The thought of flying with an infant is terrifying. Especially if you have never done it. All of us parents know that having a child changes everything. And flying is one of the things that scares the beejeezes out of most parents (new and old.) I am going to go in detail on how flying with an infant is completely doable (and not scary at all!)
How to book your ticket
Babies under the age of 2 do not need a seat but you do need to add them to a flight. I have flown with a lap child on American Airlines, Southwest, Delta and United Airlines. You need to call the airline after booking your flight to add them to your ticket. For domestic flights on American Airlines, a lap child is free with an accompanied adult. However, for international flights an accompanied infant pays 10% of the applicable adult fare for the international portion. In addition to this, taxes might be assessed. For our trip to Turks and Caicos, we paid $16.25 for our lap child.
What the infant needs to fly
- Birth certificate. I always carry a copy in my wallet for every flight just in case.
- Passport: Only needed for international flights.
What you and the baby should wear
- Everyone should wear comfortable clothes and the baby needs to be in something that is easy to change. Nothing with 100 buttons or difficult zippers, etc.
- Breastfeeding or pumping mamas: My breastfeeding outfit of choice was a nursing tank, button down shirt and leggings or comfortable jeans. This made it was easy for me to get my breast out and be covered during take off and touch down.
- Easy shoes to take off during security. If you have TSA precheck or global entry you don’t have to take them off. However, the TSA precheck lines are not always operating so come prepared.
What to bring
- A baby carrier. Wearing your baby is by far the easiest way to get around the airport and especially during security. I love the Ergo Baby and wore both kids for flights for as long as I could.
- At least 2 extra outfits for the baby and 1 extra outfit for you. Babies are a poop explosion waiting to happen! Plus there is always spit up, throwing up, etc.
- Empty gallon-sized zip block bags. I always have at least 5 in my diaper bag. This is how I bag up dirty clothes after an accident.
- Baby food + formula and all the accessories. For formula mamas, bring a bag of formula and get a bottle water in the airport before boarding the plane.
- At least two bottles for formula/pumping mamas.
- A portable breastpump. I made the mistake of assuming I would have an outlet when flying one time. Big mistake. If you do not have a portable breast pump, you will need to bring a small one regardless of flight time. Flights are unpredictable. The last thing you want is a hungry baby while enduring the pain of engorgement.
- Light blanket. Not only will a light blanket help keep your baby warm, but you can use it to cover yourself up while nursing or you can even lay the baby down on one during a flight. Do not use the plane blankets!
- Small fan. If a plane is taking forever on the runway, it can get hot and you do not want that baby to get hot! We got stuck in the airport elevator in New Orleans on our first flight. It was so hot that I ended up stripping Margaret down to her diaper. It would’ve been nice having access to a small fan.
- If baby likes pacifiers, bring at least 2!
Security
Items allowed in security according to TSA:
- Formula, breast milk, juice in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces of 100 milliliters are allowed in carry-on baggage and do not need to fit within a quart size bag. Keep these items easily accessible since security will screen these items separately. TRAVEL TIP: Ask the security officer to change his gloves before handing your precious milk/formula!
- Ice packs, freezer packs, frozen gel packs and other accessories required to cool formula, breast milk and juice are allowed in carry-on.
- Gel or liquid filled teethers, canned, jarred and process baby food is allowed. I’ve had a TSA agent question my baby food pouches before, but they were never taken.
- Epipen—both of my girls have food allergies. The epipen has caused my bag to be searched on multiple occasions but it’s never been confiscated.
Helpful tips in security
- If you can, get TSA Precheck or Global Entry. It will make it a little easier since you don’t have to take off your shoes.
- Wear your baby but be prepared to take the baby out of the carrier. I’ve only been asked to take my daughter out of the carrier once.
Car Seat
You do not need a car seat for a lap child. If you do not want to hold your child the entire flight, then you need to bring a FAA approved car seat (remember this article is about flying with an infant meaning a child under 12 months old.) I have flown with my kids on my lap countless times but when we took our daughter Margaret to Hawaii, we got her a seat! 7.5 hours in my lap… No thank you! You will also need a car seat when you get to your destination. Here are some helpful car seat tips:
- Do not travel with your expensive car seat. Invest in a cheaper one. This is the one we use. If you are traveling with another person, GATE CHECK YOUR CAR SEAT! This will minimize damage. We always gate check when we can.
- Get a car seat bag to protect it from damage and dirt.
- Most airlines allow you to check or gate check a car seat for free.
- Look ahead to your location. We flew Margaret to NYC when she was 5 month’s old. Instead of bringing a car seat, we booked Kid Moto for transportation to and from the airport.
Additional tips when flying with an infant
- Get to the airport early!
- If you can, book an early flight. If (fingers crossed) your flight is on time, then you can put your kid down for a nap when you get to your destination. We do this every single time even if it’s for only 30 minutes.
- During takeoff and the initial descent offer your baby a breast, bottle, or pacifier to suck on. This will help equalize the pressure in the baby’s ears. If your baby has had a recent ear infection, consult with your pediatrician BEFORE flying.
- For red eye flights (over night flights) change your kid in pajamas before you board. This is what we did when we flew back from Hawaii!
- Ask for help! When flying solo, I once had a flight attendant hold my daughter so I could go to the bathroom. It was nice and it beat having to wear my baby and pee at the same time (I’m guilty of doing this but it’s better than putting my kid down on the bathroom floor, yuck!)
- Ask the flight crew beforehand to see if they have extra seats. Margaret and I had an entire row to ourselves on a flight to Las Vegas. It was so great!
- If you are flying solo, book the aisle seat. Don’t count on extra seats. I have found that this is the best location so you can get up and change diaper, etc.
- Don’t let the grumpy passengers get to you. Not everyone is thrilled to see a baby on a plane. I’ve heard of people buying cheap ear plugs and giving them out to neighbors.
I started “Adios Team” with the goal of helping people with kids travel. I know many people are scared about flying with an infant and refuse to go anywhere. I’m here to tell you flying with an infant is not so bad. Stop stressing out and think about the result, a trip with your baby! Margaret flew a lot the first year of her life. She may not remember it, but I do. I will always cherish these special trips I had when she was an infant.
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