Traveling with kids (IAD-SIN) w/milk allergies; bringing soy milk onboard?
 

Before I send an email to the TSA asking their "guidance" (and expecting an inept response, if any), I figured I'd check with the collective experts here first.

My wife and I will be traveling from IAD to SIN in early February (and returning Stateside in March) on ANA via NRT with our two young kids (3.5 year old girl and 1.5 year old boy). My daughter has a seat while my son will be flying as an infant lap. While my wife and I are seasoned FF's in the past before kids came into our life, this is the first time we're flying with kids in tow so as you can imagine, I'm starting to get stressed out trying to figure out all the security related accomodations that are now in place (post-9/11 and 12/25 incidents) with regards to traveling with kids.

Our kids have eczema and milk allergy and our pediatrician has provided us with a "doctor's note" (basically written on his Rx notepad) indicating that the kids have milk allergy and requests to allow us to transport soy milk onboard as well as EpiPen Jr.'s (epinephrine injectors). Our kids currently drink Silk's Soy's milk products (that we get at Costco; 3 pack cartons) at home and my wife found that they also have them in convenient travel size packs (18 pack, 8.25 oz. each) that seems ideal for travel.

My question is, will TSA/airlines allow us to bring these 8.25 oz. boxes onboard for the kids, with the doctor's note? What about the kids lotions, creams, etc., especially the prescription ones, that came in 8 or 16 oz. sizes for their eczema, etc?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
David

My reply based on two years of baby travel but not internationally nor with special dietary needs: You're at the mercy of whoever is screening you. Bring the soy milk, but be prepared to toss it. Soy milk isn't exactly prescription medication. I can see someone giving you a hard time despite the fact your kids need it and despite the doctor's note. Expect inconsistency, as the homeland security secretary says.

Alternatives:

a) Powdered soy milk. (Isn't "real" soy milk from a solid anyway?) We carry powdered cow's milk with us. It comes in convenient paper packets. Take an empty quart water bottle through security with you, fill it at the water fountain and you're in business.

b) Does ANA cater soy milk aboard? It's an Asian airline. Worth an inquiry.

c) Skip the milk altogether and stick to juice and water. Problem solved. Maybe even let the older one have her first taste of S-O-D-A? It's gotta happen sometime.

d) Break the 8.25-oz containers into smaller 3.2-oz containers. (Big hassle.)

e) Pour the milk into breast milk containers and say it's breast milk. (Lying to federal officers not recommended.)

f) Recon IAD before your trip to see if perhaps soy milk is sold airside (no doubt for $2/fl oz.)

On the return out of SIN, I'd be shocked if you couldn't buy soy milk airside there. Again, not cheap.

If the liquids are meant for the children, in theory, they should be allowed through security. Of course, you don't have any recourse if the person screening you objects.

Tayd gave some entertaining ideas (the breastmilk one was especially creative, amusing even to this mom who nursed quite awhile). One I might add is to say it's for the younger child. Some TSA officers have objected to older children bringing liquids. The exemption is usually meant for babies so say it's his.

My oldest was allergic to everything but it didn't stop us from flying internationally. He was very allergic to both cow and soy milk (soy is an allergen and he reacted even worse to it than to regular formula). I used hypo-allergenic milk and that was all he could take for quite awhile. I'm mentioning this in case you want to try it out (perhaps discussing it with a ped first). It's expensive but if you can bring milk in powdered form, it's much easier for travel. Would your child drink it, if you can't find soy in powdered form??

Let's hope that the epi pens are not needed. Just mentioning that if you do use one, you have to give it to a F/A for disposal as they can't go in the normal trash (either the galley or lav trash-"bodily fluids").

You can bring a doctor's note for the creams but I recommend that you try to get them in smaller containers and/or buy travel sizes for your carry-on's. You can put any size (that fits) in your checked bags.

If it's any encouragement, my son outgrew all his allergies. Once in a very long while, he still gets some rash from something but he went on to eat anything and I was able to stop the special laundry soap, etc. The girls were put straight on to anti-allergen diets and delayed solids so we never found out about any allergies!

Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

It's been over a week and still no response from the TSA on my email that I had sent them (the email address was "[email protected]").

Soy milk on board ANA; I checked with ANA CS and they don't have soy milk on board. Interesting, when I called to request if I could change the meal request for my 15 month old from "baby meal" to "kids meal", they said they can't do it; it has to be stay at a baby meal beacuse he's considered a "baby" and not a "child" due to being under age 2. :confused: Considering that he's eating solid foods at home and ANA's "baby meal" is basically pureed food (think "baby jar foods"), I was a bit surprised. Guess we'll be bringing lots of food onboard for the kids.

Miss Swede is also allergic to dairy, so we bring travel-sized rice milk cartons with us when we fly. Actually, with all of her allergies, we essentially have to bring all meals with us for the trip.

In the past, a doctor's note explaining her allergies, why she needs all of these food items, and what medicines we need to have on us has worked for us.

However, Mrs. Swede was travelling alone (LIH-LAX) with the kids right after Christmas, and TSA basically made them undergo secondary and teritary screenings to ensure the rice milk and foods weren't explosives. :rolleyes: It took 30 minutes.

In short, bring a detailed doctor's note, but also show up to the airport earlier than what you're used to.

You're both lucky. My son couldn't tolerate cow's milk, soy milk OR rice. At least your children can drink something. We were stuck with the hypoallergenic milk (and its cost) for ages. All outgrown so I hope that's your stories too!

Be careful in Singapore. I used to live in Hong Kong and went to SIN a lot. I have the lactose problem (different) but I still can't do dairy. Some of the soy milks do have whey or milk added for taste. I found out the hard way so you don't have to! :D Check the label.

There is nothing inherent to soy milk that would exempt it from the same rules that apply to cow's milk. The most important point is that it is for your children. That's what they'll need to know and you may want to add the fact that you have checked with the airline and they do not have soy milk on board. Show the doctor's note and any email you have from ANA as you go through. If anything starts to get sticky, ask to see a supervisor before things get heated.

Good luck!