One of the questions I get asked from new moms is, “Help! What are tips for airplane travel with my baby?” I’ve also seen many moms ask the same question on Facebook. They all revolve around the same questions:
- What’s your best advice for travelling with an infant?
- Tips for airplane travel with a baby?
- We’re visiting family and need tips for baby travel on an airplane ASAP!
- Can I even bring my car seat on the airplane?
- What’s the best way to travel with an infant?
- Is it weird to nurse my baby on an airplane?
- What are your tips for flying with a baby and not driving everyone else crazy?
- Will the pressure bother my baby’s ears?
- How do I pack light while travelling with an infant?
There is something daunting about dealing with security, the struggle to get there on time, how much “stuff” you think the baby needs for the plane, etc.
While a lot goes in to making it on time to the plane the plane ride itself can go very smoothly if you are prepared!
“Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…” Ahem. Excuse my corny Air Force joke. I have to get them in every now and then since I served for 7 years on Active Duty…anyway, on to the topic at hand!
I would argue travelling with a toddler requires a lot more creative thinking, but that’s a story for another day! (And is totally manageable too… just challenging for mom). But aren’t toddler’s cute in the airport….
This is all to say, I don’t think that parents should stay home or not travel just because they have a little one.
While sometimes there are medical concerns for not travelling, if you have a healthy baby, then most doctors would say, “Go and do it!”
I think you should travel early and travel often.
Teach your kids early how to travel and to travel well. Teach them to explore and visit new places. This can start with you being able to get up and go even when the kids are still too little to really remember the trip. You can totally travel on an airplane with an infant for fun trips with you and the hubby.
Don’t feel like you HAVE to stay home just because you’re a new mom!
So, mama, you ready to hop in and take off to new horizons??? Okay, sorry… I guess I’m feeling corny today.
I don’t want to waste any of your precious time so you can get back to your babies! Here are tips for flying on an airplane with an infant and making your baby travel as easy as “climbing high into the sun…”
There are affiliate links in this article. This means if you click on a link, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!
The Best Tips for Flying with a Baby
1. Wear a Baby Carrier
Baby carriers allow you to be hands free while travelling with an infant
If there was only one piece of advice I would give to new moms it would be this one. Wearing a baby carrier in the airport frees up your hands and also allows you to travel a little lighter to the gate.
The pic above is us riding on the bus to the airport with Little Two in one of the Ergo Originals, but they didn’t have the Ergo 360 when we were originally buying our baby carrier or I might have gotten that one.
Minimize the airport germs
There is also the added benefit that your baby stays close to you in a busy, germ-y airport, and that they are comforted by you in the baby carrier. Baby carrier are also nice once you get on the plane as well. My kids always fell asleep in our Ergo. The carrier allowed them to sleep on my chest on the flight, but again, allowed my arms to be free so I didn’t get a cramp holding baby while on the plane.
Go through security with ease
Another added benefit is when you are travelling with an infant or toddler, the whole family can go through the scanners that aren’t as harmful radiation wise. The kids can leave their shoes on. The baby can stay in the baby carrier, and you can walk through the metal detector with less affect on you and your baby!
Word of warning on baby carriers on planes
The only con to this piece of advice, is if your baby falls asleep before takeoff, the flight attendants might ask you to take them out of the baby carrier for take off and landing for safety reasons. But that’s the only con I’ve seen for this part!
2. Don’t forget the birth certificate
The first couple of times I travelled with Little One, he was really little. Little One flew on an airplane when he was less than 2 months old! Obviously, when we showed up at the ticket counter, they KNEW that he was under 2 years old.
However, when we went to fly when Litte One was around 1 years old, the ticket couinter asked for his birth certificate when we were checking in. I was slightly startled because I didn’t realize we would need it. We had never been asked that before, and I just assumed they would take our word for it!
I guess there are enough people out there that try to scam the free for lap babies under the age of 2 rule that they require you bring the birth certificate. Needless to say, if your child is under the age of 2 and you plan on having them sit in your lap, make sure to bring the birth certificate!
3. Bring the stroller and car seat to the gate
Okay, I will admit that this is more a 50/50 split on recommendations. I personally love to bring my car seat and stroller to the gate, but some people are adamant about checking them when they check the bags.
People who check the stroller and car seat don’t want to have to deal with the extra luggage going through security or to worry about protecting the stuff at the bottom of the ramp when they drop it off.
And if you have a toddler car seat, I TOTALLY understand not wanting to carry it through the airport. Another option other than checking the car seat is to check Fly Baby Gear to see if they deliver to your location. Fly Baby Gear allows you to rent baby gear to be delivered and picked up for your traveling convenience. Just saying!
But, for me personally, I love to bring my infant car seat all the way to the plane! So how do you do it?
Navigating airport security with a car seat
It’s not normally an issue to bring the infant car seat through security. When you get to security, just plop the infant car seat upside down and let it go through the conveyor belt.
Getting the baby stroller through security
For the stroller, collapse it down and do the same thing, or if it’s too big, (we always brought the single Bob Revolution SE jogging stroller because it was the only stroller we had), they will let you push it through the security check point and will just hand check it. This is a minor inconvenience and just something that needs to be planned on time wise.
While it is great to have your hands free because you’re carrying the baby in the baby carrier while walking through the airport, it is also great that you have the stroller because you can load it up with any necessary supplies that you brought along with you.
Strollers are great for putting the diaper bag or any other travel backpack you might have brought along for the plane! They are also great on the other end, if where you are travelling to doesn’t have a stroller.
But if I had to choose stroller or baby carrier… I would choose brining the baby carrier ever time!
When you get to the gate…
….make your way over to the counter. Not only will they issue you gate check tags for the stroller and car seat, but but you can ask a CRUCIAL question that could make your flight even better:
Ask the counter, if there are any extra seats on the plane!
Why would you do that do you ask?
First off, I’m assuming you are bringing your baby as a lap infant and that you didn’t buy a ticket for your baby. If you did, then this piece of advice doesn’t apply to you!
But if you are planning on your baby sitting in your lap throughout the flight, then this is the CRUCIAL question.
Sometimes, when there’s an extra seat on the flight, they will allow you to bring the car seat on to the plane and baby can have their own seat! Say what?!
You can then buckle baby into the car seat during the flight and give them their own seat. They might even sleep in there the whole time if you’re lucky! But at the least, you will have a place to lay your little one down next to you.
If the car seat thing doesn’t workout, as I mentioned the counter will just let you know, and you can gate check the car seat and drop it off at the end of the ramp before boarding the plane.
This has happened enough times for us that I would recommend bringing your car seat all the way to the counter, every time!
4. Nurse or bottle feed during takeoff and landing
We all have experienced the additional pressure in our ears during landing especially. Since you can’t teach your baby how to valsalva to release the pressure in their ears, you can help them swallow. I love this Milk Snob nursing and car seat cover combo for travelling on airplanes because it offers privacy for the baby, and I don’t feel like I’m flashing anyone.
Plan to try and nurse your baby at least during landing to encourage them to swallow and release some of their ear pressure.
If you aren’t breastfeeding, the same would apply for feeding them a bottle while landing to get the swallow going to pop their ears!
5. Use a Backpack as your carry on
If you don’t have a diaper bag backpack like this one, then you should definitely carry a backpack on the plane while travelling with an infant. Leave the real diaper bag at home for the trip.
Backpacks allow you to be hands free when you are travelling with a baby in an airport. You can carry the infant on the front and the backpack on the back for both balance and ease.
Backpacks also normally fit in the seat in front of you which means easy access for diapers, changing pad, wipes, etc.
Speaking of….
6. Bring a wipe/diaper grab and go clutch
Throw this handy diaper/wipe clutch into your carry on for easy access if you need to change that inevitable diaper on the plane. When you have the blowout this will be a must have. We loved ours that my sister-in-love made for us!
Bonus use (because I don’t want to recommend buying something you only need every now and then) is you can throw this clutch on the stroller for walks or trips to the park have a changing pad, diapers, and wipes all in one go to location.
Other Products You Might Like from Amazon
7. Bring a change of clothes for baby AND you
While I bet you’re used to carrying around an extra outfit for your baby, you probably don’t carry around an extra outfit for yourself very often. This would be a good practice for the plane JUST IN CASE there is a major blow out or spit-up unexpectedly on the plane.
Believe me it happens. I think packing an extra pair of clothes for you is a lot like bringing an umbrella to ward off rain. If you have it, you won’t need it.
Or at least that’s what I’m praying for you, mama!
8. Take a picture
If you follow the few steps I already mentioned then you are well on your way to a peaceful flight with your little one.
Obviously, there are other factors that are just out of your control that hopefully won’t interfere in your travel with your sweet one.
But either way, I hope that once you get on the plane and settle in, take a picture of baby’s first flight and put it down in the books as an experience for you and baby!
Subscribe
Simplified Motherhood is a blog for new moms, productivity tips for moms, and other encouraging mindsets for mothers. If you want more goodness in your inbox and encouraging tips, subscribe here. You won’t be sorry. And, you can unsubscribe anytime you want (I hope you don’t… but I’m just saying!)
