You’ve booked the flight, bought the supplies, and arranged the transport to the airport.
Your flight with the baby is almost here, yet you still find yourself entering ‘tips for traveling with an infant on an airplane’ into a search engine.
Why is that?
Well, flying with a baby is a daunting task, especially if:
- It’s your first flight with the little one in tow
- You’re unsure about how to handle all the logistics (from TSA agents to check-in)
- Your baby likes to scream and poop their way through journeys (don’t worry, they’re not the only one).
No wonder you’re looking for a little last-minute guidance. This guide aims to give you that.
As parents ourselves, we know what traveling with children is like and how a simple two-hour flight can turn into a marathon of meltdowns, messes, and mysteriously lost toys.
We’ve also collected the advice of other battle-hardened parents who have seen it all and have emerged from the other side, weary but wiser –and full of handy travel tips for flying with a baby.
Read on to find out 10 super-useful tips for traveling with an infant on an airplane and hopefully make your journey a peaceful one.
Moving abroad with a little one? ExpatDen has helped thousands of expats settle into their new country with specialist advice on travel insurance, healthcare, and much more. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.
10 tips for traveling with an infant on an airplane
Remember a time when you just used to stroll through check-in, gaze idly out of the window at the departure gate, then calmly board the plane?
Ah, such innocent days.
Traveling with your new companion might be a little more stressful, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
Here are 10 tips for flying with a newborn or toddler that every parent should know.
1. Weigh up the pros and cons of the baby basin row
We know what you’re thinking. Book the front-row seats because they have more space, right?
It’s a fair point and one that Brea Darnell, creator of travel blog Traveling Igloo, subscribes to. She also lists another welcome benefit.
“Many airlines have a bassinet option that secures to the wall and has a buckle for your infant”, she says. “I flew from Germany to Alaska by myself when my son was just four months old. It was nice to have a hands-free option while flying. I was able to eat and grab items out of my bag. My son even slept for four hours comfortably in the bassinet.”
However, you’ll have to do it in advance. “They typically only have one or two available, so reserve it early!”
Space for a bassinet and having your hands free all flight are big advantages, but the bassinet row also comes with several downsides that can actually make your journey more difficult, such as non-retractable armrests that make it difficult for your baby to lie down across your lap or seat.
Karsten Aichholz, father of two boys and founder of ExpatDen (an expert resource for expatriates), points out another less obvious reason. “Airlines have a ton of regulations about stuff (and children) on the floor and will make you pick up both when they see it. And in the front baby basin row, they’ll always see it”, he warns.”Further in the back, you can get away with more and get less hassled by overly correct flight attendants.”
Airlines often charge more for these bulkhead seats, but this money is better put toward buying an extra seat, especially if it’s not the higher price of a long-haul flight.
So, is a higher price and more hassle from attendants worth the extra space and free hands? We’ll leave it up to you!
2. Enjoy the perks of pre-boarding
Pre-boarding with a baby may sound like more time in a place you don’t want to be, but it has several upsides.
First, you get to settle into your seats before the rush, giving you extra time to manage your baby’s needs, particularly useful if it’s your first time flying with a baby.
Pre-boarding lets you get your carry-on bag, stocked with essentials like diapers, baby food, and a pacifier, in place before the cabin fills up. If your baby is bottle feeding or breastfeeding, you’ll have ample time to feed them and make sure they’re comfortable.
A baby carrier can also make boarding easier, so you get to keep your hands free while managing your baby and diaper bag.
By using pre-boarding, you can handle diaper changes, settle your baby, and avoid unnecessary stress when it’s time to buckle up and take off.
Amanda Emmerling is the creator of Toddling Traveler, a family travel blog, and she stresses the importance of advance boarding, especially if you have a habit of leaving it late.
“In my experience, all US airlines include family boarding as part of their pre-boarding,” she points out. “This makes the boarding process a lot less stressful, particularly if you’re flying an airline that doesn’t have pre-selected seats.”
3. Snacks over screens
Anyone who judges a parent for using screens with a toddler has probably never had kids themselves. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has even said that high-quality educational media (with parental engagement) is fine for kids over 18 months old, with up to an hour a day of their favorite cartoons for two-to-five-year-olds.
Yet, there’s an even more effective tantrum solution, especially for under-twos: snacks.
“Below the age of two, you’re probably not going to have a whole lot of success with screens. They just don’t have the attention span,” says Karsten Aichholz. “Snacks is where you get the best bang for space it takes up in your luggage.”
Often any kind of snack can provide a welcome (and easily packed) diversion but it helps if they’re baby’s favorites.
“Bring some slightly tastier (okay, less healthy) snacks than usual and they’ll keep baby busy for longer than anything else”, continues Karsten.
If snacks and their favorite toys fail and you really need screen time (understandable, we all have our limits), then a sensible thing to do is opt for phones over tablets.
“Phones take up a lot less space and are often equally entertaining,” says Karsten. “Older iPhone models you buy second-hand on backmarket.com, for example, work best. Make sure to download videos and test the apps if they work in offline mode before you head to the airport as few things are as frustrating as an app that proudly proclaims it’ll need an internet connection – after you took off.
Want an extra tip? OK, why not? “While we’re at it,” he says “Bring headphones, airlines require them (and make sure their plug fits the phone/tablet!)”.
4. Nurse them during takeoff and landing
When it comes to tips for traveling with a newborn, many parents wonder how to prevent air pressure on the flight for their baby’s ears. The truth is that there’s no way of avoiding this, but you can nurse them during takeoff and landing, which is when pressure changes the most and thus alleviate the strain on their ears.
While it’s impossible to completely avoid the impact of air pressure on your baby’s ears, breastfeeding or bottle feeding can help. The sucking motion encourages swallowing, which helps your baby’s ears adjust to the changing pressure, preventing ear pain and reducing the likelihood of crying during these critical moments.
Breast milk is a natural and comforting choice, but if you’re bottle feeding, make sure you have enough prepared before boarding.
Some airlines let you gate check extra items like a breast pump or baby bottles, but If you’re still concerned about your baby’s comfort, try to choose a window seat or extra seat for more space. This gives you room to maneuver and allows you to help your baby settle more easily during the flight.
If your baby struggles with air pressure changes or you’re unsure about breastfeeding on the plane, consulting your pediatrician beforehand is always a good idea.
5. Gate-check your stroller
Gate-checking a stroller is a great tip for traveling with an infant on an airplane, especially when flying on international or domestic flights.
A stroller helps manage your baby, carry your diaper bag, and hold your other essentials while walking through the airport. You can also normally use it all the way up to the airplane door, where staff will put it in the hold for you.
For those flying with a month-old baby or young children, having a stroller ready once you land is a big help when you’re already struggling with plastic bags, pouches, a fold-up changing table, and all the other paraphernalia that come with them.
Many airlines like United and American Airlines allow parents to gate-check a stroller at no extra charge. This saves valuable time and money catching connecting flights in busy airports across Europe or the U.S. Plus, it’s FAA-approved (Federal Aviation Administration), so your stroller will be waiting for you as soon as you land.
6. Bring your own infant car seat
If you do buy an extra seat, then bringing your own infant car seat or bassinet can do wonders for their comfort. Just think: no crying as baby sleeps soundly all journey in their familiar spot. Yeah, right.
Still, the chances of that must be higher, right? Karsten seems to think so. Plus, he points out, you get tonnes of other benefits.
“I can’t underestimate how much better traveling is if you get a dedicated, light-weight car seat”, he says. “ I use this one. It’ll fit easily into a car seat backpack (like this), together with an entire pack of diapers. Because these are so light, you can fit and carry two car seats in a single backpack, and you don’t need to pay the car rental company $20 a day to use them.”
With your baby in their own seat, you can secure the car seat with the seatbelt, a much safer option than holding them in your lap during the flight. Plus, the extra space makes it easier to manage diaper changes and baby’s sleep needs, with more legroom and less disturbance to fellow passengers.
7. The Last-Minute Boarding Hack
Is there more than one parent traveling?
First of all, all the lone adult travelers congratulate you.
Second, you get to use a useful boarding hack. One parent can head to family boarding early with all the bags and gear—think diaper bag, change of clothes, and the baby carrier—while the other stays behind with the baby until the last group boards.
This trick saves you messing around on the airplane with baby in tow and means the little one spends less time on board (only ten minutes or so, but every second counts!). and gives your baby extra space before takeoff.
Less time sitting in the airplane seat means less fussing and a better chance for your baby’s nap time to start on schedule.
Plus, you’ll have time to settle in before your baby needs a diaper change or to nurse, with a nearby changing table if needed.
For international flights, this trick can be a lifesaver, as your family stays calm and prepared for the long haul.
8. Get a credit card with travel insurance.
Getting a credit card with travel insurance is another smart move when it comes to working out how to travel on a plane with an infant.
Traveling with young children is unpredictable, and having extra protection through travel insurance can ease a lot of the stress. Insurance typically covers things like trip cancellations and delays, plus goof-ups that getting distracted by an infant may cause, like misplaced luggage or lost possessions.
“Get a credit card with solid travel insurance”, says Karsten. “Chase Sapphire Preferred is a popular one, Bank of America Premium Rewards another”.
Insurance from a trusted provider typically covers things like trip cancellations and delays, plus goof-ups that getting distracted by an infant may cause, like misplaced luggage or lost possessions.
There’s also the emergency health cover that can be a godsend if your child needs
unexpected medical attention.
The benefits of having a travel-insured credit card extend beyond just peace of mind. Some cards also offer access to priority boarding, allowing you to board early and settle in with your baby, as we mentioned previously.
You’ll also get access to accommodation should things go wrong. “It’s a whole lot more relaxing if your flight gets canceled and kids are crying if you know that you can just pick a decent $500-a-night airport hotel that’ll send a shuttle to pick you up and that’ll have kid-friendly food delivered by room service – all on travel insurance dime.” points out Karsten.
9. Pack like the worst is going to happen
Lost luggage is pretty rare, but delays? They’re a frequent flyer.
When traveling with an infant, packing your carry-on with the morning after in mind is a wise move. Imagine landing late at night, only to discover your checked bags didn’t make the trip or the stores are closed.
Make sure you have enough diapers, wipes, formula, and a full change of clothes for your little one (and maybe for yourself too) just in case of delays. If you’re lucky enough to score an aisle seat, it’ll also make mid-flight diaper changes or grabbing essentials from your bag that much easier
Toss in a few new toys or snacks to keep your baby entertained during layovers or delays. And don’t forget to pack a lightweight pouch for quick access to must-haves under the seat.
But it’s not just your carry-on that needs the overprepared treatment. Brea Darnell recommends fitting as much stuff as you can into your hold luggage. “Be sure to pack PLENTY of extra clothes for your little one”, she stresses. “I thought five outfits would be enough for our son when we flew, but he managed to go through all of them. Luckily there were no accidents on the last outfit, but I was underprepared. I’d recommend packing plenty of extra outfits. It’s better to have more than you need than run out of options mid-flight”.
Preparing for the worst can make your journey — and the morning after — a whole lot smoother!
10. Bring a baby carrier for onboard walks
For your baby’s first flight, the novelty of the experience can make it tough for them to settle down and sleep. A baby carrier can be a lifesaver when your little one gets restless.
Walking up and down the aisle with them snug against you often helps them drift off, even amid the hum of the engines. It’s a great way to sneak in some shut-eye for them without disturbing older siblings — or giving your partner a chance to rest.
That said, keep in mind that some airlines typically prefer passengers stay seated whenever possible, especially on domestic flights. On international routes, however, there’s usually a bit more flexibility for moving around the cabin. Before you board, check the airline’s policy so you know what to expect.
A little preparation ensures smoother skies for everyone!
Moving to a new country? Let ExpatDen show you the way
If you’re moving to a new country with your family, then knowing tips for traveling with an infant on an airplane is one big step toward a happy transition – but you’ll also need to know what to do once you get there.
ExpatDen is a valuable resource for young families taking on the life-changing event of moving and settling abroad.
Founded by Karsten Aichholz, who draws from his own decade-long experience as a German expat in Thailand, ExpatDen has evolved to serve expats across the globe.
Our in-depth, practical guides cover everything from finding group healthcare to understanding cultural norms.
Written by a team of expats with firsthand experience, ExpatDen gives you real-life advice that will not only help you settle in smoothly, but build a fulfilling life abroad for you and your family.Looking to travel with peace of mind? Contact ExpatDen to learn more about which travel insurance we recommend for expats, keeping them covered no matter where life takes them.
