One mission at BabyQuip is to take the weight off your back when you travel with young children. We want you to be able to carry only the essentials through the airport so that things like arrival, passing security checkpoints, dealing with customs, boarding your flight, and driving to your final destination are a piece of cake. But we know that there are a whole set of obstacles that present themselves during the actual flight, especially if you are flying with a newborn baby.
Here are 10 tips to help take the turbulence out of this intimidating adventure!
1. Research before you book.
Depending on the age of your newborn, you may run into airline policies that could keep you from getting on the plane. Many airlines don’t allow babies younger than 7 days old to come on board, and some policies are even stricter. It’s best to check ahead with your airline to see what their requirements are.
Also, keep in mind that even a newborn baby will need a passport to travel internationally, and you can’t get a passport without a birth certificate. This means you’ll have to wait until you get the birth certificate (usually about two weeks from the completion of hospital paperwork) before you can even begin to apply for a passport. This makes it nearly impossible to get out of the country until your baby is at least a month old!
2. Direct flights are the best flights.
If at all possible, avoid layovers! Whether your baby is two weeks old, two months old, or two years old, it’s all about minimizing transitions. Getting on and off a plane one time is stressful enough when you have little ones in tow! If making a stop is unavoidable then take into consideration the flight times and see if it’s possible to fly without interrupting regular nap/nighttime sleep schedules. Sometimes red eyes can be a great choice for flying with a newborn. Babies this little might sleep through the whole trip!
3. Consider bringing a car seat on the plane.
You don’t technically need to purchase a ticket for a child under two years old; with each adult fare, a “lap infant” fare can be purchased, which typically just includes the cost of any taxes and fees associated with a regular ticket. That being said, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies fly in an FAA approved child safety seat, and should you want to follow these guidelines you will need to purchase a full price ticket.
There are pros and cons to bringing a seat along, and ultimately you’ll have to decide what makes sense for your family, but if safety is your top priority this is the way to go. The good news is that baby items such as car seats and strollers usually won’t be included in luggage count.
4. Choose your seats strategically.
Most airlines now let you pick where you want to sit as you are purchasing your tickets, and when flying with a newborn (or little ones) there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, make sure that any of the adults traveling together are right next to each other. There is real strength in numbers when it comes to flying with a newborn! It might be tempting to save on airfare by splitting up mom and dad, but you’ll be glad you didn’t.
Second, try to get as close to the front of the plane as you can. This means you’ll be among the first to deplane once you’ve landed, as opposed to trying to fight off the inevitable infant fussiness that comes with standing in one place for too long.
Next, if you are breastfeeding, you might want to call dibs on the window seat, which offers the most privacy as you wrestle your nursing blanket into place repeatedly.
Lastly, especially in the case of lap infants, try to find a row where the middle seat is empty and keep your fingers crossed that no one gets assigned to it. In the worst case scenario you can be sure that the middle passenger will happily switch and take the aisle seat! And in the best case scenario, that seat will become a place to rest your baby and store your diaper bag and any other bags you want to be able to easily access.
Never hesitate to approach the airline customer agents who are working pre-flight at the gate counters if you want to try to improve your seating arrangements, and better yet, bring your baby along for the conversation. Most agents will be sympathetic to your cause and will happily move you if possible.
Related articles:
- 20 Coronavirus Travel Tips to Keep Your Family Safe
- Best Travel Toys for Babies & Kids
- Best Travel Snacks for Babies & Toddlers
- Airline Rules for Flying with Baby on American, United, Delta & Southwest
- {UPDATED} 6 Important Tips for Traveling as a Single Parent
5. Get a co-pilot (or a really great baby carrier).
It’s not always possible, but the number one most helpful thing you can do when flying with a newborn is ensure you have an extra set of hands available to help. Partners, grandparents, and best friends are the obvious (free) choices, or if you can afford to, consider hiring your nanny or babysitter to come along for the trip.
If you must travel without help, be sure to bring along your favorite baby carrier so that you can be hands-free as much as possible. Strapping on the baby makes it sooo much easier if you need to use that tiny airplane bathroom, and in the event of a shrieking infant you can bounce up and down the aisle and hopefully soothe the situation.
6. Organize important items in a wine holder with flying with a newborn.
Reusable wine totes are dirt cheap—less than $2.00 in most places—and have six spaces for organizing items. They also fit great under airplane seats. These bags keep baby essentials organized and save you the time and energy spent digging through a larger bag for items. Every parent has their own list of top 6 items to have on hand when flying with a newborn, but you can assume that diapers, wipes, and bottles will make the cut! Other great things to keep close include toys, diaper cream, bibs, loveys, a couple of swaddle blankets (you’ll find so many uses for these!), and extra pacifiers.
7. Stay at the gate as long as possible.
As a young, single traveler you probably hovered around the outskirts of the passenger line until your group was called to board, but it’s time to adopt a totally different gameplan. As someone flying with a newborn baby, don’t be afraid to wait until the last minute to make your way over to the counter. The less time you and your little one spend feeling trapped on the plane the better off you will be!
You might also get the advantage of having your carry-on checked for free if the plane becomes full, which means one less thing to lug on and off the plane. One exception to this tactic…if there is something you need in your carry-on during the flight, try to board more in the middle of the pack so that you don’t run the risk of your bag being checked.
8. Serve up the milk or formula to relieve ear pressure.
Takeoff and landing are two of the trickiest parts of the flight to navigate, because this is when a baby’s ears might feel pain or discomfort from the changes in air pressure. When flying with a newborn, these are great times to breastfeed or offer a bottle. You are allowed to go through the security checkpoint with breast milk, formula, and even baby food in “reasonable quantities,” so don’t hesitate to pack as much as you think you’ll need! If baby doesn’t seem hungry, sucking on a pacifier can also do the trick.
9. Pack spare outfits in resealable bags.
In the unfortunate scenario where your baby causes a spill or has a blow out, or even if you just want your baby to have special cozy pajamas for nap time, be sure to pack some spare outfits in your carry-on luggage (or diaper bag) to avoid having to dig through your overhead carry-on. Once you’ve changed outfits you can just put the dirty clothes back in the bag to contain the mess!
10. Set your PMA high.
Just because your newborn could scream for the entire flight doesn’t mean he will, and when it comes to flying with a newborn, a little Positive Mental Attitude will go a long way! You’ll likely find that your baby is comforted by the sound of the plane’s engine and may even sleep for a good chunk of the flight. So be prepared like a good boy scout and follow as many of these tips as you can, but most importantly, go in with confidence. You’ve got this!
The first time you are flying with a newborn it will no doubt be an adventure, but by the time the kids are older you’ll have the ins and outs of family air travel down pat! We hope these travel tips help you think of the things you might not have considered, and that they make your flight less bumpy. Don’t forget you can conveniently rent baby equipment at your destination from a Quality Provider at BabyQuip so you don’t have to navigate the trip with extra stuff!
Lisa Holmes lives in Wellfleet, MA with her husband, toddler and infant. She is a BabyQuip Quality Provider and loves welcoming travelers to Cape Cod. She works as an elementary school teacher, which gives her the opportunity to enjoy lots of time at the beach during her summer vacations!
My husband is away for military stuff and my son and I have flown a lot to see my family out of town. Nice tips but I think if you have a busy baby/toddler layovers are actually kind of nice – helpful for getting the wiggles out and avoiding meltdowns on the plane. :)
Thank you !! This is a great article with wonderful tips!
I remember flying with my (then) 2 month old son for the first time. It was TERRIFYING as a first time mom. These tips are so helpful!