10 Tips for Flying with a Baby

Hi friends. I know a few of you have upcoming travels with your babies and toddlers and have asked me for any wisdom I might have to share. We actually haven’t travelled too much via plane with Forest because it is kind of a pain. We have friends who seriously don't even flinch when faced with the prospect of flying with a baby. They are total pros. Not me. I hate it! But sometimes it’s a necessary evil, and from our experience, these are a few of the things that make it easier.  (I also asked some of my professional flying friends for their tips so I've included those as well). 

1) Give yourself plenty of time. We try to hit the security line at least an hour before take off. This gives us time to un-stressfully go through security, grab a bite to eat, feed the baby and give him a diaper change before boarding the plane. Also, if you’re traveling with a lap baby, you want to be the first at the gate when the attendants arrive so that you can snag an open seat if one is available. They usually set up shop an hour before the flight. (Bonus tip: it helps to have your super adorable baby on your hip when asking if there is an extra seat available. Try to act nice but also a little overwhelmed and slightly terrified.)   

2) If you are traveling with your partner, and if you’re able to choose seats upon checking in, choose the aisle and window seat. If there is an open seat left on the plane, it’s likely to be a middle seat. And if there ends up being a passenger in the middle, they are usually willing to switch for an aisle or window so that you can sit next to each other. Unless they are a total weirdo, NO ONE likes to sit in the middle. If you aren’t travelling with a partner, I’d recommend trying to snag an aisle seat. This makes it easier to get up with the baby for diaper changes and soothing purposes. 

3) If you can afford it and your flight is longer than 4 hours, buy the baby their own seat. It sucks to do this because there is a chance you could get them their own seat for free, but man, having that assurance would ease a lot of anxiety. Use your judgment on this too. You’re gonna have a lot better chance of getting a free open seat during the week, whereas on a weekend or holiday time, you’re probably gonna be out of luck. 

If they have their own seat, I’d say bring their car seat aboard if you feel like they’d sleep better that way. Some babies sleep just fine just on the seat but those babies do not belong to me. Anytime Forest has his own seat, we bring his infant car seat aboard and bring a blanket to drape over it for nap times. I can’t imagine him sleeping otherwise.  

One tip though- if you bring aboard an FFA approved rear-facing car seat in economy, the person in front of it will not be able to recline at all. It might be a nice gesture to offer to buy them a meal/drink/wi-fi but you’re certainly under no obligation to do this. Also, you'll want to put the carseat on the window seat otherwise no one will be able to pass in the aisle.

4) If you are traveling alone, have a short flight, or decide to fly with the baby in your lap on a longer flight, bring a baby carrier like an Ergo or Baby Bjorn, etc. It makes traveling through the airport much easier and also can help squirmy babies monkeys stay in place during flight. 

Forest still sleeps ok in his Ergo if necessary so that’s an added perk. 

Best. Dad. EVER.

Baby carriers also make getting through the airport much simpler and hands free so I think they are a must for plane travel!
 
5) Bring small entertaining toys. It might be helpful to bring a new toy as well since this will have novelty to a baby/toddler. I know some moms are against ‘screen time’ but Forest loves loves LOVES iPhones. 

He would sit still and play baby apps or watch videos of himself all day long if we’d let him. We try not to fall to this temptation at home, but on the plane? It’s perfect! I recommend the Peekaboo line of apps including: Peekaboo Barn (Forest’s fave), Peekaboo Wild, Peekaboo Forest, Peekaboo Fridge, and Peekabo Sesame Street. 

Also, small handheld toys that light up and make noise (not too much noise because you don’t want to bug the other passengers) are a great distraction and help to pass the time. For example:

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes- Buy on Amazon

6) If Formula is a part of your baby’s diet, buy a big bottle of water once you get through security so that you have sterilized water to make bottles with. Same for sippy-cups. Some airports will allow you to bring this with you through security if you label it as ‘baby food’ but I’ve heard conflicting reports. I will say that bringing breast milk and liquid baby meds larger than 4 oz has not posed a problem for us at all, though sometimes the security agents will ask to test it. Just separate it out and declare it to the agents so they can take a closer look. 

For our long transatlantic flight we brought some ready mixed formula in case Forest went on an increasingly common nursing strike...which he did, so it's a good thing we brought a back up food source! Ready made formula is an acceptable liquid to take on an airplane, just like pre-pumped breast milk.  

P.S. If your flight is longer than 5 hours or so, and you're breastfeeding, bring a pump on board just in case. I have PTSD from a 12 hour flight in which my son flat-out refused to nurse. Ouchie ouchie.

7) If your baby is awake during take off and landing, feed them a bottle or nurse them during ascent/descent to help them clear their ears. 

If they are sleeping- leave them be! They wouldn’t sleep if their ears were hurting so no point in waking them. If you don’t want to feed them, a pacifier should work as well. We always bring Tylenol aboard too in case his ears seems to be troubling him, which they haven’t so far. 

8) Change their diaper right before you board. If you’re lucky you won’t have to deal with diaper changes in the teensy weensy airplane bathroom if you’re flight is short enough! Even if it's a longer flight, at least this should cut down on 1 diaper change while aboard. If you do have to change them on the plane just bring your wipes and a diaper with you into the bathroom. Ain’t no room in there for a full on diaper bag. Make sure you pack at least one outfit change though because the altitude can cause some forceful expulsions. 

9) Bring any comfort/sleep time items aboard. We were shocked that Forest was able to sleep at all on the plane, but when nap time came he would cuddle up to his lambie and doze off. It was like a magic trick. 

10) Be organized! I am a bit of a nervous traveler and the only thing that seems to help me conquer my anxiety is to be organized and have Plan A, B, and C ready to go. If you’re travelling with a partner, try to divide the tasks and make it clear who is responsible for what. For instance, Jonathan is usually in charge of getting our bags checked, handling our IDs and boarding passes, and making sure we have snacks and entertainment whereas I am in charge of packing Forest’s diaper bag, feeding him, and getting him freshly diapered before the flight. 

I’ve yet to fly with him by myself and panic a bit when I think about managing it. I think I would for sure carry him in the Ergo on the plane and just try to be as organized as possible to minimize any uncertainties. 

The most surprising thing about flying with a baby has been just how understanding most people are and how they will usually go out of their way to help you out. Several women offered to help me pick up my bags when I had Forest on a hip in the bathroom. Flight attendants went out of their way to play musical chairs so that we could finagle a free seat on one of our flights. Several people came by to ask about Forest and compliment him for good behavior. Of course, not everyone is caring and compassionate, but the majority are and that helps a great deal! 

PS. For all y'all who say he looks just like his daddy- that nose is all mine:)

What about y’all? Any wisdom you can share for travelling with babies?