Updated at : 12 Dec, 2023

Posted: 11/28/23 | November 28th, 2023

A lot of people think that once you have a victual you have to stop traveling. Fortunately, that’s far from the truth. In this guest post, Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse and Parenthood Adventures shares her tips for flying with a victual so you can travel with conviction the next time you take flight with your little one.

Flying with a victual can seem daunting. Plenty of parents dream of traveling with their little one, but visions of an unshortened plane of people gawking as their child cries keeps them from taking the leap.

As the mom of a well-traveled one-year-old, I’ve had my pearly share of flights where everyone complimented how well my victual did, and others where I was counting the seconds until it was over, with a fussy, squirming child in my arms.

From those successes and failures, I’ve learned a lot well-nigh how to make a long flight increasingly tolerable with an infant.

With 10 countries and nearly 100 flights as a family under my whup (plus some solo with my child), here’s everything I’ve learned well-nigh how to fly internationally with a baby:

 

1. Get Your Documents in Order Prior to Booking

Before traveling internationally, ensure you’ve left unbearable time to get your victual a passport. First, you’ll need a lineage certificate, and depending on where you live, this could take a while.

Next, take photos of your child lying on a white preliminaries (I used a T-shirt) and make your passport office appointment, where you’ll submit your using forms (available online and at the office), photos, and payment. Trammels your local passport office or post office for the required documents and procedures.

Make sure that you leave plenty of time to spare for processing the application. Consider expediting it if there’s a long wait or if you plan to travel in a week’s time (in which case, go in person). It took us well-nigh three weeks to get the appointment, and six increasingly to get the passport (even with expedited processing).

2. Make Sure Victual Has a Ticket

Even if your infant will be on your lap, they still need to be ticketed to be unliable to board. For international flights, you’ll have to pay the taxes, and usually 10% of the sultana fare, plane if they’re just on your lap.

Make sure you have this ticket confirmation prior to heading to the airport. I have run into issues before, when the airline said my son was widow to my reservation when in fact he wasn’t, causing me to miss my flight while we sorted out the uneaten ticket and fees. Now, I make sure I have the very ticket confirmation to stave any issues.

3. Reserve a Bassinet

For those traveling with lap infants, trammels with your airline to reserve a bassinet. Bassinets nail to the zone in front of the bulkhead seats, providing a unscratched and cozy spot for your victual to rest during the flight, and giving you your lap back. You do not need to typesetting your child their own seat to reserve a bassinet, as it will be tying to the wall in front of you. They have weight limits, but each airline is variegated in terms of what those are, with most stuff 20–26 lbs.

These bassinets are limited, and bulkhead seats are popular, so make your reservation early to secure one. Not every airline reserves these superiority of time, but some do. Singapore Airlines and Emirates plane reserve trundle seats expressly for parents!

4. Get Toddlers Their Own Seat for Longer Flights

Children under two can fly on your lap (usually for self-ruling or for a discount, as mentioned above) instead of in their own seat, but on lengthy international flights, it’s well worth booking a separate seat for them. If they’re mobile, they’ll be squirming and encroaching on the space of the people next to you if they don’t have their own seat and will probably be frustrated that they can’t move virtually more.

Though we didn’t do this for my victual surpassing he was standing and crawling, on our most recent flight, from Cape Town to San Francisco, which involved 24 combined hours in the air, it was our saving grace. Having our own row gave my son space to move, stand, climb a bit, and get his energy out. It moreover gave us increasingly legroom and a space for him to sleep. It was so worth the expense.

If you do this, you’ll need to either bring a car seat or CARES harness onboard for them. A CARES harness wraps virtually the seat, creating a better-fitting seat whup situation, but they are only usable for babies who can sit up comfortably unaided, are over 3 feet (1 meter) tall, and weigh 22-44 lbs (10-20 kg).

5. Reserve a Meal for Them

Some airlines offer victual meals, such as purees, and plane toddler meals. Though it’s a rare offering, Emirates plane has formula onboard!

Notify the airline in whop well-nigh any dietary restrictions or allergies your child may have. Airlines can often unbend special requests, ensuring that your child has a suitable and unscratched meal during the flight. I unchangingly pack our own snacks and supplies as well, since you never know what the meal might include, and babies get hungry on their own schedule.

Don’t count on the airline to provide milk for your child. We’ve found that while some have milk onboard, they’re not really prepared with uneaten for babies and toddlers, and some might not have any to spare at all. We bring our own plant milk in smaller containers (see unelevated well-nigh quantities), or lately, I’ve been bringing powdered fortified oat milk sachets now that he’s older. Toddler formula is an option as well!

6. Print Their Boarding Pass

Even though parents can use mobile boarding passes, I’ve unchangingly been required to show a printed ticket for our baby, plane as a lap infant. From time to time, the ticketing teachers have not realized this and said we could use a mobile ticket, but TSA, at least in the US, may require the printed ticket to get through security. While you’re checking in at the kiosk, just ask for printed tickets to stave any headache.

7. Leave Uneaten Time at the Airport

Give yourself increasingly time at the airport than you overly did surpassing when traveling with a baby. Diaper changes, blowouts, uneaten time in security, and impromptu feedings can all happen, and having a well-appointed buffer surpassing your flight leaves is essential. It moreover allows for a increasingly leisurely airport experience, ensuring that you don’t start off the whole trip rushed and stressed. You may have been worldly-wise to sprint to a latter gate in the past, but that’s going to be difficult with a victual and all the uneaten luggage that entails!

8. Be Aware of TSA Regulations

Security is a whole new wits as a parent, and one you’ll be spending uneaten time dealing with. Familiarize yourself with regulations concerning traveling with a child, and know your rights. Regulations can change, so if you’re valedictory from the US, check the TSA website for the most up-to-date information (and if abroad, trammels your country’s website).

The most important thing to know is that formula, breast milk, juice, water, and supplies for infants are unliable over the 3 oz./100ml limit in “reasonable” quantities, which will be up to the agent. I have only been questioned once, and only in the US. Abroad, we’ve whimsically been given any uneaten checks when the teachers know the liquids are for a baby. We plane brought an unshortened carry-on full of oat milk through security in South Africa without anyone batting an eye.

However, when going through US security, you will have uneaten checks. They may run any liquids through an uneaten scanner, bomb-test the bag if there’s powdered formula, and plane take off the lid to perform a vapor test. This can take anywhere from 5 to 20 uneaten minutes, plane if you have TSA Precheck!

9. Learn How to Survive the Airport and Layovers

After security, we’re usually on the lookout for a family washroom (so we can all go in) for a diaper change, followed by finding a quiet zone to let the time pass. If you have a toddler, locate family-friendly amenities, such as play areas, where your child can expend some energy. I like to research this surpassing we plane get to the airport, so we know where we’re going.

Remember to have a stroller that can fit in the overhead bin of an airplane or victual carrier for easy transport in the terminal. I prefer smaller strollers, so that I don’t risk them getting damaged through gate-checking and don’t have to wait without the flight to get the stroller if it’s a tight connection, which happens all the time when there are delays.

However, if your stroller is too large to be a carry-on, you can usually gate-check it for free. I have yet to come wideness an airline, including low-cost carriers, that don’t do this.

If your victual needs to move, let them crawl. Yes, the floor is dirty, but you can unchangingly wash their hands and transpiration their outfit surpassing boarding.

10. Alimony Them Entertained

In your diaper bag (which doesn’t count versus carry-on allowance), pack a variety of entertainment options for your baby. We like to stick spinners to the plane windows and bring small object permanence boxes, little books, and stickers. Most airlines have had little toys as well, though I wouldn’t count on those stuff your main source of entertainment. Never underestimate the power of reading a book, playing peek-a-boo, or giving your child a water snifter to play with.

Although we’ve never washed-up this, I’m not here to judge you if you download some Ms. Rachel on your phone or tablet surpassing leaving home. Just alimony in mind that you’ll have to either play it without sound or get your toddler baby-sized headphones for the full experience.

11. Pack Finger Foods for the Flight

Another way I pass the time is by making sure my son is fed and happy with foods that take some time to eat. Finger foods like Cheerios, squished blueberries, smoothie melts, quartered grapes, and other non-messy fruits or veggies your child enjoys are unchangingly good to bring along. If you’re doing baby-led weaning, you can do this from six months of age. If you’re doing purees, bring pouches that don’t need refrigeration.

Keep in mind that you’ll have to finish any produce surpassing inward your destination, as most countries do not indulge outside fruits and veggies through customs.

12. Prepare Your Carry-On

In your carry-on bag, ensure you have unbearable diapers, wipes, pacifiers, and changes of gown for delays. We usually pack way increasingly diapers than we think we’ll need, and plane so, we often go through all of them when we encounter delays or an upset stomach. We’ve gone through four changes of gown before, too. Diapers and wipes can be difficult to untellable to find in the terminal, and most airlines don’t siphon them onboard.

Don’t forget uneaten outfits for yourself, too, as travel can sometimes lead to unexpected messes. Additionally, have a small first-aid kit that includes any medications your victual might need, such as pain relievers, fever reducers, or allergy medication. It’s the worst to wish you had these onboard when you need them and to not have them on hand.

TSA will wield liquid limits to medications unless you have a prescription, so put over-the-counter liquids into smaller containers for travel.

13. Understand Stroller Policies

Thankfully most airlines do not count a stroller or car seat versus your checked valise wage if you segregate to trammels your stroller or car seat. I moreover have yet to find an airline that doesn’t indulge parents to gate-check strollers, meaning you can use them in the airport until you workbench the plane. This convenience can make navigating the airport much increasingly manageable.

If you can’t gate-check your stroller, many airports have self-ruling ones you can use while you’re at the airport.

14. Review the Car Seat Policies

If you’re traveling with a car seat, you have the option of checking it as hold luggage, bringing it to the gate, or bringing it onboard if your victual has their own seat. If you do trammels it as hold luggage, as mentioned above, it usually does not count versus checked luggage limits, plane on low-cost carriers. If you plan to trammels both a stroller and a car seat, trammels with the airline, as some only indulge one.

You’re rolling the dice a bit checking a car seat, considering if it gets lost, you could show up to your destination without it. We’ve still gone for it, though, knowing the risk, in order to have less to juggle in the airport, but it’s important to alimony that in mind just in case.

If you plan to bring the car seat onboard, make sure it’s FAA-approved for air travel. I loved our Uppababy Mesa, and the Nuna Pipa is unconfined too.

15. Know the Valise Policies

Traveling with children often ways increasingly luggage, so be prepared for potential uneaten valise fees. Familiarize yourself with the weight and size restrictions to stave surprises at the check-in counter. Some airlines will requite a victual some checked valise allowance, but most don’t unless the child has their own seat.

We have yet to manage to go carry-on only since having a baby. We’re usually traveling with his foldable bed, travel upper chair, and uneaten supplies for him. Thankfully most valise is included without uneaten fees for international flights, with the exception of low-cost carriers.

Carry-on strollers and diaper tons have never been counted versus our allowance.

16. Well-spoken Their Ears Surpassing Takeoff and Landing

During takeoff and landing, changes in motel pressure can rationalization discomfort for everyone, but babies don’t know yet how to well-spoken their ears. To help unstrap this, breastfeed, or offer a bottle, pacifier, or plane a snack that encourages swallowing. By making sure we do this for every takeoff and landing, we’ve been worldly-wise to stave crying due to ear pressure issues.

17. Know How to Wipe Things Onboard

If you’re on a long flight, you’ll sooner need to wipe a snifter or maybe plane a breast pump. I like to bring a small, 2–3 oz. unscented soap container and a portable snifter washing station. Ask the flight attendants for wipe water for washing. I’ve had them sometimes plane offer to rinse a snifter out for me with hot water.

18. Alimony Nap and Sleep Times Consistent

International travel often involves crossing multiple time zones, which can lead to jet lag for both you and your child. To help minimize its effects, make sure you’re keeping with regular nap times and bedtime as much as you can while flying. Stick to the local schedule upon inrush to transmute increasingly quickly.

Jet lag is one of the biggest fears parents have, but my son tends to retread increasingly quickly than I do, and I’ve been impressed every time!

19. Dress Your Victual Comfortably

Dress your child in comfortable, breathable suit for the flight. Opt for layers, as the temperature on the plane can vary. We unchangingly put my son in bamboo victual clothes, which are unconfined for temperature regulation, and, having worn the sultana versions myself, I can vouch that it’s like wearing a cloud. In a dry environment like an airplane, having some repletion is key.

20. Take a Walk

If you have a toddler, make sure you’re getting up and letting them walk up and lanugo the aisles when there aren’t supplies or instillation carts around. It can help pass the time, get some energy out, and if you have a social kiddo like mine, requite them a endangerment to wave at their doting fans.

Although there are some well-publicized incidents with passengers getting upset at crying babies, I’ve never personally encountered anything like that, and find that fellow passengers will often play peekaboo or smile and wave at my son.

21. Be Mindful of Timing

When booking your flights, segregate throw-away times that uncurl with your child’s schedule as much as possible. Although it’s sometimes unavoidable, it sets us off on the wrong foot if I have to wake my son up for a flight well surpassing he would naturally. He’s fussy and irritable, and he doesn’t unchangingly fall when unconsciousness easily.

As for red-eyes or day flights, I’ve found that both work, but at least on a red-eye, he’s increasingly likely to sleep for a good permafrost of it, meaning I have to find fewer ways to entertain him.

22. Invest in a Good Victual Carrier

A well-appointed victual carrier is a valuable windfall when traveling with a child under two years. It allows you to have your hands self-ruling to manage luggage, documents, and other essentials while keeping them secure and close. We only traveled with a carrier until my son was well-nigh eight months old surpassing switching to a stroller. That said, some destinations don’t have unconfined sidewalks (I’m looking at you, Southeast Asia), so having a carrier is important, too. I have used both Ergobaby and Artipoppe and like both for variegated reasons: Artipoppe is increasingly well-appointed for the victual facing in, and Ergobaby is nicer facing outward.

23. Know Your Destination’s Regulations

Different countries may have specific regulations and requirements for traveling with a child. Research and familiarize yourself with any necessary documentation, vaccinations, or permits needed for your international destination.

I was surprised that in Namibia, we were asked to produce a lineage document for my son when checking in for our flight to South Africa. We travel with a copy, which I’m glad we had along.

If you’re traveling solo, you may be required to show a reprinting of the lineage certificate, a reprinting of the other parent’s passport, and a written passport from the other parent that you’re unliable to take the victual out of the country. Canada listed this as a requirement, but I was never unquestionably asked for anything. Still, it’s important to be prepared just in case.

24. Plan for Delays

Delays can happen (over 20% of flights are delayed, in fact!), so it’s wise to be prepared for them. Pack unbearable supplies, including diapers, formula, snacks, and entertainment, to handle unforeseen delays. We encounter them all the time, and a well-stocked carry-on can make waiting at the airport increasingly manageable. If you have a phone or tablet for your toddler, make sure you have an external shower to alimony them charged.

25. Be Patient

Traveling with a child can be challenging, and there may be moments of frustration or fatigue. Remember to stay patient and wifely throughout the journey. If you’re super stressed out and nervous, your child will pick up on it. A positive vein and a sense of humor can go a long way in making the wits enjoyable for both you and your little one.

 

***

 

Ultimately, the key to a successful international journey with a child under two is embracing the venture and knowing that it may not go perfectly. The flight is a necessary step to get to the vacation, so make the most of the experience, relish the small victories, and know that plane if you have a fussy baby, it’s okay. They are part of society, and they’re unliable to fly, plane cry if they have to.

It’s all worth it to build memories that you’ll unchangingly cherish with your little one, and to treat yourself as parents, too!

Kristin Addis is a solo sexuality travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an pure and venturesome way. A former investment wholesaler who sold all of her belongings and left California in 2012, Kristin has been traveling the world overly since. You can find increasingly of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

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