I remember flying on airplanes with my Mom and sisters when I was a little girl. We flew across the country every summer to visit our Auntie. Since I am the oldest, I made some trips with my sisters as infants and toddlers. My Mom had her hands full, but she was a well-organized traveler and we survived the flights with ease! I learned that flying the friendly skies with your baby is possible with a little bit of advance planning. So, if you are visiting family or traveling to a special destination this summer, here are a few travel tips to making flying with your baby a success.
- Time is your friend – Leave for the airport with plenty of time to spare because everything takes longer when traveling with a baby. Babies are known for unexpected surprises – dirty diaper, spit-up, cranky, hungry – and the plane will not wait for you!
- Pack light – Towing a baby down the airplane aisle and fitting everything into the ever-decreasing seat and leg space is challenging. Sharing one carry-on between you and baby, and only carrying the necessities, will make life easier.
- To board early or not – This can be a dilemma. On the one hand, if you board early, you can get yourself and baby arranged without a crowd. However, you are then left to entertain baby while everyone else boards…and the flight has not even started yet. If you are traveling alone and don’t have a lot of carry-ons, boarding early may not be your best option. Better yet, if traveling with another adult, send them ahead with carry-on luggage, while you walk with baby in the gate area and then board near the end of the line.
- Watch the ears – Feeding your baby during take-off and landing will help pop the ears and make baby more comfortable during pressure changes. If baby is not hungry, sucking on a pacifier will also do the trick!
- Ask for help – Flight attendants have flown with more babies than you have, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. They can warm a bottle, discard a dirty diaper, and even fetch a dropped pacifier.
What other tips do you have for flying with an infant? Please, share!
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