JSrombough: you said, getting to the airport about "80 minutes [in advance] is cutting it close on a normal day" but you do not seem to think that is totally unacceptable or say whether you think the airlines need to correct the problem of absurdly long check in lines. Therefore, IMHO, you are missing the whole point of this thread: no one (whether they have children or not) should have to wait 45 or 60 minutes or more on line. The airlines have a major problem with terribly long check-in lines and this problem is only going to get worse in the coming years as airplanes get bigger and fuller.

You seem to accept the fact that the lines are going to be long so you arrive 2 hours early and watch planes take off. I too fly alot with my children, some of it international. You seem to make assumptions about me which are just plain false: like you, I always arrive at the airport at least two hours or more in advance with just one suitcase for the four of us, and 1 stroller plus one carry on with toys, a change of clothes and food in case of being stuck on the tarmac. And while we wait, we watch the planes. We seem to have only two differences. First, I prefer to bring my own car seats because I use them on the plane for safety (my kids are very young). Second, I find it completely unacceptable that anyone should have to get to the airport 2 hours or more in advance for a domestic flight. If something is not done soon we will have to get to airport 3 or 4 or 5 early. I for one believe the airlines can do something about this and I think this forum is a great place to suggest ideas which the airlines may someday incorporate. On one recent occassion I arrived at 5:55 am which was 80 minutes early: whether I had kids or not, that should have been enough time. I have been to EWR airport enough times to judge the time it will take the lines to reach the counter and it would have been longer than 80 minutes. If getting to the airport 80 minutes early is not enough then the system need fixing.

In any event, welcome to this forum since that was your first post.

As for you BoSoxFan 45: you did not strike a nerve with me because I do not drive huge gas guzzling Suburban (I drive a Honda Accord) and I arrive at the airport early whether I am travelling with my kids or not. In fact, I go to the airport on weekends with my three year old just to watch planes take off and ride the monorail. We make a day of it. But I do maintain that my arriving 80 minutes early should have been sufficient and if it is not then like I said above, the system needs fixing. Nevertheless, we are lucky enough to live in a time when we (especially the people who read this web site) are able to fly almost anywhere, anytime for reasonable fare if you plan in advance. In having children I made a choice and I choose to fly with them as much as possible so they may see as much of this world that I can show them. I do not feel I am entitled to cut any lines, but if the lines are 80 minutes long I think I may choose to cut in rather than miss my flight. And until this problem is fixed I think I will get to the airport 150 minutes in advance...but it is not fair or right that people should have to spend so much time in line. I do not have all the answers but as a group the people on this site can make change and we should.