ask as they enter the airport, with staff shortages they'll risk missing the flight.

The key is a 4 wheel rolling case and hand luggage the fits over the handle without falling off or toppling the case.

I had to travel alone from Gatwick with my 5 month old and managed to push the buggy with car seat under it , changing bag over the handle steering with one hand and a 25kilo rolling case with the other hand.

I had emailed in advance to be told no passenger assistance.

I used velcro buggy clips to attach things so they didnt fall off and when I was really stuck trying to lift the buggy and car seat off the carousel whilst holding the baby I just asked someone to help me

It’s pretty easy; I travel a lot on my own with three kids and a LOT of luggage including car seats. Departures is super easy; get someone to drop you outside departures and get a trolley and load everything on. They can easily hold 5 big suitcases if you stack them properly. The kids can be responsible for their own hand luggage from the age of 2/3 (they started off with LittleLife wheeled suitcases and now carry full size wheelie cabin bags - NEVER use Trunkies as they’re a sod to deal with). Then it’s a really short walk to check in so that’s easy.

Once airside, some airports even have little trollies to help with multiple items of cabin baggage.

At arrival, it depends where we are going; long haul places usually have very good trollies or even porters freely available. Short haul you might need a Euro for the trolleys.

Again, you should be able to load all that lot onto one trolley and someone else can manage the buggy. Kids can manage their own hand luggage. It’s not usually far to the taxi rank and pretty easily done.

If it’s a really crap airport I might book special VIP services which can meet you from the aircraft and fast track you through immigration and carry baggage for you.

• One adult pushes wheelchair (and wears the bag pack with the car seats)
• One adult pushes two larger wheeled suitcases (one suitcase for 2 adults a side each, 1 suitcase for the you best child with additional needs) - also has a backpack with items for the plane for both adults
• Eldest child has own "carry-on" suitcase on wheels which they push themselves, and a backpack with items for the plane (iPad, headphones, sweets etc)
• backpack for the other child goes on their knee or on back of wheelchair

Can you get airport assistance for your child so you don't have to wait around and queue etc?

I travelled alone with mine, 2 under 5, one with asd. I would have two full sized suitcases, carryons and car seats (plane approved). I managed to fit everything onto one trolley and exh would push it to the check in, and then it got tricky as I had a carry on trolley case, two car seats, two mini back packs and double stroller - British airways would arrange someone to push my trolley (now with the car seats and carry on case on) to the gate and the gate staff let me leave my car seats there for a bit to entertain the kids, get food etc (I could push the stroller and pull the case just, mini backpacks underneath stroller). With two of you you should be able to cope without assistance just, opt for back packs for carry ons and perhaps the older child can help a bit

Call the airline and tell them you need assistance with your luggage as you have a wheelchair bound child you are travelling with. That’s what I would do. They’ll send a person with a large luggage trolley to meet you curbside. You unload, one goes off and parks. Then meet up and they escort you to check in...usually no waiting in a queue. Then they’ll hand you off at security for security process and after security another staff member will probably either load you all onto a golf cart type thing or push the wheel chair for you depending on how far away your gate is. The airline will then arrange similar assistance at destination.