In Slate, Sara Mosle talks about the stuff you could use to ease the pain of travelling with kids. In my mind, much of it seemed like overkill (and there was no mention of the critical DVD players, DSs or iPods) but this was sensible advice:
Over time, I've learned a few lessons. First, although infants can ride on a parent's lap up to age 2, you should spring for the extra seat if you can possibly afford it. That's especially true if you're traveling alone and can't trade off holding the baby. Otherwise, expect to emerge from the cabin at trip's end looking as if you were mauled by a feral cat. I know of nothing that prevents this except perhaps large, leather animal-trainer mittens. Second, think of the plane as a potential deserted island. During that 12-hour flight with my daughter, the plane had no food and eventually ran out of water; you need enough provisions to last a day. This includes a bucket-load of baby wipes (whether or not your baby is in diapers) and a change of clothes for your kid. Both help (trust me) with vomiting at 30,000 feet.For more, you can read the (now hidden) chapter from Parentonomics on "Travelling."
