14 Tips for Flying with a Baby

Traveling with infants and traveling with kids young enough to be in car seats can mean headaches for traveling moms. But these 14 tips for flying with a baby can make family trips easier.

1. Security rules require you to take the baby out of the car seat, and put the car seat, stroller, diaper bag and everything else through the X-ray machine. Carry baby in your arms through the metal detector. Be prepared, take your time and don’t stress about the people in line behind you.

2. Bring a stroller and car seat to the gate even if you didn’t buy a seat for the baby. There may be an empty seat available, and you’ll be happy to have it. Leave the base for an infant car seat at home. You don’t need it–just put the seat belt over the top on the slots.

3. When you get to the gate, stop at the counter and ask whether there are any open seats available on the plane. If there are, the gate attendant may move you to a row that has an empty (and free) seat.

Photo credit: Siva sathish (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

4. If the plane is full, you can check the car seat along with the stroller at the gate. Simply ask for a gate check at the counter. When you get to the door of the plane, fold the stroller and leave it there; somebody will grab it and stow it under the plane. Before leaving a stroller or car seat, take off anything that could get lost, such as toys and cupholders. I have been lucky with both babies in that I’ve always gotten empty seats when I had the infant seat. If the airline doesn’t offer to “preboard” families traveling with kids, ask if you can board early anyway. The worst they can do is say no.

5. Nurse or bottle feed your baby during take off and landing to help with the pressure in her ears.

6. Every plane I have flown has had a changing table in one of the bathrooms onboard. Ask the flight attendant where it is. If you are alone in the row of seats, or have someone there to help, try to change the baby in the seats because it’s a pain to shlep everything into those tiny bathrooms.

Photo credit: Patrick Jayne and Thomas (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

7. Pack a couple of big Ziploc bags (gallon size or so) and stick diapers and a few wipes inside. Use another Ziploc for the reusable items—changing pad, creams, powder. That way you won’t have to carry a huge diaper bag each time your baby needs a change. Use the Ziploc that held the diaper to lock in the odors from the diaper you just changed—this is especially important if you’re changing the baby in the seats and don’t want to incur the wrath of your neighbors. Be sure to bring mores diapers than you think you’ll need.

8. Bring a change of clothes for you as well as the baby. Many accidents get mom, too.

9. Formula is no problem to carry on. If you need bottled water for formula, buy it in the airport after you pass through security. You can’t count on a thing once you get on the plane.

10. If you are flying alone, don’t hesitate to ask flight attendants to hold your baby while you go to bathroom.

11. When your baby is past the infant car seat age, consider getting a “sit and stroll” which is a car seat that converts to a stroller; it’s an all-in-one for travel.

12. When your baby is past formula and breastfeeding, be sure to bring your own milk as well. (See No. 9 above.)

13. Security doesn’t usually hassle passengers about milk, juice, snacks, etc., when they are traveling with a baby. A trick to getting water through security is to put it into a sippy cup. Anything in a sippy cup tends to pass muster with TSA.

14. Consider apologizing in advance and being positive to those around you if you fear you will have a fussy baby. It catches them off guard and then what are they going to do? Give you a hard time? You already apologized!

8 Comments

Beth choisez on October 27, 2010 at 2:13 am

Great tips! I will add two. First, try and change the baby in the bathroom as it will keep diapers in the garbage and not in the seat back pocket. If not, please throw out diapers as soon as possible.

If you have an extra set of hands, have them board first with gear and you board with the little one last. If you do get that “free” seat, should include the window because that is where car seats go for safety.

Rachel on November 15, 2010 at 9:02 pm

I actually disagree w/the suggestion of getting on the plane first. Only do that IF you have car seats to install. If you do not have car seats to install then wait until the last possible minute to board. That’d mean less time in a confined space.

Along w/the gate check suggestion – always put car seats and strollers in gate check bags – not plastic bags of any kind – they will rip. You can find these bags on amazon and other retailers. They’re easier to spot when you pick up your item AND it keeps them clean!

Amy on November 29, 2010 at 7:19 am

I recently told a woman with a baby no when she dared ask me to trade seats so she could have the extra FREE seat I lucked into being next to for her noisy replicant. No one else with a spare chair accomodated her and her unwelcome freeloader, either.
I also have and will continue to complain if someone tries to inflict the BIOHAZARD of diaper changing or breastfeeding on me by trying to do either next to my seat. I know many others who also complain about this, and women who try it DO get told they must use appropriate places.
If someone tries apologising in advance for their baby being noisy , I will apologise in advance for my reflexive lashing out at anything that touches me or makes loud noise when I am resting, which I will be doing on the flight.Expect a LOT of purposely vulgar language from my husband and myself that isn’t aimed at you, but will be intentionally offensive, if you cannot keep your kid quiet.

Barbara on November 29, 2010 at 1:08 pm

Don’t even think of changing diapers at your seat. The only place to change diapers is in the bathroom.

AN on November 29, 2010 at 7:03 pm

Anyone who would change a baby in an airplane seat is a disgusting human IMO. Why should everyone else be subjected to faecal germs just because its a child? That is disgusting.

A Dude on December 1, 2010 at 12:53 pm

Here is the only tip you need when it comes to thinking about bringing your baby on a flight-DON’T.

If you do,though,accept that a lot of people resent it and for good reason.

There are a lot of us who dont care why you think you need to fly with baby.We just care that we dont want to have to see hear or smell it.

Baw on December 1, 2010 at 4:58 pm

#3- Amy- I feel sorry for your mother. Wait until you become a mother and your attitude will change. I had your demeaning attitude at one point in my life and readjusted. I actually hope I sit by you and will make your airplane ride miserable!
#6- Dude- part of life…feel sorry for your mother too….she should have raised your better. Hate to be in your life.
That’s the problem these days with people like this….instead of being demeaning and hateful, one should be considerate and helpful. Then the world would be in a better place.