My husband and I traveled very often before we had our baby daughter Scout, and we still wanted to continue our adventures as parents. At four-months-old we took Scout to New York City during the autumn season, and then at 6-months we took her to Oahu in Hawaii.

I was definitely nervous about flying with a baby for the first time, but it turned out to be fairly smooth. I did have some learning experiences that I will definitely be sharing in this blog post, and many more tips to help parents plan their baby-friendly air travel.

Everything to Do Before Your Trip

Booking Your Airline Tickets

Most airlines in the United States allow infants and toddlers under 2-years-old to fly for free. You are not guaranteed a seat for your baby if you do not specifically purchase a seat for them. On fully booked flights they will have to sit on your lap. We were lucky on a few flights - there were empty seats and the airline crew gave us a whole row so we could have a seat for Scout.

After you purchase your airfare tickets, you are supposed to call the airline and let them know you’ll be traveling with an infant. One of the adult’s boarding passes will have the baby’s ticket assigned to it (even though you didn’t pay for it). I don’t think it’s a huge deal if you forget to call, you can just let them know when you check-in for your boarding pass.

Seat Assignment & Time of Flight

If you are able to book a flight at a time when they are normally sleeping, then they’re likely to sleep most of the way. We had a red eye flight from San Francisco to NYC and Scout slept in my arms for a solid 5 hours.

If you’re able to select your seat, the window seat has more room and you can use blankets and jackets to create a comfortable sleeping nook next to the window.

If you end up seated away from your travel companion, don’t be shy about asking someone to swap seats. We had to do this on one of our flights because my husband’s seat was several rows away from mine. Our fellow passengers were very kind and understanding.

Diaper Bag Packing List for Baby

Having a fully-stocked diaper bag is very important for a successful flight with an infant. Most airlines will allow one carry-on diaper bag per child, in addition to your two allotted carry-on bags per person.

I recommend a hand’s free backpack diaper bag because you will probably need to carry your baby.
Warm Baby Blanket - The temperature can be unpredictable on an airplane. This blanket will also help with making a makeshift bed for baby to sleep on.
Extra clothing in case baby’s diaper leaks or they are cold and need more layers.
Extra diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream.
Formula and bottles - I recommend the Ready-to-Feed formula bottles for traveling. Keep reading to below section on TSA rules for baby formula.
Pacifiers, pacifier straps and baby-safe disinfecting pacifier wipes.
Small baby books and soft-cloth baby books.
Puffs and dissolvable snacks. My favorite brand for baby food and snacks is Happy Baby.
Hand sanitizer.
Small toys.

Recommended Travel Baby Gear

Baby Carriers - Important so you can be hands free!
Pack ‘n’ Play - Make sure you check this when you get your boarding pass.
Co-Sleeper - We used ours everyday with Scout until she grew out of it. It’s great for your bed and for traveling!
Sound Machine - Help your baby sleep anywhere your travels take you.
Backpack Diaper Bag - Another important piece of baby gear to be hands-free!

Guide to Navigating the Airport with Your Baby

Getting Through TSA with Formula, Baby Food & Distilled Water

We all know the rules about no liquids over 3.4 ounces are allowed in your carry-on bag. Baby formula, baby food and distilled water for your infant are some of the rare exceptions to this rule. At TSA they will require you to open up your carry-on bags for an inspection of all the bottles, formula and baby food. But they won’t force you to dump it like they would any other liquids.

When we traveled with Scout we always used the Ready-to-Feed Newborn Bottles (you can use these until they turn one-year-old despite the fact that they call them “newborn bottles”). These pre-mixed disposable formula bottles can be purchased online and are super convenient. They don’t require you to wash and sterilize bottles while traveling and you don’t have to mix any formula powder and water.

***It can be tricky to find these 2 oz bottles in stores, they are often sold out or not available in stores. I highly recommend planning ahead and purchasing a large amount online to bring on your trip.

To make your inspections at TSA run smoothly, keep your formula in clear bags and place it in its own tray to run through the scanner. Be prepared to run the stroller and car seat through the scanner as well.

Online Stores that Sell Ready-to-Feed Formula Bottles:

Target
Walmart (they sell the 24-pack)
CVS Pharmacy
Amazon (Enfamil 24-Pack)

Air-Travel with a Stroller & Carseat

Traveling with a carseat and a stroller is a non-negotiable with a baby, but it can be logistically tricky with air travel.

Here’s what you need to know:

You can bring both your carseat and stroller onto the plane without paying any checked bag fees. (Double check this with your airline. We didn’t have to pay any extra fees for our stroller and carseat).
You can roll your baby in the stroller as far as down the walkway to the door of the plane. Immediately before we stepped onto the plane, we folded down the stroller and put the carseat and stroller into our travel bags. Before you begin boarding, the airline crew will tag your stroller and carseat travel bags at the counter. The carseat and stroller will be stowed below the plane.
The stroller and carseat will be returned to you immediately after you get off the plane. Make sure to hold on to the ticket stubs they gave you, they’ll need them to locate your carseat and stroller bags.
If you have purchased an extra seat for your infant, then you can bring your carseat onto the plane. Otherwise you will have stow the carseat below the plane with the stroller.
Stroller and carseat travel bags are available to purchase online at Buy Buy Baby. These are basically special luggage to protect your stroller and carseat from getting dirty and damaged while they are stowed away below the plane. We have the Zelia Carseat and Stroller By Maxi-Cosi and we purchased the J.L. Childress carseat travel bag and stroller travel bag.
Our stroller is the type where the carseat is actually the seat for the stroller (known as a “Travel System”). If you have a stroller that doesn’t have the click-in carseat, then I suggest checking your carseat instead of having it as a carry-on. You will especially need a carseat travel bag to keep your carseat clean and protected.

Check-in with the Airline Attendants

After you’ve gotten through security and you’re arriving at your gate, check-in with the airline attendants at the desk. They will need to tag your stroller and carseat. We made the mistake of not doing this on one of our flights, and they made us return to the desk to get the tags before we could board the flight.

Checking in with the attendants is also a great time to ask for seats to be rearranged if needed. You can also ask if there’s empty seats on the flight that you can use for your baby.

Take Advantage of Airport Time

When you’re hanging out at the gate waiting to board the flight, make sure to give your baby the chance to move around as much as possible before they’re confined to their seat. They would also probably enjoy a stroller ride around the airport to see some new sights. If your baby is walking, make sure to give them the chance to stand up and stretch their legs.

Early Boarding for Families Traveling with Infants

Make sure you take full advantage of the priority boarding for families traveling with small children. The extra time will really be helpful with folding up the stroller and putting the carseat in their travel bags to be stowed away.

In-Flight Guide to Traveling with a Baby

TakeOff with a Pacifier, Bottle or Nursning

One of the most common reasons that babies get fussy on airplanes is because of pressure in their ears. If you can get your baby to suck on their bottle, pacifier or nursing during takeoff, it can possibly help with getting their ears to pop and alleviating pressure.

Entertaining Baby on the Plane

The best advice I can give for keeping your baby entertained during the flight is to pack some new toys that your baby has never seen before, along with some old favorites. Don’t introduce all the toys all at once, bring them out slowly one-by-one. Depending on how long your flight is, I would recommend brining out a new toy every 45 minutes to keep a steady stream of new entertainment coming.

Scout has always loved having books read to her, so I recommend packing small and soft cloth books for in-flight story time.

If your baby is beginning to eat solids, having puffs and dissolvable snacks is also another great way to keep them busy. Scout loved the Happy Baby Puffs, Teething Wafers and Creamies Fruit Snacks.

I also recommend walking up and down the aisles of the plane with baby when allowed. It gives them a change of scenery and it could even help with putting them down for a nap.

Worrying About Disturbing Other Passengers

I know a lot of parents worry about their baby being really fussy on a plane and disturbing the other passengers. But the reality was that most people were really sweet and accommodating during our travels. We were lucky that Scout didn’t cry hardly at all, and most of that was due to the fact that we came prepared with a fully-stocked diaper bag.

My advice is not to worry about it too much. There’s only so much you can control and worrying about others shouldn’t stop you from traveling.

Diaper Changes Inside the Airplane

First make sure they have a fresh diaper before you board the plane. While in-flight we actually discovered that inside the airplane bathroom they had changing tables for babies (they were discretely located above the toilet). I always bring plastic bags for dirty diapers, and I tie it up to help contain the bad odors and drop it in the trash.

Important Things to Keep In Mind When Traveling with an Infant

For International travel, your baby needs a valid passport. If one parent is leaving the country with the infant without the other parent, you may need to follow special procedures to allow the child to travel (this is to avoid kidnapping).

Mommy’s Guide to Stress-Free Air Travel

It can be difficult to be super hero mommy when you’re not feeling your best. While we are always concerned about our babies, it’s important to come to the airport prepared for yourself as well.

Don’t Travel Hungry - Make sure you eat before your flight, you get your caffeine fix and you’ve packed meals for the adults in your travel party.
Dress Comfortably - Finding that perfect comfortable outfit for flying can make or break your traveling experience. I recommend something with pockets, and to add layers in case the plane is cold. I wore one of my favorite jumpsuits from Lauren Conrad’s Collection for Kohl’s!
Stay Hydrated - Always drink water on the plane. You can actually bring an empty water bottle with you through TSA and many airports have water bottle refill stations. Bkr makes my favorite glass water bottles!
Honest Co. Travel Size Products - You’ll find my bag filled with these little gems including the Organic All-Purpose Balm and the Face + Body Lotion.
Headache Relief - I suffer from migraines and I never travel without a bottle of Excedrin Migraine.
Probiotics & Vitamins - I try to keep up my daily routine of probiotics and vitamins when I travel to keep my system regular and to feel my best.